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What people are saying about
this trial
Hi Howard, just looked through your web
page and reviewed the Oprah transcript. Looks like the suit
is nothing more than a SLAPP suit. I guess you have known that
all along. Did I ever mention the heifer that contracted rabies
on our farm several years ago? After we sent the brain in for
testing I was not too anxious about burying the animal but the
vet said the rendering company would take her anyway. Indeed
they did even though I told them she was suspect for rabies
and as it turned out positive. Every time I get a shot I will
remember that little episode. Well, best of luck, I'll be watching
the progress of the trial. Let me reiterate what so many have already said and many others
are thinking, eating animal products is bad for us in every
way imaginable, physically, spiritually, and mentally. The medical
establishment says that we should limit the amount of red meat
we eat, that we should eat more vegetables and fruits, that
soy protein is one of the healthiest foods on the markets, etc.
Some doctors have even begun to say that a vegetarian diet is
the healthiest way of eating. I congratulate you and Oprah for taking up the challenge, both
of the benefits of a meatless lifestyle and, just as importantly,
the right to speak freely about any topic, regardless of whose
pocketbook is affected. You are saving lives and freedom.
I salute and support you both. Needless to say, you have my heartfelt support during this
trial. Calling this nonsense a kangaroo court is an insult to
the kangaroo's! I can't believe the "cow-hurters"
have taken it this far, but I am glad to see that the truth
is getting out into the general media. Please know that
you and Oprah and everyone involved are in my thoughts and prayers.
I thank you, my arteries thank you, my brain cells thank you,
and the cows and calves surely thank you! I live in Scotland and I am not a vegetarian BUT ... I am all
too aware of what happened in Britain with BSE and of what might
lie in store with nvCJD. I have been following the Oprah vs
Cattlemen lawsuit on the web. I have seen the transcript of
her show and I consider her remark about: " ... stopping
eating hamburger cold" was in direct answer to Lyman's
remark about cattle to cattle feeding and NOT a response from
her on BSE being already in USA herds. Anyone would have reacted
the same - in fact the audience did. I've lived in Texas all my life, and this insanity in Amarillo
embarasses me in a personal way. Everybody in the world is looking
at this farce and saying "Those crazy Texans, suing Oprah." This country needs to get the message to the Texas Cattlemens
Ass. that there are close to probably 5 million other people
out here that won't eat beef again because of the mad cow and
ecoli diease combined, me being one of the 5 million what are
they going to do sue us all, because we learned about how rotten
beef can be to our lives? Besides FREE SPEECH is still on the
list that founded this country and people even like Oprah is
not exempt from that, period. Just wanted to say thanks! Thanks again for being so courageous
in your mission to help the people of this planet wake up and
understand more about the destructive path which they "can"
choose to change. I live in Amarillo, Texas and I think the Texas Cattle Feeders
are making Amarillo look like a bunch of hillbillies live here.
I am embarrassed to admit that I live in Amarillo. Not to mention
the actions of the Chamber of Commerce. I could not believe
that the head guy sent out a memo telling employees that they
are not to attend any shows etc. He also mentions that there
would be no red carpet treatment for the Oprah show. This conduct
is no better than a bunch of uneducated "children-like"
attitudes. Just discovered your Home Page while looking for info on the
mcoprah/mclyman case :-))) We at Vegetarians of Alberta are
following this very closely; we are looking forward to
all the coverage that will undoubtedly result - and so
much more of the truth coming out. Our thoughts and blessings
are with you and Oprah! GO GET 'EM! Oprah, you are doing a great thing for the vegetarian community.
People need to know there are alternate healthy and humane choice
for their diets. I am a Canadian journalist now living and working in Atlanta,
Georgia and am writing to offer you my support during this troubling
case. I believe very much that the American people have the
right to know the risks of eating beef, chicken or any agricultural
products including vegetables. That any person's right to freedom
of expression and opinion could be denied in favour of protecting
the sometimes questionable practices and products of the beef
industry seems ludicrous and scary. I hope the justice system
recognizes that Americans have the mental capacity to make their
own decisions based on truthful facts. This entire trial thing is really scary thinking that the cattle
industry is so powerful that it thinks it can take on you two!
That's really scary! Well you guys have all the info and the
resources to take 'em down! The first amendment clearly states
that we have freedom of speech!! I've been a veg now In your law suit with Opera I am hoping that more of the American
people can learn why we are becoming such an unhealthy nation.
I hope the American people do not get sold out again by Big
Corporations! I know this case is mostly about free speech but
who knows. I'm sure you have a great deal of support by wonderful
people (like John Robbins). I wish you all the best for yourself
and the American people. And of curse all the animals the we
do these terrible things to. Just a letter of support. It's ridiculous that you have to
go through this. It's time everyone knew the risks involved
with what we eat. I just want you to know that I support you 100%, and I would
even if I were in the cattle business myself (which I'm not).
The issue here is freedom of speech more than any issue of the
safety of eating beef. I hope that, if the judge should rule
against you (God fordbid), this case goes all the way to the
Supreme Court, and the anti-defamation law is declared unconstitutional
- which it is. Hang in there! The press seems to be on your side. They see
the cattlemen's suit as an attempt to stifle speech, which of
course is what it is. I just wanted to add my best wishes to Oprah and her friends
for the trial. I certainly hope she comes out of it OK and maintains
her right to be able to say what she feels is right. And may
I add that she is doing a great thing for healthy eating and
the vegetarian lifestyle. It would be a great shame if the beef
industry which uses up so much of the world's resources won
this trial. Last night, a group of us from the Inland Northwest Vegetarian Society went to an EarthSave potluck in Spokane, Washington. After the potluck a widow of a man who died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease gave a speech on her ordeal with this last year. It was heart wrenching and maddening at the same time. After he died, the family wanted an autopsy and the mortician refused. They called the CDC and it was then granted. However, they have yet to give her any findings, it takes up to 6 months, and have handled this case like the EBOLA virus. It is so scary to think that we could get this disease and I feel the public have the right to know. Anyway, just wanted to let you and Oprah know that you have
our support and we will do our best to promote vegetarianism
and bring the horrors of the meat industry to the public. Best
of luck. Howard and Oprah, I just wanted to let you know that the both
of you are doing a MARVELOUS Just wanted to wish you all the best in the trial. Even if
I wasn't a vegetarian I would still support you 100% because
what you are fighting for is one of the basic rights guaranteed
under the constitution. It seems that those rights are slowly
being compromised in some instances and most people are simply
allowing the changes to happen. Maybe this trial will be the
wake-up call that some people need to realize that the rights
granted in the constitution mean as much now as they did when
it was written. I wish to offer you and Ms. Winfrey my support during this
trial. Perhaps some good will come out of it in terms of bringing
more public attention to current animal husbandry practices.
I wish you well. Haven't time to watch Oprah's show concerning the issue at
hand, I must say that after reading the show's manuscript, I
wholeheartedly agree with you. Perhaps Oprah's appearance in
this trial is a blessing in disguise. Whatever the outcome (and
I hope she wins), people around the world will see that when
we altered nature course of domesticating animal for consumption,
we WILL suffer its consequences. Feeding cow parts to other
cows is wrong! If they think that the future price for beef
is low now, wait until the trial is finished! Right on, Oprah and Howard! The cattlemen should lighten up!
I don't eat much beef, and I'm not much of a vegetable eater
either, but this is a free speech issue. My son had a brush with death. He was very sick and his pediatrician
couldn't figure out why. I happened to have a neighbor at the
time who was a colonic therapist. He was 18 months old at the
time. I took him to see her and she proceeded to give him a
high colonic. He had a 9 inch tapeworm removed that day. Immediately
he was better, she then explained how eating animal products,
especially ones that are sold in stores today cause worm infestation
in our intestines. I researched the subject and decided to make
a change in the way my family eats. As an American living in England, where mad cow disease is
a fact of life and even McDonald's and Burger King sell vegetarian
burgers, I find the reaction of the Texas cattle ranchers to
Oprah's show to be laughable. You've obviously hit a nerve --
and I hope that the trial will not only be a victory for free
speech, but also expose some of the disgusting realities of
intensive farming practices.
We have been following you in the news, and want you to know
that as the trial begins our prayers are with you! The whole
nation is watching, it's all over the talk stations here, and
many people are going to be reached through this trial. We just
want you to know that we love you, support you, I am so happy that you and Oprah have surrendered to doing
what is right instead of being intimidated by the people who
would rather see personal profits by risking the lives of people.
With the world watching, the rights of people to be informed
in advance of any risks in their food is at hand. Thank you
sincerely for your commitment. Just wanted to let you know that I'm keeping you both in my
thoughts and prayers during this travesty of a trial. The world
needs more people like you...people who aren't afraid to speak
out and take action when they see a wrong, even at great personal
cost. Thanks for standing up for all of us! Howard, you have long been an inspiration. And Oprah, your courage and commitment to the defense of free speech will make your star burn even brighter! I am following the proceedings and thinking of you both. Hopefully this trial will open even more people's eyes to the dangers and cruelty of meat and to the assault on free speech that is behind the veggie-libel laws. Thank goodness VegSource is providing such good coverage since
I haven't seen any coverage on the news in the past few days.
(Do you think all these headlines coming out of Washington,
D.C. were really planted by the cattlemen in an effort to distract
the press from hearing the truth is Amarillo?) :) Oprah, i wholeheartedly support your RIGHT to educate the public
on the dangers of animal foods. You , perhaps, have saved some
people from the inevitable diseases that meat eaters suffer.
I thank you for being as strong and vocal as you are. Nothing hurts like humor. We need to laugh beef out of existence.
We need to poke fun at Texas! (Not all that big a stretch, in
light of this trial) The really dumb among us don't mind being
ridiculous, but looking ridiculous is another matter. Where's
Tom Leher? Hang in there, Howard. I favor a boycott. But, Hell, I aready boycott beef.
Guess I'll have to boycott Texas!! Forget all the media circus hype around this cattlemen's case.
What I want to know is, how are the defense lawyers really handling
this in court? Are they going to throw out the First Amendment
and hope for the best, or are they going to challenge whether
there were really any legitimate damages suffered by the cattlemen
whose livelihoods were allegedly affected? It's one thing to
file papers and bring suit, then parade around for a bit of
attention. But where is the harm? How are they proving that
they lost anything as the direct result of the remarks made
on the show? The cattlemen have just proven how stupid they are. A lawsuit
will result in: This trial is totally bogus. Oprah has her 1st amendment rights
to make the statement about eating hamburger. I had also decided
many months before Oprah made her statements not to eat hamburger
out anymore. That was my decision and I didn't push it on anyone
else. Based on the way the cattlemen's association is trying
to railroad Oprah, I am committed to be VERY vocal about the
Beef industry. Hopefully they will realize they made a stupid
mistake and drop the case.....They will loose eitherway with
all the bad publicity. Just wanted you to know that we are all pulling for you and
Oprah. You are a hero to us. Always will be! People are still
talking about your talk with us and we are spreading your message. I hope your lawyers are going to show the jury that the plaintiffs
"family businesses" bring in hundreds of millions
of dollars and allow them the luxury of being able to hire several
major law firms at the blink of an eye to sue whomever they
want. I just wanted to drop you a quick note to lend my support to
your battle against the beef tycoons. You have the power of
truth and free speech behind you! Keep on keepin' on! Howard-Oprah: If you would like financial support for this
most monumental Law Suit and Legal Ruling.........please contact
me about helping to organize such a venture. This, (COWGATE),
needs to be stopped RIGHT IN THE HEARTLAND OF SLAUGHTER TOWN
USA. If the "DEAD MEAT CLUB of WEST TEXAS" WHIPS YOUR
ASS IN AMARILLO, TEXAS........IT'S ALL OVER FOR AMERICA AND
EVERYTHING YOU SAY FROM THAT DAY FORWARD WILL BE SUBJECT TO
LITIGATION AND A FEEDING FRENZY BY EVERY CRACK-POT IN THE UNITED
STATES............THIS REALLY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SHOW OF
YOUR LIVES!!!!!!!!! Back in the "bad old days" when farmers slaughtered
their own animals for the table, the practice was more sanitary
than it is now. Mad Cow Disease aside -- the reasons for not
eating meat are astronomical. You can pick a fast death (courtesy
of E. coli) or a slow one from heart disease, diabetes or (heaven
forbid!) CJD -- but if you insist on eating meat, you WILL one
day regret it. Howard, I met you for the first time at the vegan conference in Olympia Washington last year. I greatly enjoyed your information and personality. I have seen only 5 or 6 Oprah shows because it comes on too early in the day and I work at that time. I am thankful that the two of you are going through this ordeal for a number of reasons. You are both very strong people with the resources that will
allow you to pursue this experience to victory. You will win,
because if you lose we will have lost the reason for being human.
We will lose our truth and our god given right to live in that
gift. There are so many things wrong in this world it is overwhelming.
There is so much conflict between personal ideas resulting in
violence and so much loss of life. We are caught in this viscious
cycle of killing and hurting that society has become numb. You
are standing for the alternative choice, the very idea that
we have the freedom to speak and move, to breathe the spark
of meaning and integrity, to chose a better life for ourselves
and the other animal beings. Thank you and all my blessings
to you. I am sorry that the Beef Eaters are trying to make you pay for their loss! It should not be! You were speaking for your self. Me means one person not the whole US or TX. It is sad that people are behaving so bad and taking things the wrong way and use it like this. It is your right to speak from your heart about how you feel what is good and what is bad for your body! Your body means just that yours and no other person! It should be the cost of the beefers and not you Oprah. I do
hope that there are good people in that court feel the way I
do. It should be thrown out of court! The beefers need to keep
our cattle well and therefore the people will be feeling well!
There is too much junk on the market and it costs too much!
Take Care Oprah! I noticed that most of the news media refer to Howard Lyman
as a "vegetarian activist", or someone from the Humane
Society, etc., but almost none refer to him as a former cattle
rancher (hence someone who is really conversant with the issue).
If they would, I think the general public would be more likely
to take note of his and Oprah's message. Your courageous words and actions must never be eradicated
by the forces of greed, repression and agribusiness. I want
your Constitutional rights to speak and be heard to be upheld
by the court. How insane it is to have "veggie laws"
in this country. And the thought that herbivourous creatures
who have existed for thousands of years are now in essence fed
a cannabalistic diet with all its already known disasterous
consequences. You are the voices of enlightenment and reason.
You will not be silenced. I'm so proud of you two...out there with the big boys of the
beef industry...taking the bull by the horns! Let me know if
there's anything I can do to help in any way. By speaking up and out, standing up to those who would love
to silence you, you give a lot of courage to activists, people
who care, who are the targets of these new product disparagement
laws. I just want to add my support to that of what must be millions
who are outraged by this lawsuit. I had no idea that any such
laws existed anywhere in this country. This sounds like Nazi
Germany where you could get in lots of trouble for saying the
wrong thing. I fervently hope that Oprah beats these guys. I'm
sure that whichever side wins, it will end up in the Supreme
Court, and there I hope this law, and all those like it in other
states, are declared unconstitutional. I read a quote by one of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit, Engler,
in the Wall Street Journal. He said he believes the First
Amendment needs to be changed and that speech should be limited
where it impacts him. I'd say that's a very revealing
comment. Anytime in history that the rich are able to
muzzle criticism to prevent the loss of their money or power
by controlling speech, a revolution has followed. We have
already had our revolution here in the US, and the fact that
Engler wants others to be denied the rights we fought and died
for -- speaks volumes. The guillatine was invented hundreds
of years ago in response to people who lived this way.
To Howard --Veggie-On!!!!! To Oprah -- Stay Strong!!!! Just wanted to let you know that there are people praying for you, Howard, and Oprah. You will come out of this victorious. We believe in what you are doing. Keep up the good work, you are both wonderful people and this case will prove to people that eating meat is not a good thing, and we have the right to free speach. Best of luck and may the Lord be with you.... |