more robert cohen stuff..this is getting weird

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

Sue Aberle has enormous courage, both for writing

a confidential letter that I include in today's

newsletter, and for then giving me permission

to publish her comments so that justice be served.

 

As many of you know, I have been the recipient

of a slanderous attack from one individual who

has enormous power in the vegetarian movement.

 

That individual has told many lies about me,

intimating that I do not have a college degree,

am a sexual predator, and am a phony. I have also

been called a " loose cannon " , based upon this man's

interpretation of a Seattle incident (you will

find the truth of that matter in Sue's letter). He's

placing pressure upon many organizations to cancel

my talks, and has succeeded in canceling appearances

for lectures at EarthSave Louisville, EarthSave

Minneapolis, EarthSave San Francisco, and EarthSave

Hudson Valley (New York). I apologize to those of

you who were looking forward to hearing me speak.

That will not happen at your local EarthSave chapter.

 

I am honored to have this one woman step forward to tell

the truth about one of the incidents. My thanks to you,

Sue.

 

In time, the truth about all of the accusations will

be confirmed by those who realize that they have nothing

to fear from this man, who is out of control.

 

In writing her letter, and sending me a copy, she

shows me the spirit and integrity that I have always

admired and tried to live by. She may suffer the

consequences of her convictions, but truth always

finds a way to show her beautiful face. I present

you with that letter, exactly as written.

 

I have enough trouble when my adversaries interfere

with a talk, radio, or television appearance. They

have great power, as the following letter will

demonstrate. It is bad enough to have industry agents

sabotaging my work, but when hatred comes from people

within my own movement, well, you know the old

saying, with friends like that, who needs enemies?

 

If you've heard or read some of the vile slander, please

consider that just a few months ago I was invited by

this same individual to be one of five key speakers at

a weekend conference that drew 10,000 people. I was

in pretty good company on that day. The other four

speakers were Howard Lyman, the Mad Cowboy, who

was sued along with Oprah by America's cattlemen,

T. Colin Campbell, America's most respected nutritionist,

John McDougall, one of the finest physicians in the

vegetarian movement, and John Robbins, author of

the best selling book, Diet for a New America.

 

If the statements contained within this man's vile personal

attack were true, I would never have been invited to appear

with four of the best known heros of the vegetarian

movement. It is not fun being the main dish at a

feeding frenzy. It is not fun being the target of a

lynch mob having just one deranged goal.

 

If you wish to judge me, do so by Sue's letter to Jeff,

and by my response which I have posted to my website:

 

http://www.notmilk.com/ahimsa.html

_______

THE LETTER

_______

 

" Hi, Jeff –

 

I need to comment on something that you wrote in your

comments about Robert Cohen. This is in regards to ES

(EarthSave) Seattle. Robert was the first speaker to be

cancelled from our TOH (Taste of Health) 2001 lineup.

He was cancelled before the entire event was cancelled.

It is true that pressure from our sponsors to back off on

the dairy issue was behind the cancellation. Let me fill

you in on the details.

 

I was the one who invited Robert to speak for TOH 2001

after I heard him speak at World Vegetarian Congress in

Toronto in July 2000. I returned to Seattle with lots of

information from WVC, and proceeded to present some

of the information at our potlucks and in the form of

newsletter articles. I presented Robert's information at two

potlucks, for which I received many positive comments.

 

I then wrote a newsletter article, in which I utilized much

of the information that Robert had presented at WVC.

There again, many positive comments, it was passed around

at the board meeting prior to publication, and received

approval for publication. After the newsletter was published

and circulated, two of our TOH sponsors, one of which is

Whole Foods, the other of which is our local regional co-op,

called our marketing liaison in to their offices and " called

him on the carpet " for the anti-dairy position that ESS had

taken, and basically told him that they would no longer

sponsor our events if we take that position, because both

stores sell dairy products. All of a sudden, the presentations

that I did and the article that I wrote were 'negative' and

'distasteful.'

 

He expressed concern that the companies that market the

alternative products that we 'demo' at TOH might pull out,

because many are now owned by larger corporations, which

also have financial interests in meat and dairy. The ESS

board of directors instructed me to cancel Robert's

participation in TOH, months before the overall TOH was

cancelled. I told our marketing liaison (who is no longer

with ESS) that if we allow ourselves to be censored in the

name of pleasing our sponsors, then we are no different

from any other organization that pussy-foots around the

issues because of money.

 

But, yes, ES Seattle has muzzled its messengers to placate

its corporate sponsors. This is one of the reasons why I am

no longer as involved with ESS as I was two years ago, and

will not write any more newsletter articles that take any

kind of controversial position. If (a big 'if') I write any

more newsletter articles, they will be very lukewarm and

basic - 'eat your vegetables' and 'don't worry about the

protein.' I've been burned enough, thank you.

 

It was about the same time that TOH was cancelled that

there was a major split in ESS, with most of the previous

leadership leaving to form another vegetarian organization.

At this time, the relationship between the two groups is

rather cool, and I have not had contact with that previous

marketing liaison for nearly 1 year. So, please correct your

comments, although the current ESS leadership is not

necessarily 'guilty as charged,' since, as I mentioned

previously, most of the prior leadership has left. That point

must be made, and I do request that my name be left out of

your comments. Sincerely, Sue Aberle, MS, RD

ES Seattle and Snohomish sue "

_______

 

A few EarthSave Board members have resigned as a result

of this one man's venom. Many members of EarthSave have

written to me, threatening to quit the organization

as a result of the injustices I have suffered. I urge

you not to quit. I urge you to support your local

chapter. I urge you to demand that EarthSave return

to the principles upon which it was founded, for if

it does, it will become an organization that can

impact the world for the better.

 

Robert Cohen

http://www.notmilk.com

[Guest guest]

Fraggle

 

It makes me wonder exactly what is going on!!!

 

Jo

 

 

 

 

---

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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

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[Guest guest]

me also..it isn't getting wierd over at the earthsave site..and, i'm horribly

torn...mr cohen did have some " problems " about 2 yrs ago on earthsave, and it

makes the charges sound plausible

wotever..i'm just waiting....the more info the better

 

fraggle

 

" Jo " <Heartwork wrote:

 

>Fraggle

>

>It makes me wonder exactly what is going on!!!

>

>Jo

>

>

>

>

>---

>Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

>Version: 6.0.324 / Virus Database: 181 - Release 14/02/02

>

>

>

>To send an email to -

>

>

[Guest guest]

It is possibe that Earthsave Seattle is beholden to corporate interests,

and that Robert Cohen talks a lot of bollocks. The two aren't in any way

incompatible.

 

EBbrewpunx wrote:

>

> me also..it isn't getting wierd over at the earthsave site..and, i'm horribly

torn...mr cohen did have some " problems " about 2 yrs ago on earthsave, and it

makes the charges sound plausible

> wotever..i'm just waiting....the more info the better

>

> fraggle

 

--

Ian McDonald

 

http://www.mcdonald.me.uk/

[Guest guest]

There is a rebuttal on the vegsource page if you are interested, Fraggle.

 

http://www.vegsource.com/articles/cohen/aberle_cohen.htm

 

Talisman

[Guest guest]

LOL Ian - I reckon it could be possible.

 

Jo

 

 

> It is possibe that Earthsave Seattle is beholden to corporate interests,

> and that Robert Cohen talks a lot of bollocks. The two aren't in any way

> incompatible.