NIAW and my letter to PETA

Please see this post first, http://hannahweptsarahlaughed.blogspot.com/2011/04/open-letter-to-peta.html She says it so much better than myself. My letter isn't very articulate, but I'm disgusted at the completely inappropriate nature of this contest. PETA is giving away a vasectomy in honor of NIAW (National Infertility Awareness Week), which happens at the end of this month. Yeah, you read that right. Keiko has a screen shot on her post you can click on to enlarge it to view, since we refuse to post a link to the site because then they'd get more traffic... and I don't think they deserve that.

Feel free to write your own blog post about this, and send your own email about this to the president of PETA, Ingrid E. Newkirk. Her email address is: ingridn@peta.org

Dear Ms. Newkirk,

I find your contest for winning a vasectomy during NIAW completely inappropriate. I used to support your organization when I was younger, I bought your merchandise, your food products, I was a vegetarian for 6 years. Even after I stopped supporting you officially, I still held good wishes for your organization. This campaign saddens me, and has killed off the last of that good will.

Those of us who suffer from infertility do not choose to do so. I have medical conditions that can not be remedied easily. Your campaign, speaking to how the overpopulation is a problem and pointing out our disease, is distasteful. Have you asked your staff to be fixed? Mam, are you yourself fixed? Do you have children? What about your staff, do any of them have children? Do you advocate that all your supporters never have children? Do you publically call our your staff and supporters who choose to have children, do you tell them that their children are damning us all?

I thought you were about animal rights, what does your organization even know about reproductive rights in humans? Do you realize that those suffering from infertility are faced with ignorant comments on a daily basis, have to fight for equal rights from employers, and fight for basic insurance coverage? We have to fight every day to make our voices heard. Resolve helps give us that voice, and once a year we try to stand together to make ourselves heard- THAT'S what NIAW is about! Because we are tired of suffering in silence.

Why have you chosen to single out those of us who are unable to have children, who have nothing to do with your organization, who never made this choice for ourselves? I's hurtful for the 10% of the population who suffer from this disease. It is hurtful to myself, and my husband, to our families who have watched us suffer for 4 YEARS as we struggled and tried to have children, who have watched us suffer through 3 debilitating miscarriages.

I will be posting about this on my blog, and linking to other blogs who have written about this. I will not be posting a link to the contest itself, because I refuse to give your contest more traffic.

With the deepest sincerity-

Mailed April 5, 2011
Excuse the typos everyone, I was really riled up. I probably should have taken more time to write this out... but I am disgusted.

I got an automatic reply email that said, "not available now, regrets"

Nice.