Security Memo #3: Fur Farmers Look Into Lawsuit Against This Site
In leaked security bulletin, fur farmers told commenting on “disturbing” Frontline article could incite violence, threaten lawsuit.
Part ten in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.
Two months after anonymous liberators freed over 1,000 mink from his farm, fur farmer Palmer Erickson died of cancer. After decades of murdering hundreds of thousands of mink and fox, activists finally found Palmer Erickson in his final days and delivered a little bit of justice to 5% of the estimated 20,000 mink and fox imprisoned at the farm.
In one of several dozen “security alerts” obtained by Animal Liberation Frontline, the Fur Commission rails against a “disturbing article” on this site in which I cover Erickson’s death. The memo suggests they are looking into filing a lawsuit for criminal or civil offenses unspecified. (The lawsuit never materialized.)
Actual photo of caged fox on Palmer Erickson’s fur farm.
The passing of a fur farmer is especially significant because many (if not most) of their children do not wish to carry on the family business. Over the years, many farms have shut down when the present owner dies. The operational status of the Palmer Erickson fur farm has not been verified since his death. (If you have any information, please send to the site.)
The memo reads, in full:
“Fur Commission USA
January 16, 2012
Erickson Family Targeted in Hate Campaign
If you haven’t heard, longtime fur farmer Palmer Erickson recently passed away after a long illness, in Jewell IA. Last Fall, the Erickson family farm was raided and over 1,100 mink were released. The animal rights extremists are calling that raid, and his passing a victory for the ALF and the animal rights movement.
Appearing on convicted felon Peter Young’s website, is a disturbing article that describes Palmer and his family in horrible terms. Fur Commission USA has been monitoring the site, and in the last few days several people have posted defending the Erickson’s and condemning the hate speech that appears in the comments section.
We urge you not to engage these naive and intolerant individuals. The animal rights extremists that post there do not care about the truth, and will never deliberate logically or compassionately. Attempting to appeal to their humanity is a waste of your precious time. Challenging their world-view only enflames (sic-ed) them, and may motivate them to commit further acts of violence against the industry.
Be assured that Fur Commission USA is addressing the situation, and looking into legal avenues against the website and its contributors.
If you wish to read the posting, though I do not recommend it, it can be found at: http://www.animalliberationfrontline.com/founder-of-alf-raided-fur-farm-in-iowa-dies/
Our deepest condolences go to the Erickson family for their loss.
Michael Whelan
Fur Commission USA
541-595-8568″
This is the tenth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.
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Karma baby, karma. I’m not happy with no ones death, but if there’s blood in your hands, I won’t give a damn. Hope the fur farm really shut down. thanks to heroes like ALF, those poor little angels can see the light again.
A while back you posted up two fragments of FCUSA ‘zines (for lack of a better word). I can’t remember what they were called. They were full of juicy gossip about the fringe and now they’re gone. I remember when the links died – you would click on it and it would say something humorous like “no dice asshole, these links are dead.” – and now the posts have completely vanished from your page. I want to read those again because they were endlessly fascinating and now they’re completely gone – is there anywhere else i can go to find those? you should re-post them at some point during this 30 day marathon of leaked-stuff-posting. Good idea btw – you must be clocking up a shit-ton of hits.
Wow Peter, I read you obit statement and it was very tame, if you’ll pardon the pun. Regarding this fur farmer’s death I am surprised he was killed by cancer…he clearly had a very bad heart. Regards, Roslyn
Bastard should have been skinned alive…..