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Post by Melani on Jan 14, 2011 18:03:49 GMT -6
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Post by Diane Merkel on Jan 15, 2011 18:10:55 GMT -6
At the risk of getting another letter from Kortlander's attorney . . .
I saw this last month but didn't bother posting about it. I don't understand why they don't let sleeping dogs lie unless it's all about the publicity.
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Post by Melani on Jan 16, 2011 18:15:03 GMT -6
According to the article, Kortlander is suing for violations of various constitutional rights. The article says he was threatened with never seeing his son again, having his property destroyed, and accused of having buried the body of a little girl--though the bones in question were those of a small animal found during construction. All because of a uniform button? The article also says he has never been charged with anything. I personally would be suing their pants off after being treated that way, and they'd be lucky to hang on to their socks and underwear.
A co-worker gave me this article in print form on Friday. Since the museum actually sits on part of the battlefield, I figured it was relevant local news.
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Post by zekesgirl on Jan 16, 2011 18:39:42 GMT -6
Being the typical nosy human being and rabid history nut, I would like to know why it all can about and what happened to the things they seized because the museum was pretty empty last summer.
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Post by WY Man on Jan 17, 2011 14:20:41 GMT -6
At the risk of getting another letter from Kortlander's attorney . . . I saw this last month but didn't bother posting about it. I don't understand why they don't let sleeping dogs lie unless it's all about the publicity. Diane, who do you mean by "they"? The BLM agents dragging this case on and on, or Kortlander in filing the suit? I know Kortlander personally, and I think its a damn shame what he has been put through. I don't think this suit is being filed for publicity reasons. He has already had a huge amount of negative publicity. Kortlander is taking a considerable risk in filing this suit. It could potentially cause the feds to "up the ante," and Kortlander might lose everything. Rather, I think he is bringing the issue to a head in order to finally resolve it. Kortlander has lost a lot financially during this ongoing situation. A former business partner pulled out, and that is one reason why the museum is more bare than in previous years. There was no animosity between them, at least that I know of. But, the partner felt it prudent to remove himself from the business while the investigation was going on. Kortlander really has gotten a bum rap in all of this. All the negative publicity, even though no charges were ever filed. It will probably adversly affect his business forever. He has been a strong supporter of Little Big Horn history and events, letting his facilities be used on many occasions. The 125th anniversary of the battle, and Joe Medicine Crow's award ceremonies are but a couple. Sure, Kortlander probably did some brisk business on these occasions, but I know that he went to great expenses to put these events on, and I bet he didn't get back nearly what he put into them. When Joe Medicine Crow went to Washington D.C. to receive the Freedom Award from President Obama, it was Chris Kortlander who paid travel expenses to get Joe there and back. So, I really feel that Kortlander has put a lot into the business and museum that we enjoy when we go to the Little Big Horn. We all too often take these things for granted.
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Post by Diane Merkel on Jan 18, 2011 15:33:46 GMT -6
"They" are Chris and his lawyer. Just look at all of the controversies involving the museum on this board alone. I note that there are also a lot of praises for Chris and the museum. My comment was not a criticism, just an expression of astonishment that Chris would be the one to re-stir the pot. Chris' account of the raid was widely published, including at www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2006/May/05/kortlanders-full-response-to-the-federal-of-his/, with no mention of the horrible things detailed in the current article. There was some chatter at the time that there were some significant discoveries made during the raid. It apparently was not just about a button. This all happened years ago, and I don't pretend to know where the truth lies. I can understand wanting a resolution, but I don't agree with suing individuals who were doing their jobs. Sue the government agencies to your heart's content, but leave the individuals alone. If they have done something wrong, it should be dealt with by their respective agencies rather than force their families to suffer the expense of lawsuits.
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Post by Melani on Jan 18, 2011 21:04:55 GMT -6
Don't know what significant discoveries were made, but he has never been charged with anything. If the threats detailed in the article actually occurred, then he's definitely got a case. And I know from experience that you cannot trust Federal agencies to police their own people. I am experiencing that at work every day.
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Post by Diane Merkel on Jan 19, 2011 13:56:15 GMT -6
We'll see how it plays out.
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