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
>
--
Rebecca Chandler
New York | Wisconsin | Florida | Wyoming
917-475-9630
https://weareavp.com <https://www.weareavp.com/>
<https://www.facebook.com/WeAreAVP> <https://twitter.com/WeAreAVP>
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/732498/>
|