The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing its ban on any sales or border crossings of antiques and collectibles made with African elephant ivory. (See our ezines of June 11 and 24, May 28 and April 23.) Officials took bagpipes with ivory parts from two teenagers returning from Canada after a trip to a competition held before their participation in a world bagpipe contest in Scotland. The law bans the sale of ivory harvested since 1976 and includes an importation requirement to have almost-impossible-to-get documents that cost $576 to prove the age of the ivory. One set of bagpipes has belonged to the teenager's father since 1936. The boys did eventually get the bagpipes back. (based on a longer AP article)
I’m sick and tired of reading in nearly every issue some whiny piece about how terrible it is that ivory has been banned. For decades elephants have been horrifically murdered for mere trinkets. This heinous practice continues to this day and organizations, like the NRA, are at this very moment attempting to pass legislation that allows for the killing of elephants and importation of their tusks, i.e., ivory. Elephants are magnificent animals, highly intelligent, and family oriented. They grieve the loss of their family members. They shed tears of relief and joy when they are rescued from abusive situations and captivity. Ivory should have been banned decades ago. The murder of these incredible animals for human greed should be decried, and we should be ashamed of ourselves for not ending this practice years ago. So stop whining about ivory bans, Kovels. Get a conscience.
That teenager sure has an old father, who “owned them since 1936”! Even if father inherited them at birth, he would be 78 this year, and at least 59 when son was born!
This is what happens when liberal tree huggers and man-made global warming liars take over the gov’t. WAY too many unnecessary regulations, hurting otherwise honest people.