Ethics and use of the dead.

When is it okay to use a body for research or to remove it from its resting place?
Time, religious beliefs, property rights and consent from descendants are all factors that influence in the decision. This is tricky business!
With a quick Google search of "ethics exhuming" I came across some strange finds:
1. A woman who is preventing her ex husband from exhuming their infant's remains for a legal case.
Fair enough, re-experience the burial of your child is heartbreaking. I hope the woman tells her ex-husband that after 20 years her child will be skeletonized and no soft tissues will remain for evidence. Because this is a recent event and the family remains to protest. It is likely the child will not be exhumed. But, who is to speak on behalf of her mother once her mother too passes on?

2. Seeking a paternity test from the dead. 
A woman wants to stop someone from digging up her dad for a DNA test. In this case, she is seeking legal council to prevent the action.

3. Testing a dead president for poisoning.
"'I think it's time we do something about this diggin' up mentality that's pervading this country,' said Louisiana state Representative Ralph Miller."

I wanted to explore the concerns people have with the recently dead. This is because many seem to loose the concern for excavating graves with greater antiquity. For example, Egyptian Mummies. Chasing Mummies is a reality show on the History Channel that showcases Dr. Zahi, and Egyptologist whose passion is to find dig up the dead. Recent studies on King Tut is another good example. A recent program on the National Geographic Channel (oh good, you're all going to think I gain my knowledge from sensationalized tv shows) showed the CT scans of Tut's mummified corpse. That's pretty personal!

I am all for research and exploration. But I am grappling with the issue of "when is it okay to dig 'em up?". I don't want to anger any descendants who may protest the exhuming of a relative or friend. Because of my own beliefs, I think the soul is the important component in internment and afterlife--not everyone will agree. If someone was to ask me permission to dig up my deceased Grandpa Lee for the sake of research, I would be a-okay. Pretty sure I would be the only one okay with it, but every family needs a black sheep, right? I think if the researchers describe their intent to the extant family and adhere to any demands the family may have, exhuming individuals who have died within the last 100 years is okay.

In case an individual does not have someone to speak on their behalf, should we put disclaimers on tombstones? "Rest In Peace" and in fine print "until discovered and removed, poked and prodded by Indiana Jones or the like". I think I just might.