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Since 1896
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I am Gregory Dawson
filling in for Clifford Banes |
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who is wandering along
I-97 in a bathrobe |
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with no memory
of who he is. |
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Whether adorning jewelry
or serving as home furnishings |
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baby skulls are one of the most
sought after ornamental items |
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in the United States.
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But a new report finds as
many as 30% of baby skulls |
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are acquired in illegal
and sometimes brutal ways. |
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Should the baby skull industry
be subject to greater regulations? |
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The skull trade is
not without corruption, |
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we all know this.
- Yes. |
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In Angola laborers who travel
on foot from village to village |
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collecting baby skulls are forced
to work 16 hours straight. |
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- It's awful.
- These skulls pass through so many hands |
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it is hard to know which ones
are harvested illegally |
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and which ones are
harvested responsibly |
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as they have been doing
for hundreds of years. |
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It is ironic that
something so beautiful |
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could be tied to so much
pain and suffering. |
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Yes, but people should
not be demonized |
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just for wearing
a baby skull. |
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Listen, last month there was
a photo spread in Newsweek |
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that ran and showed some
of these baby skull harvesters |
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and they were in very bad shape,
some of them had their arms cut off |
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they had gotten in the
way of their own machetes |
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while harvesting these skulls.
- Whose fault is that? |
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I don't see how anybody
right now can buy a baby skull |
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with a clean conscience.
- That is unfair. |
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I should bad for
wearing this necklace? |
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My mother gave it to me.
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It is beautiful Lauralee,
it is a beautiful necklace. |
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- It is a stunning necklace Lauralee.
- Thank you. |
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And I hope that it was collected
and polished using fair practices. |
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The fact, Lauralee, is
that you just don't know. |
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In response to the recent outcry
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the baby skull industry has launched
a massive nation-wide campaign |
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to salvage its image.
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Some critics argue that ads like these
should be required to warn consumers |
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about possible
humanitarian issues. |
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It is not going to matter
how many warnings you put on it, |
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people are not going to
stop wanting baby skulls. |
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There we agree.
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Every little girl grows up dreaming
of a whole chest full of baby skulls. |
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- Baby skulls are part of our culture.
- That is right. |
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If my husband hadn't given me a
baby skull ring when he proposed to me |
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I would have been like,
where's the skull? |
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If consumers are concerned
about possible abuse |
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then they should take matters
into their own hands, |
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ask the skull dealer
where he got the skull, |
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ask to see the spine if he has it.
- Exactly. |
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Some have suggested that we
build up the baby skull industry |
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in our own nation
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so that we might be able
to provide greater oversight. |
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- Great solution.
- American babies on American soil. |
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I have seen some of those
cheap Chinese baby skulls |
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and sure they're cheap but that's
just because their more plentiful. |
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They have a lot of problems,
they have dings and dents. |
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But Lauralee I am talking about
high quality American made skulls. |
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Now, take a look at this skull that I
got from an independent dealer recently. |
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Oh my god,
Duncan that is not a baby skull! |
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- That is a cow skull.
- What? Oh, oh! |
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God damn it.
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Still ahead this hour:
|
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Obama to appear on cover of
President Magazine. |
