As to theme parks I will continue to avoid the Auschwitz Gift Shop. And Chernobyl has become a hot spot for eco tourism.
People are curious. And we - or at least I - cannot expect them to drop the socially-programmed activity of consumption even if touring a horror site. It is what is offered at the gift shop that is the problem - how do you turn the consumption-orgasm to the the advantage of the messages of the site. It could be yellow stars, and empty suitcases and, and filthy clothing and bedding, and beaten up spoons. It could be a tattoo on your arm, real ones - that would be a real memento - a memento mori. (I don't know what is actually offered at the gift shop.)
Was not a precursor to Disneyland Colonial Williamsburg?
And what was the precursor to CW? Coney Island's fantasy areas would be my guess.
As an aside, I bought on e-bay one of the medals that the worker's who ran into the reactor and dropped sandbags were given.
Interesting, the Russian tradition of striking event-specific medals, one we used to share up through 1900. Would have been thoughtful to strike some September 11th medals, but then everyone would have been scrambling and politicking for one, interpreting a medal for demonstrated heroism with being a victim. Katrina medals. Mt. St. Helens. Governor Dean, Robert Byrd, others for warning against Iraq. A civil rights era medal.
How much was the medal? Where was it sold from?
Christopher
--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html