[Comin'OutSwingin]

I’m very conflicted on this issue.

I completely understand your point of view Ross, and in all reality, you are exactly correct. Death is natural.

It is also natural to be emotional about death.

The concerns Lewis raised about applying commerce to death are very valid.

I brought up in Lou’s thread that initially told about how this transpired that I had also done some memorial shirts for someone last week. A co-worker wanted some shirts to wear for a fundraising walk for juvenile diabetes. Her younger sister died from juvenile diabetes a few years ago.

Personally, I’m not at a place where I feel comfortable profiting from something like this. I did the shirts for her at cost.

I also don't see myself doing much of this in the future!

This is also probably easier for me to do because I make money on clothing from my own line, and providing shirts that people want is just an extension of that, and not the main focus.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with someone profiting in this manner, but since it was very unexpected (I had never imagined doing anything of the kind), it’s just as Lewis said: “It’s something you have to work through to be comfortable about.”

Which is completely natural.

 

[Comin'OutSwingin]

To reiterate, I see nothing wrong with providing memorial shirts. I see nothing wrong with someone profiting from memorial shirts.

I just did shirts that were in memorium of a child. So I understand how important they are. I was speaking to my comfort level of PROFITING from the shirts. Not providing them.

Ross,
I don’t think of it so much as a question of morality, in as much as it is respect.

My respect for what a grieving person is going through is such that I can't profit from their grief. I will provide shirts all day long at cost to someone in this situation, but will never be able to MAKE money on a transaction of this nature.

I don’t believe avoiding death has anything at all to do with MY feelings on the matter. I have had many family members and very close friends die recently. So dealing with death is something I have become accustomed to.

I just believe dealing with death and profiting from it are different things. I understand that there is money to be made in shirts of this nature, and for those that want to profit from it, I see absolutely nothing wrong with it.

But it is not FOR ME.

I am uncomfortable profiting from the misfortunes of others. Whether it’s the death of a loved one, and selling them shirts as a memorial, or someone that has driven off the side of the road, in need of a tow truck, and being a tow truck driver. It’s just not something I’m comfortable doing.

Having lost family and friends, I know there aren’t too many things as unfortunate as losing a loved one. Profiting from is just not something I can do.

Like I said before, it’s not an issue of not wanting to deal with death. If printing shirts for people was my main source of income, I would gladly provide memorial shirts at cost, and be dealing with it constantly. But profiting from it, is just not FOR ME.

So I don't consider it a moral decision, but rather simply a personal one.