Microsoft has partnered with HSUS (and other organizations) to allow users of Microsoft’s Instant Messaging Service to donate to it’s ‘partners’. This could potentially mean a nice chunk of change for HSUS (Humane Society of the United States). Microsoft does not need my permission to partner with anyone, but here is why this arrangement bugs me.
HSUS is clearly against hunting and trapping in the context of wildlife management. They are more than the cute puppy and kitten photos they lavish on the internet. Although, they have a right to disagree with me, the way they achieve their goals is quite often by misleading the public. This is why I question why Microsoft needs to partner with this group.
For example, if you visit their website (and/or read this post I wrote earlier), you will quickly find out that they are driving force behind an attempt to ban the hunting of polar bears. They would have you believe that hunting is the reason the Canadian Polar bears may or may not be declining. From the article I wrote earlier, I followed the source HSUS provided for their arguement and they do not tell you the WHOLE story. The same source (IUCN) that HSUS quotes (in their polar bear article) says that hunting is not the cause of a decline, but rather…climate change. In fact the source says that hunting when properly executed (as it has been) in a wildlife management plan has led to an INCREASE in polar bear numbers. The IUCN says,
“Polar bear populations have been well managed, and where depleted have been recovered under conservation and management programs that involve regulated subsistence and conservation hunting, den site protection, bear-human conflict prevention and education programs operating since the 1960s.
Something HSUS conveniently leaves out.
Another obvious example was an anti-trapping commercial that aired this year on FOX sports about trapping. The commercial opens with the clang of a bear trap that has been banned for several years – yet they are implying it is still used. A misleading gesture to give impact to their commercial.
For the record, I am not ‘FOR’ animal owners who abuse their animals. I also would support a hunting ban on polar bears if Science (not emotional misleading campaigns) demonstrated hunters were the cause of their decline. It just bothers me that this group is getting corporate support from Microsoft. It would be an easier pill to swallow if the same courtesy was offered to hunting, fishing, and trapping organizations.
Mr. Gates…Just so you know I am a Mac user. There is a viable alternative to your ‘products’. Chose your ‘partners’ wisely.
