If you haven't heard, both HSUS and PETA are emotion-driven organizations with the goal to have animals as equals to humans. Fans flocking to Green Bay will see a billboard placed by one of their front groups, PCRM, on Highway 41 for the October 2 Packers versus Broncos game. Click here to see article.Call this one a win for the bad guys. The marketing department at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is placing a sign that says, "Cheese Can Sack Your Health. Fat. Cholesterol. Sodium," with a picture of the grim reaper wearing a cheesehead.
The good news out of the event is that one of Wisconsin's most famous manufacturers - Foamation, the maker of those big triangular cheeseheads - has threatened a lawsuit. Of course, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), the state's check-off organization, isn't too pleased either.
Like a political campaign, there is not much you can do to fight negative press. Cheese does, in fact, have fat, cholesterol, and sodium, so nothing is "untrue" on the billboard. But, as the WMMB notes, cheese and all other foods should be eaten in moderation.
How do we fight back?
Fighting fire with fire probably isn't the best option in this case, but one group does it extremely well. If you haven't checked out the website HumaneWatch.org, we covered it here in previous blogs (launched in 2010, out of infancy just a month later, and well refined after its first birthday).
HumaneWatch is funded by the Center for Consumer Freedom and individual donations. They specifically target the HSUS, as it gives less than 1 percent of its budget to animal shelters. HumaneWatch has fought back with its own billboard in Times Square, as well as the very well-run website full of documents and information. Give it a look. They have promised to shut down the organization if HSUS gives just 50 percent of its revenue to pet shelters.
Our advice would be to spread the word about HumaneWatch. By following it on Facebook, you can share their latest information with your own nonagriculture friends to get the word out about HSUS. According to a recent national poll, 71 percent of Americans believe that HSUS is a pet shelter "umbrella" group. Education is our best weapon; use it wisely.
