| Below is the letter sent by United Poultry Concerns
to Mitchell B. Wilson, Executive Director of Kappa Sigma fraternity,
seven of whose members recently lured a goose with food and beat
her to death. They
have been charged with felony cruelty to animals and conspiracy
to commit cruelty to animals. See our Action Alert posted 3/3/03
at www.upc-online.org. Please
write a letter. Thank you.
Mitchell B. Wilson, Executive Director
Kappa Sigma International Memorial Headquarters
2443 Ivy Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Dear Mr. Wilson:
United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes
the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. We
are informed that in February seven members of the Kappa Sigma Chapter
at Davidson College in North Carolina lured a white goose with breadcrumbs,
then beat her to death with a golf club. A witness watched the men
beat this bird to death, throw her body into the trunk of a car
and drive away.
We urge you to take action showing these men and all of the men
in all of your chapters that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated
by Kappa Sigma. We urge you to take measures to prevent future episodes
of animal abuse by revoking the Davidson College chapter's charter
and adding language to the fraternity's mission statement requiring
the humane treatment of animals.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has documented two
other recent acts of deliberate cruelty to animals perpetrated by
the men of Kappa Sigma. While the fraternity cannot police every
chapter and
individual member, it can and must set standards of behavior in
writing and by example, and set penalties for infractions. And enforce
them.
Lack of leadership and standards is one reason why some people
do ugly, vicious things to those who cannot defend themselves. Your
failure to take severe disciplinary action in the two previous cases
of documented animal abuse sent a signal. It is time to send a different
signal. Gangs of your men torturing and killing a defenseless, unoffending
creature surely is not the image that Kappa Sigma wishes to project
or to defend. It is, however, the image that thousands of Internet
subscribers now have of Kappa Sigma.
I would appreciate a response from you at your earliest convenience
concerning your intentions in this matter. If I can be of assistance
to you, please call me at 757-678-7875.
Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Karen Davis, PhD
President
United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes
the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. http://www.upc-online.org
United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405-0150
757-678-7875
FAX: 757-678-5070
www.upc-online.org |
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