A PUBLIC APPEAL TO WALT BROWN: Release Jay Harrison's Archive

[Charles Drago]

A reply to those who have concerns about Jay Harrison's materials. Mr. Drago wrote, To deny free access to the collection and to fail to keep it secure from deterioration and sanitization is in essence to aid and abet the assassins -- to become an accessory-after-the-fact. To which I answer first, the materials are kept in a climate-controlled storage locker, large enough to work in during fair weather. They are safe from deterioration, and unless someone breaks in, they will not be sanitized. Beyond that, Mr. Drago, I have a telephone, and the number is in the phone book. If you have an accusation to make, as you did, perhaps you should say it by phone--it may prevent a lawsuit as it appears in print.

Mr. Brown,

If patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels, then the threat of legal action must be next-to-last. There is nothing in the least bit actionable in my words. I accused you of nothing; rather, I clearly indicated that, in my Constitutionally protected opinion, failures to share and protect this wealth of information would serve the purposes of the killers of JFK -- whether or not the collection's custodian of record intends to do so.

Apparently, we stand in disagreement on this matter.

I shall take you at your word regarding the manner in which you are preserving the collection (although your "unless someone breaks in" caveat is somewhat less than reassuring). But many of your comments remain most troubling.

For Mr. White, you need to know that Jay Harrison would personally have burned these papers before he would have let you see them.

More on your predilection for pyrotechnics in a moment.

For Dawn Meredith, the release of these papers would be embarrassing. Your "file" as it were, contains a sizable stack of papers about your ongoing (perhaps, I assume, in the past) debts to the IRS, and the frequent "fellatio-related" name calling therein is not dignified in any way.

So you would have us believe that you've chosen not to provide access to the collection in order to spare Dawn from embarrassment. How chivalrous of you. Except that, in the same paragraph in which you lay down your cloak, you offhandedly reference her alleged tax difficulties.

Where do we find such gentlemen?

As a group, you speak from a total position of ignorance ... Jay's work(s), which are genealogical in nature and rarely contain a complete sentence, but rather raw data, have been the source material for many articles in what is approaching the fourth anniversary of Jay's death, and his work fills the "Chronology." In that sense, much of the valuable material HAS BEEN MADE PUBLIC.

Before you moved to what appears to be your default position of name-calling ("ignorance"), you might have offered citations for your previous public, detailed explanations of how you are using and protecting the collection.

As a self-styled expert in intelligence operations, surely you can appreciate the value of skepticism to our shared labors. If the tables were turned, and I had sole custody of the collection but denied reasonable, controlled access to qualified researchers (if I incorrectly describe your actions in these regards, please enlighten us), would you accept my assurances that "much of the valuable material HAS BEEN MADE PUBLIC"?

(Invitation to name-calling: Try something along the lines of, "I wouldn't accept your word on anything, Mr. Drago." Then we'll talk about legal action.)

Beyond that, what would you have me do? Sit here while a scanner slowly goes back and forth across each of several millions of pages, and give myself regular, daily manicures?

If the above illustrates the extent of your imaginative resources, then our concerns for the collection's safety are heightened.

Is it not logical to conclude that, if you truly were interested in sharing the wealth, you would have found a reasonable way to do so?

I assure you, I try to avoid drivel.

How, then, do you explain your post herein referenced?

I don't know what will happen to the materials ...

Now that's encouraging!

You all seem to think that I need only blink and suddenly, each of you will have a room chock-full of lovely papers ... If anyone has any practical suggestions for what to do with four million sheets of paper ... I'm listening.

So you are out of ideas ...

[The collection is] being worked on daily--except for right now, when I have to deal with this rubbish instead of doing valuable work.

And the inference you would have us draw is what, exactly? That you alone can produce work of value from access to the collection?

But know this: if there are any more Drago-like "accessories after the fact" accusations, or any more "Pease-like 'spy' accusations," as I add Jay's materials to the ongoing Chronology, I'll thereafter consume the files to the flames. [emphasis added by Drago

Twice, Mr. Brown, you threaten to destroy the Harrison collection. Nothing that I or anyone else could write about you so powerfully, frighteningly, and thoroughly reveals your temperament as do your own words.

Should there be any doubt: Walt Brown would sooner reduce to ashes one of the most important historical archives held in private hands than share it or be questioned as to his intentions regarding its fate.

Try a little therapy.