Pacelle's Comments on Ag

HSUS official says public concerns drive initiatives
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 12:18 AM
by Ken Anderson

The CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) says his group is being unfairly portrayed by agricultural groups and the ag media. And Wayne Pacelle of HSUS says recent ballot initiative victories in California, Arizona and other states prove that the general public also wants better treatment of farm animals.

"And does agriculture want to continue to defend activities which regular Americans think are out of bounds and unacceptable," Pacelle says.

Pacelle also confirmed that Ohio is next on their list.

"I would say that we really hope to work with the agriculture sector to reach an accommodation," Pacelle says. "Each state has its own timeline and I can't remember when Ohio's clock starts ticking in a way where we must act. But we'll do it when we have to, and I think that's the principle in the other states as well."

Pacelle made his comments before a meeting of farm broadcasters in Washington, D.C.

(Click here to listen to the audio of Wayne Pacelle last night)

Speaking to the National Association of Farm Broadcasters last night in Washington DC, Wayne Pacelle claimed that they were pushing the social norm and agriculture needs to adapt to them to make it easier on everyone. Of course he had to throw out the size of their budget and membership in order to try scaring agriculture out of pushing back. The fallacy is that they claim each of the ballot initiatives shows regular Americans are against conventional practices. If this was true, they wouldn’t still be picking and choosing which states they are fighting their battles. Why would they start in Florida with their campaign to ban gestations stalls when there was virtually no hog industry there?