1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, there's 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,239 Speaker 1: Chuck and this is short stuff, and uh, it's a 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: very solemn edition of short stuff. In fact, that's right 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: recently in real time, in semi recently in podcast time. Uh. 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September. I think 6 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: she deserves a full show on her, which we'll get 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: around too soon enough. But she died at seven from 8 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: complications from pancreatic cancer, and after serving for twenty seven 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: more than twenty seven years on the Supreme Court, she 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: became the first woman in American history to lie in 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: state in the US Capitol Building. Yeah, on Friday, September. 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: Like you said, our our time is a little off, 13 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: but as we're recording now, that's tomorrow she will be 14 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: the first woman to everly in state. UM and PEP, 15 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: we'll be able to um visit and they will hold 16 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: a UM a whole ceremony that we'll talk about. Um 17 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: and ceremony is the right word, because this is a 18 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: it's it's meant to be a very solemn, very ceremonial 19 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: occasion where the the nation is basically called to more 20 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: in a very important person who gave to the country 21 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: with all of her might, with with all of her will, 22 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: with all of her strength. Um, somebody like that is 23 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: important enough to say, Hey, as a country, no matter 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: how divided we are, we're going to more in this person. 25 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: And that is the entire point of lying in state. 26 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: That's right. Uh. And and now I'm confused whether we 27 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: should talk in past tense or future tense. We'll just 28 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: flip flop back and forth. It'll be like that movie Looper. 29 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: But she she also will lie in repose at the 30 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: Supreme Court, which is a different thing. Um, But lying 31 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: in state at the Capitol is quite an or. The 32 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: last time it happened was UM, Representative John Lewis right 33 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: here from Georgie's fifth district. Before that, it was Representative 34 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: Elijah Cummings. UM, I believe John McCain was only the 35 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: Senator to ever lie in state. So and he was 36 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,959 Speaker 1: the last person from Congress to lie in state before 37 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: Cummings and Lewis, I believe. Yeah. And And the point 38 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: here is it's not like any politician that served the country, 39 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: uh is worthy of this honor, considering McCain was only 40 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: the thirteenth Senator. UM, I think only a handful of 41 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: private citizens, including Rosa Parks, have ever been honored as such, 42 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: and that was in two thousand five. Yeah, and being 43 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: a private citizen, Rosa Parks lied in um honor, which 44 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: is different, as we'll see, but lying in state is 45 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,959 Speaker 1: a very distinct honor. UM. And it's actually, I don't 46 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: want to say fairly new. Was the first time, um, 47 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: it was done in the United States in the capital 48 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: was July one, eighteen fifty two, UM with Henry Clay 49 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: Um who was a Congressman from Kentucky and known as 50 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: the Great Compromiser. And he was honored because he had 51 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: um worked basically his entire political life to stave off 52 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: Civil War. UM. He failed posthumously, but during his lifetime 53 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: he managed to keep it from happening. And so he 54 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: was the first person to lie in state in the 55 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: United States capital. Right, So, uh, maybe we should take 56 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: a break. It's a little cliffhanger and tell everyone who 57 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: actually makes the decision on when this happens right after this, 58 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: all right, so drumroll please, it's Congress. They're nice. I 59 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: hope there was a high hat too when you said Congress. 60 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: I can't do a high hat. Although Uh, ironically, I 61 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: do have a drum set behind me in the day. 62 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: You go, just turn around, Chuck, this is a whole 63 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 1: other dimension we're just incorporate here. So Congress has to 64 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: propose this and approve of this. It could come by resolution. 65 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: Usually you don't have to have a resolution. Usually they 66 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: can just say, come on, can we just agree on 67 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: this one thing and not have to have an official 68 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: vote on this? Right, Congressional leadership just goes, hey, this 69 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: is what we're going to do, and nobody objects. Um Man. 70 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: There's so many political jokes I'm just avoiding right now. 71 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: But yes, that's exactly what happens for sure. But you 72 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: said something, Um, you said something before that. Not not 73 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: everybody gets this honor. Um, Lying in state, lying in 74 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: lying in honor are basically the same thing. It just 75 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: depends on whether you're an elected official and whether you're 76 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: a private citizen. It's much rare for a private citizen 77 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: to get it. But the only people who automatically are 78 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: offered the opportunity to have their remains lie in state 79 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,799 Speaker 1: at the U. S. Capitol are presidents and ex presidents. 80 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: Isn't that right? Is that true? Yeah? Yeah, so um, 81 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: Congress can decide, hey, you're significant enough to to lie 82 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: in state. UM, but it's not automatic, right right unless 83 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: you're a president right right. So UM, So, like you said, 84 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: Congress has to propose it, and UM, when they do, 85 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,679 Speaker 1: they alert UM this agency called the Architect of the Capital, 86 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: which I had not heard of before, UM until researching 87 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: this said do you uh, well, it's a different AOC, 88 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 1: that's for sure, right, Yeah, that's what they're known as, 89 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: is AOC, which I'm sure can be confusing, especially when 90 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: AOC eventually dies in office fifty years from now, um 91 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: and is lying in state. When the a o C 92 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: takes care of AOC's state funeral, that's right, the Architect 93 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: of the Capital in this case is notified. And basically, UM, 94 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: it's sort of like just like any event that you're 95 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: going to plan, UM, a lot of cleaning has to happen. 96 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: They like power washed the front of the building. They 97 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: wax and buff the floors. They want everything to look 98 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: top notch. They you know, they fabricate, Uh wouldn't stand 99 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: to hold the casket and polish everything up and they 100 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: just you know, you gotta get all the cobwebs out 101 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: of there. For something like this, that's all right. You 102 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 1: know you've arrived when their powerwashing the capital for your um, 103 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: your funeral you're viewing, you know. Yeah, And I also 104 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: wonder what that government contract looks like. Right, So the 105 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: the the stand that they put your coffin on. Sometimes 106 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: they construct them, for sure, but they also have one. 107 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: Those things are called um catafalt, and a cattle falk 108 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: is just that it's a decorative, ornamental stand that a 109 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 1: coffin is resting on. And so when you see um 110 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: images of somebody lying in state, look at what their 111 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: coffin's on. And if they're a president, there's a really 112 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: good chance that that's a pine cattle falque that was 113 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: first built to hold Lincoln's remains uh in eighteen sixty five, which, 114 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: my goodness, I can't imagine too many higher honors than 115 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: being placed having your coffin placed on the cattle folk 116 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: that was originally constructed for Abraham Lincoln. Yeah, what I'm 117 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: curious about is, UM, if the wishes of the person 118 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: or the president is to be cremated post taste, what 119 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: they do, I don't know. I would guess that they 120 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: would probably revise the you know, build a different cattle 121 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: falque or you know whatever. I would hope that they 122 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: would they would UM acknowledge that the dying persons who 123 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: is lying in state's final wish, no matter what it is, 124 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: is UM. But I think you have to you would 125 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: think so. But the I would guess that they would 126 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: do that for sure. UM, they would just adjust their 127 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: their um their m O basically. But they The thing 128 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: is is, you can also say I don't want to 129 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: lie in state in any form, whether cremated or anything 130 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: like that, or your family can say that. And in fact, 131 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: Truman's family and Nixon's family both declined the honor of 132 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: lying of having the remains of those former presidents lying 133 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: in state in the capital and instead, I know Nixon 134 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: for sure was just lying in repose in his library 135 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: and your Belinda, And the only difference between lying and 136 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: repose and lying in state is whether you're basically on 137 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: public display as part of a state funeral or not. 138 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: If it's part of a state funeral, you're lying in state. 139 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: If it's not, you're lying in repose. And so UM 140 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: Justice renquests. Um family also declined the offer, and in 141 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: dead he lay in repose at in the Supreme Court building. 142 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: That's right. And I don't think we mentioned this all 143 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,199 Speaker 1: takes place at the rotunda. Uh, that's the floor they're 144 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: buffing and shining up. UM. There's obviously got to be 145 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: a spot for media. They set up these risers because 146 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: there's an actual ceremony hosted by congressional leadership, and you know, 147 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 1: you've got to have all the just the nuts and 148 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: bolts in place, the lighting and the microphones, and like 149 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: I said, it's like any other event. They just wanted 150 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 1: to go down very smoothly and very respectfully and by 151 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: all accounts, very cleanly. Yeah, power washed and everything. Right. 152 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: So there was this anthropologist that this house stuff Works 153 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:44,200 Speaker 1: article UM interviewed and UM her name is Shannon Lee Doughty, 154 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: and she is an anthropologist at University of Chicago, and 155 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,359 Speaker 1: she puts this really beautifully. She said that the ceremonies 156 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: like laying in state, lying in state, UM are meant 157 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 1: to embalm an idea that basically, this person, especially upon 158 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: their death, becomes like this electrified, um concentrated reminder of 159 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: national spirit of you know, America itself, of UM, all 160 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: of the things that are good about America that that 161 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 1: like their work in life and everything they did, especially 162 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: in death, when people, you know, forget about everything else 163 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: and really focus on the good things that the person did, 164 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: that those good things are really about pushing the country 165 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: forward or keeping the country in a good, good state, 166 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: and that that's one of the reasons the main reason 167 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: for for lying in state is to really just kind 168 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: of say, hey, everybody, just let's remember all this, let's 169 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: focus on that. To embalm an idea, I thought that 170 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: was a really good way to put it. Yeah, to 171 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:50,079 Speaker 1: unite the country for for to twelve hours tops tops. 172 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: I know that's a cynical view, but that's kind of 173 00:10:52,520 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: the truth. Cynicism and um rationalism are basically interchange bull 174 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: these days, it feels like that's a good quote too. Thanks, Chuck, 175 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: I appreciate that. Um you got anything else about lying 176 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: in state? I got nothing else. I look forward to 177 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: doing so myself. Yeah, me too. I'll be sitting there 178 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: weeping over your casket, wailing for days on and Chuck, 179 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: I appreciate that. Well, that's it for us, that's it 180 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: for lying in state. That's it for short stuff. Short 181 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:27,319 Speaker 1: stuff is out stuff you should know is a production 182 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: of iHeart radios. How stuff works. For more podcasts My 183 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,439 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or 184 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.