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Re: The Fight for Truth, Justice & the American Way, in Monahans

In a message dated 6/3/98 9:52:00 AM Central Daylight Time,
Phil@ticetboo.demon.co.uk writes:

<< 
 I believe your campaign is irresponsible and could do irreparable damage to
the 
 hobby of meteorite collecting. If, by some madness, your action succeeded
then 
 there would be calls for the law to be changed. >>


Hello Phil.

Do you really think so?  "If, by some madness, my action succeeds" instead of
both monahans specimens being locked up in a show case forever in the fine
court house of the fine City of Moanahans, Texas (Hey JJ, how is that for
being polite???) both public and private collections will have the opportunity
to obtain some of this rare and very unusual meteorite.

I don't think there will be "calls for the law to be changed" since there
would not be any laws changed by this decision.  Besides, how many meteorites
found in the US have been found on public property and more specifically on
NON-federal public land?  Even if Bernd could find that answer,  ;-)   his
numbers would be wrong since the truth of the matter is, we have no idea how
many people have lied about where they found them!  

How many people have found meteorites on public lands and have hoarded them
away from science?  Probably very very few!  The great thing about meteorites,
at least a small portion of each one of them have to be submitted to the
science for recognition before any financial value can start to be
established.  So if someone is really greedy, they won't want to keep the rock
a secret (just where they found it.)

And I understand that you think it would be better if individuals would not be
allowed to find something on public property and be able to keep it, but I do
think it would be great!  I think for the integrity of the information that
would be reported, as well as the tremendous opportunities that could open up
for many new finds.  Besides, if all these public governments really cared so
much about finding meteorites, why aren't they looking for them now?  The City
of Monahans now knows that these are woth a fortune (both scientifically and
financially) but they are NOT doing ANYTHING to try to find more pieces!  But
I bet there are citizens of Monahans that are looking at this very minute for
more!  And guess what will happen if one is found in a city park?

Take The Old Woman for instance, Dr. Mason would have never been out to that
spot in a million years if it weren't for those miners!  If the court would
given that rock to miners, they would have sold it to the Smithsonian anyway!
Or to Nininger, or to Huss or to Moning or to DuPont or to the State of
California!  They would have gotten probably $30,000 or more and word would
have been out "Look out for more Meteorites!"  Not only would those guys have
turned up dozens more in their lifetimes, but I would say Hundreds more would
have been found by the "ripple effect!"  

The Smithsonian would have been happy!  Everyone would have been happy!  But
instead, the miners lost the case, the Smithsonian got their one and only
rock, and that was it!

By the way, was there ANY significant information learned from the Old Woman
Meteorite?  Or did it just look cool?  If there was any significant
breakthrough in research with it, could that have been learned if some other
place other than the Smithsonian would have gotten hold of it?  

I know Norton states about the Old Woman "The scientific value was
incalculable."  But is that true?  I am just curious.

I stand by my belief that the more meteorites that turn up, especially if they
are accompanied by accurate find-site information, the better for all of us!

I think your attitude about "don't make the government mad or they might come
squish us with their big mean hand," and take what little rights we now have
away, is a little paranoid.  Even if they could, I really don't think the
authorities would want to!  I have more faith in them than that.  They have
the greatest thing going right now!  There are dozens of folks like me out
there spending our own time and money recovering these out of the field.  And
they don't have to spend a penny to get them!  All they have to do is go back
in their tons and tons of inventory that was given to them for free over the
past couple of centuries and make an easy trade, if and only if something they
like shows up!  

But I also know, that no one stood up in Canada or in Australia and said "Wait
a minute, not only are these new law wrong, they are bad too!"  And so I think
it is "little people's" voices that speak up, that count, and that will help
keep us going in the right direction.

Why would they want things any different?  So I don't think they will "get mad
and teach us all a lesson" and make collecting illegal everywhere!

Steve
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