Since before recorded history, mankind has used animal byproducts as religious and spiritual symbols as well as amulets to ward off evil spells. The use of animal bone, teeth and tusks is a part of every indigenous people's culture.

 

Elephant ivory, bear claws, whale teeth all had symbolic meaning to ancient people.

The items derived from animal products are often decorative and serve no function as tools.

 

In the 19^th century western man began to decimate and slaughter animals en masse and caused the actual or near extinction of many species of majestic animals.

 

This created a huge inventory of elephant ivory tusks and marine animal's teeth. The market for such items flourished and developed into an art form that was beautiful to some while grisly to others.

 

Today, the vast majority of African Elephant ivory stockpiles are derived from animals killed to control their populations.

 

Much human and animal blood has been shed to possess these items which have no intrinsic value other than as luxurious symbols of wealth and a power over nature.

 

No one disagrees that  poachers who slaughter the majestic elephant and hack from his face his ivory tusks -- sometimes while the creature still breathes his last suffering breath -- are monsters deserving of the same fate.

 

Gorillas, lions and other trophy big game are all undeserving of the barbaric fates that mankind has imposed on these helpless animal species.

 

That is one side of the story.

 

As we allow it to unfold we must examine the other social, political and economic ramifications to the use and sale of legally acquired PRE-CITES IVORY TUSK (there's no such thing as pre-ban because there is NO BAN on legal ivory.)

 

First, let us examine some of the uses that items derived from ivory have provided human beings over the centuries. Ivory has been used in the manufacture of furniture, jewelry, weapons, amulets, pistols grips, sculptures, cue balls and all sorts of decorative items.

 

There are people who don't collect any items of art but especially dislike ivory, and there are others who covet artifacts and have no problem with owning a tusk whether carved or raw. Some protesters of the sale of ivory don't give a hoot that third world families depend on the trade of ivory to sustain their well-being. Conservationists wish everyone would stop eating animal flesh and subsist on vegetables and fruits alone. Within those groups there are factions that are tolerant of controlled trade in these products while others are adamantly opposed and often turn to violence to impose their views. These people are sometimes referred to as ‘eco-terrorists' and in their bid to ‘protect' the endangered animals will often bring about the destruction of property and even human death.

 

There is a middle ground answer to solving this problem. Stricter laws need to be enacted against poachers and a more vigilant group of enforcers should see to the prevention of those criminals breaking those laws. Both solutions require funding.

 

It is ironic that the governmental sale of legally acquired ivory - directly funds the animal safeguarding programs implemented by many countries.

 

Imposing a ‘luxury tax' imposed on buyers of legally acquired byproducts from protected animals would also help pay the costs of protecting endangered or threatened species. In this way the animals can be protected, the families of traders, as well as the artisans who turn the raw material into art, and the dealers of the world can make a fair living.