Lakota Sioux elder Vernon Traversie isn’t absolutely sure the “KKK” marks on his abdomen got there via malicious means, however other hate crime investigations have been launched under less certain circumstances.
The marks, showing up after Traversie had heart surgery at South Dakota's Rapid City Regional Hospital, were apparently suspicious enough to prompt one nurse to insist her blind patient have someone photograph them as soon as he returned home.
If not the marks alone, Mr. Traversie's complaint of other abuses at the hospital are disturbing enough to warrant an investigation into this entire matter.
He says that when he asked a male nurse for pain medication he was told to “shut his F-ing mouth,” even though, he adds, he did nothing to provoke such a response.
Further grounds for investigation come from reports by others of similar abuses at RC Regional.
Tell the FBI to take Vernon Traversie's claims and the marks on his abdomen seriously and launch an investigation at once.
We, the undersigned, believe there is sufficient grounds for investigation of a hate crime involving the suspicious marks on Vern Traversie's abdomen.
As his doctor allegedly noted, the scars are not consistent with those normally used in surgery, and as the tribal secretary noted, racial prejudice is a problem in South Dakota.
The circumstances certainly warrant an outside investigation.
Please take Mr. Traversie's and other's claims of abuse at Rapid City Regional seriously and launch a hate crime investigation into this matter at once.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious matter.
