Free Ivory Fridays

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Mark Knapp

Mark Knapp

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The question for this weeks Free Ivory Fridays is, what is the easiest way to tell your legislators your thoughts on the ivory bans.

You can enter in two ways, answer this question or let me know what results you got when you contacted your legislators to tell them how you feel about ivory bans. You can have your name in twice if you do both.


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These are all good, and you guys are in but this is not what I'm looking for. It's real easy to find your representatives and talk to them, tell me how.
 
Mark Knapp said:
These are all good, and you guys are in but this is not what I'm looking for. It's real easy to find your representatives and talk to them, tell me how.
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Since mammoth ivory is what I like, I'd be using the estimate of some millions of mammoths tusks in Siberia alone.
I'd also be talking about the use of mammoth tusk by humans for thousands of years, and how this has been using a resource that does not impact populations of anything, since they are extinct.

I'd then suggest that harsher laws for trade of elephant ivory by China need to be included as part of trade agreements with the USA (or Canada, if it were a ban proposed here). Since they make up 90% of the market, their practices will affect elephant populations the most...and since they want the multi-billions of dollars in trade with the West, they'd likely agree. If their usage could even be cut in half, that would save a hell of a lot of elephants.
 
In my state at least, the best way to contact legislators is to email them and click the "request a response" box, as they are then required to respond to you either via email, phone call, or meet up in person.

I did this very thing about a month or so ago in regards to the Washington state ivory ban being debated, and it worked like a charm. My rep, Gerry Pollet(D) WA, not only responded, but thanked me for contacting him and making him more educated on the subject. While he said he would still be supporting the Elephant ivory ban, he told me he would do his best to make sure that fossils would be removed from the bill. He wasnt even aware it was in it until i contacted him it turns out. Which i guess shouldnt be a shocker since so much gets voted on without being read. He said based on what i told him he too found it silly that it was included, and served no purpose but to hurt artists and collectors.

So while only a half win, im pretty happy with the result. Gerry is a pretty hardcore conservationist, so getting him to see at least some of the fallacy of this bill was a win in my book. And it looks like it may have worked too as shortly after being contacted by him i heard through the grapevine that the language in the bill relating to mammoth and fossil ivory had been removed!
 
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I talked to my congressman on a live talk radio show. + called his office in DC. still waiting for a response.
 
Aidenag said:
In my state at least, the best way to contact legislators is to email them and click the "request a response" box, as they are then required to respond to you either via email, phone call, or meet up in person.

I did this very thing about a month or so ago in regards to the Washington state ivory ban being debated, and it worked like a charm. My rep, Gerry Pollet(D) WA, not only responded, but thanked me for contacting him and making him more educated on the subject. While he said he would still be supporting the Elephant ivory ban, he told me he would do his best to make sure that fossils would be removed from the bill. He wasnt even aware it was in it until i contacted him it turns out. Which i guess shouldnt be a shocker since so much gets voted on without being read. He said based on what i told him he too found it silly that it was included, and served no purpose but to hurt artists and collectors.

So while only a half win, im pretty happy with the result. Gerry is a pretty hardcore conservationist, so getting him to see at least some of the fallacy of this bill was a win in my book. And it looks like it may have worked too as shortly after being contacted by him i heard through the grapevine that the language in the bill relating to mammoth and fossil ivory had been removed!
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Good answer, you go in twice for answering both questions.
 
Congratulations to Beck51, he is the winner of this weeks Free Ivory Fridays. PM or email me your shipping information.
 
Exclamation Congrats to KNIFE RIGHTS - Ineffective & unfair IVORY ban FAILS in WA. State!
Knife Rights Media Release

Flaf Bar 499 pixels
Washington State Ivory Ban Bills Fail
Another Victory for Common Sense

March 2, 2015 - Gilbert, AZ: Another irrational state Ivory Ban effort has failed, this time in Washington State. Once a bright light was shone on the lies and deceit of the Ivory- banners, the bills (HB 1131 and SB 5241) proved unable to move forward by legislative deadlines.

Working closely with key allies including the NRA and the
Legal Ivory Rights Coalition, as well as our knife industry members, Mike Vellekamp (FOX Knives USA) and Tim Wegner (Blade-Tech) who testified against the bills at our request, we were collectively able to beat back the proposed draconian ban on ivory, including mammoth ivory, in Washington.

Washington now joins Virginia this year in rejecting the emotionally charged, but factually deficient arguments put forth by promoters of these Ivory Ban bills.

Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, "Knife Rights and all who we represent abhor the poaching of elephants in Africa. However, these ivory ban bills won't save a single living elephant, while taking hundreds of millions of dollars from millions of honest law-abiding Americans. It makes no sense to unfairly penalize Americans for the illegal and immoral activities that continue to threaten elephants, and which these proposed ivory bans do nothing to ameliorate. These ivory ban bills are Feel Good - Do Bad legislation at its worst." (Bold, Enlarged type added)

To all of you who made calls, wrote emails and came to testify, we are truly grateful for your help in defeating this misguided and irrational legislation.

ABOUT KNIFE RIGHTS
Knife Rights (http://www.KnifeRights.org) is rewriting knife law in America™, aggressively forging a Sharper Future™ for all knife owners. Knife Rights is dedicated to providing knife owners an effective voice to influence public policy. In the past four years, Knife Rights has passed pro-knife legislation in 11 states and prevented anti-knife legislation in six states. Knife Rights is also the lead plaintiff in a federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City."

For more information contact:

Doug Ritter
Chairman
dritter@KnifeRights.org

Todd Rathner
Director of Legislative Affairs
trathner@KnifeRights.org :
 
Scrim said:
Exclamation Congrats to KNIFE RIGHTS - Ineffective & unfair IVORY ban FAILS in WA. State!
Knife Rights Media Release

Flaf Bar 499 pixels
Washington State Ivory Ban Bills Fail
Another Victory for Common Sense

March 2, 2015 - Gilbert, AZ: Another irrational state Ivory Ban effort has failed, this time in Washington State. Once a bright light was shone on the lies and deceit of the Ivory- banners, the bills (HB 1131 and SB 5241) proved unable to move forward by legislative deadlines.

Working closely with key allies including the NRA and the
Legal Ivory Rights Coalition, as well as our knife industry members, Mike Vellekamp (FOX Knives USA) and Tim Wegner (Blade-Tech) who testified against the bills at our request, we were collectively able to beat back the proposed draconian ban on ivory, including mammoth ivory, in Washington.

Washington now joins Virginia this year in rejecting the emotionally charged, but factually deficient arguments put forth by promoters of these Ivory Ban bills.

Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter said, "Knife Rights and all who we represent abhor the poaching of elephants in Africa. However, these ivory ban bills won't save a single living elephant, while taking hundreds of millions of dollars from millions of honest law-abiding Americans. It makes no sense to unfairly penalize Americans for the illegal and immoral activities that continue to threaten elephants, and which these proposed ivory bans do nothing to ameliorate. These ivory ban bills are Feel Good - Do Bad legislation at its worst." (Bold, Enlarged type added)

To all of you who made calls, wrote emails and came to testify, we are truly grateful for your help in defeating this misguided and irrational legislation.

ABOUT KNIFE RIGHTS
Knife Rights (http://www.KnifeRights.org) is rewriting knife law in America™, aggressively forging a Sharper Future™ for all knife owners. Knife Rights is dedicated to providing knife owners an effective voice to influence public policy. In the past four years, Knife Rights has passed pro-knife legislation in 11 states and prevented anti-knife legislation in six states. Knife Rights is also the lead plaintiff in a federal civil rights lawsuit against New York City."

For more information contact:

Doug Ritter
Chairman
dritter@KnifeRights.org

Todd Rathner
Director of Legislative Affairs
trathner@KnifeRights.org :
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Great, thanks for letting me know.
 
I got this response today.

Bradley Byrne
First District, Alabama
__________

Serving Baldwin, Clarke,
Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington Counties

House Committees:

Armed Services
Education and the Workforce
Natural Resources

March 6, 2015

Dear Mr. Holland:


Thank you for contacting me with regard to H.R. 697, the African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015, introduced by Representative Don Young, R-AK.

This legislation prohibits the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from implementing its proposed ivory ban. H.R. 697 has been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee, where it awaits further action. Please be assured I will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation come before the full House for a vote.

Again, thank you for contacting me on this matter. It is my great honor to serve as your Member of Congress, and it is my number one priority to represent you and the best interests of the First District of Alabama.
 
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