[ SHOWGSD-L ] California Prop. 2 - HSUS spin machine breaks down in Modesto...
- From: "Peggy" <pmick12@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 10:45:26 -0400
---Permission to cross-post.---
The minister and congregation of a church in Stanislaus County are devoting
several weeks to a Faith & Politics Series, exploring current legislative
issues which require moral and thoughtful consideration. Next thing you
know, rich lobbyists from Washington D.C. are flying into farm country. The
deceptively named Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) came to town
last night. Patti Strand, National Director of the National Animal Interest
Alliance (NAIA) asked me to attend and report back. Here you have it. (More
detailed quotes from all panel members will come in a later report.)
A "Faith & Politics" theme leads to the logical question. What would Jesus
do? Well, it's hard to know for sure, but if memory serves, Jesus isn't a
big fan of hypocrisy and abuse of power. It takes an awful lot of hubris to
sit in front of a large crowd in a church of God and lie to the audience.
This might explain the chilly reception that Wayne Pacelle, HSUS President,
received in the United Methodist Church in Modesto, California last night,
as he tried to convince residents of this rural community that Proposition 2
is a good idea. (Prop 2 is the Standards For Confining Farm Animals
initiative Californians will vote on in November.)
You have to give Pacelle this - he's a good-looking man in an expensive
suit, and he's well-versed in his emotional, hot-button lines. None of that
seemed to play well to this crowd. Pacelle has made millions of dollars for
HSUS playing fast and loose with the truth, and apparently being in church
doesn't slow him down. This did not go unnoticed. I chatted with a group of
local gentlemen after the event was over, and asked for their perspective.
One of these distinguished looking men slightly bowed his head, as if to
offer a silent prayer, shook his head slightly, and looked back up at me.
"Hopefully HSUS will soon realize how wrong they were to stray from the
church" he said softly. Amen, brother. In fact, about an hour earlier,
sitting in the front row, not far from Mr. Pacelle, I flashed on Bill
Cosby's joke about stepping back from a liar, lest he also be hit by the
lightning bolt.
A panel of 5 answered questions posed by meeting attendees. For Prop 2: Mr.
Pacelle, and the HSUS paid consultant Reverend Bruner. Opposing Prop 2 were
three subject matter experts: Dr. Nancy Reimers, DVM, MSpVM, Dip. ACPV; Jill
Benson, local egg farmer and Vice President of JS West & Companies; Bill
Mattos, President of the California Poultry Federation.
In a relentless triumph of science and agricultural expertise, Dr. Reimers,
Jill, and Bill consistently refuted the arguments of Pacelle/Bruner.
Throughout the evening, these three experts presented clear, compelling,
compassionate, science-based evidence opposing Prop 2. Reverend Bruner
seemed awfully angry for a man of God. All the ministers I've known have
tended to be quiet, reflective types, with an aura of, well - spirituality.
I was sitting fairly close, and felt none of that from Reverend Bruner, who
came across as hostile and condescending. In response to a question about
how Christians can justify the human suffering/devastating economic havoc
that Prop 2 passage would wreak, he went off on a bizarre tangent about the
spotted owl controversy. He seemed particularly attached to AVMA references,
at one point angrily stating "The AVMA minutes refer to 'flock stress
management.' Obviously these hens are stressed." One might surmise that Dr.
Reimers was getting a little fed up with the amateur hour comments coming
from the other end of the table by now. She picked up her microphone, leaned
into it, and stated, "The definition of stress is adaptation to change. Lack
of stress equals DEATH." The audience had been polite and respectful (no
applause or comments throughout), but this one got a big laugh.
Several times throughout the evening, Bill Mattos invited Mr. Pacelle and
Reverend Bruner to tour Ms. Benson's egg farm, so they could see firsthand
the living conditions of the hens. Each time the question was ignored. He
asked them again, when they were speaking privately during the break.
Pacelle replied that he had already toured another egg farm. A crowd of
approximately 325 people literally packed the room. It would be a generous
estimate to say that Mr. Pacelle and his teammate Reverend Bruner had
support from 5% of the audience. Apparently oblivious to the fact that their
anti-farming initiative was receiving a hostile reception, during the break,
Mr. Pacelle and Reverend Bruner stated confidently and repeatedly to Bill
Mattos that Prop 2 would pass by a large margin. I seem to remember a
certain level of arrogance about a bill called AB 1634. It took us eighteen
months but we kicked ___ and took names on that one. David and Goliath,
indeed.
Tina M. Perriguey
*2006 California egg production statistics: Merced County = about 1.88
billion. Stanislaus County = approximately 604 million. San Joaquin County =
approximately 337 million. Obviously, the economy of this region is heavily
dependent upon egg farmers. Merced County already suffers high poverty and
unemployment. (The UC Davis study conclusion on Prop 2 passage: "The most
likely outcome, therefore, is the elimination of almost all of the
California egg industry over a very few years," Therefore, not an increase
in cage-free hens, instead this: a loss of over 3,000 egg industry jobs in a
state ALREADY suffering our highest unemployment rate in 12 years.)
http://www.safecaliforniafood.org/node/28
http://news.ucanr.org/newsstorymain.cfmstory=1124
http://www.avma.org/press/releases/080826_california_proposition2.asp
http://aic.ucdavis.edu/publications/eggs/executivesummaryeggs.pdf
============================================================================
POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - www.showgsd.org
============================================================================
Other related posts:
- » [ SHOWGSD-L ] California Prop. 2 - HSUS spin machine breaks down in Modesto...
