Thank you for the clarification, Rebecca.

And that is precisely the point, is it not? As I do not have the right 
or capacity to speak on behalf of the ARSC Board, neither does the ARSC 
Board have the right or capacity to speak for me.

On 7/22/2020 7:55 PM, Rebecca Chandler wrote:
> In case anyone neglects to read Kurt’s entire email or is confused, I wish
> to clarify that the “ARSC Board’s Statement Concerning Recent Events” he
> includes is NOT a message from the Board. Those are his own words.
>
> Thank you,
> Rebecca Chandler
> *ARSC President*
>
> On Wed, Jul 22, 2020 at 6:22 PM Kurt Nauck <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> I will /not /comment upon the proposed ARSC documents, as this is not an
>> ARSC membership forum, and therefore not the place for it. Any comments
>> I have concerning ARSC procedures and policies will be reserved for the
>> next round of ARSC stakeholder input, which I presume will be held
>> within a forum restricted to ARSC members. I will also be submitting my
>> personal comments online prior to the August 1 deadline.
>>
>> What I /do/ wish to comment on is the */public/* statement on racism and
>> police brutality made by the board and posted in this forum. My letter
>> to the editor in the recent edition of the *ARSC Newsletter* accurately
>> reflects my position, which has not changed. Parenthetically, I would
>> like to point out that my letter was meant /solely for the ARSC
>> membership/, as these issues are an in-house concern, not a public one.
>> In fact, I initially read this letter to the ARSC Board over the phone
>> during their fall board meeting in Montreal last October, after which I
>> forwarded copies to the chairs of the DEI and Operations committees.
>> Executive Director Nathan Georgitis wisely suggested that I wait on
>> submitting my statement to the Newsletter until the Board and committees
>> had time to digest and react to my comments.
>>
>> There were three things which prompted me to finally submit my letter.
>> First, I never received a response from the Board or DEI committee
>> concerning the comments I expressed at the fall board meeting. Second, I
>> didn’t hear back from the Diversity, Equity & */Inclusion/* Committee
>> regarding my May 23 request to join (in response to a public
>> solicitation for new members). And third, the widespread dissemination
>> of the *ARSC* *Statement Opposing Racism & Police Brutality*. It wasn’t
>> until June 14 that I contacted Yuri about submitting my letter. (Two
>> days later, I received a response from the DEI chair formally declining
>> my membership request.)
>>
>> I state these things lest anyone think that my letter was a
>> spur-of-the-moment decision meant to spread division and discord within
>> the organization. I have been communicating with leadership for years
>> regarding these matters, and up to now have restricted my comments to
>> them, and to members in attendance at annual business meetings when the
>> topic arose.
>>
>> That is all I have to say about the letter. Now I would like to address
>> the *ARSC Statement*, again because this was a public position which the
>> Board of Directors took without consulting the membership for their
>> input. As such, the board deigned to speak on my behalf which it has no
>> right to do, either legally, morally or within the constraints of the
>> governing documents of the organization.
>>
>> As I did with the *Anti-anti Harassment Policy*, I will address my
>> issues with the *ARSC* *Statement* by proposing a revised statement. In
>> keeping with the stated goals of the DEI Committee, I will do so in an
>> */inclusive/* manner. Notwithstanding the following statement, I still
>> maintain that ARSC has no business publishing remarks on these matters
>> regardless of the personal feelings and beliefs of those holding
>> leadership positions within the Association.
>>
>> *ARSC Board’s Statement Concerning Recent Events*
>>
>> As we see current events playing out in our society and witness horrific
>> acts being carried out across our nation, we, the Board of Directors of
>> the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, feel compelled to make
>> known our personal positions regarding these matters. Obviously, we do
>> not presume to speak on behalf of our membership, as that is not within
>> our purview, nor do we know where each and every member stands in
>> reference to these events. Nevertheless, we hope that our comments will
>> resonate with our membership and those who benefit from the work and
>> outreach of our Association. We further hope to bring some sense of
>> balance, wisdom and compassion to these dark times.
>>
>> In short, we grieve over the things we see happening in our country. Our
>> hearts go out to all those of any color and background who have been
>> harmed by recent events. We understand that people of many races have
>> been subjected to abuse, oppression, discrimination and hatred within
>> our society, and we believe that there is no room for such behavior in
>> America. Having said that, we understand that there are two particular
>> races who have borne the brunt of this intolerance: American Indians and
>> African Americans. There can be no doubt that each group has grievances
>> which are legitimate and deserve to be heard and understood. We hope
>> that all sectors of our society can find a way to come together with a
>> heartfelt desire to hear, understand and learn from each other. It is
>> only through mutual love and respect that we can hope to see real change
>> and reconciliation take place.
>>
>> We also grieve over our law enforcement agencies and those men and women
>> of all races who literally put their lives on the line to protect us
>> each and every day. We know that there are bad apples in every group of
>> people you care to look at, but we resist those who would seek to paint
>> all of our law enforcement personnel with the same broad brush. We call
>> upon our leaders to identify and hold accountable those cops who are
>> bad, even as we praise and thank the vast majority who are good. We
>> resist all calls to defund police departments, knowing that the
>> resulting anarchy will only lead to further oppression of those most
>> vulnerable.
>>
>> We further grieve over the needless destruction of our cities and
>> communities by those who avail themselves of every opportunity to steal,
>> kill and destroy. We understand that there is evil among us, and that it
>> is the job of the police to keep us safe, the courts to mete out justice
>> and each one of us to be ministers of hope, healing and reconciliation
>> within our neighborhoods and communities.
>>
>> We grieve not only for the shopkeepers and their families whose
>> businesses and livelihoods have been destroyed, but for the
>> neighborhoods that will be further impoverished due to the destruction
>> of their local economic infrastructure. We call upon our police to
>> identify and apprehend those who commit such heinous acts, and our
>> courts to judge the perpetrators with wisdom and fairness.
>>
>> And finally, we grieve over the wanton destruction of those symbols and
>> artifacts that commemorate (for better or for worse) the history of this
>> country. As an organization committed to the */preservation/*,
>> */access/* and */understanding/* of sound recordings of all types, from
>> all eras and from all nations, we are appalled as we see our heritage
>> being destroyed before our very eyes. We know that the past is not
>> something to be hidden or denied, but to be revealed so that we can
>> learn and grow from it. And we understand that we grow by seeing the bad
>> just as much as the good. As an Association, we hereby renew our
>> dedication to those artifacts that /are/ within the purview of our
>> oversight, and commit ourselves to resist any attempt by any agency –
>> public or private – to destroy our recorded sound heritage or to
>> restrict access to it. In keeping with this commitment, we reiterate our
>> strong support for our constitutional right to freedom of speech, for
>> they go hand-in-hand.
>>
>> In closing, we wish to reiterate that we speak only on behalf of
>> ourselves, the ARSC Board. Our comments are meant to help, not to
>> hinder; to move us toward healing, and not division.
>>
>> Signed,
>>
>> The *ARSC Board of Directors*
>>
>> --
>>
>> Kurt Nauck
>>
>> *Nauck's Vintage Records*
>> 22004 Sherrod Ln
>> Spring, TX 77389
>>
>> *www.78rpm.com* <http://78rpm.com/>
>> 281-288-7826
>>
-- 

Kurt Nauck

*Nauck's Vintage Records*
22004 Sherrod Ln
Spring, TX 77389

*www.78rpm.com* <http://78rpm.com/>
281-288-7826