Pink, has taken on the Australian wool industry

[paul]

The pop star, Pink, has taken on the Australian wool industry and its
hideous practices of mulesing and of sending live sheep on horrendous
voyages to countries where they are slaughtered with no animal welfare
guidelines.

Perhaps not everybody is familiar with Pink. She is not new to social
causes. In her biggest hit of 2006, "Stupid Girl," with wonderful humor
and style she laments what women put themselves through to be
fashionably attractive and she sends up the dim-witted celebrity icons America
worships. The song includes lyrics such as:
"What happened to the dream of a female president?
She's dancing in the video next to 50 cent"
(In case you aren't up with pop culture, 50 cent is a rapper.)

You'll find her delightful "Stupid Girl" video on line at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vxEu5JPCBs

But you'll find an even better Pink video on the front page of the PETA
website http://www.peta.org/
(If it has been moved by the time you get this alert go to
http://tinyurl.com/yy25cf)

It includes video of mulesing, and of sheep on torturous journeys to be
slaughtered in foreign lands, and of the slaughter itself -- including
video of animals being skinned and cut up while still conscious under
kill methods that are standard in the lands to which Australia exports
the sheep that have been used for wool. Please watch it and share it
with others.

Here's what The Australian, December 21, has to say about the issue (pg
9):
The Australian (Australia)

"Pink's bum steer
Treasurer Peter Costello may not know too much about the singer Pink's
music, but he knows how to slap her down when she starts complaining
about animal cruelty in the Australian sheep industry. Pink, who famously
sang the protest song Dear Mr President, has joined the US animal
rights group People for Ethical Treatment of Animals and recommends a
boycott of Australian wool products. Pink and her friends deplore the
mulesing of sheep, which entails slashing away skin from the sheep's rear in a
bloody attempt to prevent flystrike. 'I don't know if Pink is an expert
on the sheep industry,' Costello mused yesterday, demonstrating his own
sheep knowledge with an explanation of flystrike. 'Pink is entitled to
her views,' he said, 'but at the end of the day would Australia's
farmers take advice from Pink?'''

Aussies and others can respond to that at
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/files/aus_letters.htm
The story is in every Australian paper. Those in Australia can check
out this page http://tinyurl.com/yf5u89 to find the story in their paper
and then send supportive letters to the editor. Don't hesitate to ask
me for help if you have trouble finding the correct email address for a
letter to your editor.

London's The Times, December 21, makes light of the issue (p 13) with:

"Sting has his rain forests and Bono world debt. Pink has, erm, sheep's
bottoms.
The singer has called for a global boycott of all products made with
Australian wool. The problem, she says, is 'mulesing', or cutting loose
skin off a sheep's backside to discourage flies. 'If they are merino
wool or made in Australia...leave them on the rack,' she says. But Peter
Costello, Australia's federal Treasurer, does not seem unduly bothered.
He said: 'Would Australia's farmers take advice from Pink?' Quite."

Those in the UK can respond to that at letters@thetimes.co.uk,
including their postal address and telephone number.

Or they might send a note to The Independent at
letters@independent.co.uk
The December 21 Independent brief piece read:
"The Australian government has challenged the US pop star Pink's
campaign to boycott the country's wool. Pink said the practice of 'mulesing'
or cutting flesh from lambs' rear ends without anaesthetic was
'sadistic'. Australia's Treasurer, Peter Costello, said the practice stopped
sheep dying of maggot infestations and was humane. He said: 'At the end
of the day would Australia's farmers take advice from Pink?'"

In the US, the Chicago Tribune, and the San Francisco Chronicle website
have covered the issue. The brief Chicago Tribune piece is on line at
http://tinyurl.com/yyttpf The Tribune takes letters at
http://tinyurl.com/4lsug
If you are in Illinois, please take a moment to put in a good word for
Pink and the gentle lambs.

The most comprehensive major media coverage of the campaign so far
appears to be on the San Francisco Chronicle website's "Daily Dish" blog.
It refers to the video as "harrowing" and includes the following quote
from Pink:
"If you're like most people, you already refuse to wear fur because of
the obvious cruelty involved, and, like me, you may even look for the
stylish alternatives to leather. But what about wool? Most of us have
never thought about it. Sadly, like any other industry that uses animals,
the wool trade uses methods so sadistic that it makes you consider
clearing your closet of any animal products."

At the bottom of the piece is a spot where you can post comments.
Please check it out and post a comment at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=12002
( Tiny URL http://tinyurl.com/tth6j )

Finally, Pink is taking some heat for her stance. Why not post a quick
message of support on her message board at:
http://tinyurl.com/yfgw3y

Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal
issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant
media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at
http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts
if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this
parenthesized tag line.)

[Bowwowmeow]

I'm not much of a pop fan, but I have always liked Pink's music. Now I have even more reason to like her. :)

[Oracl]

Good for Pink! :psing: :thumbsup:

Australia's Treasurer, Peter Costello, said the practice stopped sheep dying of maggot infestations and was humane.
Presumably he has never witnessed this horrendously cruel practice. :mad:

[Oracl]

Wednesday, January 17, 2007. 1:13pm (AEDT)

Pink backflip on boycott pleases wool industry

The wool industry has welcomed an admission by US singer Pink that she failed to properly research the practice of sheep mulesing before she made a video condemning the practice.

The singer caused a furore when she called for consumers to boycott Australian wool as part of a campaign by the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Pink has given a television interview saying she was misinformed about the practice.

The president of WoolProducers, Robert Peach, says he is glad Pink has backed away from her earlier comments.

"She's been totally caught out and we appreciate that she's retracted it," he said.

"But in the meantime, it has done the industry some damage.

"We as an industry have really taken this whole issue of animal welfare very seriously over a long period of time.

"It's just sad that people like Pink actually don't do the research before they make the sort of statements they do."

I wonder who put pressure on her to make her change her mind? :hbang: :mad:

[Gliondrach]

So, Peach thinks that it is an acceptable practice. Having skin and part of the tail cut off without anaesthetic is all right, eh? If he is ever held hostage by some maniac who cuts the loose skin from his testicles, he won't complain or cry out, then.

[Bowwowmeow]

That's too bad. Wool is still ethically unacceptable, even if the sheep are treated like royalty. Exploitation is exploitation, whether pain is involved or not. And wool is not necessary to human survival. :mad:

[thevegantwins]

Cherie and I had some woman in NYC at the store, Organic Avenue, trying to explain to us why the silk, Ahimsa Silk (http://www.ahimsapeacesilk.com/aboutus.html), she sells is vegan. I agreed that it seems like a better process than traditional silk but it is still not vegan. The woman was very annoying. She breezily announced how she believed in a different definition of veganism which included owning a 'vegan' store that sold honey and silk.:hbang:

[Charmagne]

I'm very disappointed in Pink as she has always been in the news as not supporting any kind of animal cruelty.

If anyone finds a way we can e-mail her let me know please?

[Gliondrach]

She has a website with a forum but you have to register to post anything.

[Charmagne]

Thanks Gliondrach - I found the link in Paul's post above. There is a video on there you can watch where she retracted part of her original statement. Seems she has a house there - her husband has a business there - and she's got a concert tour coming up with over thirty dates in Australia.

[Gliondrach]

Money talks - if that's the reason.