With all due respect, I have been to their offices in Washington, D.C. and have personally met with Paul Schapiro, Director of Factory Farming Campaign, at both his office and the National Press Club. I have PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
The HSUS has gone beyond simply working for the humane treatment of animals, and has become an animal rights organization that is vigorously working to pass legislation that is detrimental to family ranchers in California and across the nation. Their efforts to pass Proposition 2 in California is a prime example. I am one of those family ranchers that is also a Parelli student.
HSUS's campaign against livestock production threatens family ranchers across the nation and encourages society to choose a vegetarian life style.
Direct From HSUS:
"Each one of us can help prevent animals from suffering in factory farms simply by choosing vegetarian options. It's never been easier to replace animal products with readily available vegetarian alternatives." HSUS.org
"Visit the HSUS Guide to Vegetarian Eating for more information on how you can help farm animals when you eat, including delicious recipes, tips on incorporating more animal-free meals into your diet, shopping list suggestions, and much more. And for more information on the lives of farm animals and other ways you can help them, visit www.FarmAnimalWelfare.org." HSUS.org
"The life of an ant and that of my child should be granted equal consideration."-Michael W. Fox, HSUS Senior Scholar"We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding."-Wayne Pacelle, HSUS President & CEO"My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture."-J.P. Goodwin, HSUS Grassroots Coordinator
While HSUS may use the term "factory farming," to gain support, their impact is and has been tremendously detrimental to family ranchers and farmers.
Certainly, Keith Dane, Director of Equine Protection, may be a Parelli student. However, instead of working to improve the conditions of horse processing, he worked to abolish it, and is now actively engaged to make it illegal to transport horses to processing facilities, rather than work to ensure improved transportation techniques.
Here in the west, horse rescue facilities are overcrowded, people are turning their horses loose in the dessert, and even turning them out in strangers fields. I have been personally aware of this. Without a horse market, there is no place for horse owners to get rid of their horses, whether it is because of finances or age.
Is it really more humane to have domestic horses starve in the wild, get hit by vehicles on remote highways, and place pressure on wild herds. How would you feel if someone dumped their horse on your private property and your horses were injured or incurred a disease?
I am VERY aware of what HSUS has done, is doing and is planning on doing. I am not "influenced" by propaganda, or rumor. I have experienced personally, the aftermath of HSUS and am working to fight their agenda on a daily basis, while trying to earn a living to provide for my family.
Yes, I do care about the future of Parelli and am deeply troubled by the partnership with HSUS.
However, I care more for the future of family farmers and ranchers that are feeding the world, conserving natural resources, enhancing the environment and continually being challenged and attacked by the HSUS.
I would strongly encourage you to look beyond your relationship with Mr. Dane, and discover how HSUS is effecting livestock and family farmers and ranchers.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Jeff Fowle
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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About Me
- JeffFowle
- Jeff Fowle is a fourth generation family farmer and rancher from Etna, California. He and his wife Erin and son Kyle raise registered Angus cattle, Percheron draft horses, warmbloods, alfalfa and alfalfa-grass hay. They also start and train horses for riding, jumping, and driving. Their family run ranch has incorporated many environmentally beneficial and water efficient technologies and management strategies. Jeff attended college at Colorado State University for two years and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for four and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science. Following college, he worked in Washington State for a year as a herdsman for BB Cattle Company and then returned to Etna, California in 1995 to own and operate KK Bar Ranch and Siskiyou Percherons. The latter was started by his grandfather, Clarence Dudley, who devoted much of his time to the Percheron Horse Association of America, specifically to developing their youth education program.
There are too many distortions in your text. This detracts from and real discussion that can come out of this. For example, your quote:
ReplyDelete"We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding." is extremely misleading. I would suggest you read a reasonable interpretation here: http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2007/07/desperate-disto.html
As for the HSUS, I am not a vegetarian but advocating less meat consumption does not seem like a radical concept. There are many good reasons, both environmental for health. Americans are likely to be consuming too much meat and a bit less would not hurt the public at large.
Thank you for your comment.
ReplyDeleteWayne has stated in recent speeches, positions that show his "views have become more nuanced on that topic through the years." Yes, the quote I cited was from several years ago, it is more relevant today than then.
HSUS actions will cause the reduction of livestock and poultry numbers in production. Reductions in production will lead to higher food prices and so on.
I respectfully disagree with your analogy of less meat consumption being better for the environment and health.
As for the environment, don't be fooled by the propoganda being floated by HSUS and other anti-livestock groups.
As for health, all things in moderation is a good policy, but total elimination is detrimental.
What is not realized by the general population is that HSUS promoted legislation and propositions, while directed at "factory farms," always include and negaively impact those that Mr. Pacelle claims to support.
You are welcome to believe their policy and language, but I prefer to place more emphasis on their actions, and their actions are NOT pro livestock production/domestic food animals.
Matt, I would think the responsible thing for HSUS to advocate would be to follow dietary guidelines and eat the appropriate amounts, rahter than suggesting that people eliminate an entire food group from their diet. So yes, it is irresponsible and dangerous advice.
ReplyDeleteAlso, livestock are an important part of the environment. Have you ever studied an area where grazing was suppressed? The area becomes unhealthy rather quickly.
Mr. Pacelle can talk all he wants, but the actions of his group tell the tale.
What's wrong with encouraging society to choose a vegetarian lifestyle?
ReplyDeleteWhen they were promoting Prop.2 in California, HSUS stated on their marketing materials and web sites that "Proposition 2 doesn’t ban cages, just requires them to allow the animal room..."
ReplyDeleteNow that Prop.2 has passed, HSUS is in Sacramento arguing that "the measure was meant as a ban on all cages, and should be enforced as such."
It is apparent that HSUS will outright lie to get people to do what they want (vote a certain way, donate money, enter partnerships, etc.).
I wouldn't want to have anything to do with an organization like that.
As a person who has been watching the work of HSUS for over 20 years, and seeing how they have infiltrated federal agencies to achieve their agenda, and how they have worked to have hundreds of laws put forward across the US, it is clear to me that the HSUS plans on turning the USA into a VEGAN NATION with NO PETS, NO SERVICE ANIMALS and certainly, NO AGRICULTURAL ANIMALS. Folks, read what they say, but NOTE what they actually DO. The HSUS has scammed the public with their "animal protection" image.
ReplyDelete