There is something going on here that has happened before, and that needs
to be called out.
When people at the upper levels of Sierra Club, both staff and volunteers,
are challenged by a Club member over an issue, they too often deal with the
challenge by the manipulative tactic of inventing something for the person
to feel guilty about. In other words, they manufacture guilt, in order to
shut up the lowly Club member who would challenge their authority.
Donna has done this, see below, when she says "Nice attempt to shift blame,
Tom."
Blame for what? I am guilty of nothing! Nothing, other than pointing out
some facts and stating a reasoned opinion.
Please, Donna apologize for your manipulative behavior, and for saying
to me to "You go To Hell."
Thanks in advance,
Tom
============================================================================
In a message dated 8/18/2011 2:27:09 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Nice attempt to shift blame, Tom. Very effective -- at making me
laugh. Maybe you'd like some help with better messaging of the hazards
of GMO's as well?
Donna
On Aug 18, 2011, at 2:01 PM, Thomas Mathews wrote:
Donna,
I just now went upstairs and found a bright red T-shirt
that I bought around 1999. On the front there is the shape of a stop
sign. Inside the stop sign in big block letters: STOP FACTORY FARMS. On the
back, the T-shirt reads "Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement."
So, ok, I will try to use animal factory instead of factory farm. But
the habit of over 35 years is hard to break.
But you really need to focus your attention on Iowa Citizens for
Community Improvement (ICCI), as well as others, regarding what you
view as an ineffective use of language.
Maybe you will post here any reply you get from ICCI?
Tom
In a message dated 8/18/2011 1:44:18 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Tom,
My basketball coach used to say, "There's no point in beating your
head on the same post over and over again."
Surely it's obvious that the "good guys" have done a surprisingly
poor job of convincing the general public that CAFOs are a public health
and environmental concern. Maybe we should stop and wonder
why?
Have you ever seen Newt Gingrich's list of words to use in
Republican-speak? Words meant to invoke gut reactions. "Farm"
is a positive word, it invokes a pastoral picture of green grass and dairy
cows and Grant Wood pictures. That's why Farm Bureau uses it.
I take it at face value that you believe "farm" and "factory farm"
have different meanings. Logically yes, but nobody is talking logic.
And we're not convincing the critical mass that there's an issue at
hand.
So, if we're talking about influencing opinions, if we're talking
about people who don't live and breathe this stuff, then we need to reach
their emotions. The right emotions. As someone who grew up on
a farm, you are asking me to hear the word "farm" and think bad things.
My head says "yes". My heart says "You Go to Hell."
So let's call these horrors "animal factories" as that is a far more
accurate visual connotation anyway. We can use emotions to our
advantage too, just as the "bad guys" do.
Donna
On Aug 18, 2011, at 12:39 PM, Thomas Mathews wrote:
Peter Singer used the term "factory farm" in his book Animal
Liberation back in the mid-1970's. I think the term was in use even
before that. It's been part of the language for a very long time
now, and it's used not by CAFO supporters and operators, but by
OPPONENTS of concentrated animal feeding operations.
"Farm" and "factory farm" indeed have two different meanings.
Yes the Farm Bureau calls CAFOs "farms," in a dishonest attempt to
make us believe they are red-barn family farms, just like in the
1950s. But the Farm Bureau never uses the term "factory farm",
because that has all the bad connotations of animal cruelty and
environmental devastation, along with the destruction of true family
farms.
I don't think therefore that the term "factory farm" is about to be
abandoned by opponents of CAFOs. Because the good guys use the
term against the bad guys.
Tom
In a message dated 8/18/2011 11:17:01 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
PS: Whoever is using the term "factory farm" needs to
stop it NOW. I grew up on a farm and the word has very special
-- and very emotional -- meaning. That's why Big Ag uses it
against us. These are animal factories for sure. Cruel and
unusual absolutely. But emotional buzz words are the mantra of
Big Ag -- and we walk right into their trap when we use "farms" in our
communications.
Donna
On Aug 18, 2011, at 11:11 AM, Donna Buell wrote:
The
national nonprofit Environmental Integrity Group has joined the Iowa
Chapter of Sierra Club and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
to begin legal action they hope will strip the Iowa Department
of Natural Resources of its power to enforce federal water quality
rules.
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