Doubt Cast on Donner Party Cannibalism

[heyitsmonk]

Original Article:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10828045/

RENO, Nev. - There’s no physical evidence that the family who gave the

Comments

[rhapsody_98]

I'm having trouble figuring out who really cares about survival cannibalism from 150 years ago. So your great-grandad ate his cousin to survive. That must totally mean you're a cannibal, too! Right.

[thestrokesln]

Totally. Why dwell, it's history.

[lunza]

I grew up in a town named after a Donner Party survivor and I know some of the Donner Party's descendants, so it's not exactly ancient history to us. Still, I wonder what people expected -- if you have only one source of food left, and the choice is to use it or starve, what the hell do you do? Piously starve?

[dylanmonster]

Exactly!
It's either that or die.

[thestrokesln]

I didn't mean that it is ancient history, just that it is in the past. yes? And therefore dwelling upon the fact that someone's ancestors ate another human being as a means of survival is somewhat of a silly thing.

[rhapsody_98]

if you have only one source of food left, and the choice is to use it or starve, what the hell do you do? Piously starve?

Our point exactly. I understand completely the necessity, and have trouble understanding the people who believe there is some sort of stigma on the ancestors who live today.