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Washington Report
April 2002
ICFA Responds to U.S. News & World
Report Article About Cemeteries
by Robert M. Fells, Esq., general counsel
The March 11 issue of U.S. News & World Report contained an article titled "Burial Plots: Cemetery Abuses Mean Your Loved Ones May Not Be Resting Where You Think." Claiming that "abuse of the dead is nowhere near as rare" as the Georgia cremation case suggests, the story alleged that a national scandal exists and "authorities say there is no way to even guess how many bodies may be misburied or otherwise mistreated."
In response, the ICFA immediately dispatched a letter to the editor, which states in part, "It is with regret we note that 'Yellow Journalism' is alive and well in the pages of your publication. The article ... juxtaposes some highly anecdotal accounts with some general comments by state regulators and -- presto -- a national scandal is fabricated." Pointing out that the ICFA has been in the vanguard of proactive industry regulation through its Model Guidelines for State Laws and Regulations, the letter concludes, "The difference between our respective publications is that ours advocates solutions, yours promotes fear-mongering. Your readers deserve better than that." The full text of the ICFA letter can be viewed at www.icfa.org/usnwr_letter.htm.
Copyright ICFA 2002
Georgia Cremation Scandal Prompts Consideration of Federal Oversight |
