Friday, September 11, 2009

Reckless Ghost Hunters

Once again I have removed a ghost story from our Legends of America pages as well as adding an Editors Note to our Ghostly Legends page. It sickens me that some "so-called" ghost hunters appear in the night at cemeteries and historic properties, allegedly with the intent of "ghost-hunting," but instead -- vandalize property, trespass, frighten residents, and often participate in on-site drunken parties.

Criminal behavior is NOT ghost hunting! Vandalism and trespassing are nothing more than crimes against property. For legitimate paranormal researchers, this type of behavior reduces their credibility and overall, gives ghost hunters a bad name. It has also significantly reduced the number of "ghostly legends" that appear on this website. Today, I only publish "new" tales for those who promote them, such as hotels and ghost tours; and places that are public and controlled by security. Even then, my enthusiasm for publishing these types of legends has been so dampened, that few are added these days.

I am not the first to point this out, more information can be found on these sites;

Vandalism is not Ghost Hunting
Getting Permission to Ghost Hunt

Motor City Ghost Hunters Code of Ethics includes:

FOLLOWING LAWS:
  • No Vandalism.
  • No Trespassing.
  • Get permission before entering property (preferably written).
  • No littering- leave locations in better shape than we found them.
  • When investigating public property, let the local police & authorities know your intentions, and contact the local historical society if possible – then follow up by asking if they would like to see any evidence.
Now, if everyone else could get on board!

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