From: black@che.serum.kodak.com (Robert Black (x37236))
Subject: Re: PETA Activities Suspected of Violating FCC Act, Says PPF
Organization: Clinical Products Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 18:08:55 GMT

In article <lqfy2#+@rpi.edu> vanetten@unix.cie.rpi.edu (John S. Van Etten) writes:
>Steve Pope writes:

[...]

The evidence continues to mount that there are really two John Van Ettens.
The first one - let's call him the Good John - has recognized that animals
have some rights and actually signs petitions against unnecessary cruelty
inflicted on geese to fatten up their livers.  The Bad John comes up with
drivel like that below and in other postings which I read but lacked the 
time to answer before their disappearance from this site.


>Steve, I've read this at least six times now, and I still think you
>are somehow serious about this deluded passage.  You've got to be
>kidding me.  Like most other hunters, I long for the day when the
>media shows you AR folk for exactly what you *are*, 

Yes, the AR folks also want to be shown for exactly what they are.
However that realistic view is not synonymous with the delusion you've
set forth here.

>instead of
>painting you as a bunch of animal lovers and do-gooders.  You folk
>would rather see animals die of starvation or be torn limb-from-limb
>by predators while still alive than (God forbid) allow a hunter to
>shoot one and feed his or her family.  You folk don't give a damn that
>by trying to stop hunting you are taking away the single largest
>source of money that is spent on environment restoration (an amount
>over *one billion* dollars per year from license fees, the 11% excise
>taxes on all our equipment, etc.).  Imagine what would happen if the
>media told the American public that, rather than hug bunnies, you folk
>want to shut down Mickey D's and stop all animal experiments that
>could cure illnesses such as AIDS or cancer, 

Be sure and hold your breath while awaiting animal experiments to
deliver humans from these scourges.  :-) ...especially cancer for which
millions of animal lives have been sacrificed for over a hundred years,
during which the cancer rate has risen and during which inadequate
attention has been devoted to prevention. 

>instead of beating the
>anti-hunter drums as part of their happy little agenda to disarm the
                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>American people 

This is a gross misrepresenatation, at best, or an outright lie, at
worst.  Have your arguments against the AR positions become so weak that
you now need to resort to conjured up linkages in order to make your
case?

>(us mean-old-nasty-"assault-rifle"-toting-scum-of-
>the-Earth-Bambi-killers being a good start on their mission).  The
>media will never mention all the good that hunters do in controlling
>animal populations and helping the environment, 

What media? Walk into a typical supermarket in the area where I live and
take a glance at the magazine racks.  What do you see?  I won't keep you
in suspense here.  You see DOZENS of pro-hunting magazines.  How many AR
magazines?  If you said zero, then you're right on.  Whose view is
getting the opportunity for wider distribution?

Go into the local libraries and do likewise.  What's your guess on the
relative numbers of magazines representing the two viewpoints? If the
hunting viewpoint is not getting the degree of acceptability that you
yearn for, then maybe it's because the arguments are weak. 

[...]

Two points on other topics:

1.  Hunters have typically been staunch DU defenders.  Recently Jonathon
Esterhazy posted some info about the new DU headquarters in Canada and
this info portrayed DU in a somewhat negative light.  Since news has not
always been arriving here regularly over the past few weeks, I missed
the responses.  What was the hunting community's answer?

2.  John, you called for Texas hunters to demonstrate at the AR
convention to be held there this fall.  Good for you.  I hope they make
a showing and express their views.  You also asked for information on
any such gatherings in New York state, so that you and your conservation
buddies could make an appearance.  You seemed to imply that AR people
fear such open exchanges and want to meet secretly in some hideaway so
they can pat each other on the back and glory in their delusionary Bambi
fantasies.  Actually the opposite is true.  Generally AR people welcome
the chance to participate in civil public debates on the issues.  So I
encourage you to show up at any public event.  Just be ready to be
invited inside to defend your views. 

In fact, around Labor Day there will be, in the Hegins Pennsylvania
area, be a plethora of AR people present to demonstate against the
annual canned Hegins pigeon shoot.  There's still time for you and your
conservation friends to pack your camping gear, hop a bus, and ride to
the site of a major gathering of AR people.  Don't miss this opportunity
to engage in discourse with some prominent national AR leaders!  Don't
miss this chance to tell PETA leaders to their face what you think of
them!

---
Robert Black 
black@serum.kodak.com  - The ONLY email address that MIGHT work.
These views are not necessarily the views of my employers.