KFC stamps

[Guest guest]

PETA has a petition that you can sign on their website. For those of us that prefer email. (KFC has a petition posted on their website in support of the stamp). http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/p2kfcstamp?c=peta2_enews I was looking on the USPS website for more information about commemorative stamps and came across this information about the process if anyone is interested. http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm Gwen

[Guest guest]

Alex,

 

I understand the passion behind your thinking; but I

think it is a bit misguided.

 

I know I can't speak for the USPS; but let me clarify

some things.

 

Firstly, whether we like to admit it or not, this is a

predominantly meat-eating nation. 90% + of the people

relish carrion and seemingly can't get enough of it.

Among this 90% I am sure you'll find a good number of

folks who consider Colonel Sanders an icon (and I

wouldn't be surprised to see KFC's hidden hand in

this).

 

Now, I don't know how many people know this, but the

USPS does *not* decide on its own what to put on its

stamps. That decision is left to the Citizens Stamp

Advisory Committee,

http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm

 

Their policy is: anyone can propose a design for a

stamp. If they get enough proposals for a design (and

not much negative reaction), *and* it meets certain

other criteria (like, for example, there have never

been any stamps that depicted a living person; this

rule was broken only once, when the 9/11 firefighters

stamp came out which showed them raising the flag over

the WTC site), *and* the CSAC gives its approval, then

the idea is approved for a stamp. Once the idea is

approved, a team of artists designs the stamps to meet

their stringent requirements. The whole process takes

several years.

 

So what I'm saying is: blaming the USPS for this idea

is wrong. They got proposals (maybe from a bunch of

KFC middle-managers, who knows?) and said they'd

consider them. If they get a lot of negative feedback,

they won't. The proper way to influence this decision

is to write to the CSAC.

 

On the positive side: if we, as vegetarians, can come

up with a stamp idea that highlights our values, we

should suggest it to the CSAC. Who knows, some day a

" love veggies " stamp will be issued? :-)

 

As for email feedback: I can understand why some would

prefer hardcopy feedback only. I know I've seen this

when writing to our elected representatives that if

you send an email or a fax, it doesn't garner as much

(or any, for that matter) attention as a handwritten

letter. Isn't that why we have the LWPs ?

 

As for the other comments about USPS being/not being a

public entity, etc. we can take it off this list. I

have views on those topics too, but they're beyond the

purview of this group...

 

Best regards,

 

Ajay

 

PS: Sent this again to conform to the guidelines of

the group.

 

--- Alex Bury <alex wrote:

> I completely agree with writing to the USPS to

> complain about the

> proposed KFC stamps. Ajay, I don't see this as an

> attack on USPS

> employees at all. I'm sure all the USPS employees

> you know are great,

> as are the ones I have met. And I'm happy that you

> have received money

> from them. However, that does not excuse the fact

> that they are

> considering promoting a for-profit business instead

> of the usual

> non-profit specialty stamp (a cause, a historical

> figure, a plant or

> animal, etc). I think the USPS should be ashamed

> of themselves!

> . . . .