Re: I'm late, I'm late...

["Michael Schmidt" <dmschmidt@sprint.ca>]

No nerve, Varner, I just know your beliefs regarding commercial collecting.
  We've been through this before, and there is no point arguing with you. 
Based on your previous statements, there seems to be no level of commercial
collecting that would ever be permissable to you.  You brand everyone as
irresponsible because they do it for profit, regardless of your knowledge
of the situation.  

I was merely stating a fact.  Most fossils from China are both collected
and exported illegally.  These ones I suspect were, because I think I know
who is selling them.  Don't like it, do something to change it. Talk to the
US government, and maybe they will start co-operating with the Chinese
government when it comes to protecting their cultural treasures.  

Don't like the fact that these things end up in the hands of private
collectors?Live with it.

As far as my "solicitations" for funds to purchase one of these specimens,
you know very well it was done in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.  Lighten up,
and don't let your personal feelings see things that aren't there!

I wonder when people like you will learn that working with the commercial
dealers is a lot better than alienating them.  Cooperation is the key. 
But, then again, you really don't believe that, so it's pointless trying to
convince you.  It is much easier for you to believe EVERYONE collects
illegally, than to believe that some don't.  One of the greatest things you
could ever teach a student is that a responsible, ethical collector is a
great asset to academia.

This is a tired old argument.........

Michael Schmidt





----------
> From: Danvarner@aol.com
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> Cc: dmschmidt@sprint.ca
> Subject: Re: I'm late, I'm late...
> Date: Thursday, September 24, 1998 6:06 PM
> 
>   It is certainly odd that two questions and a simple statement of fact
would
> elicit such a strong response from Mr Schmidt. Perhaps a nerve has been
struck
> here.
>   Schmidt states,"Unfortunately, you are very misguided if you believe
that
> scientific morality will stop dealers from selling scientifically
important
> specimens." Since I never said anything of the sort, Schmidt is creating
a
> straw man. He in no way can ascertain my beliefs since I did not state
them. 
>   Schmidt also states, "As a great number of of these fossils are
illegally
> exported, no honest academic would even look at purchasing them, so off
to
> private collectors they go." I ask him, "Do they go legally?"
>   Schmidt then states,"Until morality becomes law, don't expect
commercial
> dealers to lose sales by donating items to science. Unless there is a
huge tax
> write off, it doesn't often happen." I certainly wasn't "expecting"
anything
> at all from commercial dealers and I would certainly assume that the
"value"
> of the "items" would be diminished by the unscientific way in which they
were
> probably collected and prepared.
>   Schmidt goes on, "Your right, it is a great loss to science. If anyone
wants
> to take up a collection, there are(i think) two more available. Anybody
got
> $20,000 kicking around they don't need?" Besides possibly being grounds
for
> removal from this list, this statement should make the students here feel
a
> little nervous. If they are looking forward at all to having a future in
this
> field, perhaps they should make sure they attend the business meeting at
SVP
> and keep their ears open. SVP looks out for the interests of the student.
SVP
> has an ethics statement. Read it. Dan Varner.