Re: fossil sales

[DragonFyr@aol.com]

Larry, not only is that statement ridiculous, but generalities seldom hold
up.  Discussion of the sale of fossils and the concurrent destruction of
property/fossil sites/specimens by those without any training who are
specifically looking for salable items is highly germain(sp) to the topic of
this list.  We may have seen much material from the collection forays of Cope
and Marsh but there were also many fine specimens destroyed.  And they were
'professional' scientists.  What seems to bother most of the people
responding to this thread is the destruction of working sites that are
raided, trespass on private property and the attitude of some of the
'collectors' involved.  I would have no problem with someone with appropriate
credentials requesting permission to search on my property providing that it
was understood that as little disturbance as possible would occur and that
any damage is restored to what the site originally looked like.  God help
anyone I find digging up my property without my permission no matter who they
are! 
***********************************
>> The arguments against fossil sales strike me as being remarkably similar
to
>> the arguments against permitting commercial traffic in wildlife and
>wildlifean > resources.  --Merritt Clifton,  editor,  ANIMAL
PEOPLE.obligation
>to educate, train and otherwise
>include those with similar interests. This is what is best for the science.
>This forum seems to be an extremely satisfying example of how this can be
done,
>and I know of other examples that show that it can work.
>George F. Engelmann
>University of Nebraska at Omaha
>engelman@cwis.unomaha.edu

Educational without a doubt.  So far I've learned that all
paleontologists are closet socialists with a control complex
that demands we surrender all things they like to study to
them without financial compensation, and that they are willing
to get into bed with radical environmentalists in order to
find support for this erosion of property rights.  Now, I was
willing to let the original post pass because of the implicit
tone that it applied to people swiping fossils from public
places, or black-marketing them, which no one wants to see,
but this has been getting increasingly general, and now we get
to see the radical greenies clucking their socialist rhetoric
once again.  Now, shall we just end this thread here and go
back to what this list is _for_, or shall we turn it into a no-
holds-barred political flamewar worthy of "sci".environment?
_I_ subscribed to talk about dinosaurs, not politics, but I'll
play it where it lies...

regards,
Larry Smith