the Donner Party practiced 'survival cannibalism' as human beings of all
cultures have when in desperate straits. Packer may have been psychotic -
assuming he was guilty at all.

There seem to be no cultures where humans are regarded as just another food source.
Cultural motivations for cannibalism range from a reverent desire to absorb the
spirit or qualities of the departed to an expression of hatred and contempt. I
suspect it has also been used as a technique of terrorization long before and in
places far removed from Iraq.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2007 09:19AM by Roxana Cooper.