Here we go again!

[gandycreek]

http://www.nbc12.com/story/34967104/police-guard-siege-museum-in-petersburg-after-live-civil-war-era-ammunition-found

[alwion]

"It could knock out windows. You would not want to be an individual holding one of these things because it could knock you out," Mann said.

"If you find one, you got to destroy it," Mann added.

This all happened as the task force was working to get the museum back open again. They’re hoping to get permission from the city to have the museum open again within two months.

this pass's stupid on all levels

[speedenforcer]

Morons. Me thinks they just like the publicity cause aint no one that stupid, oh wait, yes they are.

[divedigger]

yeah that's pretty funny

[divedigger]

anybody that finds one can let us know and we will be glad to destroy it for you so you wont have to

[emike123]

They don't say who this H. Edward Mann clown is.  He is clearly a complete idiot. Was he one of the numerous homeless people wandering the streets of Petersburg when the media rolled in?  Sure sounds like he needs to be committed.  What a moron.

[divedigger]

ha ha ha ha ha ha! Be nice

[CarlS]

Actually H. Edward Mann looks like he is likely not homeless:
     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/h-edward-mann
He looks to be well connected, into history and must be somehow associated with the museum.

That said why doesn't anyone ever think to perhaps save the relic rather than blow it up?

[CarlS]

In thinking about ways for lobbying for the saving of these and other such finds I'm not sure what the answer is.  The government agencies aren't set up to do disarming; only knocking a big hole in it with a shape charge.  If a private person were to volunteer to disarm they would be setting themselves up for a visit from the government which I think most people would agree is more likely to have negative outcome than positive.  In the government's eyes, you would need special permits at a minimum for this type of work and they certainly (correctly) wouldn't allow it in a home or neighborhood.  So I'm not sure what the answer is.  I suspect we just have to understand this is going to happen whether we like it or not.  Other thoughts?

[divedigger]

let 'em have their fun, it ain't like there is a shortage

[speedenforcer]

Dive, I respectfully disagree. No historical artifacts should be destroyed regardless of availability. and 2nd, I am sure more than once in history a rare shell has been thoughtlessly destroyed in the name of public safety, as stupid as its sounds.

[redbob]

You can't fix stupid.

[divedigger]

good points,1st rule of archaeology is do no harm, fixing stupid has been a project of my wife for years and it ain't helped me

[divedigger]

that reminds me of a time long ago when I first started digging, one of my friends, we will call him Birdman had a live shell that he wanted disarmed so he naively took it to the Sheriffs office to let the bomb squad disarm it. The man behind the desk said they don't disarm shells for civilians, they take them and destroy them. He said no way, he knew a guy that would disarm it so he took it and left. When he got to destination the Sheriff's Dept were there waiting on him. They took his little shell and  a solid shot he also had and carried it to the Marine base and destroyed them both. Damn huh?

[Garret]

Never been to the museum but shouldn't the Petersburg Siege Museum have at least a couple hundred pieces of artillery that was fired during the actual 9 month siege?