Letter from Rosemary Lowe
Dear Mr. Sanders:
Shame on you for bowing down to the Hunting Industry, which slaughters millions of defenseless animals every year in the name of fun and games. I had hoped you would take a different stand on this issue, but apparently you really are no different from all the other unthinking, compromising politicians, who bend whichever way you think will get votes.
I would suggest you think about the ramifications of your decision to get in bed with the Hunting Industry–it most likely will backfire on you in the long run, as it has for other politicians who sell themselves out.
This was your opportunity to show the people (the majority of citizens do not hunt) that you are a compassionate, enlightened man, who is aware of how unjust, cruel and greedy the Hunting Industry is. Most hunting is done for Trophy—the most selfish, barbaric activity towards unarmed animals there is.
Since the majority of the populace does Not Hunt, your decision to go to the Dark Side, will leave you with a legacy of disgrace, for years to come. A vote for you is just another waste of time.
Rosemary Lowe, M.A., RN
Exposing the Big Game 
here is what I sent to “Bernie.” The fact that you support hunting, the killing of creatures that have done us no harm, diminishes your campaign. Otherwise you are a pretty good candidate, but your lack of compassion shows. I can’t support you anymore.
How can I get in contact with him?
I was going to vote for him. Now I am not and I would like to let him know this is the reason.
A couple posts back is a link to his website.
here is what I sent to “Bernie.” The fact that you support hunting, the killing of creatures that have done us no harm, diminishes your campaign. Otherwise you are a pretty good candidate, but your lack of compassion shows. I can’t support you anymore.
Great letter from Rosemary. I left a message on his site expressing my disappointment in his decision. It does show the power of the gun/hunting organizations, though. Even people who do not hunt themselves feel they must ally themselves with those groups to show support for the 2nd amendment and for the “sport.”
“Even people who do not hunt themselves feel they must ally themselves with those groups to show support for the 2nd amendment and for the “sport.””
This is what had me flabbergasted too. Et tu, Bernie? For a very small minority, why is everybody so eager to have them on their political side? Screw them.
Thanks, Ahimsa! You’re so right about the power of these hunting lobbies–lots of weapon money, which this country is so involved in.
If “we” wait until we have a candidate for a POWERFULLY IMPORTANT political office who agrees with all of our values, commitments, concerns, we’re doomed to NOT have anybody in a POWERFULLY IMPORTANT political office who can do SOMETHING good for SOME of the planet! Who in YOUR personal life do you always agree with, all the time?
Thank you, Geoff, as well, for your wonderful comments: ” How can anyone believe that all that purported love for the underprivileged and zeal for social justice is real when he turns his back on the REAL underdogs?” You are so right!
This man is just another liberal humanist, mouthing “compassion” for Homo sapiens, while ignoring all other living beings’ suffering at the hand of humans.
The issue of hunting/trapping millions of animals each year in this country is not a small issue: It encompasses harassing, stressing, wounding, slaughtering non-humans for “fun & games”–often displacing whole families, and disturbing, ruining their natural habitat, leaving behind trash, lead shot (poisonous to all species). When a politician initially presents him/her self as a “compassionate” individual, should that compassion be relegated just to humans? This same logic(ignoring the plight of slaves) was applied during slavery, and we know what terrible damage was done. Mr. Sanders, probably not the worst, has turned to the Dark Side as most astute politicians do, in order to get the most votes. This does not make it right. This kind of myopic thinking is exactly why we have the corrupt government we do.
Unless we Demand More from them, we will continue to get the least.
And in our inexhaustible gall, Americans think we can go to Africa and do the same things.
What if it’s your MOST IMPORTANT value that sums up everything a candidate should stand for? I wouldn’t waste my vote on a candidate who came out in favor of hunting, or, as Geoff pointed out, voted in favor of the hunting “heritage” act (as a popular WA Senator recently did).
Thank you Rosemary for an excellent letter! Everyone should have realized what Bernie Sanders is made of when he voted in support of the “Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act”. How can anyone believe that all that purported love for the underprivileged and zeal for social justice is real when he turns his back on the REAL underdogs?
Could not agree more!! Where is Elizabeth Warren?
The purpose of Bernie Sanders campaign is to keep liberals within the bounds of the Democratic Party, so that they will be ready to vote for Hillary Clinton as the lesser evil. If we let Bernie off the hook when it comes to animal issues, we can be sure that Hillary, who rarely takes a position on anything, will not feel any pressure to take a position on animal issues.
The reality, Vera, is that the next President of the United States will do little, if anything, for life on Earth. No third party candidate has been elected President of the US since 1860. Britain, whose political system we inherited, is at least trying to change things. Jeremy Corbyn, who was just elected as leader of the opposition Labour Party, is more radical than Bernie has ever been. And he just appointed as his shadow secretary for environment, food and rural affairs (who would be the rough equivalent of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture if Labour wins the next election) an experienced campaigner against Britain’s badger cull and fox hunting, who has served as vice-president of the League Against Cruel Sports.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-appoints-a-vegan-to-deal-with-britains-farmers-10500157.html
I’d like to vote Jim, the owner of this blog, for President. What do you say, Jim?
President of this blog, maybe.
This supposing RN has no clue as to the issues around Bernie Sanders’ position on weapons. For one, he would have a much stiffer background check than is now in process. If she got ahold of the bogus endorsement site, then there would be listed places that are not accepted supporters to Mr. Sanders. This site is being investigated by Mr. Sanders. He has never been a supporter of senseless animal slaughter. I have heard him say this on countless occasions on the Thom Heartman Show over the past year. If this person really knew Mr. Sanders, she would know this as well. As a concerned citizen on false statements of any person, I am speaking on my knowledge of Mr. Sanders iver the past 50 years of his activism on rights concerning the global economy. I can see there are many false statements and if this is all they can come up with, then that is pitiful. Bernie Sanders us the best choice to help our clountry, and get Democracy back into the hands of the people of any candidate I have seen so far. He takes no endorsements from any Super PACs. If any are truly interested in seeing the truth surrounding Bernie Sanders, they can find it, he hides nothing from anyone.
Agreed with Cynthia.And in any case,what are our choices? I personally NEVER heard Sanders to take ANY stand on trophy hunting. But I do know if someone is going to listen to the People that is going to be Bernie, most definitely NOT HILLARY and most definitely NOT TRUMP! what do you think Trump is going to do with Poaching and Trophy Hunting? With the Endangered Species Act? what do you think Clinton will do? HE MIGHT NOT BE PERFECT BUT HE IS OUR ONLY CHANCE!! DON’T YOU SEE IT? HILLARY WILL NOT WIN AGAINST TRUMP! Millennial;s are not voting for HRC! Most generation X is not voting for HRC(at least I’m not voting for her) Are you really looking for a way to strengthen animal rights and stop trophy hunting or for excuses to vote based on emotions and/or your economic believes (and those point in a direction other than Sanders) ?
The first time I ever met Bernie Sanders in person, back in 1991, I asked him a question about hunting and his answer reflected a very strong pro-hunting stance back then. He defended it on the grounds that it was a “tradition” for many Vermonters. He also stated that he was a proud meat-eater, and that therefore, he had no problems with people who killed their own meat. So therefore, this recent statement does not surprise me at all. I always knew that Sanders is no true progressive.
Thanks, that sews it up for me.
Thanks, Nancy! I’m not surprised.
But the USA WILL have a new President, no matter how we feel. AND WE HAVE TO THINK WHO WILL BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO US in a way that doesn’t backfire. HRC could not care less. She’ll be too busy waging wars, she will look indignant and remind us there are other priorities. She has to pay WS’s favor back big time. And guess what…a large number of contributors to her PAC’s are members or supporters not just of the NRA but of SCI! Wall Street executives are part of SCI.What do you think is going to be one of the easiest sacrifices she will consider she can afford? our wild-life,of course! And what do you expect from ANY republican candidate?are you seriously going to consider voting republican because Sanders does not stand against trophy hunting? REALLY?
We are still gonna get a president,no matter what. Vote the one that has proven to have a record of listening to his constituents more often and of remaining consistent with his own positions or points of view over a period of time.
Right on!
Rich Peppin
Wow! Thanks for the info!
Since there is some question about inferring Bernie’s positions from chance remarks, I looked up his position on hunting on his website. He posts a link to the following interview, where he clearly attempts to protect hunters from attempts to associate them with gang members who use guns:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/7/bernie-sanders-999-percent-of-gun-owners-obey-the-/
Bernie Sanders: ‘99.9 percent’ of gun owners obey the law
By Jessica Chasmar – The Washington Times – Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernard Sanders said Sunday that “99.9 percent” of gun owners obey the law.
“Folks [sic] who do not like guns is [sic] fine, but we have millions of people who are gun owners in this country; 99.9 percent of those people obey the law,” Mr. Sanders, a Vermont independent and self-described democratic socialist, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“I want to see real serious debate and action on guns. But it is not going to take place if we simply have extreme positions on both sides. I think I can bring us to the middle,” he added.
Mr. Sanders took on rivals who criticized him for voting for a law that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits by gun violence victims. Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton referred to the bill in New Hampshire on Saturday, saying it was the “height of irresponsibility not to talk about it,” the Washington Examiner reported.
Mr. Sanders argued Sunday that a gun manufacturer is no more responsible for a murder committed with its product than a hammer manufacturer is responsible for a murder committed with its hammer.
“We have been yelling and screaming at each other about guns for decades, with very little success,” he said. “I come from a state that has virtually no gun control. But the people of my state understand, I think, pretty clearly, that guns in Vermont are not the same thing as guns in Chicago or guns in Los Angeles.
“In our state, guns are used for hunting. In Chicago, they’re used for kids in gangs killing other kids or people shooting at police officers, shooting down innocent people,” Mr. Sanders said. “We need a sensible debate about gun control which overcomes the cultural divide that exists in this country. And I think I can play an important role in this.”
© Copyright 2015 The Washington Times
WHAT??? I didn’t know this – and have been supporting Bernie! Details, please!
This includes a link to his website: https://exposingthebiggame.wordpress.com/2015/09/12/bernie-sanders-promotes-vermonts-next-generation-of-hunters/
And there is a lot of good info in the comments to both of these posts.
There’s no excuse for supporting hunting – and I’m disappointed that Bernie Sanders has taken that position. It’s such a critical issue for me; and while many of Bernie’s issues are highly just causes, this is too important. He has lost my vote.
Please listen! He,if elected,will be much more prone to listen to us on trophy hunting issues tht somebody like HRC or worse Trump ever will! Its true,there is absolutely NO EXCUSE.And for me one of the big issues. but what are the alternatives? do you want a Pro hunting JUSTICE sitting in the bench for the next 25 years???? do yo want trump and his sons running amock and getting in bed with the NRA? WHO WILL LISTEN BETTER? who will bend to the will of the people better? Sander’s old school in many aspects. We need to keep the pressure on and we have better chances with him than with any of the their candidates! we might always have to vote for the lesser of two evils…but he is definitely the least of a gang of devils in a very long time!