Here is the real price of freedom for 228 years

WAR OF THE REVOLUTION 19 Aril 1775 - 20 September 1783
Participants: 250,000 :: POWs: 18,152 :: MIAs: 1,426 :: Deaths In Service: 6,824

WAR OF 1812 18 June 1812 - 24 December 1814
Participants: 286,730 :: POWs: 20,000 :: MIAs: 695 :: Deaths In Service: 2,260

MEXICAN WAR 24 April 1846 - 2 February 1848
Participants: 78,718 :: POWs: 20,000 : : MIAs: 695 :: Deaths In Service: 2,260

INDIAN WARS US Date 1815 - December1890
Participants: 106,000 :: POWs: Many, few survived :: MIAs: Many :: Deaths In Service: 1,000
Aboriginal American Date 1540 - 2004
Participants: Unknown, in the millions :: POWs-MIAs: Unknown - Aboriginal Americans are the longest held documented POWs, serving into the 20th Century in excess of 28 years :: Deaths In Service: Millions

CIVIL WAR 12 April 1861 - 26 May 1865
Union Participants: 2,213,365 :: Union POWs: 194,743 :: Union Deaths In Service: 364,511
Confederate Participants: 1,082,119 :: Confederate POWs: 214,865 :: Confederate Deaths In Service: 134,563

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 21 April 1898 - 12 August 1898
Participants: 260,000 :: POWs: 8 :: MIAs: 72 Deaths In Service: 2,446

WORLD WAR I 6 April 1917 - 11 November 1918
Participants: 4,743,826 :: POWs: 7,470 :: MIAs: 116,708 :: Deaths In Service: 116,708

WORLD WAR II 7 December 1941 - 2 September 1945
Participants: 16,353,659 :: POWs: 124,079 :: MIAs: 30,314
Deaths in Service: Disputed Numbers - All References Provided
Military:
• Info. Please: 291,557 KIA + 113,842 other causes = 405,399
• DoD: 291,557 KIA + 113,842 other = 405,399

Civilian:
• Britannica: 6,000

U.S. Merchant Marine: 8,300 mariners killed at sea, at least 1,100 died from wounds. Total killed estimated 9,300. [http://www.usmm.org/ww2.html]

• All (undifferentiated):
• Messenger: 300,000

COLD WAR 2 September 1945 - 21 August 1991
Participants: Classified :: POWs: Classified :: MIAs: 343 :: Deaths In Service: Classified :: Deaths In Service: 407,316 ERA

KOREAN WAR 25 June 1950 - 27 July 1953
Participants: 5,764,143 :: POWs: 7,140 :: MIAs: 8,177 :: Deaths In Service: 36,940

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR (Vietnam)08 July 1959 - 27 January 1973
Active Duty: 9,087,000 :: In-Country: 2,594,000 :: POWs: 2,583 :: MIAs: 3000-6000 :: Deaths In Service: 58,486

USS PUEBLO 23 January 1968 - 23 December 1968
Incident Personnel: 82 :: POWs: 82 :: POW Deaths In Incident: 1

GRENADA 25 October 1983 - 2 November 1983
Participants: 2,700 :: POWs: Unknown :: MIAs: 4 :: Deaths In Service: 20

USS STARK 17 May 1987
Participants: Unknown :: MIAs: 1 :: Deaths In Service: 36

PERSIAN GULF WAR 16 January 1991 - 27 February 1991
Participants: 650,000 :: POWs - MIAs: 52 :: Deaths In Service: 255

SOMALIA 02 December 1992 - 15 September 1994
Participants: Classified :: POWs: 6 :: MIAs: 2 :: Deaths In Service: 44
Operation Iraqi Freedom - as of 26 AUG 07
OFFICIALLY US MISSING in IRAQ - 13
2 Military -
11 Civilians

Additionally, 4 Civilian Contractors working for a private security firm were abducted when their convoy was attacked late Fall 2006.

KIA and Non-Combat Deaths 3,722 Identified
Civilian Contractor Casualties - 900+


Operation Enduring Freedom - as of 26 AUG 07
MIA/DUSTWUN - 0
KIA and Non-Combat Deaths 424 Identified

Persian Gulf War 1991: 3 Officially Unaccounted-For,
12 Unofficially Unaccounted-For
Other personnel also remain unaccounted-for in Iraq, 9 of 14 crewmembers of the Spirit '03 loss incident. As well as the A-6 loss with Barry Cook and Robert Dwyer who was lost with his F/A 18. At the conclusion of the Persian Gulf War 1991, all were classified as KIA/BNR. Michael Scott Speicher's status was later upgraded twice... to MIA in 2001 and to Missing/Captured in 2002.

President Bush has even stated that more than just Speicher remain unaccounted-for from the first war with Iraq. His remarks last National POW-MIA Recognition Day - "Nearly 60 years after the end of World War II, the fate of more than 78,000 Americans who fought in that conflict remains unknown. More than 8,100 from the Korean War are missing, more than 120 from the Cold War, more than 1,900 from the Vietnam War, and three from the Gulf War. These Americans, who dedicated their lives to preserving and protecting our freedoms, will never be forgotten."

COLOMBIA: 3 Hostages/POWs
Thomas Howes
Marc Gonsalves
Keith Stansell
DOI : 12-13 February, 2003
MIA
SouthEast Asia: 1,773
Korea: 8,100
Cold War: 123
World War II: 78,773
World War I: 4,452

An acceptable level of death

As I write this it was just announced that Porter Wagner, Country Music Hall of Famer, has died of lung cancer. He died of lung cancer but he was 80 years old. If he enjoyed smoking and lived to be 80 while doing so, I think he must have no complaints. Meanwhile, it was also reported that 3 year old Sebastian Ferrero died Oct. 10 at Shands at the University of Florida Medical Center in Gainesville, two days after a routine test was supposed to help doctors determine why the boy's growth was below average. He was given a drug overdose at 100 times what he should have received. Is this an acceptable death? Not to me.

Let me first remind you that I think it is vital that we continue to fund research and get early diagnosis for all types of cancer. But I also think that, for the most part, we have overlooked the true cause of cancer, living longer. Certainly there are exceptions as both my mother and my sister contracted breast cancer before they reached 35 years of age. I believe the prevalence of cancer is a factor of life span. Recent Mayo Clinic data reveals that some colon cancer is detected in 40 year olds but primarily the disease is found during or after the mid 60’s. Only 17 % of the cancer found in people under the age of 50 is colon cancer.

I am writing this with the understanding that the World Cancer Research Fund is prepared to publish its 2007 report on “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer.” This is an update to its 1997 report and will evaluate some 5,000 to 10,000 new studies on cancer completed over the past 10 years. It may turn out that most interesting component of this study is not which research was included but rather which was omitted. Left out was a Harvard pooling study considered to be the biggest study ever conducted on the association between red meat and cancer. Many of the other pooling studies were published with fewer subjects. Is it possible that results of this study were not included because they found no association or only a statistically insignificant association between red meat consumption and cancer?

We are now beginning to study water and its direct effect of cancer. Every person who has ever contracted cancer drinks water. Let’s take a quick look at recent news reports on other cancer causing agents.

CBS News published a story in December 2005 citing a study, which found a statistical link between the incidence of breast cancer in young women and the use of antiperspirants combined with frequent underarm shaving. "I personally feel there is a very strong correlation between the underarm hygiene habits and breast cancer," said immunologist Dr. Kris McGrath, the author of the study.

However, a woman's risk for breast cancer is associated with lifetime exposure to estrogen.

Lead in lipstick: Red alert or false alarm?

Body Spray Causes Cancer

Perhaps unexpectedly, the risk of developing cervical cancer was twice as high for those who had treatment between 1991-2000 compared with those who had treatment between 1958-70.

Do sweeteners really cause cancer?

Should teen use of tanning beds be regulated by the state?

No one can argue that cancer is touching the lives of every single person in this country and apparently around the world. It is also unarguable that cancer comes from a combination of factors that we still don’t totally understand. Obesity is without a doubt at the top of list but that would put the responsibility on us personally and that is not something we are happy with. We must find lower hanging fruit, something or someone else to blame for cancer. There is not one silver bullet in the prevention of cancer but we each make choices daily that can reduce or increase our risk. Avoiding the sun is unhealthy; overexposure is deadly. You decide what is proper.

The accepted level of death should be the real question we are asking. Right behind heart disease and cancer, medical error is ranked as the third leading cause of death. I value every human life. I recognize that accidents happen but I truly fail to understand why, as a society, we seem to accept the death as a result of medical error more easily than cancer. If you read a recent report in Medical News Today, it says that Medical errors remain a leading cause of death and injury at hospitals nationwide. The study finds that about 1.24 million patient safety incidents occurred between 2002 and 2004, compared with 1.14 million between 2000 and 2002, at a cost of $9.3 billion.

Let’s look at the big picture. We have doubled the life expectancy of a human being in the past 100 years. We have more people than ever recovering from cancers of all types. If we continue to fund research to assist in finding more means of early detection, there is no doubt that what might actually be accomplished is winning the war on cancer. But by all means don’t forget that on the way to the doctor to get a clean bill of health, your risk of death in a motor vehicle accident is 16 in 100,000 annually. But that is also an acceptable death rate in our society.

Printed in Oct 22, 2007 version of Feedstuffs

The school of Hard Knocks

I have said it before but I have never said it louder, the true danger of the urbanization of America has nothing to do with the paving of prime farmland with concrete but everything to do with the urbanization of our nation’s thinking. You and I have voiced our frustration about the kid who doesn’t understand where his milk comes from but after you read this, I think you will have a much better understanding of how deep the disconnect truly runs.

I was recently contacted about an abuse of justice in the state of Michigan. While investigating the original incident, I have since learned about two cases in Michigan that started in a similar manner. The first one involves the Mills family in the thumb of Michigan. One day in March of 2007 during an illegal search of the Mills family farm, a dead horse was found. In what was recorded as a bad weather winter in Michigan, the family was waiting for the ground to thaw in order to bury the horse. In case you don’t know, it is virtually impossible to get a rendering truck to pick up a dead horse so waiting was the only real option.

Based on the discovery of the dead horse, felony animal abuse charges were filed against the entire family and the oldest daughter lost her crown as county 4-H queen. I need to emphasize that she lost her title as queen based on alleged charges of animal abuse. During the course of the summer, all felony animal abuse charges were dropped, primarily because the judge in the case happened to raise sheep and the arguments she heard made absolute sense as to the normal care of livestock on a farm in this country. Unfortunately, because of the publicity of the event at the time of arrest, the Mills family still feels the glare of community members that consider them to be animal abusers despite the outcome of the trial.

The second case is still in the court system and at this point the two individuals involved have not been so lucky as to find anyone in the judicial system that understands livestock agriculture. Matt Mercier and Jim Henderson have built a herd of racing horses. Not in the sense of a race track but rather horses that compete in barrel races. In March of this year the two men reportedly had 69 horses on the farm they lease near Grass Lake in Jackson County, Michigan.

I traveled to Michigan several weeks ago for a speaking engagement but I had intentions of going to Grass Lake to research this case myself. Upon arriving in Michigan, I casually polled people about the Grass Lake case. Everybody I asked had heard about it and they all (I am talking about ag folks now) indicated that the situation sounded awful. Come to find out, even though the criminal trial is scheduled for court on Dec. 3, 2007, the court of public opinion has already convicted these guys. I, however, from first hand experience and information I gathered about the situation, found these two guys to be poor managers but far from animal abusers.

You can find statements like the following in the press since the March 2007 impounding of the horse farm. The director of Jackson County Animal Control (JCAC) Kim Luce stated, "The survival rate right now is pretty good. There's still exceptions when we start treating such as worming them can cause adverse reactions."
Luce told the first horse rescuer, Bradley Chaltry, and the press that the horses had not been fed or watered for six months. Chaltry, who owns Ponies are Us and Ratcliff Animal Rescue Services, made the following testimony in court:

“Yeah, ain’t been fed and watered for six months. At that point I was wanting to breed my horses to it because you got a great horse if you don’t have to feed and water it for six months and it’s still alive. I mean, pardon me for that, but…”

At that point, Chaltry was interrupted by the prosecutor. He also said, still under oath, that after being called to come and assist with these allegedly severely starving horses, “We were wondering kind of as to why we were there.”

Chaltry indicated that 90% of the horses were in ideal condition and only 4 were thin, due to normal winter conditions combined with age factors, a couple of worming issues and one injury. Dr. Bob Shray, a large animal veterinarian of 28 years, testified that nothing was occurring on this farm other than normal animal husbandry and a lack of picking up junk at the farm. Shray reminded the court that any time you have a living animal, there is a chance that they could die. Despite the testimony of an industry professional, the court felt that it knows better how animals should be cared for than to take the word of a trained animal care specialist. If a veterinarian isn’t able to determine the well-being of a horse, how can someone who has no training or experience in the field? Yet these folks are calling the shots that affect the future of food production in this country!

First off, the Jackson County Animal Control did not like the report either of these professionals gave to the court so they replaced both of them. In fact, they found a replacement Animal Rescue organization that viewed the negative press as a potential revenue harvest of human emotions and stepped in. Laura Steenrod of Leelanau Horse Rescue stepped in and took over management of the horses. Incidentally, her operation is 200 miles away from the farm. But even admitted her intentions to the press in saying, “I've probably tried to field over 100 phone calls in the last 24 hours. People willing to donate anything from farmers with large quantities of hay willing to bring us large quantities of hay. However the primary concern at this time is monetary donations.”
I see this as the most serious case of legal abuse I have ever personally witnessed. Two individuals have more horses (69) than anybody in this snooty community think can be given personal attention. The judge, in a civil judgment, indicated that all horses should have a stall and maybe even the used blankets, as opposed to new ones, contributed to mistreatment. Based on this civil judgment hearing, the judge gave the Jackson County Animal Control authority to seize all equipment including $15,000 worth of horse tack plus pickups and trailers from the farm. What role does this equipment play in an animal abuse case and why is it able to be offered up as sacrifice in this case?
There is a sign at the front gate of the farm today that reads “No Trespassing; Visitors by appointment only by calling Leelanau Horse Rescue or send you donations directly to their address.” I called Ms. Laura and tried to schedule an appointment and she told me she had turned custody back over to JCAC three months ago. When I asked her why her sign is still up asking for donations she told me she needed to get that down. I inquired as to whether donations were still coming in and she said, “Well, yes, some of them take a while to trickle in”. Of course the fundraising in the name of animal welfare never seems to end.
The bottom line to this saga is this, two individuals are facing prison time because they were treating horses like horses instead of the family dog. Most of the facts I have gathered have come from local cattlemen who understand that what is happening to these two guys could happen to any one of us. Where is the uproar by the local livestock owners? Where is the Michigan Department of Agriculture? Oh, wait. They have been notified only to say that they have no control over local animal control officials. Urbanization is coming to your area sooner than you think. Wouldn’t you rather fight it somewhere other than your own soil? Matt and Jim understand that thanks to the oldest school known to mankind, the school of hard knocks.

Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com.

Dear Mr. Schroeder,

While the University is making key cuts to personnel that are not moving their programs in the right direction, we feel strongly that you need to consider terminating the IANR reign of Vice Chancellor John Owens. Mr. Owens has proven through his faculty cuts, budget restrictions and the removal of key personnel that he is not working toward an agricultural university that is in line with the needs and wishes of the many livestock producers in the state of Nebraska. His reassignment of Animal Science Dept. Head Don Beermann to a position in which he will have little if any opportunity to continue the good work that he started by increasing enrollment and morale in the department should have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Following the publication of an article about the department in Feedstuffs magazine (link here)Trent received MANY e-mails and telephone calls from people stating their support for what he had written about Owens and the IANR. These messages came from alumni, current and past faculty and industry leaders in the state. The only comment that contradicted his article was from interim department head Sheila Sheideler. How ironic?

Owens appears to be trying to force the department away from production agriculture toward companion animals. The tax base of this "great livestock state" (to quote former professor Keith E Gilster) is dependent upon a strong university research, extension and teaching program that is focused on key farm animals - beef, sheep, swine and horses. While expanding the department to include companion animals certainly addresses the growing need for research and training in this area, we can't forget what brought us to where we are today and what puts food on the table for all. There is a long history of faculty that have retired or changed positions and these positions have not been re-advertised or filled again because of the decisions of Mr. Owens. We can ill afford to let even more of our good Nebraska kids go to K-State, Iowa State or any other land grant institution because we lose the faculty needed to make our program a great one.

As an alum of UNL, a graduate of the University of Kentucky and a former employee of the University of Missouri, I can tell you first-hand how our program stacks up to many others across the country when it comes to undergraduate education in animal science. UNL is top-notch and it is thanks in great part to the work of Dr. Beermann and Dr. Aberle before him. I find it interesting that, according to the governor's task force, one in three jobs in this state are tied to agriculture. Yet when we lose a great leader in an agricultural position, the press isn't lined up to drill the Chancellor about his decision like they do when we lose an Athletic Director. The state could go on without sports (although I hope it doesn't have to) but I don't think we will last long without the ability to produce food for the world's ever-growing population.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. We would be glad to visit with you in person and look forward to the opportunity to work together for the future of agriculture in our great state.

Proud Nebraskans in Agriculture,

Kelli R. Loos (UNL 1988)
Trent Loos
PO Box 545
Loup City, NE 68853
E-mail: kelliloos@agristar.net

October 4, 2007

Findlay Dining Commons
Penn State University


Last yesterday afternoon Jenny Rassler (PA Beef Ambassador), Amy Shollenberger (Block and Bridle member), and myself packed up our beef promotional material and set up our table in the Findlay Dining Commons of East Halls, home to 4,000 underclassmen students. The dining commons was all decked out with a 'country western' style theme and the smell of BBQ ribs and chili was amazing.

Jenny, Amy, and I passed out 'BIWFD' stickers, hamburger erasers, and nurtitional information to as many students as we could. We also involved the students in a 'beef trivia' game, asking them fun facts about beef. I would estimate of the 4,000 kids in East, we probably reached about 3,000. The table tent I helped design was on all the tables across campus and a reporter for the Penn State Daily Collegian wrote up a very positive article for us. (one correction to that article: J. Rassler is our PA Beef Ambassador- the article says A. Shollenberger is) www.collegian.psu.edu

But really, I think the reporter did a wonderful job and didn't twist facts around as media reporters tend to do. (the article even made the bottom of the front page!)--Penn State is home to 43,000 students.

Some of the positive impression we made was with the beef trivia game. The one question was "how many cuts of beef are considered lean by the USDA," the two girls we asked the question to answered, "one." So-needless to say, they were shocked to hear the answer was 29. Another boy who got a kick out of the little 'BIWFD' stickers asked if he could have a couple- he had a vegetarian friend he wanted to give them to. We were also able to talk to several students about the production story and how cattle are harvested. All in all, I think the fact that we were just students too, simply promoting beef because we feel it is important and we want to help eductate other kids about why they should eat it made a big impact. Kids thought we did this for a job and got paid, so the fact that we did this on our own free will made them realize that it really is important to us.

Finally- A BIG Thanks to the PA Beef Council for providing us with the materials and to the dining commons for being so willing to work with us on this promotion.

-Chris Molinaro
Current PA Beef Ambassador

False McDonald’s rumor re-circulating

October 5, 2007

A false rumor about McDonald’s continues to circulate around via e-mail claiming that McDonald’s is refusing to buy U.S. beef, is importing beef from South America that may be unsafe, and asking recipients of the e-mail to boycott McDonald’s. NCBA recently has received a number of inquiries about this e-mail.

This rumor has been circulating in various forms for at least five years and makes the claim that the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) originated the e-mail. This is not true and TCFA has issued the following statement in regard to the rumor:

“Texas Cattle Feeders Association is not connected in any way with the email you received. The email, which has been in wide circulation in various forms for several years now, makes a false claim when it identifies Texas Cattle Feeders Association as the original source of the message. No such message has ever been put out by our organization. Unfortunately, we do not know the identity or motive of the person or persons making this improper use of our name.”

The e-mail also represents Dr. David Forrest at Texas A&M University as the email originator. This also is untrue. Dr. Forrest does not know how his name got associated with the rumor and, in regard to the e-mail, Dr. Forrest has said:

“I had nothing to do with composing this e-mail, the information it contains is false, and I do not support any of the actions called for in the e-mail.”

The phone number listed for Dr. Forrest in the e-mail is, indeed, the number for the TAMU animal science department but please do not call the number. The animal science department reports it has received a large number of calls as a result of the currently circulating rumor.

More information about the e-rumor can be found at the following links:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/mcdbeef.asp

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/f/foreignbeef.htm

The genesis of the e-rumor may have been an announcement by McDonald’s in 2002 that, due to competitive issues, it was going to pilot test imported lean trim product from Australia and New Zealand in about 400 of its U.S. stores. The major quick-service chains use imported lean trim because, while there is a surplus of 50% lean trim in the U.S., there is a shortage of 80% - 90% lean trim. Imported lean beef is blended with trimmings from U.S. fed cattle to make beef patties for the quick service restaurant chains.

McDonald’s says it is the largest purchaser of U.S. beef, buying about 1 billion pounds annually. In regard to beef from South America, only Uruguay can export fresh beef to the United States; all other South American beef must be in cooked or canned form due to Foot and Mouth Disease concerns.

The United States is the largest customer for beef from Australia, New Zealand, Central America and Uruguay and almost all of those imports are in the form of lean trim that is used in either quick service hamburgers or case-ready frozen hamburger. All plants that export beef to the United States are approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and must maintain the same (equivalent) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) standards as U.S. packing plants. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service regularly audits these facilities.

Funded by The Beef Checkoff

The crime of beating a dead horse

There is nothing like continuing to beat a dead horse, but of course, we all know that horses live forever. That is certainly how it seems when it comes to explaining the necessity of horse slaughter in this country. To bring you up to speed on this scenario, last fall the House of Representatives passed a bill that would permanently ban horse slaughter in the United States. The bill did not pass the Senate prior to the new Senate taking office but the bill was re-introduced on Jan 17, 2007. Remember, there are currently only three horse slaughter facilities in the country, two in Texas and one in Illinois.

After a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on Jan 19, 2007, the two plants in Texas must shut down. Ruling on appeal of a lower court ruling, the 5th Circuit Court ruled unanimously that a 1949 Texas law banning the harvesting of horses for the sale of meat made horse slaughter illegal in the state of Texas. A lower court had previously ruled that Federal Law pre-empted the 1949 Texas law. For 27 years, horses have been harvested in Texas. Why, all of a sudden, does the court system decide that is it illegal? Because today, everyday citizens, law makers and evidently judges as well, fail to understand our system of natural resources and the cycle of life.
The most troubling thing to me about the whole ruling lies in what one of the judges said when making the ruling. ``The lone cowboy riding his horse on a Texas trail is a cinematic icon.'' ``Not once in memory did the cowboy eat his horse, but film is an imperfect mirror.''
Now I want to share a couple of observation about this. Only one news source is printing the last line, “but film is an imperfect mirror”. Most stop with “Not once in memory did the cowboy eat his horse”. I believe that goes a long way toward reflecting the bias that most all news sources displayed in reporting the story. But even more troubling is the fact that the content of movies should in no way, shape or form play a role in a judges ruling.
History tells us that most American Indian tribes, pre-1900, had a taste for roasted horsemeat. We know that Lewis and Clark would have never completed their journey as the Corps of Discovery without the consumption of horsemeat. Members of the Donner Party, stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the winter of 1846-47, ate their horses to survive, as did citizens of Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Union army's siege of the city during the Civil War. And it was horsemeat that American soldiers consumed for nourishment in the European trenches during World War I. I suppose for the court system to know any of that, Disney will need to make a movie where people eat horsemeat.

Only a society so disconnected from the purpose of life would begin to make laws against the consumption of natural resources at the same time as people are living with hunger on a daily basis. Last fall the USDA indicated the highest number of food insecure households in the history of our country but well-fed attorneys and judges could care less about that, because they have access to all the food they want. In fact, I guarantee you that the food wasted by these socially elite at their fancy dinner parties could feed a hungry family of five for a year.

It might seem like a strange example but I think it clearly illustrates how skewed our thinking is. Your dog, “man’s best friend” is the first one to meet you in the driveway every time you come home, tail wagging and happy. A whopping 84% of all Americans now consider their dog to be their kid, which I think is totally wrong, but it shows just how close we are as humans to worshipping animals. Yet there are reports every year of pet owners who have died and go unnoticed for a couple days only to be found consumed by their own pet. Yes, a dog has better understanding of the proper use of natural resources than so many with higher IQs in our population today. The sad fact is with the current path we are on of banning horse slaughter for any purpose, soon it will easier to beat a dead horse than ever before. About 100,000 extra will be available each year. Then we will see what the real crime can be and it is certainly not converting an animal that is of no use in its current state to a useful, beneficial product that could help continue the cycle of life for pets, zoo animals and even humans around the world.

The National Institute of Health reports that only 10% of girls and 25% of boys get the calcium they need to develop strong bones and teeth and stave off osteoporosis in their later years. Ninety percent of a person’s peak bone mass for adulthood is established by the late teen years. The strength and health of an adult’s bones depend on calcium intake during the formative years. The calcium and Vitamin D in milk and dairy products are essential to the long-term bone health of people. If we allow our schools and our children to be influenced by the vegan beliefs of PETA, HSUS and other radicals, we are setting our children up for a lifetime of broken bones, false teeth, osteoporosis and other health problems.

Listen to the science. Kids need milk in their diets and they need teachers that are good role models to provide them with the actual facts so they can make wise choices for themselves. It is time people start being held accountable for the choices they make and this would be a good place to start! If you want to jeopardize your own health, that is your choice but don’t ask the taxpayers to foot the bill for your health problems and don’t insist that our children follow your misguided, ill-informed example of leadership.

Mr. Warwak has NOT taken the children’s best interest into account in his actions and therefore he should move on from the Fox River Middle School. The school board should have the backbone to do what is right for the students of this school. Our future does depend upon the decisions we make today - I urge you to make them wisely.

Kelli R. Loos, rancher and mother of 3 milk drinkers
Loup City, NE 68853

In Fox River Grove Middle School last week, Dave Warwak, 44, was kicked out of class because he was teaching students about his vegan lifestyle. The dispute between Warwak and school officials stemmed from concerns Warwak had with lunchroom posters promoting the health benefits of drinking milk.

Warwak, an art teacher in the northwestern Illinois suburan school, said he distributed copies of the book "The Food Revolution," which promotes the health benefits of veganism, to several eighth-graders and provided excerpts to school officials.

In reaction to the dismissal of Warwak, animal rights groups have come to the defense of Warwak. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent school principal Tim Mahaffy a letter Friday criticizing the decision to dismiss Warwak.

"In this case, the school was pushing commercial milk advertising on kids," said Bruce Friedrich, a vice president of outreach efforts for PETA. "The school was stamping its vote of support on a product that promotes cruelty to animals and harms children."

In the letter, Friedrich offers the school district care packages that include a vegetarian starter kit, a book on veganism and a DVD expose on factory farming.

Here are news articles involving this situation:

Vegan teacher dismissed by Fox River Grove school

Vegan teacher finding lots of support

Here’s what I have to say:
Game on. The media sluts have once again found a way to make front page headlines. The real question here is whether we - as milk, meat and egg producers - are going to reach out to the school or sit back and say, there PETA goes again. A wave of opportunity has just come a shore.