Thursday, May 31, 2007

Microsoft Funds the Anti-Hunting Movement

This important alert just came in by email. Please read and respond to it.

(Columbus) – Microsoft has rejected a U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance request to abandon its partnership with the nation’s leading anti-hunting organization.

Microsoft, the software giant, will make a $100,000 donation to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and is partnering with the group on a pilot program called the i’m Initiative. Through the new program, whenever a Windows Live Messenger user has a conversation using i’m, Microsoft will give a portion of the program’s advertising revenue to one of ten organizations selected by the user. The HSUS is one of the choices, and there is no limit to the amount of money that can be donated.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the nation’s leading sportsmen’s advocacy organization, has urged Microsoft to end its support of HSUS, but the company refused. According to Microsoft representative Tara Kriese, Microsoft believes the i’m Initiative is “a great way to enable people to help causes that are important to them.”

“Microsoft is going to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably more, into an organization that recently issued a manifesto that targets hunting for extinction,” said USSA President Bud Pidgeon. “If there was ever a time for sportsmen to take grassroots action, this is it.”

Sportsmen should contact Microsoft and demand that its financial support of HSUS be terminated. Contact Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft, 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: (425) 882-8080. Fax: (425) 936-7329.

The Humane Society of the United States opposes all animal use, including trapping, hunting and fishing. It was a key player in the campaigns to outlaw dove hunting in Michigan, trapping in California, and black bear hunting in Colorado. The organization has created a hit list of hunting traditions that it hopes to dismantle, including bear hunting and hunting with hounds.

“The HSUS already has a multi-million dollar budget that it invests in legislative and ballot campaigns to ban trapping and hunting,” said Pidgeon. “The partnership that it has formed with Microsoft, the maker of the Xbox, will allow the organization to make money hand over fist, and continue to fund efforts to ban outdoor sports.”

Sportsmen can make a difference in an issue like this. Companies such as Iams, General Mills, Accor Hotels, Pet Safe, Sears, and Ace Hardware ended relationships with HSUS after thousands of sportsmen levied strong protest.

In 2002, Jeep raised the ire of sportsmen when it aired a blatantly, anti-hunting commercial called the “Deer Hunter.” After a flood of sportsmen’s contacts, Jeep pulled the commercial in three days.

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6 comments:

Editor said...

are you sure? there have been thousands of fake microsft emails come through. Double check this if possible. thanks

Othmar Vohringer said...

I appreciate your concern Rex but this one is for real. I get regular updates from the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, the only real lobby we hunters have actively representing us on Capitol Hill and keeping an eye on the activities of our opponents. They are really on the ball for us hunters, trappers, fishers and other outdoor folks. The alert I posted here came from them and the link to sign the letter leads to the website of the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance where you will find a ready made up letter to Microsoft and Bill Gates, all you got to do is put your name on it and send it off.

My wife and I send a letter plus I have sent links to all my family members and friends here in Canada.

-Othmar Vohringer-

Anonymous said...

Good post. Now might be a good time to test the advice in Kristine's post from yesterday. Microsoft is a pretty big dragon to slay. (I guess the HSUS wouldn't approve of that either.)

Anonymous said...

I've seen this information in a bunch of places, so it appears the hunting community is mobilizing.

Matt's right, this is an issue that any hunter, regardless of experience or method of hunting, can get behind. I hope that everyone is doing their bit to spread the word.

Editor said...

thanks Othmar, will get on it!

Jon said...

PC people are a danger to us all. I was taking part in a live pigeon shoot and we had to hold it on private property way down in a river bottom so the "tree huggers" and Friends Of Wildlife wouldn't "picket" us.

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