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McDonald's
New Best Friend -- VRG
The worst part
in all this may be that the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG), recipient
of $1.4 million of McDonald's funds -- the largest single amount
in the $10 million settlement -- aided and abetted McDonald's in
ripping off the vegetarian community. VRG submitted multiple declarations
through their paid employee, Suzanne Havala-Hobbs, endorsing money
going to non-vegetarian groups rather than actual vegetarian ones.
(See articles linked below for copies of Havala's declarations.)
For years VRG
has been known as being probably the only vegetarian organization
in the US which promotes McDonald's products on their website and
in their newsletter. Ironically, in this lawsuit brought by vegetarians
against McDonald's, VRG originally sided with McDonald's, disparaging
the suit and the vegetarians who brought it in a dismissive editorial.
(See links at bottom to previous articles showing VRG's editorial.)
In light of their criticism of the lawsuit, VRG should never have
sought to enrich itself with the settlement, much less the lion's
share -- $1.4 million -- which they pursued aggressively through
the courts once McDonald's cried uncle.
After several
vegetarian icons -- people like John Robbins, John McDougall, Michael
Klaper, Colin Campbell, Alex Hershaft, Gene & Lorri Bauston,
Matt Ball, Jack Norris and many others -- filed objections to the
non-vegetarian groups receiving money rather than vegetarian groups
as agreed to in the settlement, VRG helped McDonald's through its
court filings. VRG's Suzanne Havala-Hobbs attempted to counter filings
by leading vegetarians, declaring her support to the judge for all
of the groups McDonald's proposed. VRG's Havala-Hobbs even championed
money going to an animal experimenter at the University of North
Carolina, and to vegetarian-hostile Tufts University, which sells
meat in its cafeterias -- as opposed to donating money to actual
vegetarian nonprofit groups like the National Health Association
(formerly the Natural Hygiene Assoc.), FARM, Vegan Outreach, Farm
Sanctuary, EarthSave or Dr. Michael Klaper's Vegan Health study,
as but a few examples. VRG's Havala-Hobbs traveled to Chicago at
least twice to keep up on the proceedings. During one court appearance,
she was given an opportunity by Judge Siebel to object to any of
the groups in the proposal which might not be vegetarian groups.
Havala declined to do so.
NAVS - Don't
Rock the McDonald's Boat
Another group
which failed to stand with the vegetarian community is the North
American Vegetarian Society (NAVS). After learning of the objections
filed in early December against the non-vegetarian groups in the
McDonald's proposal, NAVS decided to file its own document. Unfortunately,
in what appeared to be their attempt not to endanger their own proposed
$1 million take from the settlement, NAVS' filing didn't name *any*
proposed group which they considered inappropriate. Instead, NAVS
spent page after page attempting to solidify its own grasp on a
proposed $1 million McDonald's allocation. Brian Graff, NAVS First
Vice-President, who authored the declaration submitted to the court
by NAVS, even praised a mendacious plaintiff attorney he was working
with so cozily -- the same one scheming with McDonald's to give
as much settlement money as possible to non-vegetarian groups.
Upon seeing
the NAVS' "objection," several leading NAVS members, including
NAVS board members, urged Graff to take a strong and specific stand
against the non-vegetarian groups getting money. Graff categorically
refused. He instead chose to ignore repeated emails and telephone
calls, including those from a longtime NAVS friend and supporter,
who excoriated Graff at the time in a widely cc'ed email for failing
to even acknowledge attempts to discuss the matter with him. (Graff
only responded later, via his wife, NAVS treasurer Sharon Graff,
once the timetable for filing objections to McDonald's shenanigans
had passed.)
NAVS, which
puts on an annual vegetarian Summerfest in Johnstown, Pennsylvania,
appears to have gone so far as to retaliate against at least one
of the individuals who objected to the non-vegetarian groups McDonald's
was proposing. While some venerated vegetarian experts have in the
past repeatedly been invited by Graff to appear at Summerfest, this
year NAVS chose not to invite at least one who had filed objections
to non-vegetarian groups receiving McDonald's money. NAVS' message
would seem to be along the lines of one delivered to the Dixie Chicks
-- object to McDonald's deceptive conduct, and you may find yourself
on our blacklist.
In responding
to complaints about their poor conduct in this matter, NAVS has
said that no one is really upset with them, and that no Summerfest
speakers have turned down their speaking invitations over this issue.
Of course, by not inviting, NAVS can't be turned down.
The only vegetarian
organization on the McDonald's recipient list which acted with honor
and stood up firmly for justice and for their friends in the vegetarian
community -- was the American Vegan Society (AVS). Freya Dinshah
of AVS lobbied the court forcefully and specifically to reject non-vegetarian
groups from the allocation, and suggested the court consider one
or more of the many worthy bona fide vegetarian groups instead,
in keeping with the settlement agreement. (See articles linked below.)
Next steps?
Many in the
vegetarian community are outraged that McDonald's (in league with
plaintiff lawyers, who seem to be more eager to collect huge legal
fees than properly represent their clients) has succeeded in duping
the judge into believing non-veg groups are veg ones.
Multiple definitions
of "vegetarian organization" were submitted for the judge
to consider during the course of briefings in the case. In the end,
Judge Siebel ostensibly adopted McDonald's definition, opting to
include organizations which promote and sell meat as "vegetarian
organizations, dedicated to the values of vegetarianism." It
seems likely that vegetarians concerned about justice will appeal
this verdict, and at a minimum make a final effort to stop McDonald's
from once again defrauding the vegetarian community.
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