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
>