[pianotech] Ivory Laws

[Dale Erwin]

Not only that but the Ivory poachers in the hey day kidnapped villagers forcing them to carry the Ivory to the coast.  Many thousands died on the way. SO it isn't just the blessed Elephant that suffered death but the ratio of dead human beings per keyboard is also pretty high.


Dale Erwin... RPT
 Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S pianos
www.Erwinspiano.com
209-577-8397

 
  





-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Giandalone <rufy at rcn.com>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tue, May 8, 2012 6:45 pm
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Ivory Laws



Mark,

You put this beautifully, and I couldn't agree with you more completely !

It always was, at all times in History, WRONG to slaughter these creatures so 
that their two front teeth could contribute to minor amusements for humans. And 
this is the kind of hubris and arrogance that is destroying our planet. Ivory is 
a fetish, and I've called it so in the past (and been roundly ridiculed in this 
forum for advocating the "waste" of what ivory has already been "harvested" – 
and for ignoring the wonderful laws that provide for the sale of confiscated 
poached ivory and use the proceeds to extend protections against such poaching. 
HAH.)

The consistent way to advocate for protection of the source animals from 
poaching is to reject the fatuous idea that Real Ivory makes a piano in any way 
more desirable as an instrument. Or that the Ivory Trade was EVER anything but a 
brutish, disgraceful exercise for all concerned in every segment of it. 
Seriously: do some reading up on it if you dare; it was, in its heyday, a 
massive disgrace to the human race.

Nobody ever asked the elephants if it was OK with them to take their 2 front 
teeth and brutally murder them in the bargain. Remember folks: these are among 
the most intelligent animals on earth; they are very family-oriented, and they 
mourn their dead. I'd like to say to some of the folks on the "other side" of 
this issue: a leather-crafting friend of mine tells me that the human scrotum 
makes a very fine wallet . . . any of you gents mind if we help ourselves to a 
little raw material ??

Joseph Giandalone
Conway, MA


On May 4, 2012, at 12:17 PM, Mark Dierauf wrote:

> Paul -
> 
> Of course I realize that you are not advocating the slaughter of elephants to 
provide new material for covering piano keys (or any other reason). But we as 
piano techs often (virtually always, in my experience) praise this material for 
various reasons, and that is the problem. As long as ivory is prized for 
whatever reason there will be a market for it and these animals will be pushed 
ever closer to extinction. You say near the end of your post that we should not 
do anything that encourages the killing of elephants. I believe that whenever we 
talk about "a beautiful set of ivories" we are doing just that, even though that 
is certainly not our intention. Like it or not, we are part of the problem.
> 
> I used to think that confiscated poached ivory could be sold and the proceeds 
used to fund anti-poaching efforts. That was tried, and it only served to 
further increase the value of tusks in a part of the world where money is scarce 
and life is cheap. More and more I think that it all belongs in museums only, 
and that we as a society can either choose to be inconvenienced by regulation or 
watch passively as these (and other) animals disappear forever. Before you (not 
you specifically, Paul, but anyone reading this) take issue with my use of the 
word "inconvenienced" in speaking of regulations that can often seem 
heavy-handed, I would refer you back to my original post - "Tell that to the 
elephants".
> 
> Respectfully,
> 
> - Mark
> 
> On 5/4/2012 8:32 AM, paul bruesch wrote:
>> Whoa. That photo is repulsive and uncalled for. I am absolutely NOT 
suggesting that we should continue to "produce" new ivory. This thread is about 
selling a piano with key covers made from animals that have long since been 
"harvested". The gist of it is that no one who owns a piano in California can 
sell it if it happens to have ivory key covers. Instead, they need to have those 
ivory covers removed and replaced with plastic. Do you know what plastic 
production looks like? Ulimately, it may not be quite as hideous as your graphic 
photo of the slaughtered elephant, but it ain't pretty either. Who gains 
anything besides the technician recovering the keys?
>> 
>> I completely agree with the current US ban. We absolutely should not do 
anything that encourages further killing of these enormous, beautiful beasts.
>> 
>> I think this post should remove any doubt as to my viewpoint in this matter. 
I will not respond to it any more.
>> 
>> Note that the use of double-quotes in the first paragraph is to denote the 
use of popular euphemisms typically used to soften the tone of this sort of 
practice.
>> 
>> Paul Bruesch
>> Stillwater, MN
> 


 
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