Changing Traditions

I read in the newspaper that an old funeral tradition is falling.

I'm not talking about "viz-tashun." In southwest Louisiana, we have some of the longest "viz-tashun" periods of any geographical area I've observed. No, we will maintain our time honored tradition of "sitting up with the dead."

The city of Gulfport, MS will no longer allow funeral processions of more than five vehicles. Citing safety and personnel issues, city officials made this decision. It also noted that the city of Jackson, MS has had no escorted funeral processions in years. One official said that if they provided escorts, there would be more officers at funerals than on the streets.

Perhaps. But perhaps the police department feels it has better uses of its time than seeing that mourners make it to the cemetery safely. What about using retired officers or off-duty ones, or volunteers?

Another city charges $250 to provide uniformed officer escorts for funerals. Talk about taxing the dead!

The article further notes that in the South, we have some long standing traditions such as these processions which move from the place of the service to the cemetery. I have been a part of quite a few in my time. I have noted with some satisfaction that many motorists, when they see a funeral procession coming, will often pull over and wait for it to pass. I have noted people out in their yards or in parking lots standing at attention with hat in hand.

I have also noted, with some degree of satisfaction, that a few have tried to get by without stopping. I have seen more than a few officers honk and point at the offender. They usually get the message.

I have also seen truck drivers try to sneak on by. They are usually unsuccessful. How much time can one lose by waiting for a line of cars behind a hearse to pass?

At a recent funeral procession I led, an obviously homeless man stood at attention, cap across his breast, surrounded by his sacks and bags as cars filed by his position. He apparently had been offering to "work for food." He was not too busy to show some respect.

What to make of this decision? Things are changing. Hard lines of traditions seemed to be melting down. I am not much of a traditionalist, but I see the value of showing respect for departed souls. At present our parish sheriff's department provides escorts for funeral processions. In a conversation I had with an officer a few weeks ago, he told me that they had already escorted over 140 funerals this year- and it wasn't quite February! It looks to be a record year. I appreciate the fact that our sheriff still provides this service.

Public safety departments are finding themselves too busy, too overworked, and perhaps too shorthanded to supply funeral escorts. So a time honored Southern tradition is sent to trash bin. Could this be another example of our modern trend toward depersonalization?

Somehow, I feel sad.