To everyone:  from Kari

In regards to my sponsorship from the HSUS, I would like to say that I never knew so much controversy would evolve!  The purpose of my sponsorship with the HSUS was not to offend anyone, rather to bring awareness to the GIVE WILDLIFE A BRAKE PROGRAM.  I have been racing in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series for 7 years, and my website has been up since 2003.  I have never received so many emails and so many hits to my site as I have in the last 2 days.  (There is a 2000% increase in hits to my site!)  I would like to take this opportunity to set things straight so you can see where I'm coming from.  I would greatly appreciate it if you would take the time to read what I have to say, as I have read every single email from you. 

First of all, I would like to say I can appreciate your viewpoints as you are expressing your feelings about your passion, hunting and fishing.  I can completely understand how you feel as I am a very passionate person when it comes to causes I believe in and things I love to do.  Some emails that I received were quite threatening, others were very educational, and some were downright funny!  I will be investigating the stand the HSUS takes on hunting and fishing further.

I too am a VERY OPINIONATED person, that's why I truly admire all of you who took the time to write to me!  I hope that someday when my book gets published you will buy it to read more about what I think on different subjects. (Watch for my book, "Miller for President, 2012".  It's supposed to be a funny title people!!! GEEZ!!)

I try to keep my personal beliefs to myself as I do not want to offend anyone, however I now feel that I am entitled to share my beliefs with you all due to the overwhelming amount of emails I've received. 

OK, so here it goes...

- I have never stated anywhere that I am against hunting or fishing.  I have never stated that I do not eat meat.  I have never stated that I do not wear leather or use any animal products.  I am NOT a vegetarian. 

- I am against the cruel treatment of animals.  I am against animal testing.  I am against animal fighting.  I LOVE ALL animals and I want them to be treated as fairly as possible.  I LOVE ALL animals, including those you hunt.  But just because I love them doesn't mean you can't hunt them. 

- I KNOW THAT MANY NASCAR FANS AND DRIVERS ARE AVID HUNTERS AND FISHERS.  Yes, I pay tribute to my biggest idol in racing, DALE EARNHARDT on my home page, and YES I know he was a huge hunter and he was endorsed and sponsored by big hunting and fishing companies.  I will gladly put those companies' logos on my car if they want to support me too. 

- NO my sponsorship with the HSUS is not strictly monetary.  I do support the GIVE WILDLIFE A BRAKE program and I agree with it.  I counted 14 dead animals on the side of the road one day on my way home!  That's ridiculous! 

- Yes, I am sponsored by the HSUS Give Wildlife a BRAKE (b-r-a-k-e- not break!) program.  The purpose of the program is to bring awareness to wildlife on the road as you are driving.  Countless animals are killed because of our carelessness as we're driving and I want to do what I can to promote this cause. 

- I am aware that my race car and track and products that I use for racing may contain animal products and I am not necessarily against that. 

- PETA is NOT one of my sponsors.  I do have a link to their website on my site because I believe in SOME of the causes supported by PETA.  (Animal testing, animal fighting, animal cruelty.)  And I agree with you that some PETA activists are extremists, and I DO NOT agree with that type of behavior. 

- NO I DO NOT Support TERRORISM.  I hate terrorists.  I think if we all knew more of what was really going on in the government we'd come to find out we all support terrorist funded groups/companies.  I wish that we were more informed of what is truly going on in our world, as we are very sheltered from the truth by our government. 

- I DO feel that EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinions and that this great country is founded on freedom of speech.  I really appreciate that you all are voicing your opinions - but where were you during the last election? HAHAHA!  And if you have such strong beliefs about your passions, what are YOU doing to help support YOUR CAUSE?  I can tell you by emailing me it won't go far because in the big scheme of things I am a nobody.  But maybe someday I will be a somebody. 

- I am a local small-time race car driver trying to make a go of my passion.  Yes, it would be nice to move up the racing ladder, but as you should know, it takes money.  (Besides that I'm too old in today's standards of Cup or Busch series racing!  I'm almost 30 for gosh sakes!)  Unfortunately I have not been blessed with a fat pocketbook, or the opportunity to know anyone who has.  I have no connections to anyone who can help my career, so that leaves me to do all of my own marketing.  In the sport of racing the way to get money is by "marketing" yourself and your abilities to sponsors.  Sponsors in turn give you money to support YOUR cause.  This day in age it is VERY DIFFICULT to secure sponsorships, so when you find an organization that is willing to support you by sponsoring you, you join forces.  The HSUS Give Wildlife a Brake program has given me sponsorship money because they believe in me, and they know that I need to be able to buy tires and gas to race.  Their sponsorship is helping me do the thing that I love to do, racing.  I am totally open to any sponsors.  If your organizations want to donate to my cause of racing then we can talk and I will put your logo on my car and website and help you promote what it is that you do.  I will not stop promoting myself or those who believe in me just because EVERYONE doesn't support EVERY aspect of one of my sponsors.  I wish you could just try to appreciate the fact that they SPONSOR me, so if you are that upset about what they do, I suggest you contact them as your words will have greater value at the source.  

Yes, I do support SOME of the causes of the HSUS.

Yes, I have been a member of the HSUS since 1999.  I do donate little scraps that I can spare annually to the HSUS because they send me a picture and a sad true story of an abused animal.  And since I am the passionate person that I am, but I can't afford to donate more, I send what I can because it makes ME feel good thinking that my donation will go toward saving animals who can't save themselves. 

Yes, I do support my local humane societies.  I also take very good care of all of my pets.  They are my children and they are treated as such.  I wish all animals could be treated the way I treat mine! 

The bottom line is this, I love racing and I love animals.  I have never said that I am for or against hunting or fishing, I even fish every year up in the Lake of the Woods.  Before you people accuse me of being close-minded and a lot of other mean things I can't write here, please try to understand where I am coming from. 

Oh, and for all of you who wished me bad luck, I've already won 1 race this season, and we've got a long way to go! 

And I don't mind the publicity either!  :)   (And no I did not do this for publicity, I didn't have a clue that this sponsorship would generate this much controversy)  It's kind of fun getting emails from around the country!  I wish more people would take the time to stand up for what they believe in!  If we all did it, this country could be a lot better off! 

And as far as me being a hypocrite or contradictory, whatever.  I am who I am, and I have rights too.  If you don't like what I'm saying you don't have to listen.  I do have the right to exercise my freedom of speech, but if nobody's listening it doesn't matter.  (If a tree falls in the woods but nobody hears it, does it still make noise?)

Thanks again to everyone and I hope I didn't offend you even more by trying to do what I love to do. (racing)  TRUST me, my intentions started off good! 

If you want to contact me, here's the e-mail address: info@karimiller.com.

 

HERE'S THE ARTICLE!!!

http://www.wlfa.org/interactive/features/Read.cfm?ID=1542

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
to receive a free Sportsmen's Defense Kit and other great member benefits.
USSA Rated Number 1 !!!
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Feature
 

Special Feature Articles of interest to sportsmen.


Race Car Driver Promotes Anti-Hunting Organization- (05/12)Click for Printer Friendly Option
National
 
Join our e-mail alert list

Send to a friend

Sportsmen’s rights are taking a backseat to animal rights as a popular female stock car driver uses her car to promote the nation’s largest anti-hunting group.

 

Kari Miller, a short track race car driver who competes in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, has added a Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) sticker to her sponsor decals.  Miller is promoting the group’s Give Wildlife A Brake campaign.  It is meant to help drivers avoid collisions with wildlife and educate them about helping injured animals along the roadside.

 

“As with many HSUS campaigns, Give Wildlife A Brake sounds innocent, lending credibility to the organization despite its true goal of ending animal use including hunting,” said U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance President Bud Pidgeon.  “But sportsmen must not forget that when money is donated to a seemingly harmless HSUS program, that frees up funds for the group to invest in anti-sportsmen campaigns.”

 

Miller’s also plugs anti-hunting organizations on her website, www.karimiller.com.  The links page directs visitors to “Some of Kari’s Favorite Sites” including HSUS and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

 

The 2005 racing season kicked off May 1, and thousands of spectators and fans will see Miller’s support for the HSUS every Sunday throughout the summer.

 

Take Action!  Sportsmen can contact Miller to educate her about HSUS’s goals to end hunting, fishing, trapping and other forms of animal use.  E-mail Miller at info@karimiller.com.

Information on this website can be reprinted with a citation to the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and www.ussportsmen.org


For more information about how you can protect your rights as a sportsman, contact The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, 801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229. Phone (614) 888-4868. E-Mail us at info@USSPORTSMEN.org

 

Here's the press release submitted by the HSUS...

04/28/2005
 

WASHINGTON – When Kari Miller's stock car streaks by at Raceway Park in Shakopee, Minnesota, you might notice that she has a unique message displayed amongst her sponsors' decals. "Give Wildlife A Brake"™ is an important message for animal lovers and one that Miller takes to heart. The program is run by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and provides driving tips on how to avoid hitting wildlife as well as suggestions on what to do if you find an injured animal along the roadway.

"We are so pleased that Kari is using her car to deliver a positive message for wildlife," said Susan Hagood, wildlife issues specialist for The HSUS. "And a message about how to drive safely to protect animals is all the more meaningful coming from someone who makes her living in the driver's seat."  The HSUS is also providing Miller with informative brochures and bumper stickers to hand out to her fans.

The HSUS "Give Wildlife A Brake"™ program has been in existence since 1998 to combat the countless animal fatalities that occur on America's roadways each year. Some suggested driving tips include:

bulletBe more watchful for wildlife at dawn, dusk, and in the first few hours after darkness falls.
bulletAssume that animals you encounter do not know how to get out of your way. This is especially true for young animals, who do not realize that cars are a threat.
bulletWhere there is one animal crossing, there may be more—young animals following their mothers or male animals pursuing a mate.

Miller has been driving race cars since 1998 and is not only one of the few women drivers who compete in NASCAR events but she is also one of the few drivers who actually works on her own car—she received the True Value Mechanic of the Year Award in 2000. This year, Miller will be driving in the Short Tracker Division. Miller, a long-time animal lover and a supporter of The HSUS, lists "spending time with my dogs" as one of her favorite activities outside of racing.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with nearly 9 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animals and sustainable agriculture. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The non-profit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.