[Newspoetry] OPEN LETTER TO LAUREL PRUSSING

[Paul Kotheimer]

Dear Ms. Prussing:

Thank you for speaking at the School for Designing a Society's December
9th presentation at Allen Hall entitled "Globalization and Its
Discontents: a teach-in against the WTO."  

Speaking for myself, I'm glad to see that some members of the mainstream
Democratic Party find our views worth associating themselves with.  As a
visible candidate for office, you are in a unique position to mobilize
registered voters who would otherwise stay at home, and I urge you to
focus on that mission, for the sake of representative democracy in
Illinois and in the U. S. in general.

With that in mind, I would like to give, as a gift to you, a small speech
I've written on your main issue, factory farms.  Feel free to use it, in
whole or in part, in prepared speeches or extemporaneous comments,
anywhere in your campaign. I think it presents the issues compellingly and
in ways that people at all levels of familiarity with the issue will
understand.

Here it is:

WHY OPPOSE FACTORY FARMS?

First of all, FACTORY FARMS STINK.  They pollute the air we breathe, which
we need to survive.  They pollute the water we drink, which our kids need
to stay healthy.  And they pollute the very FOOD which they are set up to
produce!

Secondly, FACTORY FARMS SUCK.  They suck money out of local communities
and out of the pockets of family farmers who have been on the land for
generations.  And then, factory farms PUMP that money upwards and
outwards, into the coffers of big corporations and CEO's, who are already
too rich to begin with. 

Lastly, FACTORY FARMS ARE TORTURE.  If YOU had a dog or a cat or a horse,
and you treated that animal the way factory farms treat their animals, YOU
WOULD GO TO JAIL!  I say, if YOU can go to jail for mistreating an animal
in your care, WHY NOT PUT FACTORY FARM OPERATORS IN JAIL, TOO?

****

I hope you will find some use for these arguments.  Please feel free to
contact me with any comments.

Sincerely,

Paul Kotheimer
NewsPoet and participant in
the School for Designing a Soicety

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