Their above statement says much about Starbucks
Coffee.
First it is obvious that those of us who have for
years felt good about buying from Starbucks Coffee
because they were a “progressive company” have
been suckered big-time. Here is a company that,
upon looking at this situation, merely needed to say
something like this: “This should not have happened,
and you may rest assured that it will not happen
again.” A “progressive company” would have
recognized in a heartbeat that supporting animal
abuse was in no way a responsible way to support
the local community.
If Starbucks wasn’t educated about the rodeo issue
when it shelled out company dollars for ad support,
that could have quickly and easily be remedied by
way of the Internet. On SHARK’s RodeoCruelty.com
site alone Starbucks decision makers can view
pictures and video clips. They would have learned
that no legitimate humane society condones rodeo
because of the abusive treatment of its nonhuman
victims. In fact, the company would have learned
that many humane organizations worldwide have
taken a strong stand against rodeo animal abuse.
Obviously Starbucks wasn’t interested in the facts.
An appropriate Starbucks response to a request for
ad money from the Frontier Days producers would
be, “Starbucks would love to support your affair.
Please let us know when you have dropped the
rodeo.” Of course, the rodeo is what the Cheyenne
Frontier Days is all about. Everything else is just
window dressing. There are multiple rodeo events
every day for over a week. Injured and dead animals
were regularly dragged off the arena floor.
Starbucks claims that the Frontier Days “festival”
(that’s the first time I have ever heard it called
that) “includes art shows, Native American cultural
events, parades, amusement rides, a rodeo and other
activities.” The company makes it sound like the
rodeo performances are a small part of the whole.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, and
Starbucks knows it.
What’s really a hoot is that when first contacted, the
company insinuated that SHARK’s claim of an ad in a
rodeo program was a work of fiction. After all, this
was the progressive and enlightened Starbucks! As it
turns out, we were right on the money, and now
Starbucks is claiming it just doesn’t matter. After all,
it was JUST two hundred fifty dollars, according to
Starbucks. Starbucks should be appalled that even
one dollar from their company goes to the pockets of
an animal abusing industry. All the company had to
do was promise to not do it again, but it refused.
Starbucks is taking its customers for fools. I guess
the company figures that it has done such a great
job of green-washing itself that none of you will be
sharp enough to see through that nonsensical
statement it is putting out. Starbucks’ form E-mail
tries to make its ad in the Cheyenne rodeo program
seem like a small matter, and when you really look at
the whole Starbucks picture, I guess it is. After all,
Starbucks’ true support of rodeo, and its partners in
crime in supporting the Rodeo Mafia makes the ad in
Cheyenne look like nothing at all!
Well, that’s not exactly the way it is. Starbucks
apparently forgot to mention at least one other
connection it has to rodeo, one that we just
discovered. Starbucks was a proud sponsor of an
affair called Miss Rodeo Washington. You can see
that Starbucks is listed as a sponsor by going to
www.MissRodeoWashington.com/sponsors.htm
. But
you’ll see so much more. Not only was Starbucks a
sponsor, but so was the Ellensburg Rodeo, the Kitsap
Stampede (a rodeo in Kitsap, Washington), the
Colville Rodeo, the Othello Rodeo, the Beard Rodeo
Company, and last but certainly not least, the
Washington State Trappers Association. YEE (as
they say) HA!
Here’s the bottom line, folks. I know a lot of people
like Starbucks products. But some of your Starbucks
money is going to the Rodeo Mafia. I hope you will
seriously consider this before spending another penny
at Starbucks--and then telling the company WHY.
What You Can Do:
-Unfortunately for them in this case,
Starbucks are
everywhere! We don’t have to trek all the way to
their headquarters—they bring their businesses to
us. Some dedicated and creative advocates have
already taken the initiative to copy or download the
photos of animal abuse at
the Cheyenne Frontier
Days Rodeo, and have taken these images into their
local
Starbucks to educate the management. This is
something everyone can do and Starbucks can’t hide
from it!
-If you have not already, please contact
Starbucks.
They have now been caught supporting at least two
rodeo-related events, and most likely more than
that. Please tell them that you will not be a
Starbucks’ customer as long as one penny of their
money goes towards animal abusing industries. As
one customer wrote, “I hate rodeos and animal
cruelty more than I like soy lattes."
Starbucks Retail Customer Relations
(800) 235-2883, Press 0
Mon – Fri 5 AM – 6 PM (PST),
Sat – Sun 6 AM – 3 PM (PST)
Starbucks has a comment page on their
website:
http://www.starbucks.com/customer/conta
ct_forms.asp?nav=3f
Please stay tuned for news of upcoming Starbucks
protest efforts. SHARK is expanding our Starbucks
site, which graphically exposes the cruelty with
which Starbucks is involved, to include more photos,
footage, and updates. Watch for
BuckStarbucks.com to launch anyday! Until
then, please continue to tell your friends and family
about RodeoCruelty.com
Thank you for all your efforts,
Steve Hindi and your SHARK Team
phone:
630-557-0176