Great Moments in Journalism: One Man's Meatsack
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Ah, Charlie LeDuff, we knew you were going to be the gift that keeps on giving. While this recent piece on a Detroit bone collector had a lot to offer ("'My theory?' Mr. Thomas offered. 'White people kill themselves. Black people kill each other. Chinese people don't die.'"), but we're going to go with this bit of hard-bitten grace:
Do not judge him. A happy attitude is necessary in his profession. It keeps the mind from shattering, salts one's sanity. Call the job dirty. Call it 14 bucks the hard way — $14 a human body, $9 an animal. He said he made $14,000 last year. He made most of it at night. His tax forms officially read "body technician." Unofficially, Mike Thomas calls himself body snatcher, grim reaper, night stalker, bag man. Whatever you call it, it is one man's life.
