Cheri H wrote:

"Why can't our medical examiners agree on cause of death?

"Someone investigate that!!!"

Hi Cheri (and Jenny),

Thanks for the excellent posts. If you want this case investigated for justice's sake, I fear you will have to investigate it your own dang selves. This case has nothing to do with racial discrimination or justice; it's simply petty politics for power, as usual. There aren't twelve unbiased jurors to be found in the state of Florida, so forget it. Democrats will vote with blacks on Anderson's side, and Republicans will vote with whites on the Bay County side. And justice is ignored by everybody. I expect to see Siebert and everyone connected to the boot camp sacrificed due to this political power play for reasons of political expediency. Crist and Bush have already jumped ship.

I've tried to help understand the controversy between the two autopsies. See my boot camp blog at www.stanclark.us .
It's a rather complicated task. The only agreement so far between the two autopsies is that Anderson did have Sickle Cell Trait and he was not beaten to death, as the media still claims. Some media have switched to claiming all the drill instructors (they call guards) suffocated the victim to death by sticking ammonia capsules up his nostrils. The journalists must have gotten that 'fact' from their editors --- certainly not from the second autopsy.

Research by Dr. John Kark and others found that US military recruits with sickle cell trait in boot camps died 40 times as often as recruits without the trait. The majority died in the 1.5 - 2 miles run segment, just like Martin did. The military then abolished the run segment and instituted several controls, such as, screening for sickle cell trait (a $10 test) and assuring that the recruits were always well hydrated and not exercised to exhaustion. Heat related and altitude related factors were reduced also. Thanks to Dr. Qark's research, the military reduced mortality rates of recruits in boot camp with sickle cell trait by half -- from one per 3000 (probably worse) to one per 5500 recruits with sickle cell trait. There are 26.5 million vets/10M from Vietnam War alone. Obviously, this information never filtered down to the Bay County Boot Camp, and, due to political reasons, is now attempted to be covered up by the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Who killed Martin Anderson? I can't rule out the Sickle Cell Disease Assn of A for their coverup of Dr. Kark's sickle cell trait research. Fortunately, the US military ignored them.

Will science raise a voice on this case? I doubt it due to fear, intimidation and retaliation. Let the innocent hang.

We have a case going on in Minden, LA identical to the Bay County boot camp case called the Hope Youth Camp case. The death occurred in September so they have a four month head start. Eight guards (counselors) were indicted last week for negligent homicide and can get 5 years in jail. The media has ignored the case along with the NAACP. Oh, I forgot; the victim was white and the guards were all black. Their crime: they refused to give the kid a drink of water while making him and other kids run for several hours. See my blog. In an earlier day the eight blacks, including one female, would simply have been lynched on the spot. Now they will only be used as scapegoats, just like Dr. Siebert, everyone connected to the boot camp case and we citizens of Bay County who have to cough up the money the jury will award the Anderson family or our spineless politicians bribe them with to settle out of court.

When the college kids from Tallahassee come to Panama City to demonstrate with their slogan, JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED with the NAACP on Saturday, they'll be half right. The justice denied half. Unfortunately, I feel, the justice denial will be to the ones they're demonstrating against. I hope some at least do their homework and google 'sickle cell trait mortality' or study my blog www.stanclark.us . I think they may thank me later in life, but I expect them to throw rocks at me now. Stan Panama City Beach

PS I'll be cheering you on Saturday on the NAACP parade route in front of McDonald's on Harrison -- hopefully, with water and burgers. I don't want any college kids to die in my town due to dehydration or starvation. You're our future. I regret we're leaving you with such a screwed up present. But imagine what our parents left us with 40-50 years ago! s