Zazzle.com Lawsuit Involves U.S. Postmaster, Hunters, Politics

The Outdoor Wire ^ | 8/15/2006 | Jim Shepherd

[girlangler]

Bitter philosophical disagreements between companies that accept advertising and messages from anti-hunting groups, while refusing pro-hunting messages, are nothing new in the outdoors.

But a refusal to create a special postage stamp referencing sportsmen as conservationists by ZAZZLE.com, an "official licensed vendor" for the U.S. Postal Service, has led to the filing of a pair of complaints with United States Postmaster General John Potter.

An original complaint, field August 11 by REACT Consulting Group of Olympia, Washington, centers on ZAZZLE's rejection of a stamp bearing the legend "Sportsmen - America's First Conservationists" and the headline "$1.7 Billion for Conservation Annually" - referencing the annual amount of money spent by hunters and fishermen for licenses and permits. Rejected by ZAZZLE

That message, according to the complaint, was rejected by ZAZZLE due to a "Policy Violation" which "Incorporates material that is primarily partisan, or political, in nature."

Granted, the message is pro-hunter, but in a letter to Postmaster General Potter, Ed Owens of REACT contends that the standard employed in rejecting that design by Zazzle must be "absolutely uniformly applied to any and all submissions." That, Owens says, is not the case.

As evidence, Owens submits as examples of selective standards four stamps from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Each stamp champions an HSUS positions against everything from seal hunting to "puppy mills".

Approved by ZAZZLE

In the August 11 complaint, Owens reminds the Postmaster General that a "minimal review of the Congressional Record returns the observation that these images depict legislative matters that have been - and for the most part continue to be - highly charged political issues.

All one need do, for example, is ask the Canadian government about the seal issue, American Kennel about the HSUS dog breeding agenda or the Farm Bureau about farm issues to quickly realize just how politically charged these issues truly are."

"It is immaterial to this discussion as to whether or not the issues depicted are worthy causes, " Owens writes, "What is material is that funds from the sale of these images are clearly being used to support the HSUS political agenda with regard to the issues depicted, and others, in violation of US Postal Service regulations."

The original complaint letters goes on to point out that the "long description" of the images not only set out a political agenda, but go so far as to provide web links to the HSUS website.

On August 13, a second complaint letter was sent to the Postal Service. In this letter, Owens takes issue with a series of five "dove postage stamps" each bearing the message "Protect Michigan's Doves" - a direct reference to the current move to repeal that state's recently-passed mourning dove hunting season.

Again, Owens references the U.S. Postal Service regulations are "absolutely clear" that "valid postal imagery supporting political agendas is prohibited."

Reading ZAZZLE's own guidelines would appear to support the official position against political positions, with the exception of a single amendment. Rather than categorically define what constitutes an advocacy position for all ZAZZLE stamp creators, the guidelines state that prohibited content is decided in the "sole judgment and discretion" of ZAZZLE.

In other words, we've listed the regulations, but we will selectively choose when- and to whom- they will be applied.

The right to refuse service to any customer is one of those near-sacred rights of business. For a business operating under the auspices and guidelines of a federal agency, however, the parameters for picking-and-choosing customers might not leave wiggle room for "sole discretion."

That inconsistency serves as the basis for the REACT Consulting complaints.

In the complaints, Owens/REACT does not ask the Postal Service to strip ZAZZLE of their status as an "official licensed vendor for the United States Postal Service" or even stop selling the stamps which mitigated the complaint.

He does ask that the Postal Service "compel" ZAZZLE to equally enforce the postal regulations. That would remove the "sole discretion" qualifier Owens believes is being misapplied to the "Sportmen" stamp.

As of press time, neither the Postmaster General nor ZAZZLE had replied to the complaint letters.

-- Jim Shepherd

[girlangler]

Ping all your hunting friends. Might need to write a letter to the U.S. Postmaster.

[TheDon]

"There's a cold wind blowing..."

[girlangler]

Ping

[george76]

The anti-hunting groups do not have to buy the stamps.

[herkbird]

It's so amazing that many of these ignorant people don't realize that if not for the American Sportsmen and Women, making contributions to help wildlife, many animals would be long extinct in many areas instead. The State of Georgia alone, Deer and Turkey populations were extinct until the money from Sportsmen and women licenses and taxes on hunting and fishing gear were used to reintroduce these species along with many other. This stamp sounds like a great idea too me.

[girlangler]

True, hunters have financed the return of near extinct wildlife and purchased most (make that all) of the public land (where the majority of wildlife exists today).

On the other hand, the Humane Society of the U.S. rakes in more than $50 million annually, and doesn't do squat for any animals, including domestic kitties and puppies.

They are one of the biggest frauds in this country, yet most Americans think they are wonderful animal protectors.

The HUSUS spends their money trying to end animal research, hunting, fishing, attacking agricultural interests, and sending propaganda to schools to influence kids to be AR wackos. Oh, and they spend a lot of their money paying themselves (BOD) huge salaries, including the HSUS president, who makes more than the president of the U.S.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Rules for Thee, but Not for Me! ;)

[billhilly]

Thanks. I have passed it along to some activist friends.

[ApplegateRanch]

HSUS "seal" stamps:

They look SOOOOO cute, and...

...their advocates are SOOOOO articulate and loving:

"Seal Stamps I am so happy that you offer these seal stamps..Shame on Canada's prime minister for turning down our request. Sorry but I am a little more brutal than most people & I really think someone needs to throw the prime minister & the killers on the ice so us animal lovers can take turns beating them with clubs. I wonder how they would feel if someone was beating their children? Bastards."
(ss) PhantomLover 8/3/2006 9:19:43 AM

But we know the truth:

...SAVE THE SALMON: Kill a seal today!

[Hot Tabasco]

each bearing the message "Protect Michigan's Doves" - a direct reference to the current move to repeal that state's recently-passed mourning dove hunting season

Compliments of the Michigan Humane Society.....

The hack vet I took my cat to this past January when she broke her leg had a Michigan Humane Society donation canister on the counter that was attempting to solicit donations to fight the dove hunting bill........