Bill & Lou Need Your Voice – Use It Now!

A college. An agribusiness program/project that uses animals as things rather than the sentient individuals who they are. The individuals? Two cows – Bill and Lou.

Conflicting stories as to their fate – from the same institution telling the stories, all representatives of the college and the affiliated farm. And a group of concerned citizens who wish to know the truth.

New York Times photo: “Baylee Drown, the assistant manager at Green Mountain College’s farm, with Bill, one of the college’s two oxen that [sic] are scheduled to be slaughtered this month [October 2012].”

I am among that group of people. And I hope you’ll join me in urging Green Mountain College to be upfront in what it did with Bill and Lou – two cows whose fates were in the hands of the institution’s administrators. Their plight raised an international outcry. The school planned on sending them to slaughter and serve them to the students – yep, you heard me right. You might even recall that story as I remember it. Then school officials said they wouldn’t. Then Bill and Lou disappeared. Now sources within the school (Green Mountain College’s Cerridwen Farm) allege that Bill and Lou were sent to slaughter anyway. Wouldn’t surprise me even though that action would/will (?) stomp all over Green Mountain student body’s belief in its school administration’s integrity.

Over 3 million voices were heard in 2012 before their deaths – make yours heard today.

Please join me in signing this petition to show that every individual matters and so do the business ethics of colleges and universities. If the school did as it publicly states it did, then the institution can surely prove its actions in such a highly controversial and public case. Please politely encourage that proof to come forward.

Additionally, after adding your name (either publicly or privately) to the petition, here are the persons who are hearing from you in case you’d like to follow up or reach out to specific persons.

Please remember to keep your comments polite and respectable – anything less could harm the efforts being made.

Thank you.

Persons to Contact –

Paul Fonteyn (President of the College; Professor of Biology): fonteynp@greenmtn.edu

Philip Ackerman-Leist (Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Director of the Farm and Food Project): ackermanleistp@greenmtn.edu

Kenneth Mulder (GMC Farm Manager, Research Associate & Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies): mulderk@greenmtn.edu

William Throop (Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Professor of Philosophy and Environmental Studies): throopw@greenmtn.edu

Kevin Coburn (Director of Communications): coburnk@greenmtn.edu