With cremation becoming a more popular choice of disposition after death, there has been an increase in the number of options for spreading human ashes. Recently, the company Holy Smoke has received media attention, including a spot on The Colbert Report.
Holy Smoke offers the option of turning human ashes into ammunition. This is a perfect choice for those wanting to memorialize a loved one by shooting something. For those who are considering this method, the company promises that “Now you can have the peace of mind that you can continue to protect your home and family even after you are gone.”
According to their directions, all you have to do is indicate “the caliber, gauge and other ammunition parameters” and then send one pound of ashes to them. For only $1250 you will receive 250 shotgun shells full of your loved one. By the way, all sales are final but unused ashes will be returned.
There are other interesting ways to spread ashes. You can send off loved ones in fireworks, shoot them into outer space, or sink them in the ocean as an eternal reef. You can carry the ashes in a necklace or use the ashes to make a diamond called a LifeGem. In our culture, there is an increasing interest in “finding closure” through creative rituals after someone dies. This desire has not gone unnoticed by the growing number of death entrepreneurs.
I personally do not want anyone packing heat at my funeral let alone packing me. But my point has more to do with how businesses are trying to package death. I am not against creative ways of remembering loved ones after death, but I am concerned about profit-driven marketing aimed at our grief.
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