Letter to the editor

To the Editor:

By now, you’ve probably seen that there’s a determined effort by activist organizations to undermine the beef industry. Groups like Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Public Justice are attempting to change the way we do business, and they’ve banded together with groups like R-CALF and other like-minded organizations to target state beef councils and their work to promote beef.

We might disagree on policy matters within the industry, but it’s another thing entirely to target the volunteer-led state beef councils through unholy alliances with animal rights activists and others intent on driving beef producers out of business.

You read that correctly. R-CALF and like-minded groups have joined with activist organizations like Public Justice. In this case, the Public Justice/R-CALF alliance is litigating a case against the Montana Beef Council. We’ve seen this trend increase lately. It was first begun by HSUS activists who used their deep pockets to buy influence in the beef industry and gain standing to file lawsuits against the checkoff in an all-out effort to end beef promotion, and ultimately, the production of beef in the United States.

HSUS, Public Justice, R-CALF and others have been unsuccessful in the halls of Congress, and they aren’t making progress among consumers or beef producers at the ballot box, so they’re spending their time and money to perpetuate misinformation and engage in a guerilla campaign against beef and the checkoff. They know ending the checkoff eliminates the only self-help program designed and led by beef producers and they know that’s all that stands between them and more meatless diets.

We must work together to stop HSUS, Public Justice and their collaborators. We must stand together to prevent these activists from pushing cattle off the land, sliding beef off the plate and driving cattle producers off the ranch. Don’t believe everything you read. This fight is about stopping the activists from achieving those goals. And that’s all it’s about.   

I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat it again so it’s clear. HSUS does not care about beef producers or the checkoff. They care about stopping the production and consumption of meat. Every member of the beef community who collaborates with this group, for any reason, is helping them achieve that goal. They will stop at nothing to change your way of life, drive beef producers out of business and irreparably harm the social and economic fabric of rural America.

HSUS, Public Justice and their armies of urban lawyers would love nothing more than to remove beef from the plates of consumers. These activists are working to drive good cattlemen and cattlewomen out of business by promoting a meatless agenda. Visit bit.ly/2vCBzwP and bit.ly/2uDNeyb for examples. And, they’ve joined forces with some of your neighbors who have sold out and are helping them to accomplish that goal.

We need to stand together and shine a light on these alliances between R-CALF and their activist partners at Public Justice and elsewhere. These shams must be exposed for what they really are. It’s time to stand together to stop the attacks, misinformation and propaganda. It’s not in our nature to challenge our friends and neighbors, but there’s too much at stake to continue in silence.

Sincerely,

Kendal Frazier

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO