Dear Mr. President-Elect Obama, Of course we know you are NOT Superman and cannot cure all the ills of this Country, but the majority of Americans think it would be a step in the right direction if you would PLEASE appoint officials who are sensitized to animal welfare. The public cares deeply about the welfare of animals, and Americans are ready to have you appoint individuals who are prepared to advocate for strong animal protection policies. Too often, past leaders of these agencies, both Republicans and Democrats have been too close to the industries they are charged with regulating,.. they are the "revolving door" politician/lobbiests that have allowed institutionalized cruelty to go on uninterrupted. It is indeed time for a change, specifically for animal-friendly individuals to head the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior.
The Secretary of Agriculture enforces a broad range of laws affecting animals, including the Animal Welfare Act and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which are the cornerstones of federal animal welfare policies. Those two laws were adopted to provide basic protection standards for hundreds of millions of animals at slaughter plants, puppy mills, laboratories, zoos and other facilities, as well as addressing animal fighting and food safety.
John Boyd Jr., founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack would be excellent choices for the post.
The Secretary of the Interior oversees management of federal public lands and enforcement of key wildlife laws, including the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
For Secretary of the Interior, the best candidates for this position are Representatives Raul Grijalva and Jay Inslee and former Interior Department Deputy Secretary David Hayes.
Here you can tell Obama in pre-printed form on his Change.Gov website, to appoint animal-friendly Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior Department Heads;
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2008_obama_secretaryofag2
And here you can share your vision of a kinder, gentler, more compassionate world with Obama, and tell him it STARTS with how we treat our animals;
http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision
"The Greatness of a Nation and its Moral Progress can be Judged by the way it Treats its Animals" - Ghandi
Thanks Signers, for caring! Together, WE CAN make a difference!
