Here we go again

Its sad to see that the lead article of the Waikato Times last night was about yet another body snatch under the guise of Maori tikanga and protocol was done...and it seemed to be done in almost a mobbish fashion.

The body of 76 year old Ivy May Ngahooro was taken by her "estranged daughter" from Seddon Park funeral home yesterday, and it seemed that the two workers at the home were out numbered by four car loads of people. This is just sad. In this case, I think it is sad for two reasons.

1. The daughter who took the body was hardly in contact with her mother for a number of years.
2. The Maori man who the deceased was married to had been separated from him since 1970, 38 years ago.

I think that the daughter had ceeded any rights to do this as they werent tight in any case and what right did the tribe, which is unknown in this instance, it probably should stay this way.

I just this week have been working through an assignment on ethics. To me, this goes against anything that could be considered ethically correct, while maintaining a degree of cultural appropriateness. In any case, the daughter and the tribe should do the right thing, by the deceased, and return her to be buried according to her wishes.

This is a sad event that has happened and the law needs to change. The question has been asked and is extremely relevant. What use is a will if the wishes cannot be executed, and the police cannot enforce the wishes of the deceased? The excuse of it being a civil matter is pathetic to say the least. If my wife and I are having a spat and the police come to get involved I can tell them to buggar off because it is a civil matter and they cannot intervene. Its the same thing.