From: linan@argon.berkeley.edu (Mike Linan)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.animals
Subject: Hunter's legitimate concern
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:54:15 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: argon.berkeley.edu


Subject: Re: Hunters legitimate concern

In article <BrtqoE.834@wpg.com> russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence) writes:
>From article <9v-mmjk@dixie.com>, by refrig@dixie.com (Todd Hedenstrom):
>th> I invite you to call Ducks Unlimited, and ask them for last year's financial
>th> report.  So far, Ducks has raised over 600 MILLION dollars of which over 
>th> 85% has gone to habitat protection and restoration.  How much money has
>th> PETA put into the environment?

>In article <BrKKBn.7LG@wpg.com> russ@wpg.com (Russell Lawrence) writes:
>rl> I didn't realize that Ducks Unlimited was an organization whose credits
>rl> belong to hunters and hunters alone.   If that's the case, I'll make a 
>rl> note to throw future solicitations from them in the trash can.

>From article <14kc6aINNco3@agate.berkeley.edu>, by linan@argon.berkeley.edu (Mike Linan):
>ml> Do you feel this is an appropriate move?  Are you willing to stop 
>ml> donating to an organization that does much good just because it's 
>ml> members are mostly hunters?  Sounds to me like your political 
>ml> agenda means more to you than the welfare of the wildlife 
>ml> Russell.  

>Is Ducks Unlimited the only organization that's concerned about 
>the welfare of wildlife?  If not, why would any reasonable person 
>assume that my willingness to discontinue donations to Ducks 
>Unlimited represents a lack of concern for wildlife?  

>Is Ducks Unlimited an organization whose credits belong to hunters
>and hunters alone?  Or, is it an organization whose credits also
>belong to AR advocates like myself?   Do you think Todd was mistaken
>when he intimated that Ducks Unlimited was a testimonial to persons
>like himself, as opposed to persons like me?


But apparantly you represent yourself as a person like Todd in at least one
aspect.  That being that you both claim to be legitimately concerned for the
welfare of wildlife.  I was under the impression that that is what DU is all
about.  Apparantly you feel they are a hunting club.  My understanding is 
that they are a conservation group that are dedicated to the enhancement of
wildlife.  Isn't that what you want?  Or is it simply intolerable for you to
be associated with hunters in doing good deeds for wildlife?


>rl> Would you please list any other environmental organizations that 
>rl> you consider to be dedicated to the glory of hunters rather than 
>rl> to environmental and animal concerns.  I wouldn't want anyone to 
>rl> misconstrue my donations as an endorsement of hunting.  

>ml> Couldn't have that now could we Russell.  Even if your donations 
>ml> are doing a world of good right along with the millions of 
>ml> hunters.  It's seems it's much more important to you to make sure 
>ml> you are not affiliated with hunters than it is to actually help 
>ml> wildlife.  Even if it were for the common good of wildlife.  

>Todd intimated that he had attended a Ducks Unlimited banquet where
>shotguns were raffled-off to hunters.   Do you think that banquets
>and shotgun raffles are a good way to spend money in support of
>wildlife?


Seems to me that by raffling off guns as well as other items DU is making
money, which is used to benefit wildlife.  Doesn't sound so atrocious to me.


>Russell Lawrence, WP Group, New Orleans (504) 443-5000


Mike Linan