[meteorite-list] Lorton Meteorite: Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers

From: Gary Fujihara <fujmon_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2011 08:50:21 -1000
Message-ID: <F03B2B43-F026-45C0-AEFB-61E4191951C0_at_mac.com>

I concur with both of you. Dr Tim McCoy is an honorable man and a dedicated researcher who has worked with and collaborated on many papers with scientists from my institute. I don't want to comment on the allegations made regarding the so-called smear campaign. I do want to say that as an American I am very proud of our Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, and am glad the Lorton meteorite resides there.

gary

On Jul 17, 2011, at 8:40 AM, Greg Stanley wrote:

> Michael:
> I agree as I personally know someone who works there, and each time I return to the DC area I visit and get to see the specimens there; last year I saw and held Lorton. It should be on display for everyone to see, as it is one of the very rare falls in the vicinity of DC. And note: the landlord did decide to drop the case.
> Greg S
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jul 16, 2011, at 4:24 PM, Michael Farmer <mike at meteoriteguy.com> wrote:
>
>> My god Greg, are you trying hard to burn whatever bridges you have left? I happen to know the people at the Smithsonian pretty well, several trips there over the last 10 years to view the collection and do exchanges with the museum, our NATIONAL COLLECTION of meteorites. I hardly think the Smithsonian had anything to do with a "smear campaign", in fact, I think they handled the odd situation perfectly, they put the stone in safe storage and waited till the legal issues were settled. There was no smear campaign, merely one side presenting it's case and the other theirs.
>> One side lost.
>> Greg, I have been accused of lacking tact at times:), but this is bad. I would suggest an apology to the scientists at the Smithsonian is in order. Please do it, as a dealer and representative of the collecting private community, this is an insult to a fine institution and those who work to unlock the secrets of meteorites, and it is an abolute lie! I saw all the press releases and the Smithsonian NEVER inserted themselves into the argument once it began.
>> I am very happy the Lorton meteorite ended up where it should have, in a museum for millions of people to see every year.
>> Michael Farmer
>>>
>>>> For the record...
>>>>
>>>> The landowners dropped the case because it was a PR
>>> nightmare for them because the Doctors and the Smithsonian
>>> pulled bogus and shameful tactics using the media and the
>>> Haitian Earthquake Crisis against the landowners and merely
>>> appealed to the public's emotion on the issue simply making
>>> them out to be the bad guys in the media if they continued
>>> to fight it. "Oh what bad people these greedy landowners
>>> must be to try to take away the meteorite from the public,
>>> and the money from those in need in Haiti." Oh my...
>>>>
>>>> They didn't drop the case because "the doctors were
>>> right". They dropped it because of the negative press and
>>> smear campaign played out in the media by the Doctors and
>>> the Smithsonian. Simple as that.
>>>>
>>>> This "Case" was never decided on legally in a court.
>>> Therefore the issue is still open and *unresolved* with
>>> regard to the legal ownership of meteorites falling on
>>> private property.
>>>>
>>>> Period.
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Eric
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 7/15/2011 7:41 PM, JoshuaTreeMuseum wrote:
>>>>> You find it , it's yours!:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2011/william--mary-law-school-students-learn-about-property-law,-with-an-asteroid-twist-123.php
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Phil Whitmer
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Gary Fujihara
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Received on Sun 17 Jul 2011 02:50:21 PM PDT