Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, there's Chuck and this is short stuff, and uh, it's a very solemn edition of short stuff. In fact, that's right recently in real time, in semi recently in podcast time. Uh. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September. I think she deserves a full show on her, which we'll get around too soon enough. But she died at seven from complications from pancreatic cancer, and after serving for twenty seven more than twenty seven years on the Supreme Court, she became the first woman in American history to lie in state in the US Capitol Building. Yeah, on Friday, September. Like you said, our our time is a little off, but as we're recording now, that's tomorrow she will be the first woman to everly in state. UM and PEP, we'll be able to um visit and they will hold a UM a whole ceremony that we'll talk about. Um and ceremony is the right word, because this is a it's it's meant to be a very solemn, very ceremonial occasion where the the nation is basically called to more in a very important person who gave to the country with all of her might, with with all of her will, with all of her strength. Um, somebody like that is important enough to say, Hey, as a country, no matter how divided we are, we're going to more in this person. And that is the entire point of lying in state. That's right. Uh. And and now I'm confused whether we should talk in past tense or future tense. We'll just flip flop back and forth. It'll be like that movie Looper. But she she also will lie in repose at the Supreme Court, which is a different thing. Um, But lying in state at the Capitol is quite an or. The last time it happened was UM, Representative John Lewis right here from Georgie's fifth district. Before that, it was Representative Elijah Cummings. UM, I believe John McCain was only the Senator to ever lie in state. So and he was the last person from Congress to lie in state before Cummings and Lewis, I believe. Yeah. And And the point here is it's not like any politician that served the country, uh is worthy of this honor, considering McCain was only the thirteenth Senator. UM, I think only a handful of private citizens, including Rosa Parks, have ever been honored as such, and that was in two thousand five. Yeah, and being a private citizen, Rosa Parks lied in um honor, which is different, as we'll see, but lying in state is a very distinct honor. UM. And it's actually, I don't want to say fairly new. Was the first time, um, it was done in the United States in the capital was July one, eighteen fifty two, UM with Henry Clay Um who was a Congressman from Kentucky and known as the Great Compromiser. And he was honored because he had um worked basically his entire political life to stave off Civil War. UM. He failed posthumously, but during his lifetime he managed to keep it from happening. And so he was the first person to lie in state in the United States capital. Right, So, uh, maybe we should take a break. It's a little cliffhanger and tell everyone who actually makes the decision on when this happens right after this, all right, so drumroll please, it's Congress. They're nice. I hope there was a high hat too when you said Congress. I can't do a high hat. Although Uh, ironically, I do have a drum set behind me in the day. You go, just turn around, Chuck, this is a whole other dimension we're just incorporate here. So Congress has to propose this and approve of this. It could come by resolution. Usually you don't have to have a resolution. Usually they can just say, come on, can we just agree on this one thing and not have to have an official vote on this? Right, Congressional leadership just goes, hey, this is what we're going to do, and nobody objects. Um Man. There's so many political jokes I'm just avoiding right now. But yes, that's exactly what happens for sure. But you said something, Um, you said something before that. Not not everybody gets this honor. Um, Lying in state, lying in lying in honor are basically the same thing. It just depends on whether you're an elected official and whether you're a private citizen. It's much rare for a private citizen to get it. But the only people who automatically are offered the opportunity to have their remains lie in state at the U. S. Capitol are presidents and ex presidents. Isn't that right? Is that true? Yeah? Yeah, so um, Congress can decide, hey, you're significant enough to to lie in state. UM, but it's not automatic, right right unless you're a president right right. So UM, So, like you said, Congress has to propose it, and UM, when they do, they alert UM this agency called the Architect of the Capital, which I had not heard of before, UM until researching this said do you uh, well, it's a different AOC, that's for sure, right, Yeah, that's what they're known as, is AOC, which I'm sure can be confusing, especially when AOC eventually dies in office fifty years from now, um and is lying in state. When the a o C takes care of AOC's state funeral, that's right, the Architect of the Capital in this case is notified. And basically, UM, it's sort of like just like any event that you're going to plan, UM, a lot of cleaning has to happen. They like power washed the front of the building. They wax and buff the floors. They want everything to look top notch. They you know, they fabricate, Uh wouldn't stand to hold the casket and polish everything up and they just you know, you gotta get all the cobwebs out of there. For something like this, that's all right. You know you've arrived when their powerwashing the capital for your um, your funeral you're viewing, you know. Yeah, And I also wonder what that government contract looks like. Right, So the the the stand that they put your coffin on. Sometimes they construct them, for sure, but they also have one. Those things are called um catafalt, and a cattle falk is just that it's a decorative, ornamental stand that a coffin is resting on. And so when you see um images of somebody lying in state, look at what their coffin's on. And if they're a president, there's a really good chance that that's a pine cattle falque that was first built to hold Lincoln's remains uh in eighteen sixty five, which, my goodness, I can't imagine too many higher honors than being placed having your coffin placed on the cattle folk that was originally constructed for Abraham Lincoln. Yeah, what I'm curious about is, UM, if the wishes of the person or the president is to be cremated post taste, what they do, I don't know. I would guess that they would probably revise the you know, build a different cattle falque or you know whatever. I would hope that they would they would UM acknowledge that the dying persons who is lying in state's final wish, no matter what it is, is UM. But I think you have to you would think so. But the I would guess that they would do that for sure. UM, they would just adjust their their um their m O basically. But they The thing is is, you can also say I don't want to lie in state in any form, whether cremated or anything like that, or your family can say that. And in fact, Truman's family and Nixon's family both declined the honor of lying of having the remains of those former presidents lying in state in the capital and instead, I know Nixon for sure was just lying in repose in his library and your Belinda, And the only difference between lying and repose and lying in state is whether you're basically on public display as part of a state funeral or not. If it's part of a state funeral, you're lying in state. If it's not, you're lying in repose. And so UM Justice renquests. Um family also declined the offer, and in dead he lay in repose at in the Supreme Court building. That's right. And I don't think we mentioned this all takes place at the rotunda. Uh, that's the floor they're buffing and shining up. UM. There's obviously got to be a spot for media. They set up these risers because there's an actual ceremony hosted by congressional leadership, and you know, you've got to have all the just the nuts and bolts in place, the lighting and the microphones, and like I said, it's like any other event. They just wanted to go down very smoothly and very respectfully and by all accounts, very cleanly. Yeah, power washed and everything. Right. So there was this anthropologist that this house stuff Works article UM interviewed and UM her name is Shannon Lee Doughty, and she is an anthropologist at University of Chicago, and she puts this really beautifully. She said that the ceremonies like laying in state, lying in state, UM are meant to embalm an idea that basically, this person, especially upon their death, becomes like this electrified, um concentrated reminder of national spirit of you know, America itself, of UM, all of the things that are good about America that that like their work in life and everything they did, especially in death, when people, you know, forget about everything else and really focus on the good things that the person did, that those good things are really about pushing the country forward or keeping the country in a good, good state, and that that's one of the reasons the main reason for for lying in state is to really just kind of say, hey, everybody, just let's remember all this, let's focus on that. To embalm an idea, I thought that was a really good way to put it. Yeah, to unite the country for for to twelve hours tops tops. I know that's a cynical view, but that's kind of the truth. Cynicism and um rationalism are basically interchange bull these days, it feels like that's a good quote too. Thanks, Chuck, I appreciate that. Um you got anything else about lying in state? I got nothing else. I look forward to doing so myself. Yeah, me too. I'll be sitting there weeping over your casket, wailing for days on and Chuck, I appreciate that. Well, that's it for us, that's it for lying in state. That's it for short stuff. Short stuff is out stuff you should know is a production of iHeart radios. How stuff works. For more podcasts My heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, there's Chuck and this is short stuff, and uh, it's a very solemn edition of short stuff. In fact, that's right recently in real time, in semi recently in podcast time. Uh. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September. I think she deserves a full show on her, which we'll get around too soon enough. But she died at seven from complications from pancreatic cancer, and after serving for twenty seven more than twenty seven years on the Supreme Court, she became the first woman in American history to lie in state in the US Capitol Building. Yeah, on Friday, September. Like you said, our our time is a little off, but as we're recording now, that's tomorrow she will be the first woman to everly in state. UM and PEP, we'll be able to um visit and they will hold a UM a whole ceremony that we'll talk about. Um and ceremony is the right word, because this is a it's it's meant to be a very solemn, very ceremonial occasion where the the nation is basically called to more in a very important person who gave to the country with all of her might, with with all of her will, with all of her strength. Um, somebody like that is important enough to say, Hey, as a country, no matter how divided we are, we're going to more in this person. And that is the entire point of lying in state. That's right. Uh. And and now I'm confused whether we should talk in past tense or future tense. We'll just flip flop back and forth. It'll be like that movie Looper. But she she also will lie in repose at the Supreme Court, which is a different thing. Um, But lying in state at the Capitol is quite an or. The last time it happened was UM, Representative John Lewis right here from Georgie's fifth district. Before that, it was Representative Elijah Cummings. UM, I believe John McCain was only the Senator to ever lie in state. So and he was the last person from Congress to lie in state before Cummings and Lewis, I believe. Yeah. And And the point here is it's not like any politician that served the country, uh is worthy of this honor, considering McCain was only the thirteenth Senator. UM, I think only a handful of private citizens, including Rosa Parks, have ever been honored as such, and that was in two thousand five. Yeah, and being a private citizen, Rosa Parks lied in um honor, which is different, as we'll see, but lying in state is a very distinct honor. UM. And it's actually, I don't want to say fairly new. Was the first time, um, it was done in the United States in the capital was July one, eighteen fifty two, UM with Henry Clay Um who was a Congressman from Kentucky and known as the Great Compromiser. And he was honored because he had um worked basically his entire political life to stave off Civil War. UM. He failed posthumously, but during his lifetime he managed to keep it from happening. And so he was the first person to lie in state in the United States capital. Right, So, uh, maybe we should take a break. It's a little cliffhanger and tell everyone who actually makes the decision on when this happens right after this, all right, so drumroll please, it's Congress. They're nice. I hope there was a high hat too when you said Congress. I can't do a high hat. Although Uh, ironically, I do have a drum set behind me in the day. You go, just turn around, Chuck, this is a whole other dimension we're just incorporate here. So Congress has to propose this and approve of this. It could come by resolution. Usually you don't have to have a resolution. Usually they can just say, come on, can we just agree on this one thing and not have to have an official vote on this? Right, Congressional leadership just goes, hey, this is what we're going to do, and nobody objects. Um Man. There's so many political jokes I'm just avoiding right now. But yes, that's exactly what happens for sure. But you said something, Um, you said something before that. Not not everybody gets this honor. Um, Lying in state, lying in lying in honor are basically the same thing. It just depends on whether you're an elected official and whether you're a private citizen. It's much rare for a private citizen to get it. But the only people who automatically are offered the opportunity to have their remains lie in state at the U. S. Capitol are presidents and ex presidents. Isn't that right? Is that true? Yeah? Yeah, so um, Congress can decide, hey, you're significant enough to to lie in state. UM, but it's not automatic, right right unless you're a president right right. So UM, So, like you said, Congress has to propose it, and UM, when they do, they alert UM this agency called the Architect of the Capital, which I had not heard of before, UM until researching this said do you uh, well, it's a different AOC, that's for sure, right, Yeah, that's what they're known as, is AOC, which I'm sure can be confusing, especially when AOC eventually dies in office fifty years from now, um and is lying in state. When the a o C takes care of AOC's state funeral, that's right, the Architect of the Capital in this case is notified. And basically, UM, it's sort of like just like any event that you're going to plan, UM, a lot of cleaning has to happen. They like power washed the front of the building. They wax and buff the floors. They want everything to look top notch. They you know, they fabricate, Uh wouldn't stand to hold the casket and polish everything up and they just you know, you gotta get all the cobwebs out of there. For something like this, that's all right. You know you've arrived when their powerwashing the capital for your um, your funeral you're viewing, you know. Yeah, And I also wonder what that government contract looks like. Right, So the the the stand that they put your coffin on. Sometimes they construct them, for sure, but they also have one. Those things are called um catafalt, and a cattle falk is just that it's a decorative, ornamental stand that a coffin is resting on. And so when you see um images of somebody lying in state, look at what their coffin's on. And if they're a president, there's a really good chance that that's a pine cattle falque that was first built to hold Lincoln's remains uh in eighteen sixty five, which, my goodness, I can't imagine too many higher honors than being placed having your coffin placed on the cattle folk that was originally constructed for Abraham Lincoln. Yeah, what I'm curious about is, UM, if the wishes of the person or the president is to be cremated post taste, what they do, I don't know. I would guess that they would probably revise the you know, build a different cattle falque or you know whatever. I would hope that they would they would UM acknowledge that the dying persons who is lying in state's final wish, no matter what it is, is UM. But I think you have to you would think so. But the I would guess that they would do that for sure. UM, they would just adjust their their um their m O basically. But they The thing is is, you can also say I don't want to lie in state in any form, whether cremated or anything like that, or your family can say that. And in fact, Truman's family and Nixon's family both declined the honor of lying of having the remains of those former presidents lying in state in the capital and instead, I know Nixon for sure was just lying in repose in his library and your Belinda, And the only difference between lying and repose and lying in state is whether you're basically on public display as part of a state funeral or not. If it's part of a state funeral, you're lying in state. If it's not, you're lying in repose. And so UM Justice renquests. Um family also declined the offer, and in dead he lay in repose at in the Supreme Court building. That's right. And I don't think we mentioned this all takes place at the rotunda. Uh, that's the floor they're buffing and shining up. UM. There's obviously got to be a spot for media. They set up these risers because there's an actual ceremony hosted by congressional leadership, and you know, you've got to have all the just the nuts and bolts in place, the lighting and the microphones, and like I said, it's like any other event. They just wanted to go down very smoothly and very respectfully and by all accounts, very cleanly. Yeah, power washed and everything. Right. So there was this anthropologist that this house stuff Works article UM interviewed and UM her name is Shannon Lee Doughty, and she is an anthropologist at University of Chicago, and she puts this really beautifully. She said that the ceremonies like laying in state, lying in state, UM are meant to embalm an idea that basically, this person, especially upon their death, becomes like this electrified, um concentrated reminder of national spirit of you know, America itself, of UM, all of the things that are good about America that that like their work in life and everything they did, especially in death, when people, you know, forget about everything else and really focus on the good things that the person did, that those good things are really about pushing the country forward or keeping the country in a good, good state, and that that's one of the reasons the main reason for for lying in state is to really just kind of say, hey, everybody, just let's remember all this, let's focus on that. To embalm an idea, I thought that was a really good way to put it. Yeah, to unite the country for for to twelve hours tops tops. I know that's a cynical view, but that's kind of the truth. Cynicism and um rationalism are basically interchange bull these days, it feels like that's a good quote too. Thanks, Chuck, I appreciate that. Um you got anything else about lying in state? I got nothing else. I look forward to doing so myself. Yeah, me too. I'll be sitting there weeping over your casket, wailing for days on and Chuck, I appreciate that. Well, that's it for us, that's it for lying in state. That's it for short stuff. Short stuff is out stuff you should know is a production of iHeart radios. How stuff works. For more podcasts My heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.