Well, at least Rebecca and I have one thing in common - we are both
afflicted with the crazy formatting characters! I suppose other persons
at loggerheads had less to work with. ;-^)
On 7/22/2020 7:56 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 7:11 PM Kurt Nauck <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Sorry about the weird formatting marks in this message - never saw that
>> before, but they don't appear on my end!
>>
>> On 7/22/2020 5:09 PM, Kurt Nauck 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
>>
>
--
Kurt Nauck
*Nauck's Vintage Records*
22004 Sherrod Ln
Spring, TX 77389
*www.78rpm.com* <http://78rpm.com/>
281-288-7826
|