Marble Orchards

O.K. the term may seem to take cemeteries lightly. That isn't my intention. I've buried most of my family and have spent many years in the funeral industry, as well. When you deal with death and tragedy every day, the only defense becomes a somewhat dark sense of humor. I have used funeral homes and cemeteries in several of my books.

What happened at the cemetery in Chicago is even beyond my imagination. How four people could do so much damage to so many others is obscene. The logistics alone are boggling! Imagine having to do DNA testing on hundreds of remains in order to return them to their own graves! Then what about those who were illegally buried in those graves? They have to be moved elsewhere. The number of families that have been harmed is astounding.

Bernie Madoff stole huge amounts of money from people who trusted him and was "rewarded" with 150 years in prison. These four people at the Chicago cemetery have stolen the peace of mind of so many grieving families that they should have the same sentences as Madoff. Lock them up and throw away the key!

This case will ultimately be tried and then, probably, be sent from court to court until it reaches the top. I can't even imagine the exact term they'll use for this crime (or series of crimes) fraud, theft, grave-robbing, maybe more... It will truly be a landmark case that will linger on our collective minds for years to come.

I'm not sure if the Constitution even mentions such a crime or how it will be adjudicated. But I hope the "wise Latina woman" will either go by the law or stay out of it. I don't want to hear about her "empathy" for the criminals. Will Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton show up to plead for the perpetrators? Or defend the victims? They may have a little problem turning it into a racial incident, since pretty much everyone involved is black. Maybe just this once, the letter of the law will apply instead of the usual mountain of distractions. It would be nice.