A group of activists are angry and once again, they’re trying to force their views upon everyone else. This time it surrounds a toy on Walmart shelves. If that’s not enough, they’re showing ignorance by calling it a slaughter toy, choosing to ignore the model’s many other uses in real life.
A petition on change.org is asking Walmart to remove this ERTL Big Farm 1:32 Peterbilt Model 579 Semi with Livestock Trailer from its shelves. The petition claims the toy represents senseless slaughter of animals and stands against teaching children violence surrounding animals.
Let’s not let this be the negative headline a group of activists want to dampen the holiday season! Let’s make this into a positive impact, thank Walmart for carrying toys with a connection to rural America and help out kids in need across the country!
Teaming up with friends in the agriculture community, we’re kicking off campaign drive to collect donations and use the proceeds to purchase toys that will be donated to Toys For Tots that will help kids across the country receive toys this Christmas. We’ll be purchasing this Cattle Truck and other toys with ties to food, farming and ranching to donate to those in need for Christmas. Our goal is $5,000 and I’d love to see us reach it quickly.
Here’s how you can contribute to our Farm Toys For Tots campaign:
- Visit the Farm Toys For Tots gofundme page and donate to the campaign. $5, $10 or $25. $35 would purchase one of these cattle trucks for a child. Anything you’re willing to donate. All proceeds will be used to purchase farm-related toys that will be donated to Toys For Tots or local toy drives this Christmas season.
- Sign up to be part of our Farm Elf network at bit.ly/FarmElf. We’re asking friends in the farming and ranching communities to help us distribute these toys to local drives across the country. We’ll arrange to have the toys ready for pickup at your local Walmart through their in-store service.
- Spread the word. The original petition was meant to draw negative headlines. We’ll keep the focus on positive giving during the 2015 Holiday Season and spread some agriculture cheer in the process. Visit the Farm Toys For Tots Facebook page and use the hashtag #FarmToysForTots to let us know you’re joining.
- Consider making other toy donations to help kids in your local area.
If you’ve spent much time around livestock farmers and ranchers, you’ll note that these trucks used to haul animals in a trailer (referenced to as a pot belly, bull hauler or other regional terms) to many locations. Often these trailers are used to move cattle across long distances, between summer and winter pastures, between farms and other destinations. Yes, they are also used to haul cattle to the slaughterhouse.
As a kid, toy trucks, cars, farm sets, interactive books can be great tools to teach about farm life and agriculture. As a farm kid, those were the dominant toys in our house. These are far from teaching violence. Give us a hand and let’s make this headline into a positive gift in spite of the negative intentions of another online petition grabbing media space!
A big thanks to my partners in helping to arrange this campaign.
Carrie Mess
– Blog: Dairy Carrie
– Twitter: @DairyCarrie
– Instagram: DairyCarrie
– Facebook: Dairy Carrie
Katie Pinke
– Blog: Pinke Post
– Twitter: @KatPinke
– Instagram: Kat Pinke
– Facebook: The Pinke Post
Diana Prichard
– Blog: Righteous Bacon
– Twitter: @Diana_Prichard
– Instagram: DianaPrichard
– Facebook: Diana Prichard
And you can find me at…
– Twitter: @AgProudRyan
– Instagram: AgProudRyan
– Facebook: I am Agriculture Proud
