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      Death
      Doesn’t
      Have
      to
      Be
      A
      Grave
      Experience
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kimberley
      Johnston
     
     
      Reporter
     
    

    
     
      Life
      may
      be
      what
      happens
      when
     
     
      you’re
      making
      other
      plans,
      but
      death
      is
     
     
      never
      totally
      off
      the
      agenda.
     
    

    
     
      Just
      ask
      Georgia
      “George”
      Lass
     
     
      -acynical
      18
      year
      old
      who
      seems
      only
     
     
      to
      figure
      out
      her
      life
      after
      her
      untimely
     
     
      death.
      Her
      demise,
      by
      the
      way,
      involves
     
     
      an
      unfortunate
      full
      bodied
      encounter
     
     
      with
      a
      soviet
      era
      space
      station
      toilet
      seat
     
     
      which
      pastes
      her
      to
      the
      sidewalk.
      I
      shit
     
     
      you
      not.
     
    

    
     
      To
      add
      insult
      to
      injury
      (or
      death),
     
     
      the
      unenthusiastic,
      damn-near-
     
     
      unemployable
      college
      drop-out
      learns
     
     
      she
      must
      take
      over
      the
      role
      of
      a
      “reaper”
     
     
      or
      soul
      collector.
     
    

    
     
      Reapers
      are
      basically
      like
      us
      but
     
     
      have
      different
      appearances
      when
     
     
      viewed
      by
      human
      beings.
      They
      do
      not
     
     
      live
      in
      “the
      great
      beyond”
      nor
      do
      they
     
     
      wear
      black
      robes
      that
      hide
      their
      faces.
     
     
      They
      are
      much
      like
      humans
      but
      have
     
     
      been
      given
      the
      unimaginable
      duty
      of
     
     
      extracting
      souls
      from
      very
      likeable
     
     
      individuals.
     
     
      They
      are
     
     
      also
      cursed
     
     
      with
      human
     
     
      needs
      such
      §
     
     
      as
      shelter,
      §
     
     
      food
      and
      @
     
     
      clothing.
     
     
      So
      now
     
     
      George
     
     
      must
      find
     
     
      a
      n
     
     
      apartment,
     
     
      do
      her
     
     
      oO
      -w
      n
     
     
      laundry,
     
     
      feed
      herself
      and
      try
      to
      gain
      the
      sense
      of
     
     
      responsibility
      which
      evaded
      her
      in
      life.
     
     
      Also,
      soul
      fetching
      is
      pro-bono
      work
     
     
      so
      reapers
      are
      advised
      to
      get
      day
      jobs
     
     
      on
      the
      side
      which
      will
      allow
      them
      the
     
     
      flexibility
      to
      carry
      out
      their
      morbid
     
    

    
     
      Keeping
      her
      humble
      is
      the
      fact
     
     
      her
      reaping
      colleagues
      (who
      must
      attain
     
     
      closure
      of
      certain
      issues
      they
      could
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fix
      while
      they
      were
      alive)
      have
      dubbed
     
    
   
   
    
     
      their
      newest
      recruit
      “Toilet
      Girl’’
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
      than
      obvious
      reasons.
     
    

    
     
      Fellow
      reapers
      who
      serve
      the
     
     
      Pacific
      North
      West
      with
      George
      (played
     
     
      perfectly
      by
      Ellen
      Muth)
      include
      Mason
     
     
      (Callum
      Blue),
      an
      Irish
      bad-boy
      who
     
     
      refuses
      to
      get
      a
      real
      job
      and
      lives
      by
     
     
      shadier
      means;
      Roxy
      (Jasmine
      Guy),
     
     
      who
      doubles
      as
      a
      civil
      servant
      and
      has
     
     
      the
      disposition
      of
      a
      constipated
     
     
      Rottweiler;
      and
      Rube,
      (Mandy
     
     
      Patinkin),
      the
      learned
      boss
      who
     
     
      manages
      to
      maintain
      his
      authority
      even
     
     
      after
      handing
      out
      the
      daily
      assignments
     
     
      on
      vaguely
      detailed
      post-it
      notes.
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      a
      shame
      I
      cannot
      describe
     
     
      the
      intricate
      relationships
      and
      interplay
     
     
      between
      the
      characters
      in
      full
      detail,
      but
     
     
      trust
      me
      when
      I
      say
      this
      is
      a
      show
      not
     
     
      to
      be
      missed.
      The
      thing
      I
      like
      most
      about
     
     
      the
      show
      is
      it
      also
      keeps
      in
      contact
      with
     
     
      George’s
      family
      and
      illustrates
      how
      their
     
     
      household
      dynamic
      changes
      after
      the
     
     
      loss
      of
      a
      loved
      one.
      George’s
     
     
      introverted
      little
      sister
      (played
      by
      Britt
     
     
      McKillip)
      is
      especially
      interesting
      to
     
     
      watch.
     
    

    
     
      If
      you
      enjoy
      dark,
      cynical
     
     
      humor
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dark
      and
     
     
      cheery
      at
     
     
      the
      same
     
     
      time.
      It’s
      a
     
     
      show
      filled
     
     
      wi
      t
      h
     
     
      delightful
     
     
      contradiction
      which
      is
      what
      makes
      it
      so
     
     
      much
      fun
      to
      watch.
     
    

    
     
      The
      program
      has
      won
      award
     
     
      nominations
      for
      best
      actress
      in
      a
     
     
      television
      series
      (Ellen
      Muth)
      and
      best
     
     
      syndicated
      or
      cable/television
      series.
     
     
      The
      show
      runs
      on
      Sundays
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Showtime
      or
      episodes
      can
      be
      easily
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      downloaded
      from
      the
      show’s
      official
     
    
   
   
    
     
      website.
      (http://www.deadlikeme.tv/
     
     
      index.php)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gay
      Marriage
      and
      the
      Catholic
      Church:
     
     
      Tradition
      or
      Opinion?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Timothy
      Wakelin
     
     
      Contributor
     
    

    
     
      Gay
      marriage
      is
      an
      issue
      that
      has
     
     
      become
      increasingly
      prominent
      in
     
     
      today’s
      society.
      If
      you
      are
      anything
      like
     
     
      me,
      chances
      are
      you
      have
      heard
      about
     
     
      it,
      thought
      about
      it,
      and
      then
     
     
      subconsciously
      let
      is
      pass
      from
      your
     
     
      thoughts,
      as
      we
      do
      with
      most
      things
     
     
      that
      do
      not
      directly
      affect
      us.
     
     
      However,
      I
      happened
      to
      be
      attending
     
     
      amass
      about
      3
      weeks
      ago
      and
      found
     
     
      myselfin
      the
      midst
      of
      an
      uncomfortable
     
     
      sermon
      being
      made
      by
      the
      priest
      to
      his
     
     
      congregation.
      It
      was,
      of
      course,
      on
     
     
      the
      topic
      of
      gay
      marriage,
      an
      issue
     
     
      which
      he
      expressed
      that
      he
      did
      not
      want
     
     
      to
      talk
      about,
      but
      rather
      one
      that
      he
     
     
      had
      to
      talk
      about.
      He
      expressed
      many
     
     
      ideas
      to
      his
      uneasy
      audience,
      one
      of
     
     
      them
      being
      that
      “gay
      marriage
      would
     
     
      threaten
      the
      family
      unit”,
      and
      that
      “if
     
     
      you
      supported
      gay
      marriage,
      you
     
     
      cannot
      call
      yourself
      a
      Catholic.”
     
    

    
     
      I
      would
      like
      to
      contend
      with
      the
     
     
      popular
      notion
      that
      gay
      marriage
      is
     
     
      threatening
      the
      family
      unit.
      Of
      course,
     
     
      we
      all
      have
      our
      own
      definition
      of
      what
     
     
      the
      family
      unit
      is,
      but
      there
      is
      some
     
     
      commonality
      to
      the
      modern
      concept
     
     
      of
      the
      family
      unit.
      For
      many
      of
      us,
      it
     
     
      may
      include
      any
      number
      of
     
     
      combinations
      of
      guardians,
      parents,
     
     
      and
      children,
      as
      well
      as
      close
      or
      distant
     
     
      relatives.
      So
      then,
      who
      decides
      what
     
     
      a
      family
      unit
      in
      today’s
      society
      consists
     
     
      of?
      Traditionally,
      the
      church
      has
     
     
      certainly
      played
      a
      role
      in
      determining
     
     
      this.
      From
      what
      I
      gathered
      during
      the
     
     
      priest’s
      speech,
      his
      concept
      of
      a
      family
     
     
      unit
      consisted
      of
      one
      or
      more
      children
     
     
      who
      are
      parented
      by
      a
      mother
      and
      a
     
     
      father,
      or
      two
      guardians
      of
      the
      opposite
     
     
      sex.
      In
      the
      church’s
      argument,
      gay
     
     
      marriage
      would
      eliminate
      the
     
     
      “traditional”
      family
      unit,
      a
      family
      unit
      of
     
     
      which
      the
      church
      itself
      designated
     
     
      meaning
      to.
      Of
      course,
      this
      definition
     
     
      is
      extremely
      limited,
      and
      this
      is
      where
     
     
      the
      first
      problem
      arises.
      Who
      is
      the
     
     
      church
      to
      decide
      what
      a
      family
      is?
      Who
     
     
      is
      to
      say
      that
      a
      gay
      couple
      and
      their
     
     
      children,
      or
      any
      other
      combination
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      people
      do
      not
      constitute
      a
      “family
      unit?”
     
     
      I
      would
      like
      to
      think
      that
      the
      church
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘today’s
      society
      should
      have
      no
     
    
   
   
    
     
      authority
      in
      either
      of
      these
      decisions.
     
     
      There
      is
      no
      authority
      that
      can
      say
      a
      gay
     
     
      couple
      would
      be
      any
      less
      caring
     
     
      parents
      or
      any
      less
      loving
      than
      a
     
     
      heterosexual
      couple.
      So
      it
      ought
      to
     
     
      be
      up
      to
      the
      individuals
      actually
      living
     
     
      the
      reality
      that
      decide
      whether
      they
     
     
      should
      be
      defined
      as
      a
      family
      unit
      or
     
     
      not,
      and
      whether
      that
      family
      will
      be
     
     
      united
      through
      marriage.
      Of
      course
      the
     
     
      church
      holds
      the
      key
      to
      marriage
      in
     
     
      many
      respects,
      but
      if
      the
      rights
      of
      the
     
     
      church
      are
      not
      affected
      by
      legislation,
     
     
      then
      the
      church’s
      decision
      on
      who
      has
     
     
      access
      to
      marriage
      and
      who
      does
      not,
     
     
      should
      not
      be
      detrimental
      to
      those
      who
     
     
      hold
      other
      beliefs.
      lt
     
    

    
     
      I
      am
      sure
      that
      many
      church
     
     
      representatives
      would
      at
      this
      point
      be
     
     
      inclined
      to
      refer
      to
      certain
      scripture
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      say
      that
      “marriage
      should
      only
      take
     
     
      .
      place
      between
      a
      man
      and
      a
      woman.”
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      would
      be
      tempted
      to
      ask
      them
      to
      refer
     
     
      to
      the
      original
      teachings
      on
      which
      the
     
     
      church
      is
      based.
      These
      are
      of
      course
     
     
      the
      teachings
      of
      Jesus
      Christ,
      aman
      who
     
     
      expressed
      forgiveness
      and
      acceptance
     
     
      in
      every
      aspect
      of
      the
      meaning.
      So
      then
     
     
      who
      is
      any
      follower
      of
      his
      word
      to
      reject
     
     
      any
      person,
      whether
      they
      agree
      with
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      person’s
      lifestyle
      or
      not?
      Dismiss
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      statement
      if
      is
      wrong,
      but
      did
      the
     
     
      covenant
      between
      Jesus
      and
      his
     
     
      followers
      (which
      would
      include
      the
     
     
      present
      day
      Catholic
      Church)
      not
     
     
      include
      faith
      and
      trust
      in
      Jesus
      as
      the
     
     
      Christ?
      I
      believe
      so.
      So
      then
      ifa
      gay
     
     
      couple
      meets
      this
      regulation;
      that
      is
      that
     
     
      they
      do
      have
      faith
      in
      Jesus
      Christ,
      who
     
     
      is
      anyone
      to
      deny
      them
      the
      sacrament
     
     
      of
      marriage?
      Yes,
      they
      may
      be
      different
     
     
      in
      their
      sexual
      preference,
      but
      I
      do
      not
     
     
      hesitate
      to
      say
      that
      is
      the
      only
      way
      in
     
     
      which
      they
      differ
      in
      regards
      to
      faith,
      in
     
     
      fact
      I
      am
      pretty
      sure
      that
      sexual
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      14