Elephantopia

Shocking news this week: the NRA (National Rifle Association) asked 3.1million members to call on congress to urge them to block the new ivory ban ruling.

Last month, the White House announced a ban on the commercial trade of elephant ivory, placed a total embargo on any new imports of items containing elephant ivory, and now prohibits the export of any ivory except antiques more than 100 years old. (Click HERE for a short explanation on exactly what this ivory ban entails and means).

“This ban is the best way to help ensure that U.S. markets do not contribute to the further decline of African elephants in the wild,” a White House fact sheet on the announcement declared.

However, the NRA feels that the White House is not creating this ban to protect the world’s elephant populations (oh - did we mention that last year in 2013, over 50,000 elephants were killed for their tusks? At this rate, all elephants in the wild will be extinct within ten years…) Instead, the NRA believes that this ban on ivory is actually the Administration attempting to ban firearms (yes, you read that right, they think the ivory ban in the US is an attack on the constitutional right to bear arms.) Here is their reasoning:

“This is another attempt by this anti-gun Administration to ban firearms based on cosmetics and would render many collections/firearms valueless,” the NRA said in its call to arms. “Any firearm, firearm accessory, or knife that contains ivory, no matter how big or small, would not be able to be sold in the United States, unless it is more than 100 years old. This means if your shotgun has an ivory bead or inlay, your revolver or pistol has ivory grips, your knife has an ivory handle, or if your firearm accessories, such as cleaning tools that contain any ivory, the item would be illegal to sell.”

Our response? This is outrageous and ridiculous! The NRA is so self-absorbed that they are opposing a ban that protects the future for Africa’s keystone species, so they can sell their guns!!!??! They are opposing a ban that is part of a national security issue as the ivory trade, according to Robert Hormat (under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment), funds Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (note: their activities include and are not limited to: child abduction, child sex slavery and using children for warfare) — and this is just one of the known terrorist organizations that benefit from the ivory trade. There must be no legal ivory trade to make it easier for law enforcement to quickly find and prosecute those engaged in the illegal ivory trade.

Please take a moment to ask the White House to stand firm in their decision for an ivory ban - for the future of elephants and the safety of humankind. Leave your comments here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

(Thanks to ThinkProgress.Org for the information we shared in this post)