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
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