Recently, several self-described SHARK supporters said they were withholding donations because we spoke out against Donald Trump. Allow us to answer as clearly as possible.
SHARK is not a political organization. We work to end cruelty to animals. If politicians are involved in animal cruelty, like when US Senator Jim Inhofe organized live pigeon shootings, we will speak out against them.
For us, it doesn’t matter to us what the political boundaries of the individual will be. Where appropriate, SHARK has gone after Democrats (such as corrupt Berks County, Pennsylvania District Attorney John Adams), Republicans, Independents, etc. We even brought in Senator Bernie Sanders , the darling of the progressive movement on duty for his kind words to Senator Inhofe – a corrupt individual like him is cruel and cowardly.
SHARK employees have spoken out against Donald Trump, and we will continue to do so. Our concerns about Trump have nothing to do with his party or anything the media has reported regarding him.
Our opposition to Trump stems from Trump. We heard the words that came out of his mouth, and decided not to ignore them. Bragging about sexually assaulting women, racist remarks, anti-gay and anti-transgender policies and mocking the disabled are just some of his appalling acts.
In addition to Trump’s words, we reviewed his policies. As president, Trump has given incredible power to anti-animal politicians such as Scott Pruitt (head of Trump’s EPA), whose record against animals and the environment is clear. We also note that Ryan Jackson, the former Chief of Staff for Inhofe (and with whom we fought the pigeon shooting) is now the EPA Chief of Staff. The environment, the people and animals that live in it, are suffering a lot of this, and will suffer even more in the future. Watch Ryan Jackson lie in defense of Inhofe’s cruel and illegal pigeon shooting in this video:
The Endangered Species Act under Trump and under Trump’s proposed budget, Wild horses can be sold for slaughter. The US Department of Agriculture removes access to animal welfare records and Trump backs NRA law to restrict National Park Service from regulating hunting, including allowing bears and their cubs to be killed in their dens. And let’s not forget that Trump and his sons, Eric and Don Jr., are known to be very supportive of the title hunt (see photo below). This is not a left/right or Democrat/Republican issue, nor is it something to blame for the media. This is about an individual who poses a real danger to the animals we seek to protect.
While there are many social problems caused by Donald Trump, we especially cannot ignore the way Trump covers up hate groups, especially as he tries to place blame for what happened at a meeting. Pro-Nazi/racist demonstration in Charlottesville in which a woman was killed. If you participate in the same protest where the swastika is proudly held, you are not a “good” person.
There are times when we as citizens of this great country must rise and stand. Trump has embraced corruption and hatred during his campaign, and now as president, we believe it’s our moral obligation to speak up. We’ll do the same no matter what banner he flies.
To those who choose to withdraw their support because of this stance, we wish to be completely clear. If speaking out means SHARK loses contributions, then we lose donations. Donors should keep their money, and we will keep our ethics.
