U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH  43229

Ph. 614/888-4868 Fax 614/888-0326

Website: www.ussportsmen.org E-mail: info@ussportsmen.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           Contact: Beth Ruth (614) 888-4868 ext. 214

May 31, 2007

Microsoft Funds the Anti-Hunting Movement

(Columbus) Microsoft has rejected a U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance request to abandon its partnership with the nation's leading anti-hunting organization.

Microsoft, the software giant, will make a $100,000 donation to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and is partnering with the group on a pilot program called the i'm Initiative. Through the new program, whenever a Windows Live Messenger user has a conversation using i'm, Microsoft will give a portion of the program's advertising revenue to one of ten organizations selected by the user. The HSUS is one of the choices, and there is no limit to the amount of money that can be donated.

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, the nation's leading sportsmen's advocacy organization, has urged Microsoft to end its support of HSUS, but the company refused. According to Microsoft representative Tara Kriese, Microsoft believes the i'm Initiative is a great way to enable people to help causes that are important to them.

Microsoft is going to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably more, into an organization that recently issued a manifesto that targets hunting for extinction, said USSA President Bud Pidgeon. If there was ever a time for sportsmen to take grassroots action, this is it.

Sportsmen should contact Microsoft and demand that its financial support of HSUS be terminated. Contact Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft, 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: (425) 882-8080. Fax: (425) 936-7329.

The Humane Society of the United States opposes all animal use, including trapping, hunting and fishing. It was a key player in the campaigns to outlaw dove hunting in Michigan, trapping in California, and black bear hunting in Colorado. The organization has created a hit list of hunting traditions that it hopes to dismantle, including bear hunting and hunting with hounds.

The HSUS already has a multi-million dollar budget that it invests in legislative and ballot campaigns to ban trapping and hunting, said Pidgeon. The partnership that it has formed with Microsoft, the maker of the Xbox, will allow the organization to make money hand over fist, and continue to fund efforts to ban outdoor sports.

Sportsmen can make a difference in an issue like this. Companies such as Iams, General Mills, Accor Hotels, Pet Safe, Sears, and Ace Hardware ended relationships with HSUS after thousands of sportsmen levied strong protest.

In 2002, Jeep raised the ire of sportsmen when it aired a blatantly, anti-hunting commercial called the Deer Hunter. After a flood of sportsmen's contacts, Jeep pulled the commercial in three days.

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen's organization that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.  For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

Hmmm, interesting. I am the last one in my family whom is tired of Microsofts bullsh** anyway. I was going for a new Mac this fall. After all the glitches, faults, patches, etc,etc from MS and after using Mac at my sisters house, a Mac it will be.

Bummer, I was JUST about to order that new $22k coffeetable ,touchtop PC

(That thing is darn cool, I don't care WHAT you support,lol)

I guess we have to respect Mr. Gates opinion as the constitution allows him to support whoever he wants.  I just wish I were as rich as him so I could create a counter-campaign.

Man, that cool computer thing rocked!

Err, I mean, back on topic,  

Bill Gates is a very prominent supporter of the get your pet neutered campagin and when i bought a dog several years ago i got a pamplet from the Humane society to get my dog fixed for a 50.00 buck cupon and the name of 2 local vets who took them. They are not opnly involved in hunting issues.

I like to hunt and fish as do most of my friends, some of my friends, who I care about and respect don't feel the same way

This kind of response to the issue is as radial one way as the blind tree huggers are> i refuse to go through life paranoid and seperating from eachother without the benifit of a dialouge. At least these kind of things keeps the crazies on both sides busy with each other and out of my hair!\

There has been organized anti hunting campains since right around the time of the Lousiana Purchase and guess what THERE IS STILL HUNTING this kind of stuff goes right up there with the guy in the grassy knoll and bombs planted by the CIA in the World Trade Center.

We always need a balanced defense of hunting and fishing rights but groups like this are as crazy as the anti hunting nuts

You are right Muddy. Pro and Con keeps everything in check.

Reading the statement that troutfisher quoted, it seems pretty clear that MS intends to keep this organization on it's list for im'ers to support.

I'm wondering if a better approach wouldn't be to petition them to add a conservation oriented pro sportsmen group rather than remove something that's already there.

This would  be "fair and balanced"  

but it would only be considered if the company is willing to take an impartial stance.