Critique Rejected Preface
On January 8, 1993, a 25 page article titled "A Critique of Budd Hopkins' Case of the UFO Abduction of Linda "Cortile"" (Linda's real last name has been substituted with her previously designated pseudonym Cortile by me) was published by Joseph J. Stefula, Richard D. Butler, and George P. Hansen. The purported purpose of their article was to attempt to prove that the Linda Cortile case was a hoax.
In 2008, I read the book "Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abduction" by Budd Hopkins. In addition to this I looked for more information about the case on the Internet. It was then that I came across the 25 page Hansen/Stefula/Butler critique of the Cortile case which, at first glance, appeared to be an in-depth dismantling of the case.
Since I was curious as to why these three individuals concluded the case was a hoax I conducted an examination and comparison between the information contained their document and the information contained in Hopkins' book Witnessed. Upon completion of my examination and comparison I found that their "critique" was inaccurate, ad hominem and evidentially void. I also became aware of the fact that prior to Witnessed being published in 1996, only ten percent of the information contained in it had been publicly released.
The more I studied their "critique," the more flaws I found. In the end I decided the most constructive thing to do was to document and provide proof of the numerous inaccuracies in their work. This way there would be, if nothing else, a private historical record covering the facts.
I began writing my rebuttal, which I titled Critique Rejected, in 2009. I completed it in the winter of 2010. It took me approximately 18 months to thoroughly address all of the statements and claims that are alleged in the Hansen/Stefula/Butler document. What I am presenting to the public is a 421 page document containing 187 pages of my direct findings and 234 pages comprised of quotes, references and appendices to demonstrate, and numerically correlate, the proof behind each of the statements that I make in my work.
During my work on Critique Rejected I established contact with Budd Hopkins and Linda Cortile by mail. I told them about my work, that it was being done in total privacy and that I had no plans to release it publicly. I explained that I planned to keep my research a "private historical record" because I did not wish to inflame the debunkers into action again. The three of us agreed this would be the wisest decision and my document was delivered to them personally at the end of 2010.
In early 2011, the public debunking of Linda's case started up again by a new series of debunkers who, besides spreading new inaccurate statements about Linda's case, made a point of championing data from the Hansen/Stefula/Butler document as though it were proof that the case were invalid. It was at this point when I contacted Budd and Linda and asked them if they would like for me to publicly release Critique Rejected so that we could finally make the inaccuracies of the Hansen/Stefula/Butler "critique" publicly known once and for all. Given the circumstances Budd, Linda and I agreed that there was no danger in publicly releasing Critique Rejected.
Had it not been for that latest barrage of debunking attacks Critique Rejected would have remained an unpublished historical document that only the three of us owned.
Critique Rejected was constructed as a private, meticulously detailed, factual document rather than one built intended for public release. It does not read like a traditional narrative or article. At times, for the sake of factual clarity, it may seem repetitious. It's vast overall length and extreme attention to detail also means that it may not necessarily make for an entertaining read. I have made my peace with this because I'd rather have all of the facts presented and have each and every false claim addressed and refuted in detail.
Critique Rejected will help to convey a more accurate understanding of the Linda Cortile case. The facts presented in it indisputably prove that the Hansen/Stefula/Butler "critique" of the Linda Cortile case is nothing more than a baseless hatchet job.
In 2008, I read the book "Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abduction" by Budd Hopkins. In addition to this I looked for more information about the case on the Internet. It was then that I came across the 25 page Hansen/Stefula/Butler critique of the Cortile case which, at first glance, appeared to be an in-depth dismantling of the case.
Since I was curious as to why these three individuals concluded the case was a hoax I conducted an examination and comparison between the information contained their document and the information contained in Hopkins' book Witnessed. Upon completion of my examination and comparison I found that their "critique" was inaccurate, ad hominem and evidentially void. I also became aware of the fact that prior to Witnessed being published in 1996, only ten percent of the information contained in it had been publicly released.
The more I studied their "critique," the more flaws I found. In the end I decided the most constructive thing to do was to document and provide proof of the numerous inaccuracies in their work. This way there would be, if nothing else, a private historical record covering the facts.
I began writing my rebuttal, which I titled Critique Rejected, in 2009. I completed it in the winter of 2010. It took me approximately 18 months to thoroughly address all of the statements and claims that are alleged in the Hansen/Stefula/Butler document. What I am presenting to the public is a 421 page document containing 187 pages of my direct findings and 234 pages comprised of quotes, references and appendices to demonstrate, and numerically correlate, the proof behind each of the statements that I make in my work.
During my work on Critique Rejected I established contact with Budd Hopkins and Linda Cortile by mail. I told them about my work, that it was being done in total privacy and that I had no plans to release it publicly. I explained that I planned to keep my research a "private historical record" because I did not wish to inflame the debunkers into action again. The three of us agreed this would be the wisest decision and my document was delivered to them personally at the end of 2010.
In early 2011, the public debunking of Linda's case started up again by a new series of debunkers who, besides spreading new inaccurate statements about Linda's case, made a point of championing data from the Hansen/Stefula/Butler document as though it were proof that the case were invalid. It was at this point when I contacted Budd and Linda and asked them if they would like for me to publicly release Critique Rejected so that we could finally make the inaccuracies of the Hansen/Stefula/Butler "critique" publicly known once and for all. Given the circumstances Budd, Linda and I agreed that there was no danger in publicly releasing Critique Rejected.
Had it not been for that latest barrage of debunking attacks Critique Rejected would have remained an unpublished historical document that only the three of us owned.
Critique Rejected was constructed as a private, meticulously detailed, factual document rather than one built intended for public release. It does not read like a traditional narrative or article. At times, for the sake of factual clarity, it may seem repetitious. It's vast overall length and extreme attention to detail also means that it may not necessarily make for an entertaining read. I have made my peace with this because I'd rather have all of the facts presented and have each and every false claim addressed and refuted in detail.
Critique Rejected will help to convey a more accurate understanding of the Linda Cortile case. The facts presented in it indisputably prove that the Hansen/Stefula/Butler "critique" of the Linda Cortile case is nothing more than a baseless hatchet job.
-- Sean F. Meers
January 2012 (Updated since April 2011)
Updates
* The time of when Richard and Dan visited Linda's apartment has been corrected. Initially I had it at 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19, 1991, when it was actually 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19, 1991.
* Due to developments in the case the location of where Linda was kidnapped to by Dan on October 15, 1991 has been narrowed down to the area of Long Beach, not Long Island as originally thought. This development has been amended into Critique Rejected.
* Due to developments in the case the location of where Linda was kidnapped to by Dan on October 15, 1991 has been narrowed down to the area of Long Beach, not Long Island as originally thought. This development has been amended into Critique Rejected.
Copyright
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No information stored in this document may be used for commercial or other purposes (except as legally allowed for personal
and educational use) unless Sean F. Meers gives his prior written consent to the intended use.
Critique Rejected Preface is Available for Download in PDF format below
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Critique Rejected is Available for Download in PDF format below
| critique_rejected.pdf |