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Message: [QUOTE="Jeff Kelley, post: 229154, member: 202087"] “This is one of the important questions regarding Titanic salvage: Should shoes and boots be considered human remains, despite the fact that they are not actually part of what was once a living organism? They are, at least, an indicator of where a human once lay. Again, perhaps that consideration should be left to the perspective of the individual. Physically, they are shoes/boots, but on a human level . . .” This certainly is a compelling and defensible argument, but there are of course considerations for another perspective. For example, we can not necessarily distinguish between shoes that were left there after a body disappeared and shoes that were not being worn at the time of the sinking (cargo, luggage, etc.). Also, even to the extent that these shoes were being worn when the ship sank, they represent the place of death, not an intended resting place. To draw upon the roadside fatality analogy, the crash site is not considered a gravesite. Even if the wreck goes undiscovered for a period of time (as do some airplane crash sites), the remains are removed and the site does not become a gravesite. For that matter, even in the case of the Titanic shoes, the “site” is probably the area around the ship, not the ship itself. Back to the WTC analogy, many remains were never recovered, which means that the bodies were basically pulverized (sorry for the graphics) in/by the wreckage. The shreds of clothing or an occasional bones were recovered and removed. The WTC site will be built upon again. Much like a battlefield, the site will be revered, but will return to use as something other than a permanent memorial. It is easy for me to understand why some people want to make the Titanic a shrine or gravesite of sorts in honor of the dead. But, I also would not pass on a chance to pull a handful of gold doubloons from a pirate shipwreck. I am not sure where the distinction would be, other than the fact that the Titanic’s victims were innocent passengers and the pirates were nasty criminals. But, I am not sure that is enough to justify the difference in approach. [/QUOTE]

Verification: In which year did the Titanic sail?