The Crazy Horse Memorial is a scam

The Crazy Horse Memorial, located near Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota, makes me sick.

The state of the monument in the background
The pipe dream in the foreground.

Leslie and I went to the Crazy Horse Memorial back in 1988. At that point, all you could see was a sketch of a horse in the rock. I thought: This looks like a pipe dream. But I also thought the project was something that the Lakota people wanted, and I was happy to support that dream, pipe or not.

So, I decided to go back last summer (with my brother Russ) and see the progress. And there is now a face carved on the mountain. An enormous face. It's not Crazy Horse, because there is no likeness of him in existence. In fact, he refused to be photographed. It's supposed to be a symbolic portrait of him (informed by people who described him back in the day.) There is also an enormous parking lot, a big building with Native American artifacts from many different tribes arranged haphazardly, a gift shop, a restaurant, and a "university."

The story told at the memorial is that a Lakota chief, Henry Standing Bear, asked sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, a Polish-American sculptor, if he would take on the project. He agreed and spent the rest of his life working on it. And I truly think that—while he wanted to go down in history as this heroic sculptor—he did in fact sacrifice and really believed that the USA was horrible in terms of Native Americans, and he wanted to help right that wrong.

But Ziolkowski died in 1982. His wife, Ruth, took over. The family had set up the Crazy Horse Foundation, and it was—and remains—in family control.  All ten of their children and two of their grandchildren have been sucking on this teat ever since.

This is the family getting rich off of the memorial.

Henry Standing Bear had made it clear in a letter to Ziolkowski that he wanted the Lakotas to be in control of anything related to the monument. That didn't happen, as neither Lakotas nor Native Americans in general have control, nor even a say in what the foundation does. All the high-ranking staff was white until this year. Due to pressure that was put to bear after this New Yorker expose came out in 2019, they finally appointed a Native American as the CEO this year, Whitney A. Rencountre

While there are some fans of the monument within the Indian nation, mostly it ranges from abhorrence to disgust to pain. The foundation is sitting on 95 million dollars in their coffers. The Lakota nation is poor. The only give-back to the Lakota a pittance of their yearly haul.

For instance, per their 2020 tax filing (990PF), the foundation took in $20 million in 2019, while they gave out in grants to organizations and individuals only $156, 216 (Part IX of the tax form). They compensated the Ziolowski family board members $526,730 (part VII). And, as mentioned before, all the other family members are also on the payroll, though not on the board. But that isn't the half of it!

The family wholly owns a private company, Korczak's Heritage, which runs the gift shop, the snack shop, the restaurant, and the bus to see the Crazy Horse sculpture up closer. Considering that between 1 - 1.5 million people go through the memorial a year, the family is both wealthy and set-up in perpetuity as long as people are suckered into going there, thinking that it helps and honors Native Americans.

There is a so-called university, which is, according to Brooke Garvis in her New Yorker expose, "a summer program, through which about three dozen students from tribal nations earn up to 12 hours of college credit each year. They also pay a fee for their room and board and spend twenty hours a week doing a ‘paid internship’ at the memorial—working at the gift shop, the restaurants, or the information desk."

By the way, after Korczak died, his widow decided to change the plan from working on the horse first to, instead, prioritizing the face. The face was completed in 1998. Since then, there has been no noticeable change. They have a crew of 3 that works on it when it isn't too hot or too cold/snowy or when there are no thunderstorms (and there are a lot of thunderstorms in the summer!). It will never be done. I read a geologist's report that it CAN never be done, as the rock is too soft for the final plan. So, they have an incentive to go as slowly as possible and keep raking in the dough.

The ridiculously long and self-fawning narrative of their explanation of how their profit-raising activities serve the public is truly nauseating. (See "additional data" after Part VII)

Jim Bradford, a Native who served in the State Senate summed it up for Brooke: “It kind of felt like it started out as a dedication to the Native American people,” he said. “But I think now it’s a business first. All of a sudden, one non-Indian family has become millionaires off our people.”

So, my advice is don't be suckered to pay out your $15-$35 per vehicle (depending on the time of year and the number of people). Instead, go to the nearby Pine Ridge Reservation and their visitor's center. Give them the money. Go check out the Wounded Knee Massacre site. Don't make the Ziolkowski's richer than they already are, please.

Still a Conspiracy After All These Years

Q-Anon. Sandy Hook. The Lizard Illuminati. Lots of crack-pot conspiracy theories out there.

Michael Shermer, who founded Skeptic magazine, has a new book out about why rational people believe conspiracy theories. I became alarmed the other day when I was listening to my favorite podcast - the Unspeakable with Meghan Daum - when Michael was the guest. He immediately acknowledged that there are, in fact, real conspiracies. How could he not? But later he casually dismissed that there was conspiracy to kill JFK with, essentially, nothing but air.

Kennedy on the day of the assassination

What most alarmed me was that I realized that people not alive during that period don't know anything about it. Meghan is a very smart, fact-based person. If she knew what I know, she could have and would have pushed back. But clearly, the lone-nut non-conspiracy theory is winning for younger folks who were born after the shit-show that was the assassination and the Warren Commission. So, I feel the need to, at the very least, put a doubt in folks' heads who believe that crazy lone-nut theory.

The difference between a crack-pot theory and a real conspiracy comes down to the quality of the evidence. In the case of JFK, the quality of the evidence strongly points to a conspiracy and not a lone-nut.

So, today, on the 59th anniversary of the assassination, I will lay out just a small part of the overwhelming evidence that there was in fact a conspiracy, and the government - for reasons benign or not - covered it up.

This blog focuses on the witnesses to the fatal brain injury.

After being shot, Kennedy was rushed to Parkland hospital. He was D.O.A., but they nevertheless tried to revive the corpse because, you know, he was the President. There was a large team of doctors (16) and three nurses who viewed his brain injuries and they were all later interviewed or gave testimony regarding what they saw. They all testified that they saw a gaping wound in the right back of the head about the size of baseball with brain matter extruding. (One intern in the room thought the wound was higher.)

The wound seen in Dallas

Clint Hill was the Secret Service agent who climbed onto the limo after the gunshot. He was next to JFK for seven minutes on the drive to the hospital, and he described the same wound. So did Jackie Kennedy.

While the autopsy was supposed to be - legally and ethically - performed in Dallas, the Secret Service commandeered the body to take it - via Andrews Air Force base - to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Beyond the Parkland hospital staff, several more people testified to the same exact condition of the head wound (though others described a massively bigger wound). Among those were the mortician who prepared his body for burial, several secret service men, the autopsy photographer, and the x-ray technicians who all saw what the Parkland staff saw: that there was an exit wound (which is always bigger than an entrance wound), with part of the occipital bone blown out.

In fact, 44 people (out of 46) - both in Dallas and in Bethesda - gave an account of an occipital injury. Read those accounts here.

Only three people also noted a small entrance wound above the ear where the hairline/brow meet. (Kennedy's hair covered that wound so most didn't see it, and it was a small entrance hole.)

Meantime in Dallas, a passerby named Billy Harper found a part of the president's skull on the ground. He brought that fragment (called the Harper fragment) to his uncle at Methodist Hospital. There, three pathologists examined and photographed it, and all opined that it was occipital (back of the head), confirming exactly what the 44 other folks saw.

The body arrived at 6:35 at the morgue. The official autopsy started at 8 pm, with the first incision at 8:15. (Why the delay? Read this and be amazed!) When the casket was opened and the body unwrapped, according to a witness, there were gasps because of the massive injuries to the President's head. At that point FBI agent Sibert reported that "it was apparent that a tracheotomy was performed [that did happen at Parkland] and surgery to the head area." But, nope - no surgery had been done at all. Something clearly rotten was going on!

What the autopsy, performed by Humes and Boswell, described in a nutshell is: the whole damn right side of the brain was clear blown off. The wound described in the autopsy was five times bigger than the wound that everybody saw earlier. 

The wound described in the autopsy -
note the occipital entry point

No wonder there were gasps. That said, Humes and Boswell did both acknowledge that the wound included the back area initially described.  But, what everybody thought was an exit wound had now miraculously transformed into an entrance wound!

Well, cut to the future. The autopsy photos didn't show the wound that 44 people saw (including the guys who did the autopsy!) - no brain extruding, no bone gone. Just hair. Here is the alleged autopsy picture from the back of the brain.

Seriously, WTF?

After the x-rays and photos came out, they had to create a new
wound to match, ignoring what everyone at the autopsy saw.

And the x-rays showed no occipital bone gone.

Occipital bone completely intact.
Doesn't look like the wound described in the autopsy at all.

Perhaps, you are thinking, with advanced technology they can go to the evidence at the National Archives and see if there is some way to prove that they were faked or reexamine the existing evidence.  How about that occipital bone? Well, guess what? That's gone. In fact, lots of the evidence is gone (or not the original.)

What does not exist at the archive, but once did exist:

• the brain - all gone

• the bullet fragments retrieved at the autopsy - gone

• the Harper fragment (and another bone fragment as well) - gone

• the first draft of the autopsy - burned

• the real autopsy with signatures - lost

• only a copy of the autopsy remains - no original

• of the 5-6 x-rays of the body - 3 non-originals remain

• many of the original autopsy pictures have disappeared according to the photographer.

Maybe, if the evidence were extant, instead of systematically destroyed or altered; maybe if the body evidence was solid, instead of clearly riddled with fraud and deception and destruction; maybe if JFK's head hadn't snapped back (as we know via the Zapruder film); maybe if Oswald hadn't been assassinated after he made clear that he was a "patsy"; maybe if everyone heard the shots coming from the general vicinity of the book depository; maybe if there was no "magic bullet", well, then you might have - kinda - a fighting chance of shooting down those 44 descriptions as mass delusion instead of what it clearly is: proof that the shot was from the front and that our government systematically covered up the conspiracy to assassinate JFK. Clearly there was not simply a shooter from the back (where Oswald was), but there had to have been at least one from the front. Come on!!

As for the Warren Commission and to the later HSCA of 1978, they chose to believe that the autopsy and physical evidence (photos/x rays/ bullets) trumped all other evidence even though the photos/x-rays actually contracted the autopsy. There is extensive evidence of deception, fraud and just jettisoning of items that couldn't be successfully altered (the bullets, the brain and the bone fragments).

So what the lone-nut theory folks want you to believe is that a whole host of trained professionals can't tell a baseball-sized hole from something five times that size? And that even - after the hole had increased magically in size sometime between Parkland hospital and the autopsy - that the two men doing the autopsy still imagined a back-of-the-head injury that wasn't there?  I say this is utter nonsense and the government, playing us for fools, has gotten away with it for 59 years. 

If you want to go down the rabbit hole, there are two clear sources. One is the book that discovered the fraud and deception, David Lifton's Best Evidence. The other is the work of Douglas Horne, who was staff at the Assassination Records Review Board. He has put out five volumes of documentary evidence of the fraud and deception in the medical evidence, confirming, clarifying, and extending Lifton's revelations. But you can get the essence in these videos.

Fifty States Plus!

In my recent road trip, I bagged my 50th state.  I decided to write random memories of the states (listed in order of visitation, more or less.) The memories are not necessarily from the trip mentioned but, instead, just random memories of the times I have been there... It adds up to 51 as I put in D.C. separately, and let's make it a state! (And make Puerto Rico a state, too, assuming they still want it.)

1. California: well, too many. LIFE!

First Road Trip - to Mom's High School Reunion -around 1961?

2. Nevada : gambling, empty vistas, not a lot of trees, Valley of Fire, Keith, California Hotel, Margie, Burning Man

3. Utah : Salt flats, amazing National Parks, Lynn, Temple Square

4. Colorado: mountains, Denny's in Denver, Jon Benet's house followed immediately by a tornado (only one I ever saw – in Boulder), Darien

5. Kansas: Dodge City, Mom, pretty flat - It was clear to me on this trip that I was "a different kinda girl", Mildred's graveyard.

6. Oklahoma: drawing a blank - sorry Oklahoma - a lot like a lot of Northern Texas is my only memory

7. New Mexico: red rock, petrified rock (diarrhea), Terrero/Dad, balloon fiesta/ Tom and Roxanne, Patty and Dennis, yellow aspens, Meow Wolf, bats and Carlsbad, snow storm on 40 (had to go south to 10)

8. Arizona: red rock, Grand Canyon, Watching Dodgers 88 game in an Indian bar, watching the final at Grand Canyon, Tomoe, saguaros, Tucson's front yards, Julie Rowe

Second Road Trip with Lisa Sweet to see our amours (Karen and Jeff) in 1973

9. Missouri: St. Louis arches, the first time I saw the Mississippi

10. Illinois: Chicago, Susan, Wilmette (Jane at a Grocery store), Mercantile Exchange, Right-field sucks, No lights at Wrigley! campaign, Joan, Ryan, architectural tour, clean downtown!

11. Indiana: nice people

12. Ohio: Don and Mary, Herman, restaurant, rolling hills and car sick, Amish families that Mary hires, Bill and Kelly, the Chagrin Falls parade

13. West Virginia: Karen, Lisa Sweet, one of the strangest days of my life, snow

14. New York: Ithaca, what winter looks like in the East when snow is not on the ground (like a forest fire has just passed through) and how lovely spring is for those folks, New York City, standing room opera, Jean, honeymoon, party on our roof, Palmyra - way too many memories to fit...

Road trip with my partner, Susan Cahn, around the country - stopping to see her parents in Chicago. 1980

15. Wyoming: Yellowstone, which was awesome, during the fire in 88 (with Leslie) which was interesting

16. Nebraska: Nice skies; a lot like Kansas

17. Iowa: Nice skies; a lot like Nebraska, Jessica and Jim

18. Pennsylvania: Brett, Philly and their very small streets

19. New Jersey: Tami, Susan B, Kristin and staying in a funeral home, Kristin's wedding, Princeton and Patty Cuyler and family, the shore after Hurricane Sandy

20. Connecticut: visiting Judy at Yale (kill Nilda); visiting Barbara

21. Massachusetts: sitting on Einstein's lap, rude staff at the Subway, Pat

22. Rhode Island: in this state the very shortest - it was a highway

23. Delaware: pretty much the same as Rhode Island

24. Maryland: Susan M, Susan's Condo, Alfred House, Johns Hopkins, the purple line, the Angel Moroni when you drive at night on 495

25. DC: March on Washington for Gay Rights (Big Dyke clump), Steve Gunderson (gay Republican congressman), Andrew Sullivan convincing me that Leslie and I should get married, museums - free!, memorials, Lincoln Center, Ruth Ginsberg; Marianne and Harold and staying at the Watergate, Supreme Court, Jesse Ventura, Million Mom March for gun control/ Mom and Mary/ Karen - and much more

26. Virginia: a lot of trees, one really bad night at a motel

27. Tennessee: Nashville, Knoxville, Karen, Tobae's brother and sister-in-law, nice skies

28. Arkansas: Sitting on the runway in Little Rock for five hours; I have driven through it too but got nothing.

29. Texas: Austin and Paul Ruiz, Broken Spoke, Two-stepping, Cotton-Eye Joe, Galveston and Betsy Lee

'88 Three-month trip with Leslie around the country after she took her bar exam

30. Oregon: Eugene and Joanne/Pa and DJ, Portland - Dan, Erin and Tim, Karen (oboe) 

31. Washington: Jessica and Jim, Russ/ Tobae; Ken/Marni and too many others to name, but driving with Lisa and Stephen "Again", lots of bridges, Bainbridge, two bar mitzvahs, Wagner/Seattle Opera road trips, Spokane, Julie aka Alex, Sandy/Tom

32. Idaho: Lisa and Tom and Lake Coeur d'Alene, my trip to visit Richard H. but covid hit, then he died. So I don't know Boise.

33. Montana: It was just fine. Rural

34. South Dakota: Rapid City! Fights with Florida for having the greatest riches of tacky tourist traps (and some not tacky). Dinosaur Park at the best real estate in the City! Flintstone Land. Wall Drugs. Mt Rushmore (not tacky - but many tacky imitations about). Black Hills Holy Land. Corn Palace and more! Crazy Horse memorial (which I am going to blog about soon)

35. Minnesota: St. Paul; Randy Travis and the Judds

36. Wisconsin: Judy and Margie, Snow, No coats

37. Vermont: Horse farm, fence judge, they don't like Californians

38. New Hampshire: drove through; too many trees (true of most of the East Coast!)

39. Maine: Kennebunk River rafting (floating!!), the coast

40. North Carolina: Sandy and her family, the Bull in Durham, Case is in Greensboro so I have another visit to do

41. South Carolina: Charleston

42. Georgia: Savannah - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil tourism including Mercer's grave

43. Florida: In order: St. St. Augustine; driving on Daytona beach; Orlando; Miami Beach; Miami; Key Largo; Key West and the southern most this and that; daily night festival; Cypress Knee Museum and Tom Haskins,"the ditches made the problem"; Everglades - mosquitos and alligators; Weeki Wachee and coke drinking mermaids, baby; Dali museum - and, on another trip - the circus at Florida State and glass-bottom boat on some of those amazing Florida springs. Seriously fun state 

44. Alabama: Seemed nice enough...

45. Mississippi: Gulf Coast is gorgeous - or was; don't know how it is post-Katrina

46. Louisiana: New Orleans. Stay off Bourbon St, and it is quite fun and not too rowdy. Too much alcohol spilled on Bourbon St. Valerie. Crawdads. Catherine Hancock.

1991 with Leslie

47. Hawaii: It may have been my 47th state but, like California, too many memories! But - Lava. It really is paradise.

1999 with Leslie (two trips that year)

47. Alaska - Aurora Borealis, Ice sculpture festival, looooong, beautiful sunsets, nice people, snow, flying over Denali, Iditarod and other dog sledding, Ziggy running in the snow, house/neighborhood in Fairbanks, Makai and Ziggy.

2019 road trip by myself

49. Kentucky - bourbon and horses; Claiborne Farm and Secretariat's grave. Great rocks - gorgeous highway cutouts.

50. Michigan - Detroit and outside 8 mile, too. Lynn, Belle Island, the museum and the library; Linda, Jessica and and Frazho road. Tiger Stadium and downtown. Fascinating place. Buy property there - inside the City. Best opportunity in America that I have seen.

2023 road trip by myself

51. North Dakota Hankinson, baby!  And, part of the song Lisa D and I wrote when she had to move to Minot AFB in her soph year:  "Why not go to Minot!  It would be so grand..."  And, better yet:  "Cows are frozen stiff there. Snow is apt to drift there. Minot is the place to be! Why don't you go and see!"

******

Bonus: 1997 with Leslie

Puerto Rico - Worst drivers ever, love PR women, Vieques, Bioluminescent Bay

U.S. Virgin Islands - Great hotel in Saint Thomas but I much preferred Virgin Gorda (British Virginia Islands)

Five Favorite States (including D.C.) I have had the most fun in order:

1. California

2. Hawaii

3. New York

4. Washington, D.C.

5. Florida

Favorite Cities

1. New York

2. Chicago (shot from nowhere to 2 after my recent visit)

3. Washington, D.C.

4. L.A.

5. Austin

States I haven't really given a chance:

1. Rhode Island

2. Delaware

States I have plenty of time in and that's all I need, thanks. They were fine.

1. Oklahoma

2. Montana

3. New England states (but we might go to Mass. again to see Pat and Katie and NH to see Barbara)

4. Alabama

5. Mississippi

Favorite things I have seen

1.  Hot lava many, many times.

At a skylight, with a lava river underneath

2. The aurora borealis, many times.

In Fairbanks