Posted By:
barrysloateJohn- You made an interesting point and I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, since I think this whole issue falls under the umbrella of what is the ethical thing to do. As far as capitalizing on the death of someone, it's probably never an ethically sound policy. But if you sold an artifact belonging to Attila the Hun, who was a ruthless killer, it's safe to say that something that occurred in the 5th century is less likely to offend than something that occurred in 1972.
When Jackie Kennedy passed away she left some confidential information about her past (and President Kennedy's, for that matter) that was to remain a guarded secret until the death of her children. Similarly, until Mark Felt stepped forward last week, the identity of "Deep Throat" would have been unknown until he too died. There is something about waiting for the immediate family to pass that changes the dynamics of an event. Lincoln's assassination was a national tragedy but his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren have all died, so the issue is a little more tied up in history than say the tragedy of 9/11, which is still an open wound for everyone. Never great to make a buck off of someone else's misery, but I think time is an important factor and now is not the time to sell the Clemente plane with his wife and children still alive. A hundred years from now, still not classy but a different story.