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July 22, 2009
Keeping Wayne Pacelle (Somewhat) Honest
Yesterday a hot document came across our desks: proof that the President of the Humane Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle, isn't being honest about some of his activist intentions. This time, the animal rights topic in question is sport hunting. But we suspect there are other similar skeletons in Pacelle's closet?
When it comes to sugarcoating its radical views for public consumption (read: fundraising), HSUS is the undisputed animal rights champion. Camouflaging your anti-meat and anti-medical research agenda with high-minded talk about pet rescue shelters is one effective way of doing this. But drawing a distinction between your opinion and your organization's official agenda is an equally savvy approach.
Here's what Wayne Pacelle has been telling Americans about hunting, from his recent interview with AgriTalk Radio (click here for audio clip):
Adams: I want to ask a quick question about hunting. You have said, “If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment we would.”
Pacelle: I didn’t say that. I didn’t say that. From what source? Yeah, right.
Adams: This is a quote attributed to you by the Associated Press.
Pacelle: Stuff kicks around the Internet and they have been quoting stuff since the 1980s and early 1990s. I have been with the organization since 1994. There has been so much fabrication out there.
Fabrication? Here is the original Associated Press article, as published in Arizona's Kingman Daily Miner on December 30, 1991:
“[I]f we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would. Just like we would shut down all dog fighting, all cock fighting or all bull fighting.”
Whether Pacelle thinks he was misquoted by the Associated Press is one thing. But to imply that someone fabricated the quote and started circulating it online would be a stretch of the truth, to say the very least.
But it’s also worth noting that as far as Pacelle is concerned, there is no difference between sport hunters and Michael Vick. Pacelle was the National Director of the Fund for Animals back in 1991, but the two groups have since merged. And as the press release announcing that joining pointed out, the two groups “have a long history of working together.”
Pacelle and his cohorts at HSUS continue to insist that even though they don’t eat meat, they’re not out to veganize America. But we can’t help but wonder, what else is “Humane Wayne” being dishonest about?
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