A n i m a l
W r i t e s © sm
The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com
Issue # 04/14/02
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ Park StRanger@aol.com
~
MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ Like Animals By Laura A. Moretti
2 ~ Job Opportunities
3 ~ Help Needed
4 ~ Let The Bunnies Be Free By Robert Cohen
5 ~ Earth Day 2002
6 ~ Former USDA Inspector Condemns AKC Over PPA
7 ~ Race To The Heart By Arvall K Wroten
8 ~ God's Will By WantNoMeat@aol.com
9 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
Like Animals
By Laura A. Moretti
From The Animals' Agenda - March/April 2002
"Why
do you suppose you like animals so much?" was the million-dollar question
put to me Christmas Eve (and one I hadn't provoked). I knew my family was
expecting me to say something like, "I like animals because they're cute
and cuddly and furry and fun to play with."
But instead I said, "I like animals because they're honest."
My observation triggered a facetious comment from one of my brothers.
"About what?" -- as if honesty were merely about telling the truth,
and everyone knows animals can't talk! His notation was met with hearty
laughter; for once, they thought they'd repaid me for all the discomfort I'd
caused them at other family gatherings.
"I like that animals don't pretend to be someone they're not," I
continued in my reply, hushing the crowd. "To quote a phrase, 'Dogs
don't lie about love.' Animals don't fake their
feelings. I like that they're emotionally fearless."
We were lounging on sofas and armchairs after our feast and
present-opening. Coffee was being served, so I seized the opportunity.
"I like animals," I added, "because they only take out of life
what they need. They don't abuse their environment, annihilate species,
pollute their water, contaminate the air they breathe. They don't build
weapons of mass destruction and use them against others -- particularly members
of their own species. I like animals because they have no use for those
things, or for war or terrorism. They don't build nations around
genocide."
My uncle seemed momentarily lost in thought. He had been born and raised
in New York City.
"That's because they don't know any better," a brother-in-law
argued. "They don't do those things because they don't know
how."
"A pride of lions doesn't get together," I countered him, "and
decide how to exterminate zebras -- their very source of nourishment. I
don't think it's because they don't know how. I think it's because it's
counter-productive."
They laughed.
"I also like animals," I continued, "because they don't punish
themselves for their perceived inadequacies. They don't dwell on things
of the past, nor use them as excuses for behavior in the present. And
they don't plan to live someday in the future; they live today, this moment,
fully, completely, and purely. I like animals because they live their
lives with so much more freedom than humans live theirs."
"That's because they don't think," one of my cousins offered.
"Is that the difference?" I wondered. "'I think therefore
I'm cruel, destructive, insecure, abusive?' You meant to say they don't
think the way we think."
The room had become strangely quiet. I was amazed at how closely my
family was listening, despite the occasional grunt to the contrary.
"I like animals because they don't bow down to imaginary gods they've
created, nor annihilate each other in the name of those gods; gods, they say,
who are all-knowning and all-loving and just. I like animals because they
only know how to give unconditional love and implicit trust. I mean,
animals either extend those things to you or they don't; there are no shades of
gray. They have the best of what makes us human and, as one observer put
it, 'none of our vices.'"
"And thank God," someone injected.
"Lastly," I added, remembering why I was an animal rights activist,
"Animals are the most victimized living creatures on earth: more than
children, more than women, more than people of color. Our prejudice
enables us to exploit and use them, as scientific tools and expendable
commodities, and to eat them. We do to them any atrocity our creative
minds can summon. We justify our cruelties; we have to or we can't commit
them. I like animals because they don't do to themselves or to others the
things we do to them. And they don't make excuses for unethical actions
because they don't commit unethical acts."
"And finally," I finished, "I like animals because they're not
hypocrites. They don't say one thing and do another. They are, as
I've said, honest. Animals -- not humans -- are the best this planet has
to offer."
And, interestingly enough, despite my soapbox rant, not a one of them made a
snide comment or a hint of laughter. The conversation actually rolled
into shared stories of animals they'd known, stories of animal loyalty and
intelligence, their humor and innocence. And it was me who'd become the
listener with the occasional comment:
"Now, if humans could only be, well, like animals."
And that is why I fight the good fight; I rise on behalf of the best among us.
Laura A. Moretti is a contributing editor to "The Animals'
Agenda."
"Reprinted with permission from The Animals' Agenda, P.O. Box 25881,
Baltimore, MD 21224; (410) 675-4566; www.animalsagenda.org."
Email: office@animalsagenda.org
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~2~
Job Opportunity
EXECUTIVE/LEGAL
ASSISTANT – wanted to perform all administrative duties in President’s office.
Excellent qualifications/solid experience required. Meticulousness,
reliability, confidentiality, respect for animals. Competitive salary/benefits.
Apply : PETA, Attn: HR, 501 Front Street, Norfolk, VA 23510; fax: 757-628-0789.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT (Policy) – Non-profit seeks experienced executive-level
assistant with excellent writing and research skills. The candidate must be
highly organized and thorough with strict attention to detail. The
candidate must also be a self-starter and have knowledge of animal rights
issues. We offer a competitive salary and benefits. Send cover letter and
résumé to PETA, Attn: Human Resources, 501 Front Street, Norfolk, VA 23510 or
fax to 757-628-0789
Kim DeWester
Human Resources Coordinator
The PETA Foundation
Tel: 757-622-7382, ext. 1404
Fax: 757-628-0789
KimberlyD@fsap.org
PETA-online.org
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~3~
Help Needed
Animal
Place has contracted with EarthView productions to do a 1-hour documentary on
farmed animal consciousness. Author Jeffrey Masson is the narrator.
We need help locating the following:
1. Person who is currently living with a chicken(s) as companions
2. 4-H kid who decided NOT to sell his animal after raising him/her
3. Footage of cow or pig giving birth.
4. Footage of mother cow, pig or hen caring for her young
If you can provide a lead on any of the following, please contact Kim Sturla at
KimSturla@aol.com Or Kim@AnimalPlace.org
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~4~
Let The Bunnies Be Free
By Robert Cohen - i4crob@earthlink.net
www.notmilk.com
I
woke Lizzy at the first light of dawn.
"It's time to free the bunnies," I whispered.
We had planned this moment for a week, from the time our Boston Terrier had discovered
three tennis-ball-sized furballs nestled under leaves in our backyard.
We had found the remnants of her mother a day earlier, victim of a neighbor's
cat. Perhaps she had sacrificed herself to save her young. Nature's plan?
One by one, our dog had found and carried each squealing bunny softly in her
jaws. She can never have pups of her own. That was the animal shelter's policy.
Still, she carried the baby rabbits in her jaws as if she had been their birth
mother. As I yelled, she dropped them and I chased, caught, and scooped each
one into a plastic waste basket, and then transferred the three siblings into a
large terrarium that had previously been home to two rescued guinea pig
brothers.
I telephoned my favorite licensed-by-the-state animal rehabilitator, Kimber
Gorall (Rochester, New York), and received good advice how to care for these
tiny rabbits.
We fed them freshly picked dandelions, both leaves and yellow flowers, which
were soon gobbled up. Seven days after munching a variety of plants in
the darkness of our basement, they had grown to the size of softballs. It was
time to release them into their new Garden of Eden.
We had just the place. When George Washington was retreating from the invading
British army, he and his soldiers passed nearby our Oradell, NJ home. The
street is called Soldier Hill Road, and at the intersection of Iroquois Street
there is a lovely stream and a partially wooded area. Washington's army had
taken sanctuary in those woods, and so too would our bunnies.
Lizzy and I walked for about ten minutes until we found the perfect spot. Newly
sprouted sweet onions had pushed their way through the earth, and lilies of all
sizes and colors dotted the ground. Amidst ferns, I spotted wild sassafras
(bunny root-beer) and other greens that would have looked good in my own salad.
We gently turned over the waste basket, and the bunnies ran in three
directions, then found each other and snuggled for a moment at the base of a
tree. In another minute, they began to explore, and we left them to their new
home.
We got home at 6:30 AM, and Lizzy said the three most magic and special words
that always bring a smile to this dad's face:
"I'm really hungry."
"I love you too, Lizzy."
I served Lizzy and her sisters (Jennifer and Sarah) their own bunny food.
That's what I've always called cut-up melons and grapes. They sat in the den
and watched 15 minutes of television. I joined them.
A commercial ran. It was either Burger King or McDonalds. I forget. What
I do remember is a cartoon depicting a chorus line of dancing, squawking
chickens happily singing their goofy song announcing a new flame-broiled filet
of their own breast meat. It was very offensive. I thought about Jews in
Palestine singing about their own death by nails packed into explosives from
suicide bombers. I pictured Palestinians happily singing as Israeli bullets and
missiles tore into their flesh. As my mind formed these images, Sarah said:
"Dad, that is really offensive. Can you picture the victims of 9/11 on the
airplane singing songs and kicking up their feet right before their planes
crashed into the Twin Towers?"
Nobody laughed.
The commercial was pathetic. The bunny rescue was a blessing. All life is
precious. Every creature deserves to live a life in that promised Garden of
Eden. The bunnies. The cows. The pigs. The humans. Let all be free.
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~5~
Earth Day 2002
Monday, April 22nd is Earth Day, a chance to send
a message loud and clear that our common home is precious, perishable, and
belongs to all of us -- animals and humans alike. For more information on
how you can register your event, or find an event near you, go to the following
website. Most events will be happening next weekend, so hurry.
Earth Day
Network
http://www.earthday.net/
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~6~
Former USDA Inspector Condemns
AKC Over PPA
From Erin Williams - erin@idausa.org
Contact: Marshall Smith, IDA, (573) 636-9291
www.idausa.org
Former
USDA Inspector Condemns American Kennel Club for Opposition to Puppy
Protection Act
MILL VALLEY, Calif. Marshall Smith, a former USDA inspector for nineteen years,
has condemned the American Kennel Club (AKC) for spearheading opposition to the
recently passed Puppy Protection Act (PPA). Smith strongly supports the
PPA, which will establish and enforce socialization standards and breeding limitations
for breeders. The act will also impose a three-strikes provision to
permanently revoke USDA licenses for Animal Welfare Act violators. The
AKC, along with others in the commercial pet production and distribution
industry, argue that its passage poses a threat to individual pet
"owners" who do not fall under USDA's regulatory authority.
The USDA is currently responsible for regulating the commercial pet industry,
noted for the perpetuation of "puppy mills." However, retail
pet sellers are generally exempt from federal regulations despite rampant
consumer complaints. Critics of the industry attribute the PPA's passage
to exposes revealing the appalling conditions breeding animals are forced to
endure. Preserving the integrity of the PPA is critical to the
improvement of these dismal conditions, and will allow the USDA to revoke the
licenses of repeat offenders.
Commercial pet production facilities use factory-farming techniques to
mass-produce young animals in "pet mills." These creatures are
then shipped over thousands of miles to pet stores around the world in a
variety of transportation vehicles, even those as crude as
tractor-trailers. The breeding animals that remain are forced to spend
their entire lives in tiny cages, reproducing until they are no longer
productive.
"I support any legislation that would improve the quality of life for
animals in the mills and revoke licenses for repeat offenders," stated
Smith, who is now the Director of Investigations for the international animal
protection group In Defense of Animals (IDA). "However, I am opposed
to commercial breeding, especially since millions of healthy animals are
euthanized in pounds and shelters each year."
In an effort to break the connection between pet mills and pet stores, IDA is
leading a nationwide boycott of Petland, Inc. and other pet shops that sell
puppies and kittens. Supporters of the boycott advocate adoption as the
only moral option for those seeking a companion animal. Consumers are
also encouraged to avoid the temptation of the cute baby animals found in some
pet store's windows by shopping only at pet supply stores that abstain from
selling live animals.
IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS
*131 CAMINO ALTO, SUITE E * MILL VALLEY, CA 94941
* 415-388-9641
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~7~
Race To The Heart
By Arvall K Wroten - wroten_ak@vdot.state.va.us
I
was on my way to work in October of 1998 when I saw a box turtle at the edge of
the road trying to cross Route 13. I pulled over and got out to move him
to safety. This has been a habit of mine for years. The first thing
I noticed as I walked toward him was the beautiful colors of his shell and
scales. He was colored like the leaves of a fall forest -- reds, golds,
and oranges lit by dappled sunlight.
I was about twenty feet away when the little guy turned his head my way, and
looked at me. He must have figured that I was a threat because he decided
to turn around and head back into the grassy cover of the ditch.
As he began to maneuver, I saw his right front arm was gone at the shoulder and
his left rear leg was gone from about the radius downward. His little
shell tipped forward and down to the right, then up, and back to the left as he
hobbled around, just as quick as he could manage -- all the while trying to
keep an eye on me.
His turn was wide and taking him dangerously close to the roadway and the traffic.
I hurried over and picked him up. He never hissed, or pulled into his
shell. He sat there in my hands and looked at me with his brown eyes,
blinking. There was an awareness in his eyes. I saw it in the way
his gaze flitted around my face.
He was light as a feather, even though he was obviously a full grown tortoise
of some age. The edges of his shell were pitted and deeply rutted, the
topmost portion looked as if he'd been dragged upside down on the gravel.
His belly plate was concave which meant a male, and had been cracked in several
places. There was a large diagonal gash running from the hinge to just
under the missing front arm. This caused a forward-facing V which had dug
in when turned.
His disabilities must have made feeding a difficult thing with his single front
arm for digging out and holding down grubs and other food, as well as the V
shaped crack making digging a burrow a very difficult job. Probably the
only thing that kept a raccoon or opossum from digging him up at night was the
proximity of the highway.
I
stood there at the edge of the busy highway holding this gallant little guy,
looking at his old injuries, and looking into his little face with one of his
arms wrapped tightly around my thumb. I could not resist gently stroking
that little head and neck. Then he did the most amazing thing.
Instead of pulling his head away defensively, this old fella who had been
through so much hurt merely closed his eyes.
He owned me then and there, even though I didn't know that this little
sweetheart would sit with me for hours fascinated by the light and sound of the
television -- his little face so intent and earnest, as his eyes follow the
flicker of the screen. I didn't know how cute the little guy would be
when he digs into the terrarium bedding ostrich-style, leaving his little round
butt in the air, which I cover for him. I didn't know that when the
weather was cold and damp outside that the little fella would huddle up against
my throat -- that my body heat must feel good to his little stumps then.
But I knew that my heart was stolen.
<> <> <> <> <>
Arvall says, "CP stands for Couch Potato after his penchant for sitting
with me in front of the television. He lives a life of leisure now --
fresh food, clean water and a quiet terrarium to explore. He gets regular
vet visits and lots of TLC. I get a little fella that I can hold, which
is miraculous, since my allergies prevent me from having a cat or a dog."
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~8~
God's
Will
By WantNoMeat@aol.com
Jesus is among God's light
shining over all that's right
Love, forgiveness, harmony
kindness, compassion and mercy
Rules of stone demand God's will
including "thou shalt not kill"
He created all life as "good"
If only it were understood
God alone created all life
and mankind brought about strife
Torture somehow became justified
all the while the innocent cried
So often we use the excuse
that animals are here for our use
Why won't we admit we're wrong
the weak destroyed by the stong
The tortured beast's eye reflects
misery caused by our moral defects
Away from mercy our greed steals
the innocent killed for simple meals
Jesus is a part of us all
he feels it when the murdered fall
Like a beacon - the anguished wail
Father and Son see mercy fail
In hopes of peace upon the land
the Prince beside us holds our hand
Do onto others as you'd want done
the murder count would become none
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~9~
Memorable Quote
"When you see God in the eyes of an animal,
you've had an evolutionary breakthrough."
~~
Peter Max (renowned pop artist)
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Susan Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal Rights Online
P O Box 7053
Tampa, Fl 33673-7053
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal Rights Online=-
&
Advisory Board Member, Animal Rights Network Inc.,
not-for-profit publisher of The Animals' Agenda Magazine
http://www.animalsagenda.org/
The Animals' Agenda Magazine: WebEdition
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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