- McLibel -

I would like to comment on what you have said.

In Reply to: McLibel posted by Tara Jones on November 19, 1999 at 10:40:01:

I would like to comment on what you have said. I know Dave, and I have met his son on a number of occasions. I am now a vegetarian, I hate vegetables. I had Lunch on a number of occasions with both Dave and Helen. Both of them asked why I ate meat, having heard what I heard in court, and having seen what I have seen working for places like McDonalds. I explained, and they were cool with that. They have never tried to convert me into being a vegetarian, and I would have taken great exception to that if they had. I assume they would also have taken great exception to me trying to force them to eat meat. In this day and age there is very little need to eat meat, we can get by without it. For some people the suffering caused to animals during slaughter (remember that McDonalds were found to use inhumane ways at their slaughter houses - the ones they used, as they do not own any.) is too much, and try to have this stopped by not eating meat.

Further, Daves son appears to be a very balanced young man. The last time I saw him he was trying to learn to play the guitar. He was doing this at 7pm, a time when most young men of his age are sat watching the TV, he was learning. That does not sound as though he is a child that has usffered a retarded childhood. He loves Dave, and Dave loves him. Dave (and Helen) worked VERY hard to try and make McDonalds listen, to allow other people (yes, people like you!!!) to be able to stand up and say what they want to about a person or company that is doing wrong. They succeeded to an extent, but it is still illegal for you to say even the most obvious of things. For example, McDonalds sued because they said that their food was not nutritious. Now, even the most illiterate of people know that eating McDonalds food is not healthy. If you can believe that it is, then I suggest (with the greatest of respect) that you do some nutritional reading.

Further, you try to implythat if it is against 'the cause' your comments will not be listened to. I wrote an article on McLibel for my (law school) magazine. I worked in court for the McLibel case. I am currently working on a ban on McDonalds adverts. I hate McDonalds. But I still rang them up and asked them to make their contribution to my article. You seem to believe that people who campaign cannot or will not listen, we (at least those at the McLibel end) do, its just that we can't accept that damaging the long term health of children and causing suffering to the workers, environment and animals is excusable in the way McDonalds have tried excusing. I can tell you now, McDonalds would get an article published here, but they are too arrogant to reply to anyone but the courts.

Follow Ups:

• tell me donald UK/USA - I travel a lot December 08 1999 (1)
  • Here you go MDG December 30 1999 (0)