RMB Newsletter Vol 1:1     The First Amendment     8 October 2001

Dear Reader, Thank you for subscribing to the Raw Meaty Bones Newsletter. With a majority of the world’s pets suffering the effects of an artificial diet and a majority of the veterinary profession -- the pet healthcare professionals -- endorsing these diets, there’s a huge job to be done. But we must start somewhere, and where better to start than by staking a claim to freedom of speech? -- the subject of this first RMB Newsletter. Over the coming months the Newsletter will evolve. Your feedback is especially welcome. Let’s make this interactive. Until next time, Best wishes, Tom Lonsdale and the Raw Meaty Bones crew ___________________________________________________________ THE FIRST AMENDMENT If we can’t speak about it, we can’t fix it and that’s what they want. Who are the ubiquitous ‘they’? They are the artificial pet food makers and their allies. What is it that they don’t want us to fix? They don’t want us to fix the multi-billion dollar industry where pet owners are deprived of cash and pets are forced to consume harmful foodstuffs and vets promote treatments which, at best, serve as a stop gap but don’t deal with fundamental issues. And as we know it’s fundamental issues that are important and that’s why we are going to talk about them. The US Congress identified the need for people to be able to speak about the things that concern them. That’s why, in September 1789, they proposed The First Amendment to the US Constitution: ‘Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . .’ Now, 212 years later, The First Amendment has as much validity, but sadly is often forgotten by governments, corporations and professional groups. Recent Australian experience provides illustration and a salutary lesson. Raw Meaty Bones: promote health has been a long time in the writing. When the time came to launch the book I approached three journalists and invited them to read the book, make enquiries and publish an article. (Names are suppressed to protect the individuals, but they were from The Australian, The Sun Herald and AAP). All three were cautious, as befits people in positions of public trust, but happily I can recount that each committed to the task of publishing important information. A photographer working for The Australian took photos for illustration of their story and on the weekend of 18/19 August, nation-wide coverage was scheduled. But events unfolded in a different way. It’s true that the AAP article was circulated to the media, but it went largely unnoticed except by The Border Mail (article at: http://www.rawmeatybones.com ). The Australian, despite its three-week-long investigation and photos, canned the story; as did The Sun Herald. The editor of The Australian has not returned phone calls or answered correspondence on the matter. Things at The Sun Herald are arguably worse. On 19 August 2001, the day The Sun Herald was due to alert its readers to the dangers of artificial pet foods, they published an advertorial: 'NEW FOOD HELPS PETS LIVE LONGER An experimental pet food makes cats and dogs live longer by reducing the damage to genetic material linked with the diseases of ageing. Preliminary evidence was presented recently to a gathering of academics and vets in Vancouver, Canada. Patents are pending on the food, which mixes antioxidants, notably vitamin C and E, which mop up damaging chemical intermediates, called radicals.' Readers were not told that premature aging is a major problem associated with commercial pet foods nor were they told which giant multinational conducted the experiments and hosted the ‘gathering of academics and vets’. But readers were primed for things to come -- Mars Inc’s Advance and Waltham pet diets, which the company claim: ‘Add life to the life of your pet.’ On 10 September 2001 Uncle Ben’s of Australia (a Mars subsidiary) promoted the new products to veterinarians with the assurance: ‘Remember every product in the Advance and Waltham ranges is 100% guaranteed for palatability, performance and dating.’ Dr Mark Lorschy, Professional Services Manager, Uncle Ben’s of Australia told veterinarians that if they had any questions they should call him on 0417 259 187. The address for correspondence is: Unit A3, 3-9 Birnie Avenue, Lidcombe NSW 2141 Phone: +61 2 9737 5300 Fax: +61 2 9737 5399. In fact this episode raises many questions, not least whether a ‘free’ press should stop publication of information vital to the wellbeing of pets and their owners, and at the same time publish commercially inspired propaganda. Readers may like to direct questions to: Mr Michael Stutchbury, Editor, The Australian GPO Box 4245, Sydney 2001 Phone: +61 2 9288 3000 Fax: +61 2 9288 3077 Email: stutchburym@theaustralian.com.au Web: http://www.theaustralian.new.com.au Mr Phil McLean, Editor, The Sun Herald GPO Box 506, Sydney 2001 Phone: +61 2 9282 2047 Fax: +61 2 9282 2151 Email: pmclean@mail.fairfax.com.au Web: http://www.smh.com.au ___________________________________________________________ We welcome copies of correspondence/emails/faxes for possible inclusion in future RMB Newsletters. Please circulate, distribute or reproduce this newsletter as you wish. The Raw Meaty Bones Newsletter is published by: Tom Lonsdale Rivetco P/L PO Box 6096 Windsor Delivery Centre NSW 2756 Australia Phone: +61 2 4574 0537 Fax: +61 2 4574 0538 Email: newsletter@rawmeatybones.com Web: http://www.rawmeatybones.com To subscribe or unsubscribe go to: http://secureshop.rawmeatybones.com/newsletter