What are these people Thinking? Please Sign the Petition and Write to these Philistines Now.

Rangel

Israel

The AIA is reporting that although they are listed in Article 1 of the 1970 UNESCO Convention of which (at the moment) the US is a state party, there are moves in motion to somehow exempt ancient dugup coins from the CCPIA which "implements" (in a very primitive and cumbersome way) the Convention. The AIA is asking people to sign their petition "Do not exempt coins from Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act"

[New York] Representatives Charles Rangel and Steve Israel are moving quickly to support exempting coins from the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act (CCPIA). For 30 years this convention has been a vital weapon in our nation’s fight against the illegal antiquities trade. By reducing demand for looted and smuggled objects, it helps safeguard cultural heritage worldwide. As it is currently written, the CCPIA is instrumental in ensuring that the United States will not become a haven for illegally exported and undocumented coins. 

Charles Rangel and Steve Israel are apparently unhappy with this scenario. What interests do they see  in supporting SMUGGLING? What about the opinions of people that respect the cultural property of other nations and hate SMUGGLERS, for it is SMUGGLING artefacts into their country and the sticky hands of no-questions-asking US collectors that Charles Rangel and Steve Israel apparently want to facilitate. Shame on them and all their sorry smuggler-loving supporters.

Rep. Rangel and Israel need to hear from [people] like you who oppose this exemption. Please email them NOW, before the end of June 2014, to voice your concern for their support of exempting coins from the CCPIA. Rep. Rangel’s Contact Me link is at: https://rangel.house.gov/contact-me; Rep. Israel’s Contact Me link is at: http://israel.house.gov/contact.

Unfortunately they are not even interested in what you think unless you live in their constituency. Like many US politicians they are deaf to any other voices it appears. But do please sign this petition to show that not everybody in the world wants to see neo-colonialist American collectors complaining about their inability to buy SMUGGLED items with the help of pliable Philistine Representatives in New York. Somebody please put a record of this shameful support of antiquity smuggling on these politicians' Wikipedia pages. Show the world you think this is important (if you do).

But I'd like to see some sensible measures adopted and get that CCPIA rewritten in a form more suited to the challenges set by the no-questions-asked antiquities markets of the 21st century rather than the atavistic crap we have at present. But obviously what is needed is something less selective and more restrictive in order to curb illicit activities and dodgy dealings than less.