Discussion Do you think it's disrespectful when people visit things like The Titanic? Poll

[Forever Sleep]

Once, I saw a competition to join a group of researchers I imagine to see The Titanic. (Not Oceangate.) I really wanted to win it because the whole thing fascinated me but I remember my Godfather saying the site was a grave and it was disrespectful to view it as some sort of tourist attraction.

I saw his point. I'm not sure I totally agreed with it. It does make sense to behave reverently where people have lost their lives. It's debatable whether it actually benefits them now- depends on what you believe I suppose but, there are still going to be relatives and some who still remember the disaster itself.

Obviously, researchers and historians are something else. I imagine people would understand why it's important for them to visit and document such things.

But, regular people- tourists if you like. Do you think that is disrespectful?

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I think it's been long enough after the Titanic that it's unlikely that many who were directly personally affected by the tragedy would even be around to take offense. As more time passes it just cements itself as another piece of history so I don't see the harm in letting curious tourists indulge in some learning.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think it's been long enough after the Titanic that it's unlikely that many who were directly personally affected by the tragedy would even be around to take offense. As more time passes it just cements itself as another piece of history so I don't see the harm in letting curious tourists indulge in some learning.

That's similar to how I felt. I think these things are time sensitive. If we couldn't go where people had died at one point, we'd end up not being able to go anywhere!

But still, I liked my Godfather's consideration for other people. I think some of it is in the behaviour too. I think people can still visit these sorts of places but, not be flippant about it. Remember what happened there type of thing.

Abandoned, decaying places fascinate me in general. I think it's some disturbing reflection of my psyche...

 

[rozeske]

I'd assume it would in a way be remembering and honoring the dead so long us you are not doing extra disrespectful things there. I don't know but wouldn't being visited and remembered be better than being sealed off collecting dust and whatnot and just being forgotten. On the other hand think about the tons of generation that's passed on before us and completely forgotten, it in a way feels like a privilege to still be remembered, of course letting go of the tragedy that happened to them. I guess one could also argue being left alone to rest in peace would be better...

 

[Deleted member 8119]

It's history. People have right to knowlegde.

In fact, hiding history from people will only repeat it. Those aren't things to hide, but to educate about.

 

[Thisisnotaname]

What about other historics places ? I assume people paid for associations or something

 

[broken_stoic]

The act of visiting to site itself I don't think is necessarily disrespectful at this point. That being said, I think people should treat the site with a certain amount of reverence, and not everyone will.

 

[YandereMikuMistress]

There's a difference in going to see somthing out of some form of respect or curiosity but to go see the titanic because you want to use it for yourself like going just to say you went kinda thing, I just think it can be pretentious under particular circumstances, like to me when the Titan implosion happened, one of Stockton Rushs big factors for attempting this was mainly for attention public attention as he learned he gets lots of attention from visiting shipwreck sites and he used that and thought well imagine how much attention he could garner from being able to basically turn the The wreckage of the Titanic into there own profitable tourist hot spot, there's already issues with all sorts of historical locations being degraded in a way for someone else gain,, but i really can't assume everyone who goes to see these historical sights are doing so With self Serving intentions because that's just not true but you also can't ignore the fact that people will abuse there power as that's recognizable everywhere.

 

[star.trip]

The fact of visiting the titanic does not seem bad to me, but at least it should be treated with respect because going to see it with the intention of giving importance to the fact of being able to say I visited the titanic forgetting what it means. For that it is better not to go.

 

[NumbItAll]

No but I can think of a million better things to do than submerge 12,000 feet underwater to look at a bunch of scrap metal.

 

[NoPoint2Life]

I never thought of this before. I think if it's something historical like the Titanic, many people are fascinated by it and want to visit the site. But it's different when it's something stupid and current like someone was murdered in a house and people want to see the house where the murder took place.

It would be great if there could be like an official time limit where you have to wait until a certain amount of time is over before you could visit something like that. Because otherwise I can imagine it does feels like a grave. That would be disrespectful.

When it's something that so many people are fascinated by it should be allowed so ultimately I say no it's not disrespectful. But then I think of something like the World Trade Center here in the US and I don't know how anyone stepped on that ground afterwards. now there's a new building there and it would totally creep me out if I had to work at that site where that all took place. But there's also plenty of people that go there to pay their respects.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Disrespectful to who? The non existent people who don't have the ability to feel disrespected? Of course not