A n i m a l W r i t
e s
© sm
The official
ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com Issue # 04/12/00
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ PrkStRangr@aol.com
~ MRivera008@aol.com
~ SavingLife@aol.com
THE SEVEN ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1
~ Thoughts On AR Activism
2
~ Plants For Wild Birds
3
~ CIRCUS
4
~ The Fund For Animals Sends Boycott Info to Summer Vacationers
5
~ Fearful of Defensive Aggression in Cats
6
~ 168 Days (Poem)
7
~ Quote To Remember
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Thoughts on AR Activism
We
take many calls at the NJARA office on a variety of issues, but a particular
call from a member prompted me to write. He was very despondent over the
magnitude of animal cruelty, didn't think he could handle it any more and felt
like pulling back. He didn't know how other people were able to handle it and
function "normally."
I
had to smile, because I knew that personally I did not function normally, at
least not in the accepted use of the term. We talked at length about the
animals' suffering and our suffering, and how we can work to eliminate both.
Suffice
to say, it ain't easy being an animal rights activist. I'd venture to say that
most of us did not even choose to be an activist -- that choice was made for us
because of the millions of people who use animals for their own selfish
purposes. I know that as long as people
are exploiting animals I will be among those committed to working towards
animal liberation. But that doesn't mean I don't have times when I wish I were,
as Jackson Brown once said, a "happy idiot" and be free to live my
life. But personally I know that will never happen. The writing is on the wall
and I have to -- every dedicated activist has to -- figure out how to live with
this.
Eleven
years ago, when I first became involved in animal rights and learned of all the
horrors inflicted upon animals I immediately knew I would work to end
this. But the more I learned, the more
despondent I became. The vastness of the abuse was staggering to me, the pain
and suffering incomprehensible. There are still times when I think I will
literally go insane with the anguish I feel over the extreme cruelty that
billions of animals are forced to endure. How can I ever be happy again? Feel
joy again? How can I ever allow myself to laugh and feel good when every minute
of a chickens life in a battery cage is filled with intense pain, suffering,
confusion, and terror? Although these feelings could have worked to immobilize
me and push me further away from animal rights, I have, over time, come to
terms with them.
Someone
once told me that I should look forward to and relish those moments when I feel
good and enjoy life, not berate myself for them, because in our vocation those
moments of pure joy are few and far between, when it seems that all we ever
hear about or subject ourselves to is one animal atrocity after another.
Animal
rights is most certainly a difficult issue to commit to. It is different from
other social movements aimed as eliminating injustice because those movements
were orchestrated and fought primarily by people who had a personal interest in
it -- those who personally felt the oppression, who personally felt the hate,
the suffering, the violence. With animal rights we are fighting for another
species. It is easy for the vast majority of people to be unconcerned about
animal rights because the pain and suffering is not theirs. So it takes a
compassionate, and yes, special, person to break through those barriers and
fight for injustice that does not actually affect you. It takes a special, but
not superior, person to fight for nebulous victories. Most of us will never see
the animals who we dedicate our lives to saving... the animals who will never
be bred for research because a company became cruelty-free... the animals who
will never be savagely killed for vanity as a greedy fur industry dies... the
animals spared a miserable existence on a factory farm when our influence turns
yet another person vegan.
And
that may make it difficult to stay with animal rights. It might be easier for
animal advocates to forsake a rightist attitude and to commit only to working
hands on with animals. Here you may feel that your efforts are really working
to save animal lives since you actually see the fruits of your labor. By all
means help those companion animals, but do not let that diminish your
dedication to the animal rights fight. Figure out how to make both fit into
your life if you need to, yet never accept less than total abolition of animal
exploitation.
But
also, do not allow hands-on animal work to consume all of your time, as it
will, if you let it. Do not let it diminish your animal rights activism, which
will work to eliminate animal suffering long term.
Passing
by that one animal for the good of the many, and really understanding why, at
times, that is necessary, is difficult to come to terms with. A member, new to
the issues, recently asked if a puppy in a pet shop doesn't have just as much
right to a good life as a dog in a shelter?
And ethically, shouldn't we help that animal by taking her out of the pet
shop? Yes, ethically we should, but realistically we can't and logically we
mustn't. It takes discipline and a heart of steel -- a contradiction in terms
for an animal rights activist -- to turn your back on that individual dog and
continue to work to educate so that there will be a day when there are no
puppies in pet shops.
With
a strict animal rights philosophy as our guide, merely the knowledge that our
commitment to total abolition of animal oppression is saving animal lives has
to be enough. And it really is enough, because we are working on a long-term
solution to the problem, working in a preventive manner by eliminating the root
cause of the problem, and not simply treating the symptoms of an animal abusive
society. We don't need band aids, we need radical change.
So,
working for animal rights puts you in a dilemma. Our morals and ethics tell us
that we should help an animal in need, yet at times we overlook that one animal
in order to help the greater number. Our strong sense of compassion and justice
is the driving force behind our dedication, but we must use logic and reason in
order to be able to function. Our hearts are open to all the injustice humanity
can inflict onto our nonhuman brethren yet at times we must close our eyes to
it. It's not easy making your life's work fighting for social justice and
animal rights is certainly no exception. In fact it may be the hardest battle
yet.
Janine Motta
New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance
PO Box 174
Englishtown
NJ 07726
United States of America
Phone: 732-446-6808
Fax: 732-446-0227
www.envirolink.org/orgs/njara/
Source:
njara@superlink.net (New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance)
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Plants For Wild Birds
Seven
types of plants are important for bird habitat:
Conifers
Conifers
are evergreen trees and shrubs that include pines, spruces, firs, arborvitae,
junipers, cedars, and yews. These plants are important as escape cover, winter
shelter, and summer nesting sites. Some also provide sap, buds, and seeds.
Grasses
and Legumes
Grasses
and legumes can provide cover for ground nesting birds -- especially if the
area is not mowed during the nesting season. Some grasses and legumes provide
seeds as well. Native prairie grasses are becoming increasingly popular for
landscaping purposes.
Nectar-Producing
Plants
Nectar-producing
plants are very popular for attracting hummingbirds and orioles. Flowers with tubular red corollas are
especially attractive to hummingbirds. Other trees, shrubs, vines and flowers
can also provide nectar for hummingbirds.
Summer-Fruiting
Plants
This
category includes plants that produce fruits or berries from May through
August. Among birds that can be attracted in the summer are brown thrashers,
catbirds, robins, thrushes, waxwings, woodpeckers, orioles, cardinals, towhees,
and grosbeaks. Examples of summer-fruiting plants are various species of
cherry, chokecherry, honeysuckle, raspberry, serviceberry, blackberry,
blueberry, grape, mulberry, plum, and elderberry.
Fall-Fruiting
Plants
This
landscape component includes shrubs and vines whose fruits are ripe in the
fall. These foods are important both for migratory birds which build up fat
reserves prior to migration and as a food source for non-migratory species that
need to enter the winter season in good physical condition. Fall-fruiting
plants include dogwoods, mountain ash, winter-berries, cottoneasters, and
buffalo-berries.
Winter-Fruiting
Plants
Winter-fruiting
plants are those whose fruits remain attached to the plants long after they
first become ripe in the fall. Many are not palatable until they have frozen
and thawed numerous times. Examples are glossy black chokecherry, Siberian and
"red splendor" crabapple, snowberry, bittersweet, sumacs, American
highbush cranberry, eastern and European wahoo, Virginia creeper, and
Chinaberry.
Nut
and Acorn Plants
These
include oaks, hickories, buckeyes, chestnuts, butternuts, walnuts, and hazels.
The meats of broken nuts and acorns are eaten by a variety of birds. These plants also provide good nesting
habitat.
HOW
TO GET STARTED
Think
of this project as "landscaping for birds." Your goal will be to
plant an assortment of trees, shrubs, and flowers that will attract birds. If
you plan carefully it can be inexpensive and fun for the whole family. The best
way to get started is to follow these guidelines:
Set
Your Priorities
Decide
what types of birds you wish to attract, then build your plan around the needs
of those species. Talk to friends and neighbors to find out what kinds of birds
frequent your area. Attend a local bird club meeting and talk to local
birdwatchers about how they have attracted birds to their yards.
Use
Native Plants When Possible
Check
with the botany department of a nearby college or university or with your
Natural Heritage Program for lists of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers native to
your area. Use this list as a starting point for your landscape plan. These
plants are naturally adapted to the climate of your area and are a good
long-term investment. Many native plants are beautiful for landscaping purposes
and are excellent for birds. If you include non-native plant species in your
plan, be sure they are not considered "invasive pests" by plant experts.
Draw
a Map of Your Property
Draw
a map of your property to scale using graph paper. Identify buildings,
sidewalks, powerlines, buried cables, fences, septic tank fields, trees,
shrubs, and patios. Consider how your plan relates to your neighbor's property
(will the tree you plant shade out the neighbor's vegetable garden?) Identify
and map sunny or shady sites, low or wet sites, sandy sites, and native plants
that will be left in place. Also identify special views that you wish to
enhance -- areas for pets, benches, picnics, storage, playing, sledding,
vegetable gardens, and paths.
Get
Your Soil Tested
Get
your soil tested by your local garden center, university, or soil conservation
service. Find out what kinds of soil you have, and then find out if your soils
have nutrient or organic deficiencies that can be corrected by fertilization or
addition of compost. The soils you have will help determine the plants which
can be included in your landscaping plan.
Review
the Seven Plant Habitat Components
Review
the seven plant components that were described previously. Which components are
already present? Which ones are missing? Remember that you are trying to
provide food and cover through all four seasons. Develop a list of plants that
you think will provide the missing habitat components.
Confer
With Resource Experts
Review
this plant list with landscaping resource experts who can match your ideas with
your soil types, soil drainage, and the plants available through state or
private nurseries. People at the nearby arboretum may be able to help with your
selections. At an arboretum you can also see what many plants look like.
Develop
Your Planting Plan
Sketch
on your map the plants you wish to add. Trees should be drawn to a scale that
represents three-fourths of their mature width and shrubs at their full mature
width. This will help you calculate how many trees and shrubs you need. There is a tendency to include so many trees
that eventually your yard will be mostly shaded. Be sure to leave open sunny
sites where flowers and shrubs can thrive. Decide how much money you can spend
and the time span of your project.
Don't try to do too much at once. Perhaps you should try a five year
development plan.
Implement
Your Plan
Finally,
go to it! Begin your plantings and be sure to include your family so they can
all feel they are helping wildlife. Document your plantings on paper and by
photographs. Try taking pictures of your yard from the same spots every year to
document the growth of your plants.
Maintain
Your Plan
Keep
your new trees, shrubs, and flowers adequately watered, and keep your planting
areas weed-free by use of landscaping film and wood chips or shredded bark
mulch. This avoids the use of herbicides for weed control. If problems develop
with your plants, consult a local nursery or garden center.
And
Finally...
Most
of all, take the time to enjoy the wildlife that will eventually respond to
your efforts at landscaping for birds.
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CIRCUS
C - is for the
cages where we rot our lives away;
I
-
is for the indignity we suffer every day;
R - is for the
ring where we perform for human glee;
C - is for the
cruelty the audience doesn't see;
U - is for the
ugliness behind the flash and glitter;
S - is for our
slavery, so brutal and so bitter.
Boycott
the Circus
Author
Unknown
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The Fund For Animals
Sends Boycott Reminder to Summer Vacationers
HELENA,
Mt. (April 7, 2000) -- With the Travel Montana 2000 Governor's Tourism
Conference scheduled for April 10-11, 2000 in Big Sky, Montana, The Fund for
Animals decided to send a tourism boycott reminder to countless citizens across
the country who are concerned about Montana's indefensible bison policy.
In
1997, The Fund for Animals ran an advertisement in USA Today calling for a
tourism boycott of Montana because of the state's refusal to tolerate bison who
wander outside of Yellowstone National Park. During the past decade, Montana
has been responsible for killing thousands of Yellowstone bison, most of whom
were on federal lands, insisting that the bison pose a disease threat to the
state's cattle industry. Despite the fact that there has never been a
documented case of bison transmitting the bacteria that causes the disease
brucellosis to cattle and the likelihood of such transmission ever occurring is
virtually nonexistent, Montana remains unwilling to adopt a sensible bison
management strategy.
"We
want to remind vacationers that the boycott is still in place and will continue
until Montana officials demonstrate that they care about Yellowstone
bison," said Andrea Lococo, alococo@wyoming.com, Rocky Mountain Coordinator
of The Fund for Animals. She added, "It's shameful for Montana to
encourage vacationers to view Yellowstone bison only to turn around and
slaughter these same animals when they exit the sanctuary of the Park."
Michael
Markarian, Executive Vice President of The Fund for Animals, added, "If
Montana is serious about addressing current and future challenges in the
tourism industry, as the tourism conference materials suggest, then the time
has come for Montana to take action to respond to the concerns of the national
and international public. They want the killing of bison to stop once and for
all. For the sake of the bison, we urge Montana to listen."
The
Fund for Animals is a national animal protection organization founded by
Cleveland Amory, with its headquarters in New York City and one of its regional
offices located in Jackson, Wyoming. The Fund has been working on Yellowstone
bison protection for over 15 years.
Source: Michael
Markarian <mmarkarian@fund.org>
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Fearful or Defensive Aggression in Cats
Defensive
aggression occurs when the cat perceives itself to be under a threat from which
it cannot escape. This type of aggression may be recognized by the typical body
postures which accompany it: crouching, flattening of the ears against the
head, hissing & spitting, piloerection (hair standing up). These are all
signals to the other animal or person that further approach is likely to lead
to a defensive attack. The defensively
aggressive cat only attacks when approached, it does not seek out the source of
the threat or pursue it if it withdraws.
The
best way to deal with a defensively aggressive cat is to avoid the cat until it
calms down. You should not try to comfort the cat by approaching it or picking
it up. The cat should be left alone until it relaxes enough to eat, play, or
show affectionate behavior. In some cases, several hours or more are required
for the cat to settle down. The person who is injured by the defensively
aggressive cat is one who did not heed the cat's warning signals. Children are
often the victims & should be taught to recognize the pertinent body
language and to respect the directive to "back off!".
Some
cats exhibit this type of aggression toward strangers who visit the home. If the cat has grown up with limited
experience with people other than the owners, it is more likely to fear
visitors. It is also possible for a cat to adopt this attitude toward strangers
if it was at one time mistreated or teased & therefore will be distrustful
of anyone who is not "family".
To
help a cat overcome its fear of strangers, it will be necessary to employ the
time-tested principles of desensitization & counterconditioning. Recruit
cat-loving friends to come over on a regular basis. It is important to minimize
any behaviors that would frighten the cat (eg., loud voices & quick
movements) & at the same time encourage a nonfearful behavior in the cat
(eg., eating or playing). Ask your cat-friendly acquaintances to sit on the
couch or even better, on the floor after entering your home. Give them your
cat's favorite food treats which for training purposes, will only be offered by
guests, not the family. If the cat will not approach the visitor, it can be
tossed to him. A toy attached to a long fishing pole is another way to win over
a reluctant puss. When Kitty begins to connect good times & good food with
people who come through the door, the hissing will be replaced with purring.
Patience & persistence, as always, pay off.
Source:
Nyppsi@aol.com
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168 Days
by
parogers@mindspring.com
168 days have
passed.
Five new
moons.
168 sunrises.
168 sunsets.
The birds came
back to the yard
And after
endless noisy discussions
decided to
stay.
They built
their nests;
raised their
young.
Lost a few
to hawks
and winds;
to crows
and the
neighbor's cats.
But now they
seem to be on the move again-
mornings are
becoming quieter.
Two doors down
the neighbor's
almost ex-wife
has returned.
His teenaged
kids
have been sent
on their way;
and the
chocolate lab
has been
exiled to the backyard.
An outdoor
kennel
instead of the
bedroom rug.
He of the
house
and She
seem made for
each other.
"Deserving,"
according to
our mutual
next door
neighbor.
I kind of
think he is right;
though I am
hard pressed
to say the
same about the kids
or the dog.
The winds have
more of a bite now.
It will be
awhile before they
soothe and
lull again.
And it won't
be long before
the trees take
on the sparseness of modern sculpture.
The rains that
replaced the snow
will soon
themselves be replaced.
The
groundhogs,
no longer
thin,
will disappear
into their winter rooms.
I suppose the
people driving by,
looking at the
large maples
and wraparound
porch
with requisite
swing,
haven't any
idea
that the
little tuxedo cat
died of old
age 168 days ago.
Or that 168
days is not enough time
to remember
the right number of bowls
at feeding
time.
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Quote To Remember
"Fortunately,
today we have the information as well as the testimonies of many athletes to
substantiate the benefits of plant-based diets. Dave Scott, considered to be
the world's greatest triathlete, holds a degree in exercise physiology. In his
own words, it's a 'ridiculous fallacy' to think that athletes need animal
protein. He is joined in his views by such Olympians as Edwin Moses, the gold
medalist who went eight years without losing the 400- meter hurdle competition,
and Murray Rose, who, at age 17, won three gold medals in the Olympic swim
competition. This year, I was glad to see Olympic champion Carl Lewis crown his
career with his best long jump in two years to win a record-tying ninth gold
medal. Lewis, of course, is a longtime vegetarian (vegan) whose dietary changes
developed out of his moral and religious convictions. Several years ago Leroy Burrell and Carl Lewis traded titles back
and forth when they were being hailed as the fastest sprinters in the world -
and both were vegetarians. Whether you are a world class athlete, a weekend
athlete, or simply a recreational exerciser, we now know that you can meet your performance objectives, and improve
your health by eating a plant-based diet that meets your energy needs. Even at
my present age of 93, I found that switching to a plant-based diet improved my
health dramatically."
~
Dr. Benjamin Spock
best
known for his books about raising babies and
is also a vegetarian.
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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=-
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