Abraham Lincoln Tomb Documentary

[Chris Ryder]

Interesting someone mentioned the attempt to steal Elvis Presley's remains. I wrote a treatment for a screenplay called 'I Dig Elvis' where someone moves into the home closest to his grave at Graceland and burrows an underground tunnel. The house is actually 1234 Dolan Drive. The lead character makes a deal with a tabloid to provide posthumous photos of Elvis in exchange for money, then eventually succumbs to remorse over it. It is actually a mild comedy and not a biopic in any fashion, and has a warm ending.

Even with electronic security, we are at the mercy of hackers..and maybe even those of higher power such as the NSA. Putting more thought into it all, there really can be no guarantee of protection as technology advances. The technology advances in both directions and is likely a zero sum game, but it prevents the 'amateurs' from making an attempt...like counterfeiters getting boozed up. Sadly, even if the body were stolen now, the LMA wouldn't be able to afford to get it back. What kind of closure do the Russian's feel with Vladamir Lenin's body on display in Red Square? Where is the balance?

At least Mr. Lincoln is there. I believe there is a shrine in Redwood, CA. I was astonished to read about the fundraising campaign to create it and how much they raised, yet the actual place where he resides struggles with their budget. The fact he is in Springfield is consoling. Even when I visit Frank Lloyd Wright's empty grave in Taliesin, there is a spiritually absent feeling that he isn't there. Given that, each one of us has our own thoughts about how close we need to be to the body, whether someone who wished to be cremated actually had their ashes spread where they wanted, family who decided bury the ashes instead, then those who feel the body is simply an empty shell. It is all relative to each person and will be debated until the end of time. Should a popular consensus prompt a change? Are there Russians who feel Lenin should be encased in a ton of concrete in order to feel he is finally at peace?

Regardless of this debate, I am not sure I mentioned this directly, but I will avoid sensationalism at all costs with the documentary. This forum and the current discussion is all being taken into consideration to find where that boundary is, and I thank you all for that.

Last, not knowing the details on whether MTL was embalmed, at what point in time did this happen simply for the reason to ensure people were actually dead (versus being a in trance)?

That alone is another interesting tangent about Oak Ridge Cemetery with people who lived in proximity to the cemetery becoming ill when the water table was infested with embalming fluid (arsenic?).