Golly Gee - The Tarnished Halo Award

The right wing wacko group the Center for Consumer Freedom announced the awards for the 2003 "Tarnished Halos" and, we are proud to announce that the Sierra Club was honored for electing Captain Paul Watson to the National Board of Directors in 2003.

They listed it as:

The "Pirate of the High Sierras" Category

Awarded to members of the Sierra Club, for electing "Captain" Paul Watson to their Board of Directors. Watson's methods of environmental and animal-rights activism include ramming fishing boats and firing shotguns at fisherman. He defends these actions by saying, "if you make every effort to not kill and injure anybody, that's all you really can do," and by claiming "there's nothing wrong with being a terrorist, as long as you win."

Of course the information they included is bogus. Captain Watson never fired a shotgun at a fisherman or anyone else. And both the aforementioned quotes were taken out of context distorting their intended meaning by 180 degrees. They also neglected to mention that he rams illegal whaling ships.

But it is good to be noticed and Sea Shepherd is honored that Captain Paul Watson was recognized by the same people who awarded "tarnished halos" to Alex Baldwin, the New Zealand Minister of Health, Ingrid Newkirk of PETA, Noah Wylie, Prof Marion Nestle etc.

The same website attacks Bill Moyer, Robert Kennedy Jr, Bill Maher and a host of other celebrated celebrities.

The Center for Consumer Freedom was started with a grant from Phillip Morris Tobacco Company and viciously attacks any person or group that is critical of food, beverage or tobacco products.

As a group that defends the use of poisons in foods and that promotes exploitation of resources for profit regardless of the ecological or health costs, the Center for Consumer Freedom is a group that we are honored to be attacked by.

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society would have been concerned and upset if they had not attacked and condemned us.

Thank-you Center for Consumer Fleecing for recognizing the fact that we must be irritating the hell out of you and the companies that sponsor you.

Captain Watson sent the following message to the Center for Consumer Fraud:

To My Friends at the Center for Consumer Fantasy,

I am flattered that you awarded the tarnished halo award to the Sierra Club for electing me. Could you send me the award, so that I can announce it at the next Board meeting and have it placed in the Sierra Club office. My address is P.O. Box 2616, Friday Harbor, Wa. 98250.

I assume you really do give out these rewards and this is not some sort of bogus scam where you pretend to give out awards but don't actually do so.

Thanks

Captain Paul Watson

P.S. I'll post this announcement on the website. I was thrilled to share this award with Alex Baldwin and Ingrid Newkirk