SH thankyou for your response.

As a young person in Ag it is hard to sort out the rehtoric of all the different organizations. As part of my college experience we were exposed in a way to both R-Calf and NCBA. Like all polictical organizations they both can give good and compelling talks and then one is left to wonder.  I think for a majority of young people R-Calf just seems like the thing to do cause it is so highly promoted. But I have always believed that we have to have packers as our distributer. I sure as hell don't want to have to kill and market my own beef.

 Second I think COOL could back fire. BSE outbreaks will happen in the U.S. It will happen. When it does all that grandstanding about American beef being the best and safest in the world is gonna sound pretty hollow. What are we gonna tell to the consumer then. When and if they decide to eat beef again they will then just buy the cheapest, since safe is just a relative term. We live in a walmart culture. Then we will just have an expensive branding program.

Perhaps we should try as hard as possible to minimize the possibility of BSE, and funnel money into R and D in studying BSE and maybe finding a treatment,cure, or something to make the public more comfortable eating beef. Truth is important and I get upset at any organization that runs on emotion. It is embarrassing to hear people that just want someone else to save them, we are in a business. Just like any other, industries change, economic facts are economic facts. Not sure if I will join any of the organizations, not from a family of joiners but thanks for your opinion.

- gunslinger