>MIME-Version: 1.0 >Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 23:13:12 -0400 >Reply-To: div28super <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sender: div28super <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: "Wood, Ronald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [DIV28SUPER] Are You Giving Money to Undermine Medical Research? >X-cc: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >-----Original Message----- >From: Tony Mazzaschi >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: 10/25/01 9:27 PM >Subject: Adhoc: Are You Giving Money to Undermine Medical Research? > >The Ad Hoc Group does not have a position on this matter. However, you >may find it of interest. It comes from the American Physiological >Society and is available online at ><http://www.the-aps.org/pub_affairs/leg_act_cntr/money.htm>. > >========= >The American Physiological Society >Legislative Action Center >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >-------- > >Are You Giving Money to Undermine Medical Research? > >If you make an unrestricted donation to the Combined Federal Campaign >(CFC) or your local United Way, you might be inadvertently donating to >groups working to promote animal rights groups' agendas or oppose the >use of animals in research. > >The CFC (for federal employees) and the United Way are umbrella >organizations that funnel donations to philanthropic causes. Any >nonprofit organization can apply for inclusion. What is striking if you >visit the website of the CFC or your local United Way is the wide range >of causes represented, and the fact that some of them represent >diametrically opposing approaches to controversial issues. With respect >to medical research, some of the organizations raise funds to support >research on various diseases, while others work actively to oppose any >use of animals in research. > >When you give to a United Way or CFC campaign, you have the option to >designate specific charities to receive your donations. If you do not >designate recipients, your donation will be divided among all the >participating organizations based upon the proportion of designated >funds they receive from other givers. This means that you have no >control over where your money goes, and you may well be giving to both >sides. > >It can be difficult to draw the line between organizations that promote >legitimate concern for animal welfare and groups that strive to >undermine research and other endeavors involving animals. As a general >rule it is always good to know something about a charity before giving >to it, especially since many charities have similar sounding names. >Websites are a convenient way to get such information. The Combined >Federal Fund provides a list with links to participating charities at >http://www.opm.gov/cfc/. Similar links should also be available from >the web site of your local United Way. To find your local United Way's >website, go to the search page at http://www.unitedway.org/uwsearch/. >Then search using the under "field of service" using the category >"humane concerns * animals" to get a list of the charities eligible to >receive United Way funds in your area. To get a sense of what an >organization is doing, review not only its mission statement, but also >its newsletter, action alerts, and issue briefs. > >Below is a selection of the animal-related charities listed as part of >the 2001 Combined Federal Campaign National List: > >Animal Legal Defense Fund (www.ALDF.org) >Animal Protection Institute (www.api4animals.org) >Animal Welfare Institute (www.animalwelfare.com) >Doris Day Animal Foundation (www.ddal.org/ddaf) >Humane Society of the United States (www.hsus.org) >In Defense of Animals (www.idausa.org) >New England Anti-Vivisection Society (www.neavs.org) >People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (www.peta-online.org) >Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (www.pcrm.org) >United Animal Nations (www.uan.org) > >Two controversial organizations included in the CFC are People for the >Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Physicians Committee for >Responsible Medicine (PCRM). PETA states on its website that it >"operates under the simple principle that animals are not ours to eat, >wear, experiment on, or use for entertainment." PCRM's states on its >website that it "advocates alternatives to harming animals for >educational or research purposes" on the grounds that "alternatives to >animal research can provide more precise, cost-effective, and humane >answers to human health questions and educational needs." Currently the >two organizations are working in tandem to undermine the fundraising >efforts of charities that support animal research. > >PETA has posted a "do not give" list posted on its web site with more >than 80 medical research and patient assistance organizations >(www.peta.org/mall/cc/ccchartest.html). The list includes the Red >Cross, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, St. Jude Children's >Research Hospital, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Shriners >Hospitals for Crippled Children and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer >Foundation. Noting that health charities "do have relevant and effective >projects that help improve lives," PETA asserts that agencies sponsoring >animal research "drain money away from these projects and into cruel >experiments on animals" and that these research projects "have no >practical benefit to anyone." > >PCRM has set up a special website at www.charitiesinfo.org with a >similar list of charities that support animal research, as well as those >that do not. The PCRM site "seeks to promote informed giving, advocate >higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in health research, and >enable the public to make sound, compassionate giving choices." It >further clarifies its rationale as follows: "Many people do not realize >that when they donate to a health charity, they may be helping to fund >disturbing experiments that have little to do with helping those in >need." > >The bottom line is that if you don't designate a recipient for your >charitable gift, your money may go to organizations that oppose medical >research. The obvious solution is to designate the charities of your >choice when you give! > >___________________________________________________________ >[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- An APA Division 28 distribution list >sent nonduplicatively to div28 and div28m [restricted to APA members] >set your subscriber options (NOMAIL, DIGEST, SIGNOFF) via those lists >
* PAUL K. BRANDON [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Psychology Dept Minnesota State University, Mankato * * 23 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001 ph 507-389-6217 * * http://www.mankato.msus.edu/dept/psych/welcome.html * --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
