[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

No-one who's currently alive has ever owned them, so the museums have as much right to keep them as anyone.

I bet most of the people advocating countries being allowed to steal stuff back also think that borders are "just lines randomly drawn on a map", so it shouldn't matter where they are

Oh come off it

[LeatherTrumpet]

thing is why does a college even want this awful chicken, i mean who the flick wants to look at it?

[bitontheslide]

i would have recycled it into something useful

[Tom4784]

It's a good thing, artefacts that are stolen from their lands of origin should always be returned.

As for the museum point of view, I think tours for artefacts should be encouraged but at the country of origin's discretion. We have such a rich history of art and relics of the past are found every day that we don't really need to depend on the thievery of our ancestors to fill up museums.

Tours and temporary exhibits are the answer, not ownership of stolen goods.

[jet]

There are plenty of artifacts from Britian and Ireland in Euorpean museums, pillaged from the times of the Roman, Viking, Anglo Saxon and Norman invasions.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by jet

There are plenty of artifacts from Britian and Ireland in Euorpean museums, pillaged from the times of the Roman, Viking, Anglo Saxon and Norman invasions.

And they should be returned as well.

Morality isn't dependent on what other people are doing. Just because someone else does something untoward doesn't make us right for doing the same. Sometimes you just gotta make the right choice and giving back stolen artefacts is the right choice. Others might not grant us the same kindness but that doesn't mean we shouldn't right our own wrongs.

[jet]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

And they should be returned as well.

Morality isn't dependent on what other people are doing. Just because someone else does something untoward doesn't make us right for doing the same. Sometimes you just gotta make the right choice and giving back stolen artefacts is the right choice. Others might not grant us the same kindness but that doesn't mean we shouldn't right our own wrongs.

I was simply pointing out that Britain and Ireland are not the only museums with stolen artifacts as that should be taken into account, otherwise its all rather one - sided. I didn't need a lecture.
If a country wants back its items, they should be returned. Otherwise, let people enjoy the history and culture of other nations in one of the few free, quiet places people can visit today without making it another darn issue.