This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------0926B1D4C9BDFCA6EA8B07D3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Listmember, I am forwarding this to the list. If you know of any Oklahoma cemeteries that have been destoryed please let me know. I am working with our State Rep. in hopes of getting a law passed. Now there is not a law on the book. Thanks Ellen Parker --------------0926B1D4C9BDFCA6EA8B07D3 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Received: from mta4.rcsntx.swbell.net (mta4.rcsntx.swbell.net [151.164.30.28]) by ilinkusa.net (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id RAA05072 for <[email protected]>; Sat, 4 Mar 2000 17:21:35 -0600 (CST) Received: from swbell.net ([216.60.137.148]) by mta4.rcsntx.swbell.net (Sun Internet Mail Server sims.3.5.1999.09.16.21.57.p8) with ESMTP id <[email protected]> for [email protected]; Sat, 4 Mar 2000 17:21:36 -0600 (CST) Date: Sat, 04 Mar 2000 17:17:20 -0600 From: Joann Bresciani <[email protected]> Subject: Grave desecration To: James Parker <[email protected]> Message-id: <[email protected]> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en] (Win95; I) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit X-Accept-Language: en,en-US X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Ellen, this is one I have seen and forwarded to others....is it what you are talking about? Joann The letter I am forwarding to you speaks for it's self... Mr Muncrief has an attorney working 'pro bono' drafting the necessary paperwork to try and change the antiquated laws that do little to protect our old cemeteries. Emailing Mr Muncrief at [email protected] that you are FOR changing the vague antiquated laws will show lawmakers that there is BACKING for this cause.........OUR CAUSE! Thanks for your time Carolyn Mackey Byrum Subject: Grave desecration Carolyn, My name is Dennis Muncrief. I live in Sulphur, Oklahoma. I just read your cemetary registration of Dripping Springs and the part about the farmer wanting to graze cows. He must be desperate for grass if he needs the 4' x 6' spot where your grandmother is buried. Recently a farmer decided to build a barn in Marshall County, OK. Unfortunate a small cemetary was where he needed to build it. This "man" simply scrapped away the stones to make room for the new barn. Unfortunately for me, the cemetary was where my relatives were buried in the mid 1800's when they came to Indian Territory. The family was livid to say the least. The barn is very nice. This cemetary was on private land that was donated 100 years ago by the, then owner, for a cemetary. Generations of families were buried there with the understanding it would always be a cemetary. The current law says that the owner of private land where there are cemeteries can do anything he wants with it. Now if you are an Indian, there are federal laws against this 'grave robbing'. Isn't stealing the land where ancestors are located grave robbing? A friend of mine in California told the story of a cousin that went to a cemetary in Grady County, Oklahoma to visit the dead relatives. When she arrived, the farmer was bulldozing the grave stones into a ditch. When she protested, he pulled a gun on her and threatened to shoot her. She went to the Sheriff and he told her there was no law against this practice. The point of this letter is to tell you that there are many who feel as you do. We need to organize. I have a friend in Washington State who is drafting a letter that I plan to send to legislators in every state making it a felony to destroy graves or grave markers that were placed in antiquity or of recent pioneers such as Oklahoma pioneers. There were no cemeteries back then. There were no towns. I plan to organize people like yourself in every state to hound their state legislators until a law is passed in all 50 states to protect these pioneer cemeteries. It is up to people like us to do something. We can be mad separately or we can be mad collectively. We will be a little more powerful if we organize. This has me mad as hell. I have talked to about a half dozen people in different states and they are upset as well with similar occurrences in their States. Want to join the bandwagon? Dennis Muncrief [email protected] --------------0926B1D4C9BDFCA6EA8B07D3--