Sportsmen Respond to New Jeep Ad

We, the undersigned, hereby wish to express our displeasure with the new advertisement for Jeep, a subsidary of DaimlerChrysler.

In the Commercial, titled Deer Hunter, a Jeep is driven through a wooded area with two deer tied to the top of the vehicle. As the Jeep drives by, hunters in camouflage are shown in the woods, in close proximity to each other and the road, admiring the deer. The Jeep then drives to an area marked with a "NO HUNTING" sign. The Jeep stops, the man gets out and releases the deer that appeared to be dead. The driver tells the deer they are safe and the deer bound away. In the background, other Jeep owners are shown doing the same thing.

We feel this ad portrays America's sportsmen in a negative light.It seems to portray hunters as "bad guys" and people who "save" the animals are the protagonists. The simple fact is that the approximately 40 million sportsmen of America are the leading force in conservation today. The millions of dollars raised through license fees are considered vital funding for many state programs including, but not limited to, the purchase and upkeep of habitat, wildlife research and many educational programs for the general public. In other words, the reason conservation flourishes is because of the sportsmen of america.

We hereby request that the ad be pulled from television. Furthermore, DaimlerChrysler should release a statement apologizing for the ad and acknowledging the positive role sportsmen play in conservation of wildlife.