Posted on 06/05/2007 11:44:35 AM PDT by bigdcaldavis
(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.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organization that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.
I have stopped using their products.
Buy a Mac... they rock all over PCs anyway!
Macintosh is just as liberal, if not more.
yup—I don’t use Macs either.
I love my Macs—but I loathe Mr. Jobs—one of the worst of the liberals. However, so many of the other computer makers are just as bad. I think that to own a computer of any kind, you are supporting a liberal somewhere.
By God, if this also includes foxhunting, I might have to turn to bounty hunting billionaires.
General Mills made it onto my Permanent Boycott list for something they did in the late 90s. It's a little more difficult with Microsoft because my employer gives us Windows machines, but my home system is Kubuntu Linux and does all I need from it. Highly unlikely we'll be adding more Microsoft boxes.
Jobs supports the Siera Club and Waz is a Hillary worshiper.
I’ll pass on the MAC
I’ve switched to Ubuntu Feisty...and I haven’t looked back.
Yeah I noticed Microsoft hasn’t come up with any games like “Bowhunt Simulator” or “Deer Stand”. I did see a hunting game once, it was kind of fun but not great.
My wife used to do the books for the local branch of the Humane Society. They have no compunction about killing dogs and cats by the thousands.
This reminds me, I have to upgrade to Vista over the weekend.
That’s OK...I haven’t paid for a Microsoft product in years......
I've been considering upgrading from Edgy Eft, but for the fact that, well, I'm just happy with it!
I am SO sorry! 0.5 *\;-)
Maybe, maybe not.
Apple’s refused to donate money to Greenpeace to stop the Greenies’ blackmail.
Microsoft gives a lot to Greenpeace...
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