Since the United States and South Korea recently agreed to import U.S. beef, tens of thousands Koreans have participated in mass candlelight vigils almost every night to oppose the trade negotiation. Most of them are composed of young people such as middle school and high school students. Their concern is that U.S. beef is not safe from mad cow disease at all which is devastatingly fatal to human life.

U.S. beef, as Dr Michael Greger of the Humane Society insists, is likely the riskiest meat in the world in terms of mad cow disease. However, according to the agreement between the two countries, Korean government cannot suspend the importing of U.S. beef even though mad cow disease is documented in the United States.

In solidarity with those brave young Koreans, some U.S. citizens including Korean Americans in Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Seattle, and Toronto formed a grassroots organization “Concerned Americans against Mad Cow Disease” at May 13th to start a petition campaign (visit their web site www.stopmadcow.org) against the negotiation. On the statement of solidarity, they demand the following:

• We urge the U.S. government to protect the health of Americans and the people around the globe from mad cow disease by shutting down inhumane and unsafe practices of its beef industry.
• We urge the U.S. government to re-negotiate the terms of exporting U.S. beef with weaker countries, including Korea, based on protecting the rights and safety of the consumer.
• The South Korean government must stop its "mad cow policy" and guarantee the freedom of speech for all people engaged in peaceful candlelight vigils in Korea.
• The U.S. and Korean governments, in upholding the will of its people, must cancel the beef agreement.

Your truly “international” solidarity and support is what they desperately need right now. You can support them at www.stopmadcow.org.

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