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ACTION ALERT: ACT NOW TO SAVE BILL AND LOU!

PLEASE NOTE:

Portions of this now amended Action Alert were based on representations made to VINE by the Green Mountain College Farm Manager, who led us to believe that he was speaking for the college. We have since learned that was not true and that some of his statements did not reflect the official college position. We sincerely regret any hard feelings caused by that misunderstanding. We encourage the college community to revisit any decisions that it may have made based on inaccurate information

Specifically, we have since learned that the college asserts that (a) killing Bill and Lou would be best for them, and (b) killing Bill and Lou would be the “sustainable” thing to do, to keep them from wasting resources now that one of them is disabled. The college does intend to serve them as hamburger but does not see this as the primary motive for the slaughter.

Green Mountain College does still plan to kill Lou and Bill, and action is still needed.

Please see subsequent blog posts for details.

Green Mountain College is poised to kill two oxen named Bill and Lou who have served their college farm for ten long years. ACT NOW to prevent it!

Bill and Lou have been a working team of oxen at Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT for ten years. They were pressed into service by staff at Cerridwen Farm – the teaching farm on campus – to do everything from plowing fields to generating electricity. Over the years, they became so well loved that they’re even the profile picture for the farm’s Facebook page!

A few months ago, Lou became unable to be worked any longer. Bill won’t work with anyone else. Therefore, the college has concluded that both of them must be killed.

DEATH is their reward for 10 long years of hard work.

Yes, Green Mountain College has decided that Bill and Lou’s long lives of service should be rewarded by their slaughter – and for what? According to their own press releases, the school will get, at best, a couple of months of low-grade hamburger out of their bodies.

This is especially heartbreaking because they have an excellent home waiting for them.

VINE Sanctuary has offered to provide Bill and Lou with permanent homes. We have the ability and resources to care for them for the rest of their natural lives. Sadly, though, the college is determined to kill them instead.

Bill and Lou

Farm Manager Kenneth Mulder (with whip) working Bill and Lou

For ten years, they served the needs of those more powerful than they are.

Now it’s time to let them serve their own needs.

Please contact the folks at Green Mountain College and urge them to reconsider. It would be especially powerful for people from Vermont to contact them, and even more so for alumni to add their voices, so if you know someone from Vermont and/or Green Mountain College, please forward this notice to them as well. Feel free to use and/or modify the letter below, or write your own. Please send the letter to the following people:

Bill Throop Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs: throopw@greenmtn.edu

Kenneth Mulder Farm Manager, Research Associate & Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies: mulderk@greenmtn.edu (We no longer believe that letters to Farm Manager Mulder would be helpful.)

Dear Sir:

I am writing to urge you to allow Bill and Lou to live out the remainder of their natural lives, in peace and contentment, at VINE Sanctuary, a reputable organization which has offered to care for them.

Should you choose to reverse their death sentences, the rewards garnered by Green Mountain College will far exceed whatever paltry sum their slaughter would bring to the school.

Conversely, whatever small amount of cash would be made by killing them will be far outweighed by the negative press which will follow in the wake of their deaths. (We now know that economics is not the primary motive for the slaughter.

Bill and Lou have served your college well for ten long years. Students and faculty alike have expressed how much they care about these individuals. They deserve to be given the rest of their lives to live as they choose. Just because they are not human does not mean they do not care about their existence.

We will be watching to see what decision you make.

Sincerely,

NAME

207 comments to ACTION ALERT: ACT NOW TO SAVE BILL AND LOU!

  • Dearest Miriam: It was an absolute pleasure to speak with you this morning on the issue of Bill and Lou and vegconism topic. Vegcon pronounced Veegcon means VEGetarian CONscious. I use this in place of the vegan which has no substinent value, it is just using the first 3 and last 2 letters of vegetarian, SO What? Vegcon has meaning and value to it. We as conscionable beings must be stand vigilant on where and how the food we eat comes from, such as any flesh food which is any creature that walks,crawls,swims or flys. This is the reason Vegcon is what I refer myself as being and never,ever a vegan. Vegconism is the “Conscious Choice” it is a Way of life for the betterment for our Beloved animals, our health and environment. I urge everyone on the blogs to call Green Mountain College and urge them to spare the upcoming Murders of Bill and Lou. Now that they toiled for the school for 10 years they deserve to live out in comfort a soothing retirement home that Miriam and Vine Sanctuary are lovingly accepted to do. Boycott the school and demonstrate against this. Get signatures from friends,neighbors,etc. go to the social websites and generate support from people to support and spare the lives of these animals. Please if you Love animals then become pro active and be a true compassionate human being.
  • Wendy Marcisofsky
    shame shame shame…. has Vermont….my home state become a throw-away populace now??
  • Stacey McEwan
    Please let Lou and Bill live the rest of their lives in a safe place with lots of love! It would be terrible to kill them! Please, please consider this!

    Thank you!
    Stacey McEwan

  • sue ma
    I understand that Bill and Lou may just be working livestock but you have a chance to set an example of how animals could be treated in certain circumstances. In a world today where food is mass produced and the life given for food is not even considered. These are beautiful animals and you can repay them for their hard work by giving them a restful place to call home. As I’m sure you are aware of, the road to slaughter is traumatic and these two committed animals that represent your school don’t need to go down that road for a few pounds of burger and steaks.

    We can all use a little hope these days.

  • Ellen Garneau
    Why would you kill animals that can be saved? What is WRONG with you?????
  • exactly! if bill and lou were dogs would you kill them? if one were sick and had to be euthanized would you kill the other dog because he or she would miss their friend? OF COURSE NOT – i suggest you all look at the comments to my essay because they are very enlightening – http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/201210/green-mountain-college-slaughter-two-oxen

    this one is especially outlandish:

    The school purchased them
    Submitted by Anonymous on October 16, 2012 – 5:17pm.
    The school purchased them with the intention of having them work and then slaughtering them. GMC is teaching sustainable farming. Sustainable farming does not include sending all your retired farm animals to a sanctuary to avoid bad press from strangers.

    the college’s argument about sustainability is ill-founded and we’re talking about only 2 oxen not a herd of oxen – I thank you all for keeping the pressure on – you don’t kill friends and you don’t kill beings who you love – i’m glad they don’t love me …..

  • APASTOR
    And do as I’ve been doing if you’re on Facebook. Post on Green Mountain College’s page. Please wake them up to this atrocity! The more they hear from people, the more they can’t ignore there is something entirely faulty with their logic.

    Green Mountain College’s Facebook page:
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Mountain-College/137783307864?fref=ts

  • Someone just sent me this but many of you might already know about it:

    All are invited to this discussion,4pm in the East Room at Green Mountain College.

    “All of you with an opinion should come to the Philosophy Club talk this
    Friday at 4:00 p.m. in the East Room. Bill Troop and Steve Fesmire will
    facilitate the discussion. We are hoping for opposing views so please come
    by! This will be an environment where people can critically examine the
    views of oneself and others. Lets be real, arguments on Facebook won’t
    convince anyone of anything they don’t already believe.”

  • APASTOR
    Hi Marc, do you have a link to the page where you are quoting from? I’ll be traveling from quite a distance to attend and want to get exact information, if you have a link to share. Thank you!! Alex
  • SENTIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY – i’ve had many personal emails about bill and lou and i wish everyone good luck if you go to the meeting discussion – here are some rough notes as i’m writing about this in my new book because it is a perfect example of how objectivity muddles the lives of individual animals who care very much about what happens to them and to others — this is a matter of sentience and/vs. sustainability and the objectivity of those who support killing bill and lou blows my mind – would you kill a second dog because his/her friend is going to be ‘euthanized’ – of course not – it’s critical to keep the issues straight – this is NOT about dietary preferences – is really is NOT about sustainability – it IS about the lives of two sentient beings who deserve to live out the rest of their retirement years in peace and safety until death due them part and the survivor must then get the very best treatment he can have – there IS a simple humane alternative on the table and KILLING THEM IS EGREGIOUS AND TOTALLY UNNECESSARY –

    Those who favor killing Bill and Lou also argue there is a strong educational lesson. However, think of how much could be learned by factoring deep compassion and their close friendship with VMC and for one another into the fate of Bill and Lou for whom a special case can easily be made. Showing flexibility would be a most valuable lesson. The world isn’t linear or black-and-white. There are many ethical lessons here for those who teach humane and compassionate education.

    Cruelty can’t stand the spotlight that is why Bill and Lou, supposed friends of the college, individuals with unique stories, have touched the hearts of people around the world. Killing them is an unacceptable “thank you” for who they are and for all they have done.

  • if you go the the discussion friday, let me take the liberty if you will, of having you read about effective discussion – don’t get sucked into a yelling match and you have NOTHING to defend – be calm, polite, kind, compassionate, and FOCUSED!!! don’t get led astray by discussing irrelevant issues or by ‘objective’ schools of thought that obscure WHO BILL AND LOU REALLY AND TRULY ARE — some ideas are here:

    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/201112/rewilding-our-hearts-maintaining-hope-and-faith-in-trying-times

  • APASTOR
    Thank you and acknowledged. Hope to see you there and others in support of sparing Lou and Bill’s lives.
  • Cathy Renaudette
    Please! do the right thing and let Bill & Lou go to the Farm Santuary!!!! Do you really want to eat them after all they served 10+ years of service for you!!!!
  • GMC Sustainable Ag. Student
    We are going to eat Bill and Lou and nothing anyone does or says will stop us.

    This is what farms do.
    We serve meat in our dining hall.
    If we didn’t use our own farm animals, we would have to purchase meat from other sources, perhaps factory farms.
    What Green Mountain College is doing is sustainable farm practice.

  • APASTOR
    Just thought I’d let interested parties know that Green Mountain College on their Facebook page has stated that the forum on Friday Oct 19 at 4 pm is put on by their philosophy students and it not open to the public. They will be discussing the issues but I heard through another source that the school is not open for debate and that an official statement is circulating that the animals will be going to slaughter regardless. Whatever you post here for heart-felt wishes for these creatures, please also be sure to email to the College at the above email addresses. I can’t imagine what a PR nightmare this is for them (and rightly so).

    Sadly, if these two heroes are killed, at the least there story has sparked outrage in many and awareness in others. Every person touched is one person closer to a more sustainable future and a cruel-free environment for all living creatures. In our own way we can take one step at a time to make our immediate world a better place, even if they are just baby steps.

  • Barbara Beierl
    The news that Green Mountain College, in effect, is ensuring the death of two animals who had put their trust and faith into these “owners” is stunning! This is utter betrayal, as far as I am concerned. This decision smacks like a power play to me–a vicious attempt to do some face-saving and avoid humiliation. Their stubbornness is shocking. Since I have recently realized that fundamentally, their motivation is pecuniary, i. e., financial and not ethical, I now see fundraising as one possible strategy. Let’s buy the oxen! And if this doesn’t work, let’s launch the biggest public relations campaign against them as we can muster.

    Dr. Barbara Beierl

  • GMC Sustainable Ag. Student
    Just today we killed a number of roosters and tomorrow we will be making Rooster Soup.

    YUM!

  • Kandice Heller
    I cannot believe anyone could be so heartless. You do not have to kill every damned animal on the campus. Just because Oxen are actually edible does not mean you must slaughter them, especially when the poor animals have done nothing but work their whole lives. You will be always remembered as the school who killed and ate their pet oxen. Save them and let them retire in peace. This is VERMONT. ACT LIKE IT. We love animals here. WE are a no-kill state. You make me sick. I would never let any relative of mine be schooled at your college. I don’t want any child of mine to be an animal killer.
  • Claire
    The philosophy club forum on Friday is not open to non-GMC people, but the college could probably be persuaded to have another open discussion which includes the public and where VINE staff could speak. Please write to the president (Mr Fonteyn FonteynP@greenmtn.edu), provost (Bill Throop Throopw@greenmtn.edu), and farm staff to request this. The Assistant farm manager is Baylee Drown (she’s vegetarian) – drownb@greenmtn.edu More contact info is at http://www.greenmtn.edu/farm_food/contact-us.aspx Also request that VINE staff be allowed to address the next Board of Trustees meeting, and of course that the slaughter of Bill and Lou be postponed until open discussion has taken place.
  • Thank you Kandice and Claire – please keep the pressure on and always do it politely – killing bill and lou, even thinking about it, is a reprehensible move and always remember cruelty cannot stand the spotlight …. there must be open dialogue and the comment above by the anonymous GMC Sustainable Ag. Student about killing roosters and making rooster soup shows indeed that some people really do like killing animals – http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/201210/do-some-people-simply-kill-other-animals – this is a most perverse attitude ……..

    p. s. does anyone know what the tuition is at VMC –

  • GMC Sustainable Ag. Student
    Hi Marc and others,

    The question is not whether or not we enjoy killing animals, the answer to that question is no. I was merely pointing out that we do indeed utilize farm animals in all aspects, which would include meat production.
    Animals on a farm are not pets. They are used to create sustenance for people. We have a milk cow, we keep chickens for eggs & meat, we have pigs for meat (only), and we use oxen to till our soil.
    Yes, we may name these animals. And YES we do love this animals. We treat them with as much respect as we can muster, but we still have to make consensus decisions as a farm.
    The common misconception is that Bill and Lou are pets. They are not pets.
    These are working farm animals, livestock, who cannot plow fields any longer.

    Cerridwen Farm provides food for the school in both vegetable and meat form.
    We believe that local food is the best option and we are striving to live by our beliefs and teach students how to make responsible decisions that benefit themselves and the community.

    Vermont is historically a farming community. People it meat. We love Bill and Lou, but we also want to operate as a farm. My question is why is VINE and PETA focusing on a sustainable non-abusive agriculture educational facility, when instead the focus should remain on factory farms and farmers who literally ABUSE their livestock.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4GFObFaEs

    These are the animals you should be saving.

    I am a 27 year old student. Tuition is about $40K a year, I receive loans, grants, and scholarships. My parents are not reach and I was never “privileged.”
    I was a vegetarian for 8 years, and after moving to Vermont and attending GMC, I strive to eat only local meat that is labeled either organic or cruelty free.
    Please do not generalize students based on how much we pay in tuition. Ag. students are interested in how farms work and this is part of the program.

    Not everyone can be a vegetarian.

  • GMC Sustainable Ag. Student
    My parents are not reach and I was never “privileged.”

    Reach= Rich

    excuse my typos please.
    I have 5 minutes before my next class.

    Thanks for reading my comment if you did.
    And please consider focusing on saving the really abused animals.

  • Picket this uncompassionate heartless school,go to the social websites and tell everyone about this,call the school, to Fonteyn the president, Throop the provost, Mulderk, the farm manager. Go to the PETA website and sign the petition as well as your friends, neighbors, relatives, acquaintences, Contact Change.org and ask to circulate a petition regarding Bill and Lou. Don’t be complacent, be pro-active and take action, precious time is running out for our BELOVED animals.
  • Thanks for the responses – let me say before i head out that you can still be a farm school and NOT kill bill and lou – and this has nothing to do with being a vegetarian or a vegan or a carnivore – it has to do with the indisputable fact that bill and lou are sentient beings who served you well and they deserve to live out the rest of their lives in peace and safety – they are named individuals and in my opinion one doesn’t kill animals who they love unless it’s a case of mercy killing which this is not – even if one dies the other can still have a rich life – and as i’ve said, if bill and lou were dogs you wouldn’t be doing this – i am doing al i can to publicize this horrific and ill-founded slaughter and i do indeed respect that there are different takes on the matter … they;re reward for working for you is an unnecessary death when there is a simple humane alternative ……..
  • Taylor
    First to MM I would like to ask where did your 6 months worth of meat come from? second, why are you fighting so hard to save Bill and Lou while either killing or promoting the killing of other animals? If you are so against the killing of Bill and Lou then wouldn’t you be against the killing of others? or are they not cute enough to save? Or is this just a fad? one person decided they didn’t want to dsee Bill and Lou slaughtered and thousands of people jumped on for fun. I think you need to seriously examine your priorities as well as the priorities of everyone else protesting this slaughter. If you are going to fight for the lives of Bill and Lou then please don’t be a hypocrite by promoting the killing of un-named animals from factory farms or even animals from other small local farms who just happen to not get all over the internet because of their involvement on a college farm.

    Next, I would like to address Kandice Hellers comment “This is VERMONT. ACT LIKE IT. We love animals here. WE are a no-kill state. You make me sick.” Vermont’s largest agricultural industry is dairy farming. Where do you think all of those calves go? They don’t end up living their lives out on fields of rainbows and cupcakes. Sorry to burst your happy little bubble. Those thousands of calves either go to farms like Cerridwen farm where they are treated with respect and love as working members of a community (oxen) or they end up chained to small calf huts and force fed milk until they are legally old enough to go to a slaughter house to be sold as veal. Well honey, I am sickened by the fact that you are so misinformed, so naive, and so hell bent on ruining the reputation of a school that of course does have its flaws, like any institution, but one that has given these animals a much longer life than they would have gotten otherwise. A life filled with love and respect because if it wasn’t then they would have become dangerous to work with. If you do not love and respect an ox then they will not respect you and I know I don’t want to be at the other end of a disrespectful ox. We love these two boys and we feel that the best way to honor their lives is to put them on our plates. We will all thank them for their time with us and thank them for giving us their life, their hard earned flesh to allow us to sustain ourselves in the only way we know how. So please allow us to honor our beloved friends in peace. No one is telling you to eat the meat, no one is telling you to kill animals. Be a vegetarian, vegan, omnivor, carnivor, it doesn’t matter to us so why do our choices matter to you. How would you feel if thousands of people attacked your morals and your beliefs in this way?

  • GMC Sustainable Ag. Student
    Hi Marc, VINE, and others,
    I appreciate your point of view and your well-thought out responses. It is better for us to discuss and debate then it is for us to point fingers of shame at each other, as that is not conducive to educating both sides of a debate and growing from our personal beliefs. Demonizing a group for decisions made without proper investigation is also disrespectful of that culture and of freedom of choice.
    That being said, I would like to copy and paste a point of view that is eloquent to the view point of farmers who love their animals, written by Angela Hirst:

    There are lots of reasons to be a part time carnivore, but in my mind, there’s one reason that’s more important than all the others: suffering. Down in the dirt, vomit inducing, tear your hair out suffering.

    Millions upon millions of animals experience this level of suffering so that we can eat meat without thinking about our actions.

    If you don’t want to be responsible for this level of suffering, the choice doesn’t have to be no more meat. If factory farming were the only type of farming, then abstinence would be your only choice. But there are other types of farming. Some farmers love their animals. In fact, they love them so much they’re willing to live with the complexity of loving creatures whose deaths they will eventually be responsible for.

    It’s much easier not to farm animals with this level of respect and love, to pack them by the tens of thousands into sheds designed to look after their basic needs of food and shelter in as mechanized a way as possible. These farmers don’t have to see, feel or smell the suffering happening everyday.

    But small scale farmers that love their animals will look after their lives like they would a beloved dog’s. These animals enjoy their lives, they’re free to live them in a way that closely aligns with their ‘wild’ behaviors, except that they don’t have to fear being attacked by predators, or not being able to find enough food. And then, these same farmers will walk their animals to their (planned) deaths.

    It might sound contradictory, to love your animals and kill them, but that’s what it takes, and that’s also the sort of closeness you’re going to have with your meat, if you want to be a part time carnivore who cares about the suffering of animals. You can eat meat once a week, or only eat it at home, or only eat it out, but if you’re not asking ‘Where did this meat come from? Did it come from a small farm? Was it farmed free range? Is it organic?’ then you’re still contributing to the suffering of animals.

    Although being an ethical meat eater doesn’t come with a simple set of rules, the choice doesn’t have to be isolating. In future posts here and on The Good Soup, I’ll introduce you to the rich and at times complex life of an animal loving meat eater. I’ll take you through some of the specific issues involved in the farming of different animals, so you can make more detailed decisions about what you will and won’t eat. And I’ll show you how you can buy and prepare cruelty free meat without it costing you a fortune.

    Until then, if you’d like to learn more about what animals are put through in our factory farming obsessed world, there are some really good books written on the subject. Try out Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It’s extremely well researched and open ended. It tells you the facts, explains the ambiguities and complexities of our current food production methods, and leaves it up to you to decide where you draw the line between what you will and won’t eat.

    But if you’re a true die hard carnivore and need a bit more than intelligent words to convince you to think before you eat meat indiscriminately then take a look at Earthlings. But be prepared, it may just turn you off meat for good.

    http://parttimecarnivore.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/loving-animals-and-loving-meat-an-approach-to-ethical-eating/

  • Morgana
    IS there a towering reason why you are being so unreasonable about saving these two animals? If someone is offering them a life till the end of their days, and that someone is competent and has the appropriate resources, what the hell is wrong with that? With you? Let them LIVE. Thank you.
  • GMC Sustainable Ag. Student
    Part of majoring in a Sustainable Ag. degree is a field trip to a slaughter house and discussion on meat production and decisions on when and how to decide.

    GMC’s statements and beliefs are transparent and are no different from Sterling College, which also raises animals for meat.

    http://www.sterlingcollege.edu/kitchen.html

  • GMC Sustainable Ag. Student
    Students at the school aren’t as upset as individuals outside of the college community.

    The problem at this point is that everyone is making such a hoopla out of the Ag. Department and students consensus decision. Honestly, I think VINE and PETA, and all y’all are making such a big deal about it, that it has become upsetting for the school and the farm to try and be told what is best for OUR farm.
    It is not YOUR farm. It is OUR farm. We are a private school, not public.

    If VINE were to take a poll of the student body who respect the farms decision and those who don’t, you would be surprised to find that the students think that our decision is sustainable and acceptable.

    Pointing fingers and demonizing a group of people will never work. It will only make you upset and will not make the intended party change their minds. It will only make them angry.

    Sorry, But you are all wasting your time on GMC. We will continue to do what we believe in, which is sustainable farming (which includes sustainable meat production).

  • miriam
    This is Miriam, one of the moderators of this blog, and I am asking those in favor of the “farming” of animals to please step off this discussion. We are currently focused upon saving the lives of two individuals, Bill and Lou, and not interested upon engaging in a dialogue about happy meat or happy eggs or happy milk.

    I encourage you to find other places to air your views. This is not one of them. Should you choose to write back on a matter unrelated to Bill and Lou, or advocating for their murder, we will be forced to delete your posts.

  • Miriam the replies that are in favor of ending the lives of Bill and Lou should be deleted at once. They can keep their heartless point of views and philosophical opinions to themselves or among their selves. This blog should be those in promoting the well being and welfare of Bill and Lou at your haven sanctuary so they can comfortable live their retirement years.
  • Someone just sent me this from The Greanville Post – http://www.greanvillepost.com/2012/10/17/the-animal-file-mascot-oxen-to-be-killed-for-burger-meat/ – this is their introduction:

    The Animal File: Mascot oxen to be killed for burger meat

    Editor’s Note: We have received information of an urgent nature on the case of two animals slated for death unless public opinion is mobilized to force the current authorities to do the right thing. We ask simply this: Why is it so damn difficult to do the compassionate thing in a world awash in cruelty and systematic violence? One would think that people engaged in teaching, of all things, would welcome an opportunity like this to amend—at least in part—the savage record accumulated by the human race in its dealings with other animals and members of its own species. The information stream about this case is furnished by Marc Bekoff, a noted ecologist and Valerie Traina, a leading animal defense activist. The main point is that the decision to kill Bill and Lou is entirely unnecessary and heartbreaking because they have an excellent home waiting for them. VINE Sanctuary has offered to provide Bill and Lou with permanent homes. They have the ability and resources to care for them for the rest of their natural lives. Sadly, though, the college is determined to kill them instead. We earnestly hope that the officials at Green Mount College will choose to spare these animals their lives, even if such an act would violate their stated principles. No law or regulation must ever be implemented rigidly, and the whole process of trial and sentencing is based on the idea that laws are to be adjusted according to specific circumstances—especially when the “defendants” stand to lose their lives.—PG

  • pattrice
    We’ll be on Vermont Public Radio in the morning on Friday, October 18th between 7:30 & 8:00 a.m., and the segment may be archived on their website.

    The segment will run on NPR’s Sunday Morning this weekend.

    The reporter came out to the sanctuary and visited with us and the animals before heading over to Green Mountain College for their comments.

  • miriam
    Note: A comment from “GMC Sustainable Ag. Student” has been deleted.
  • To say that we who are thoroughly opposed to the unnecessary slaughter, some might say murder, of bill and lou, is so far off base it’s laughable – there are so many reasons it’s totally unjustified a book could be written about this and indeed the case of bill and lou will be in my new book – and of course, once again, why kill both of them when they’re not in interminable pain – and why kill both of them if only one is – IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE EACH OF THEM THE VERY BEST LIFE YOU CAN and not use impersonal arguments to kill them – your black and white views sicken me – i’ll post an essay later that’ll be appearing in newspapers because the case of bill and lou has gone international and does not at all reflect well on VMC – i’ve had some correspondence with potential students who will not be applying to VMC because of bill and lou because the way some of you – i know not all of you – are handling this situation is unacceptable to many many people who don’t want the blood of innocent animals, and in this case, two who have served you so well, on their hands …..
  • BARBBF
    To speak out against slaughter is not unreasonable or disrespectful.
  • miriam
    Hello! Miriam again.

    I would like to point out to those who feel silenced, that in effect, they already have the ear of the entire world. Almost all humans on the face of the earth believe it is acceptable to use, exploit, murder, and consume other animals, even though such activities are 100% unnecessary in terms of our survival. So, you are far from silenced, I assure you.

    Our stance is ridiculed, attacked (sometimes physically), and otherwise marginalized by everyone all over the place. Why must we give you this space too?

    Think about it. Should the NAACP post comments from white supremacists? Should the marriage equality folks print comments from heterosexist people on their blogs? I should think not and, furthermore, I would venture to guess that you would agree that they should not.

    Well, we are the same, in that we are fighting battles with a world that is so deeply human supremacist (as it is racist and heterosexist, if not more).

    This blog is not some neutral ground which was created to discuss the issue of whether or not it is ever acceptable to murder and consume other animals. This is the blog of VINE, an animal rights organization committed to ending the purely optional practices that humans cling to, of using, exploiting, murdering, and consuming animals and their products.

    This is a space which we have carved out for animal rights folks — and those sincerely interested in animal rights issues — to have dialogues concerning same.

    It is not, and never has been, a place for those who oppose animal rights to engage in dialogue with us.

    There are such places, but this is not one of them. So if you are truly and sincerely interested in engaging in dialogue with AR folks, please do find a venue which will accommodate that. They are out there, and they are valuable places, I might add, so I encourage you to seek them out. But this is not one of those places.

  • Judy Barrett
    It appears that some of the students are buying into the , thats what farming is , mentality – cows eventually get killed for food , you might be missing one aspect of farm life and a very valid point I believe – there are farmers out there who have chosen compassion for their livestock who have served them well over the years , by believing you must be cold and detached you are keeping that factory farming mentality alive . quite the opposite of progressive sustainable I think particularly when you have someone happy to take the oxen , let the lesson be one of great compassion integrated with farming ,,, something to think about…
  • It’s good to get feedback from a wide variety of people – i’ve been teaching a course on animal behavior, cognitive ethology (the study of animal minds), animal emotions, animal protection, and conservation biology for more than 12 years and today we discussed bill and lou – there are some very sharp people in this class – the upshot was that while a few thought it was okay to kill injured lou when his pain could not be controlled, not a single person thought it okay to kill bill or whoever is the sole survivor – not one! as i talk with people from all over the world and believe there is that much interest in this case as there should be, many are aghast that anyone would kill bill and lou rather than have them go to vine but once again, NOT A SINGLE PERSON THOUGHT IT PERMISSIBLE TO KILL THE SOLE SURVIVOR – while i think the whole scenario that some favor about killing both bill and lou is reprehensible, killing the survivor is simply one of the most outrageous ideas i’ve heard in ages ……
  • I meant to say that this class is taught at the Boulder County Jail …. somehow this got lost in the shuffle …

    It’s good to get feedback from a wide variety of people – i’ve been teaching a course on animal behavior, cognitive ethology (the study of animal minds), animal emotions, animal protection, and conservation biology for more than 12 years at the Boulder County Jail and today we discussed bill and lou

  • Heather Farrar
    If this happens, I think the people who made this decision should also be witness to the slaughter. I think that is only fair. People need to be accountable for the decision they make. Slaughter is not a Hollywood movie scene. It is horrific. Then I think they should tell us what the experience was like. Explain to us that they support the actions they put into motion after seeing what they can never unsee.

    This is just another example that this is a throw-away culture. It is disturbing and not right. A life is a life.

  • graciela
    Animals are younger brothers and sisters Don”t eat them don”t abuse them !!!
  • according to kevin coburn this is a balanced story – i couldn’t agree less – but his take isn’t all that surprising …

    http://www.vpr.net/audio/news/regional_news/2012/10/Spot-1019apn.mp3

  • Claire
    Judy, it looks like ALL of the GMC students who have been commenting on their Facebook page have bought into the mentality of “this is what farming is; you sentimental animal rights activists don’t live in the real world.” Since last week I have seen no dissenting voices from current students on that page, only a few alumni. It’s amazing what a poor job that college seems to be doing of teaching about true sustainability, and about being open-minded and intellectually curious, not to mention compassionate and empathetic. The factory farming mentality (non-humans as tools or objects) is alive and well at that “progressive” and “sustainable” school. James McWilliams says in this excellent response to a letter from GMC’s assistant farm manager — http://james-mcwilliams.com/?p=2408 — that “sustainable” animal agriculture people are worse than factory farm operators, since they do actually see the moral worth of animals (and know them personally), yet still kill them.
  • anitat
    What happened to the idea of sustainability in terms of allowing Lou and Bill to make further contributions by keeping the grass mowed in fallow areas, provide fertilizer, and so on? Even people and critters who are “retired” can still contribute.
  • Marya
    This very sad situation involving Bill and Lou has turned into a power play in which this farming institution refuses to back down on killing these poor, defenseless oxen because 1) the institution is so invested in proving that its “moral butchering” and “sentient animals = by-products of farming” mentality is correct; 2) the students have bought into this thinking and have closed ranks with the attitude that these oxen are “theirs” and “outsiders” have no say as to the needless deaths of these gentle creatures; and 3) pride. They intend to kick away the perfect, win-win solution to what to do with Bill and Lou, who have a loving home awaiting them. What a terrible shame. How sad that this illogical, pitiless, and bloody “solution” is the lesson that those students leaving that institution will take with them.
  • Do not kill these precious animals, send them to a santuary.
  • I blame in part the religious communities that never, ever speak about animal issues, their rights and protection as sentinent living beings. This is all predicated on the so-called infallible word of God. In that every script every utter word that came from the old testament and new testament prophets, apostles, disciples were undisputed. We are to believe that every script written by them were of divine inspiration. Let us not forget that the bible was re-edited at the council of nicene in 325 a.d. Every word that is in the text cannot be from a loving compassionate God such as: animal sacrifices, eating flesh foods, Jesus Christ fishing. The animal sacrifices were supposedly a precursor to the blood atone sacrifices of Jesus Christ or Yeshua. How could God create sentinent living beings to slaughter unmercifully with total disregard to pain,suffering,misery and death it bestows upon the thousands of paschal lambs, bulls, birds,etc. It cannot be possible this is not of God. God would not create the species and ignore their plight while others such as our household pets remain loved and cared for. This whole notion of animal sacrifices practiced by world religions is a debauchery, and has been the death sentence for all animals world-wide in all the forms: hunting,fishing,trapping,vivisection,animal experimentation,fur farms,factory farms,animal sacrifices held in other countries,bull fighting,cock fighting,dog fighting,rodeo,circuses that use animals,etc. Instead of people accepting God and Christ as they truly are they ignore the truth which is God is Love and Compassion. Can you honestly think that Jesus could murder an animal to eat of course not because he would not be the messiah and the Son of God as he claimed to be. He would not be greater than the other prophets before him. Jesus was a vegetarian, he had to be to be the greatest human being to walk the earth. Jesus could have not ordained animal sacrifices and fishing as well. This is why we have these students thinking them first animals second. These green mountain college students will never ever evolve into humane beings until the change of heart comes first before the change of mind. True change comes from the heart. To become human beings we all must become humane beings especially students at this college had. They are followers not leaders of opinion. They don’t search deep within their souls and conscious to determne what is pure and true but through what they are taught by teachers and preachers. A life lesson to all you Green Mountain Students who believe this: go re-examine yourselves and seek the truth from the heart then and only then will love,compassion,mercy,understanding for animals such as Bill and Lou will emerge. Mean while your current ways and beliefs are those of the flesh of dead animals.
  • Donna
    One of the students at GMC made a remark that it is not a public college. When Senator Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch are giving GMC grant money, where do you think that money is coming from? Didn’t the VT Dept of Public Works help finance the GMC steam turbine generator? It’s right on “your” college website. That money comes from taxpayers!! I sure as hell don’t want my tax dollars going to help a college like this that has no respect for the people that help keep them going.
    I feel it is very important to email and call Leahy and Welch to let them know that the handouts must stop.

    Has VINE looked into getting a court order to postpone the slaughter so we can get some donations together and speak with an attorney? I’m willing to help.

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