Editor:
With all the current issues in Ohio today, I think back to when things were much simpler. We raised our own vegetables and knew where our food came from. After church the whole family would gather around the table for a huge dinner. Dad used to tell us to always stand for what we thought was right and we could never go wrong.
Now that I am a grandmother, things are much different. Today I see my family and friends driven to opposite sides of the field. It has lead me to observe that there are four types of Ohioans.
My husband is type 1, as I call it, he thinks all of the uproar over the Humane Society of the United States is just a bunch of news hype and no one in Ohio will allow them to do anything. He just is not worried about it.
My friend is type 2. She thinks the HSUS is way too powerful and rich to fight.
My daughter is type 3. She thinks eating meat is wrong.
Then there is my view. I am type 4. I believe the HSUS is a strong organization, but they can be beat. I grew up knowing farming meant meat, milk, veggies and fruits. You need a balance of them all.
I have seen the pictures of the so-called factory farms, and I have seen slaughterhouses.
To some it is the worst thing they have ever seen. To some it is just what it is. I agree that animals should be treated with kindness, and they should not suffer. I also know that one day they will be food for my family.
I don’t believe any group of people should tell us what we can and cannot eat. That is wrong. This is America.
My daughter chooses not to eat meat; I don’t argue with her. That is her choice just as it is my choice to eat meat. We understand and respect each other’s choices in life.
I have been a long time reader of Farm and Dairy. I respect the paper’s willingness to post all sides of this issue.
I would simply ask every reader to think about the future of Ohio. There are two sides, and you need to stand for one of them.
Don’t fall into type 1 or 2. It is time to stand up and fight.
David defeated Goliath, so can Ohioans defeat the HSUS and let us make our own choices in our lives.
Milana Christian
Nashville, Ohio
Ms. Christian, can you possibly believe that Wayne Pacelle & friends have the power to force all americans to become vegetarians?
Can you possibly believe that Purina and Monsanto and Tyson’s and McDonald’s and Con-Agra and Walmart and Kraft and all the other MULTINATIONAL MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR GIANTS of the food/feed/Ag industry will ALLOW themselves to be driven out of business?
Or that ANY government in the world would go along with such a thing?
Can you not see that this is all illucid NONSENSE?
because HSUS is doing everything they can to drive farms out of business, as they are doing everything they can to drive dog breeders out of business. They don’t have to ban anything to get what they want. Follow their agenda: Less farms, meat prices rise sky-high, families have to stop eating meat as they can’t afford to buy it, less meat is bought, farms raise less meat and they go out of business. It is already happening. HSUS is currently the most dangerous organization in America as far as I am concerned and threatens all our lives and way of living. No pets, no dogs, no horses, no meat. Their clear and publicized goal is to abolish ALL animal use. What’s not to understand about that? They have made huge strides in the past 5 years, we need to stop them.
I agree with you 100 percent.The meat prices in the stores are unreal. I know first hand you get little to nothing for cattle at the sale barn. Is it another form of price war between the stores.Soon people will be stilling our animals and butchering them thier selves.HSUS has no idea what they are causing, and more to the fact, they don’t care.
Dynadobe, you’re not blaming meat prices on the Humane Society are you?
Puleeese…..Say it isn’t so..!.
It’s naive to think that the kind of laws they are writing and sponsoring in the name of ‘protecting’ animals from ‘abuse’ isn’t having an effect on meat, dairy and egg prices. Of course it is.
Look at eggs in California right now – they are forced to ship eggs in from other states, because it’s too expensive to totally rebuild to suit the new regulations. And it won’t matter if some manage to do that; the prices won’t come down, and HSUS will offer the voters a new law to further protect the chickens, putting you back to square one and so it goes.
Seems like by the time the Californians figure it out, there may well be no place to import eggs from.
And .. BTW … you did know, didn’t you, that unfermented soy is bad for you, bad for your pets and bad for your livestock .. ?
Your daughter, my children and their children are the future. Like it or not.
WHY? What gives anyone the right to force us to become vegans? There are serious health problems with being vegan. There is not enough plant food or grains to feed the people in this country. One year of drought and other disasters will see us all starve. Is this what the future holds for our children? We meat-eaters don’t try to force meat into people that don’t what it; why do they try to force us to eat the way they do? This is such a basic right, to eat the food you know is good for you!
Something people need to understand, though there seems to be a deliberate effort these days by the AR organizations and also the press to obscure it, is the difference between vegetarians and vegans. Animal rights proponents are vegans, not vegetarians.
There is a very great difference between a vegetarian diet and a vegan lifestyle. Vegetarians don’t eat meat, but many of them eat dairy products and some eat eggs and seafood. If they are political, I’ve never seen it. They eat what they eat, I eat what I eat, no conflict there.
Vegans on the other hand don’t use any animal products whatever, not in their diet, their wardrobe, nor in their life. Some people who eat no animal products whatever and won’t wear wool or leather do keep pets, but they aren’t really good vegans. Serious vegans believe that to use animals at all – even for companionship – is slavery, bondage, exploitation. They believe that the vegan lifestyle is the only moral way to live, and therefore they think it’s OK to use any means to achieve that end not only for themselves, but also for the rest of the world.
So I agree with Grandma. We need to fight them now. It’s fine with me if they don’t want to eat meat, milk, eggs, fish or seafood, or wear wool or leather or keep pets or animals for sports or exhibition. I just don’t believe they have the right to force me to live that way, and certainly they don’t have the right to lie about what they are after and force me to do it by pretending to ‘protect’ animals from ‘abuse’. Animal rights activists don’t give a tinker’s dam about the animals and frequently find it easier to kill them than to care for them or find them homes.
To the AR activists, animal ownership = animal abuse.
Please remember that when you are trying to decide on how to vote on yet another law which pretends to ‘prevent’ animal abuse. Is it really a bid to elminate animal ownership?
We already have adequate laws against animal abuse in every jurisdiction in North America. Ask yourself why anyone would waste government resources by asking you to pass more.
HSUS is a vegan animal rights organization, and is not in any way friendly to animals. The vegan goal is to eliminate all animal products and animals from human lives. All … food, clothing, companionship, exhibition, working anímals. All.
Hawthorne says:
‘The vegan goal is to eliminate all animal products and animals from human lives. All … food, clothing, companionship, exhibition, working anímals. All.’
So, ‘Hawthorne’ …once the ‘vegans’ accomplish this goal, which amounts to hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars subtracted badda bing from the american economy, ya think maybe Wayne Pacelle will be crowned King?
Well said!! We also must remember that the AR groups will use whatever means that they can find to push their views onto others-including lieing, various forms of deceits, truth twisting, forming false “studies” and testimonies, and knowingly omitting facts and truths that cast a poor light on themselves. They also attempt to brainwash our youth (see HSUS’s youth manual) as well as those adults who are too weak minded to actually use their brains to digest the facts. We need to ALL spread the word and expose them for the terrorists that they truely are…
Ridiculous basis for your premise, littleblackdogs. The billion-dollar producers will use HSUS, its regulations and costs, to force the family farms (82% of the ag industry) out of business. Right now, all over the US, huge ranches and farms are being sold to Chinese investors, who are/will be absentee landholders using American land to produce GE foods to ‘feed the world’ – in other words, raising the prices and corrupting the food supply for pure profit. Your billion-dollar profiteers will follow them to the banks. People must eat to live – and if the only things that they are provided to eat is soyburger and GE vegies, that’s what they will be forced to buy – no matter what the cost. If you desperately WANT to be like many european and asian countries, where 60% + of your income goes for food, much of it contaminated or unfit, then follow HSUS to your own grave. The rest of us choose not to – while we still HAVE that choice.
Then, by your own argument it’s the ‘billion-dollar producers ‘ who are the real enemy of the small farmer.
But possibly you do not wish to go after them for some other reason.
Methinks you are not “Another Gramma’ at all…
Corporate shill perhaps, paid to troll these sites pretending to be ‘Grammas’ and ‘Angry Farmers’ and
‘Concerned Animal Lovers’… and paid to spread fear and misinformation..
As a 3rd Gramma with a a hundred acres in farm and forestry and with BIG BLACK DOGS…”another Gramma” is 100% right. Otherwise why are our children being propagandized by vegans, why is the ludricrous (not academically sound) HSUS U in existance, and why has China been slobbering for years to take over US poultry production? I’ve had more than enough of watching our constitutional rights being sent down the drain. It’s insane for us to put up with our right to pets and farm animals being wiped out by radicals hand in hand with dirty politicians.
Hubby’s from Kingsville — near Ashtabula so we still follow Ohio news. HSUS certainly IS out to wipe out all pets and all farm animals. Our children need to learn neither to cave to bullies nor to follow people packing their own pockets with millions in deferred funds yearly as they shred our constitutional rights. If Buckeyes don’t stand up to this obscene government alliance they could end up like here in Maine where we retired. Bad: Here in Maine dog owners are forced to cover the vast majority of the costs of the entire state animal welfare fund’s yearly costs for all species of animals and we were raped of our constitutional rights. In Maine, the state newly maintins it can come on anyone’s property and rip through all residents’ homes anytime 24/7/365 WITHOUT a warrant and WITHOUT cause — if the person is so much as suspected of harboring a guppy in a bowl. Worse: Many gonad gutted dogs in Maine sold through shelters are foreign mixed mutts imported into California’s shelter system where increasingly the 6 New England states shelter systems simply call and order what they wish to sell. Shelters are dirty business here directly used to put all US dog breeders out of business. Tho presented by Maine’s animal welfare department, animal radicals here are now trying to get a HSUS written bill passed into law that will force taxpayers to fund low cost spay neuter for shelter dogs but will not fund a cent to lower S/N costs to any owner who has bought a dog from a breeder. Worst: Animal radicals pitch pixs of animals with large round eyes to donors. What they don’t say is why they target mostly women. It’s because females’ unconscious level brains are hard wired to lock on and unconsciously consider animals with large round eyes as human babies. We’re both being had and experiencing our and our kids unconscious mental level processes being invaded and grossly manipulated for profit in the process. Meanwhile the lead culprits race off with OUR millions in THEIR pockets.
Twilighttime says:’ HSUS certainly IS out to wipe out…… all farm animals’
Yet another poor confused soul who slept through economics class…
You actually believe that Purina and Monsanto and Tyson’s and McDonald’s and Con-Agra and Walmart and Kraft and all the other MULTINATIONAL MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR GIANTS of the food/feed/Ag industry will ALLOW themselves to be driven out of business?
Or that ANY government in the world would go along with such a thing?
Actually I teach economics to children and clearly understand it doesn’t matter a whit to Tyson or any other multinational corporation what country they produce products in. Micro labor costs abroad totally offset global transportation costs in re to those who like “aged eggs” or poultry processed where no standards or regulations are enforced.
Well, I AM another Gramma, who owns a 60 acre farm and raises organic vegies, greenhouse plants and plant starts, cows, and chickens. The real question is – who is littleblackdogs, who has to pounce on and answer every single comment here with his inimitable brand of total liberal ignorance? Whom are YOU shilling for, littleblackdogs? Does HSUS pay YOU to stand outside farmers’ markets and harass people with their fearmongering treatises?
When you question others with such insulting and eager alacrity, you give rise to questions about yourself…
The more you say, the more it proves I’m right.
HSUS seems to be just aiming to bring our out of date animal welfare laws up to the level in most modern nations. Still plenty of farms in Europe and nothing that HSUS has campaigned for in California or Ohio is more radical than European regulation. Some people just don’t want to change. Learn from your daughter, somehow she’s become wiser than her age.
littleblackdog@ I know Gramma She is very nice lady that raise her chickens and rabbits I think she is the heart beat of this country and Applaud her she is SO RIGHT We need to put the ARS in their place Litteblackdog HUSU don’t sign her pay check nor does factory farms she works 40 hours a week takes care of her grandson and tends to her animals You see she knows how to work and work hard not set in front or her CP and write replys for HUSU like you do By the way Have Pacelle give you a new line Tyson and the other is getting old
Europe doesn’t have better animal welfare laws than we do, though they do have animal RIGHTS problems of their own. What they do have is much better regulation of what sort of poisons can be sold as food, but that has little or nothing to do with animal rights or animal welfare. And if you were wondering, yes, HSUS has divisions all over the world. If you are reading this from overseas, look up the richest of the AR organizations which is interfering with your animal law, and you’ll find it is most likely HSUS in disguise. Be fanatically cautious of any interest which moves in and tells you they are going to solve your animal problems.
If HSUS was actually working for animal welfare, they’d have long since gotten rid of factory farming and puppy mills, and the reason we have more of those every day is because they actually target individual animal breeders and small farmers. When they’ve got rid of those, it will be easier to get rid of the big commercial and industrial installations, because though the majority of people in this country do eat meat and keep pets, they don’t like the idea of animal abuse. HSUS has used that fact unmercifully for the last thirty years. When the defensible farmers and pet breeders are gone, they’ll go after the rest.
In the meantime, Big Ag is happily supporting them, because they want to see the end of the small, traditional farmers too. If you doubt it, look at what they’ve done to organic farming. If you think that USDA standards, which were set by BigAg, are anywhere near as good as the old State standards were, you really are naive. But Big Ag is now happily squeezing independent organic farmers out, because the feds gave them sloppy standards to meet an ‘organic’ labeling requirement.
Why would anyone think the big grain companies would be driven out of business by a shift to a vegan diet? They don’t care what they feed, whether it’s humans or meat animals or pets. One way or another they won’t have a problem marketing their product. Most of the food companies are owned by grain companies anyway, they’ll just push the books around a bit, crying all the while about how poor they are. The meat and poultry and dairy industries are tiny compared to the grain interests. And the grain interest doesn’t care about peoples’ health; all they care about is their quarterly bottom line.
If the HSUS has ever done anything good for animals, it was purest accident. They are working hard to get rid of them all.
Again!
THE FACTORY FARM IS YOUR ENEMY.!
GO AFTER THEM AND ADD SOME MEANING TO YOUR LIFE.
Yes, this is true.
The catch is, be careful what you wish for. Letting, or encouraging, HSUS and their minions to do the work will likely not have the effect you are looking for, because their solution to the factory farm issue is to eliminate all animal agriculture. That is, what they say they are doing and what they are doing are two entirely different things. They are beginning with the low-hanging fruit, as usual, meaning the little guys. Big Ag figures that it’s safe enough to lay low and let them decimate the small farms, on the grounds that they have the power to win their fight when the time comes. This may be, but I’m not so sure.
The AR organizations have been ‘getting rid of puppy mills’ for thirty years. We still have plenty of puppy mills, probably more than we had when they started, but we have way fewer responsible, knowledgeable breeders, because they have been driven out by ‘anti puppy mill’ laws. Another aspect of this is that the AR proponents perceive ANYONE who breeds even a single litter to be a puppy mill. I think this is beginning to dawn on at least some of the pet breeders who have been helpfully pointing the finger at their colleagues, in the spirit of ‘not me, take him!’, but it’s becoming clear that this doesn’t work. It won’t work for farmers, either. If you keep animals for food, whether for meat, milk, eggs or even wool or honey, you are a ‘factory farm’ in the eyes of animal rightists.
There is no animal husbandry so benign as to satisfy them. Animal ownership = animal abuse in their books.
So … also: beware the effect of unforseen consequences! Until our rights to keep, breed and eat animals and animal products are secured, we may have to tolerate those Mega producers a little longer.
I don’t like it either, but the way to go after them is to actively support small producers whenever possible. And yes, I do.
Forgive me little black dogs, for my grammar. I was so excited I got a deer this week. Was cutting it up wanted to reply. My fingers had some blood on them and slipped on the keyboard. I was thinking more of having a deer steak on the grill. I will try to watch so you don’t have to remind me. I am poorly breed farmer. Not as refined as YOU. Remember your the one that said, all farmers was poorly breed just like the dogs they raise.
http://www.truthabouttrade.org:
The Center for Food Integrity reports consumers are twice as likely to believe the Humane Society of the United States and PETA over farm organizations on issues relating to the well-being of animals. After the activist groups, veterinarians, USDA and university experts were next ….
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Well at least Butch uses his real name littlebalckdogs, why don’t you? I’m a proud animal owner. I don’t have a problem with people being Vegan or Vegitarian, I have a problem with those that want to force their lifestyle on me. I did some digging LBD, guess what I found from early this year…
“Terry Ward 07/31/2010 @ 12:33 pm
So here come the PR and Lobbyist henchmen and other assorted knuckleheads to spread fearful and inconceivably ridiculous rumors that any support of the goals of the Humane Society or any other dreaded ‘animal rights activist’ leads directly to enforced National Vegetarianism!
Purina and Monsanto and Tyson and McDonnell’s and Con-Agra and all the other multinational giants of the food industry and OUR WAY OF LIFE and OUR FREEDOMS to be driven out of town by the mighty Wayne Pacelle!!!”
versus your post at the top of this page….
” littleblackdogs says:
October 15, 2010 at 1:47 pm Ms. Christian, can you possibly believe that Wayne Pacelle & friends have the power to force all americans to become vegetarians?
Can you possibly believe that Purina and Monsanto and Tyson’s and McDonald’s and Con-Agra and Walmart and Kraft and all the other MULTINATIONAL MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR GIANTS of the food/feed/Ag industry will ALLOW themselves to be driven out of business?”
We’ll let the readers decide because we don’t want anyone thinking that I could possibly draw a logical conclusion (assumed as some would call it) from pieces of information based in different areas/sources.
WHA?
HSUS donations are hard at work in Columbus, Ohio. They seek to buy shares in restuarants so they can control the menu. Columbus Biz Jounal has the story…
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/09/27/daily32.html
http://www.truthabouttrade.org
‘The Center for Food Integrity reports consumers are twice as likely to believe the Humane Society of the United States and PETA over farm organizations on issues relating to the well-being of animals. After the activist groups, veterinarians, USDA and university experts were next in the rankings. Large-scale livestock farmers were at the bottom of the list in animal welfare credibility’
DUH..
I think it’s great that there will be other options other than factory farmed meat on the menus. It will draw ALOT more business for sure.
What does buying stock of a company have to do with Lobbying? Nothing.
This really has gotten off track.
HSUS buys stock in food service companies so they can influence them to abandon Big Ag products.
So far, so good. Most people think factory farms are a bad thing for the animals and the environment.
This makes it harder for people to believe HSUS isn’t working for the animals, so they get continued support from those who might otherwise object to their agenda.
It seems very unlikely that they will ever stand up and say ‘every body has to be vegan, no pets, no milk or eggs, no wool or leather’. No one would support that kind of program and they know it. So they lie and mislead. You don’t doubt that other politicians lie, why do you believe in the integrity of HSUS, Wayne Pacelle, or any other AR organization?
On hunting, Pacelle has said: “We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States … We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state.”
— Full Cry magazine, Oct 1990
A lot of people are against hunting, and he could sort of afford to say this where he would be seen and quoted. He is a lot cagier about the things 98% of the population support – diet and pets.
What you should look at is what he is doing about pets and agricultural livestock, because he is doing there exactly what he has said he will do about hunting. He’s getting it regulated out of your lives. With your help, because he claims he’s preventing animal abuse. Consider that if any law could prevent anything, we’d have wiped out murcer, rape, theft, embezzlement and speeding a very long time ago.
They don’t have to outlaw anything, or get a law through to force anyone to do anything in particular. All they have to do is make it impractical for anyone to do the things they are against.
Unless you support their entire agenda, please stop helping them.
For those of you that have not seen it, F&D printed a statement from Gov. Strickland back in February as follows:
No deal. “If we want to eat, and if we want access to affordable and inexpensive food, it is important for the agricultural community within our state not to be hamstrung and to have their hands tied behind their back by those who do not fully appreciate the value of what happens on our farms,” said Strickland.
Instead of allowing HSUS to tie our hands, he did it for us. Thanks Ted. We’ll remember that on Nov 2nd.
I wonder why the Ohio Farm Bureau hasn’t told us how they want to Governor??? Is it because they made the wrong chose in June 2010, When they sold out the animal owners in Ohio?? Does the ag leaders, forget how they work for?? I find it hard to believe they haven’t said how would make a good Governor. Maybe because they are not done selling out the animal owners of Ohio. Lets see Strickland said he was for farming in Ohio Jack Fisher said he stood for farming in Ohio Both sold out farmers. Do we want a Governor and ag leaders that sell out the food producers in this state?? I was told to pay my dues to the OFBF, they would look out for me. AS i see it they would and have sold me out. To Out of state animal rights groups. I better save my money. For the higher cost of food in the state when TED, Wayne, Brent, and Jack are done. Meat and Eggs will be so High no one can afford t buy them. Lord knows the older people in the state, will not be able to. Ted Strickland is just one more puppet for Obama
I recently received my newest “American Hunter” magazine and the NRA gives Stickland an “A” for his support of the 2nd Amendment. Strickland doesn’t support the farmers as we all know, so I thought I would take a look at the Farm & Diary to see if they had a similiar report card for the candidates. Unfortunately, I dont see any.. What to do? Who to support? None of them?
Farm and Dairy does not grade candidates, nor provide endorsements.
I can understand that but I sure wish we could find better information regarding the candidates and what they represent and /or don’t represent.
Thanks
Tina,
You can read both candidates’ responses to specific questions about Ohio agriculture in the Election Guide found here: http://www.ohioagriculturevotes.com/election-2010/2010-election-guide/
Perfect! Thanks Seth!
If you want a candidate for the U.S. Senate that will really represent and actually be able to help the people of Ohio, and not the “special interests” look at Michael Pryce. He’s an Independent, a conservative, a small business owner, and he has a plan for health care, not just party rhetoric and pretty words that mean nothing. Check out the issues tab on his website – I think you’ll be impressed.
Go For It Granny Take your cane and Knock some sense in to the them animal rights nuts Just because we use a walker don’t mean we can’t VOTE I will VOTE AND I HOPE ONE MAN LOOSES HIS JOB I have voted every year I am 73 I will make it this year to save the ANIMAL FROM THE ANIMAL RIGHT FREAKS I may need a walker to get around but I get around I will be at the polls we all need to stop them save this state and are freedoms We need to stand up to the out of state animal rights groups and take back are state If strickland wants to sell us out in back room deals we need to move himl out of the State House
The Comments of a 73 year old woman from Hillard Ohio
Thanksgiving Day this year we still can buy a turkey for dinner. Next year will the Animal Rights Groups stop that? Will we have to eat a soy turkey roll? Will the next New Governor Stand up for Animal Owners All Animal Owners. Or will he just give in to them like Ted Strickland did. Ohio’s farmers need to look at humanwatch.org. And other web sites that look out for them. The Ohio Farm Bureau don’t have there back. If we enjoy have a dog, cat. cow, pig. turkey or a exotic pet. Please take a stand call the new man over ODA let him know he need to stand up for animal owners. Call the new Governor and let him know animal owners put him in office. Animal owners will take him out. We did Strickland we will him. Send the animal rights groups to California were they belong. Write to the IRS and ask that they remove HSUS from Nonprofit they are being looked at call your state senator, congressman and state represents. Ask them to look into their tax states. Make HSUS pay taxes like the rest of us. Make them Pay taxes so they can’t walk into a state and wipe out the animal owners
Meat prices are ‘up’ because of issues regarding grain.
Anybody EVER read an Ag. report?
Guess not…..
Too much thinking involved.
Sooooo much easier to let those reptiles at humanewatch do your thinking for you.
If, on the other hand, you might like to use your very own brain, maybe read this from one of Missouri’s
brilliant educators…
Five bucks says NOBODY will though.
http://web.missouri.edu/~ikerdj/papers/Oklahoma%20Farming%20with%20Grass%20-%20Status%20%20Trends.htm