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
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