A n i m
a l W r i t e s © sm
The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com
Issue #
05/09/01
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ Park StRanger@aol.com
~
MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE SEVEN ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ The Dream by KMBwolf@aol.com
2 ~ Another Short Piece About Veganism With a Recipe at
the End
by Park StRanger@oal.com
3 ~ "How Could You?" by Jim Willis
4 ~ The Betrayal of "Man's" Best Friend
by Katherine Lewis
5 ~ Trading Places by Cara Keighron
6 ~ Gold Fish at a Frat Party by Malini Patel
7 ~ Memorable Quote
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`
The Dream
by KMBwolf@aol.com
A man had a dream.
He dreamt that he woke up on a cold metal floor. He cradled his
head, nursing his massive headache. He rose to his feet and took in his
surroundings. He was enclosed in a wire fence. He walked over to the edge of
the fence and looked out.
He was inside a very large room with cabinets, shelves, and metal
tables. Computers and microscopes littered desks. The man’s eyes panned
over the rows of vials and beakers with different color liquids. Syringes and
needles lay on metal trays all over the counters. Then he noticed the large
figures walking around the room.
He fell back, gasping, as he looked at the figures. They were
giants. Walking, talking animal giants.
Cats, rats, mice, pigs -- all different species. Animal giants in white lab coats. He was not behind a fence -- he
was in a cage!
The man, realizing he was in a laboratory of sorts, and that he
was the size of a mouse to these giants, rushed at the bars of the cage in a
panic.
"Let me out of here! Get me out! Get me out!"
A white rat, hearing the man scream out, approached the cage. The
man stepped back in fear.
"What is it, little human?" the rat asked.
"Get me out of this cage now!" the man commanded, his
voice trembling in fear.
The rat shook his head and smiled. "I’m sorry. I cannot do
that."
Fear overtook the man, and he backed up against the back of the
cage. "What are you going to do
with me? Feed me poisons? Stick me with your needles? What vicious
thing are you going to do to me?"
The rat blinked his large red eyes. "Whatever are you
talking about?"
The man pointed to the liquids on the counter. "You're going
to feed those chemicals to me to see if I die, aren't you?"
The rat looked in the direction of the beakers and vials.
"Those? Why would we feed those to you? Those would kill you. They're
disinfectants and detergents. Those are for our toxicity tests."
"So what are you going to do, insert them in my veins? Drop
them in my eyes?" the man spit out as ferociously as he could, given the
state of fear he was in.
The rat looked curiously at the man. "What are you going on
about? Why would I do that to
you?"
The man quivered as he spoke. "You’re conducting toxicity
tests. How are you going to administer them to me?"
The rat laughed softly. "Why would I administer those
chemicals to you when I have computer models to tell me how much toxicity is in
each chemical? And clinical studies to aid my findings? Why would I test such
things on a human, when your chemical structure is different from mine? Doing
so would only be a waste of time, and gain nothing of any scientific
value. I would hope the average lupine
or feline would know enough not to pour laundry detergent in their eyes, or not
to drink drain cleaner. Common
sense plays a large part in the survival of all our species, not toxicity
tests."
"But how do you know that it really isn’t toxic? Shouldn’t
you test it on another living being? To be sure?" the man inquired.
"Why would I give another being a chemical I know would hurt
myself, and possibly kill me? Where is the moral and scientific sense in
that?"
The man thought for a moment. "But surely greater findings
would be found if you tested them on other living beings."
"No," the rat said. "If we had tested
Trialecylcine on humans, we would never have found the cure for feline aids.
Trialecylcine is fatal to humans. And
such everyday items as Nopran for headaches and Citisan for tail-itch have no
effect on humans. Aspirin, which cures human headaches, kills felines. But with
clinical data and other information we already know, as well as computer models
of the different species, we have been able to advance our medical research
quite rapidly. Sickness is rare, and life
expectancies have lengthened greatly. Testing a medicine intended for canines
on a human wastes valuable time."
The man let this sink in. Then he spoke. "Then why am I
locked up in this cage?"
"Because one of our co-workers found you along side the
road, injured. We put you in this cage
so you wouldn’t hurt yourself further."
The rat walked over to the counter and pulled out a bottle, took
a tiny tablet, and returned to the man. He slipped the tablet into the bars.
"Here, this should help."
The man swallowed the tablet, and in seconds, his headache was
completely gone. "Thank you."
The rat smiled and opened the cage door. "There. Now you are
free to go..."
The man awoke from his dream. He got up, showered, drank his
coffee, and drove off to work, forgetting his dream. He reached his job, and
walked up to his office. He laid his briefcase down on the desk and put on his
lab coat. He walked into his laboratory and picked up a syringe. He filled it
with a liquid marked "unscented laundry detergent" and the brand’s
name. He opened one of the many boxes lined up on shelves. The pulled out a
white rat from the box. He was about to feed the rat the detergent, when he
suddenly remembered the dream. He looked at the rat, trembling in his hand.
The man sighed and put the rat back. He put the syringe down on
the counter and took off his lab coat. He grabbed his briefcase and was about
to leave, when he stopped. He put the briefcase back on his desk and walked
into the laboratory. He took the box with the rat he had just been holding
moments before. The man took the rat, placed him carefully in his briefcase,
and walked out of the office, and the building, never to return.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
Another Short Piece About Veganism
With a Recipe at the End
by Park StRanger@aol.com
Our
newsletter editor remarked to me the other day that our mailings might be a
little heavy on the aspect of vegetarianism to the exclusion of other issues
about animals. That might be true, but since 95% of all animal suffering
in our country happens because of our country's meat based diet, it seems
important to keep mentioning these facts. Nine billion animals were
killed for food last year in the US. That's over 24 and a half million
animals every day.
Ok, now that you're a vegetarian, let's just mention one reason dairy is bad
before we move on. In order to produce milk, a cow is kept
pregnant. She usually has one calf a year for the 5 or 6 years of her
short life before she is turned into hamburger. One of those calves
replace her on the dairy line and most of the others become veal. Veal is
a byproduct of the dairy industry.
Eight of the nine billion animals that were killed last year were
chickens. In my mind, the most abused of the factory farmed animals are these
birds. Most males aren't needed and so at birth they are thrown into a
garbage bag to suffocate. The females are debeaked and placed into small
cages with one or two others in such overcrowded conditions that they can't
spread their wings. Their ability to move is so restricted that their
feet often grow into the bars of the cage. Chickens are not even covered
by the US
Humane Slaughter Act and so suffer more in the slaughterhouses.
Ok, now that you're a vegan, what do you substitute for eggs and
dairy? Tofu is not only a good
source of complete protein and calcium, it is also incredibly versatile.
It can be made into facsimiles of everything from egg salad to pudding. A
handful of berries, a dash of lemon juice and a food processor can transform
tofu into cruelty-free yogurt. It can be made into cheesecakes, puddings,
salad dressings, it can substitute for eggs in cake recipes.
Here is a good way to turn tofu into a ricotta cheese substitute for stuffed
pasta and lasagna.
Tocotta Cheese
1 box Mori-Nu brand firm tofu
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes (or try thyme or oregano)
Place the garlic cloves in the microwave on high for about 15 seconds or heat
for just a minute in a conventional oven. This makes peeling easier and
makes the garlic a bit milder. Put half the tofu in a food processor with
all the other ingredients. (A blender can be used in a pinch, but you
have to frequently scrape down the sides with a spatula.) Blend to a
paste. Add the other half of the tofu and pulse slightly so that mixture
has small chunks. Or you can mash the
remaining tofu by hand. Use to stuff large pasta shells, manicotti or in
your favorite lasagna recipe.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
"How Could You?"
Copyright Jim Willis 2001
When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my
antics and made you laugh.
You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of
murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was
"bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could
you?" - but then you'd relent, and roll me over for a bellyrub.
My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly
busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you
in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that
life could not be any more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the
park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice
cream is bad for dogs," you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting
for you to come home at the end of the day.
Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more
time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you
through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions,
and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.
She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" - still I welcomed her into
our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you
were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your
excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted
to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I
spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate. Oh, how I
wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love."
As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled
themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears,
and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -
because your touch was now so infrequent - and I would have defended them with
my life if need be.
I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams,
and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway. There had
been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo
of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered
"yes" and changed the subject.
I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog,"
and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.
Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will
be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right
decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only
family.
I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter.
It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the
paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They
shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a
middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's
fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let
them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just
taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and
about respect for all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head, avoided my
eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a
deadline to meet and now I have one, too.
After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming
move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook
their heads and asked "How could you?"
They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules
allow. They feed us, of course, but I
lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to
the front, hoping it was you - that you had changed your mind - that this was
all a bad dream...or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who
might save me. When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for
attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far
corner and waited.
I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded
along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my
ears, and told me not to worry. My
heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense
of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days. As is my nature, I was
more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and
I know that, the same way I knew your every mood.
She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek.
I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She
expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the
cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind
eyes and murmured "How could you?"
Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so
sorry." She hugged me, and
hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where
I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place
of love and light so very different from this
earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a
thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It
was you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for
you forever.
May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.
The End
Jim Willis
Director, The Tiergarten Sanctuary Trust, accredited member of The
American Sanctuary Association,
and Program Coordinator, International Society for Animal Rights
e-mail: jwillis@bellatlantic.net
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
The Betrayal of
"Man's" Best Friend
Katherine Lewis, Education Director
From: AAVSKL@aol.com
"She
is the medical team's first patient, strapped down to an operating table and
attached to a few basic monitors to track breathing, blood pressure, and heart
rate. Various common drugs are introduced into her veins. The team
carefully notes how her internal organs react to the drugs. The patient
wakes up in the middle of the process and cries out in pain, but the operation
continues after a higher dose of anesthesia is hurriedly injected into her
vein. After several hours, the team injects a drug that puts her out of
her pain, once and for all. The doctor's observe as she takes her last
breath, and dies." (Barnard & DeWitt, 1999)
Is this a case of medical malpractice? No. Most lawyers wouldn't
even take this case given that the patient is a dog. She is one of the
tens of thousands of animals who involuntarily participate in what is commonly
referred to as "dog labs." These labs are most often terminal
and may be performed on other animals besides just dogs. Many of the
animals that are procured for these labs are purpose bred, only to be killed
for an educational lesson. Even though alternatives exist, these labs are
still regularly
performed in over half of the 126 U.S. medical schools and in 25 out of the 27
accredited U.S. veterinary medical schools.
Medical Schools
The case against dog labs in medical school is strongest from a pedagogical
perspective simply because dogs are not human. For this reason more than
perhaps any other, nine out of ten of the top medical schools as reported by
U.S. News & World Report have done away with the vivisection of dogs in
their medical schools. Schools such as Harvard (1), Johns Hopkins University
(2), University of Pennsylvania (3), Washington University (4), Columbia (5),
University of California - San Francisco (6), Yale (8), University of
Washington (9), and Stanford University (10) have all stopped using dog labs in
lieu of having their students observe surgeons performing surgeries on human
beings.
While the top medical schools have progressed toward more appropriate and
humane teaching, other medical schools still use animals to teach basic
physiology and pharmacology. In those institutions, students, student
organizations, and non-profit organizations have pushed for students' choice
policies. At the University of California - San Diego's (UCSD) Medical
School, dog labs are still part of the required curriculum for first year
students. When activist and doctor, Nancy Harrison, found out that
UCSD was still using dogs (purpose-bred Dobermans), she met with students,
arranged interviews with the local press, and wrote letters to the
editor. She is currently collecting signatures from San Diego physicians
for a petition that urges UCSD Medical School to develop alternatives to the
dog labs for demonstration purposes. Thus far, over 150 physicians have
signed the petition, including many UCSD faculty members (four of whom are
former medical school department chairs). She also started the
organization Doctors Against Dog Labs. In November, she organized a meeting
with all first year medical students (MSIs) to inform them about upcoming dog
vivisection labs in their physiology and pharmacology courses. As result
of that meeting, over two-thirds of the MSIs responded to the information by
opting out of the UCSD first year dog lab.
Veterinary Schools
While vet students must learn about animals, there are a multitude of ways to
learn without the use of terminal dog labs. Tufts University School of
Veterinary Medical was the first veterinary school in the United States to
eliminate all terminal procedures for all species in their curriculum. In
February, 2000, Tufts announced plans to eliminate their last elective course
that involved the killing of dogs at the end of the surgical procedure. Dr. Gary Patronek, head of Tufts' Center for
Animals and Public Policy, was quoted as saying, "This step is the
culmination of a series of efforts since 1989 to provide top quality veterinary
surgical training while at the same time promoting the humane treatment of animals."
Instead of using dog labs, Tufts is giving students hands-on experience with
their spay/neuter clinic, helping animals instead of sacrificing them.
Western University of Health Sciences (WUHS) in Pomona, California seeks to be
the second veterinary school to offer a dog lab-free curriculum. WUHS is
scheduled to open in 2001. It has pledged to offer a
"non-consumptive curriculum with a reverence for life."
And while the Tufts and WUHS programs are innovative, they are only two of
many. So students, whose only wish is to help animals, may still be
confronted with terminal dog labs in other veterinary schools. As with
medical schools, students have had to rely on student policies offering them an
alternative. An example of students working for one such policy is the
University of Illinois Veterinary School. Several vet students pushed for
a student choice policy. They met with the faculty who at first were
lukewarm to the idea. But when the Chicago Tribune heard about their campaign,
it ran a front page article "Vet Students Oppose U. of I. Animal
Killings." Almost immediately the university suspended its terminal
physiology labs and adopted a formal policy requiring that students be informed
in advance of terminal laboratories. In this particular case, not only
was a choice policy passed, but the students also persuaded the University to
eliminate the first year terminal lab.
Clearly dog labs are not essential elements of teaching physiology or
pharmacology, given that there are so many schools that do not require or use
these antiquated methods. Many doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and even
researchers agree that it is unnecessary. So why do these labs
continue?
Indeed why do many of the lessons using animals for educational purposes continue?
Simply because it has been the traditional way of teaching. But medical
and veterinary medical school professors must begin to reexamine their
teaching. There are two ways of teaching -- one that harms animals and
ourselves and one that does not. It is up to these professors to choose,
but it up to us to inform them and ask them discontinue their unnecessary
betrayal "man's" best friend.
Resources:
Other Organizations Against Dog Labs in Medical School
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Suite 404
Washington, DC 20016
800-875-4837
Doctors Against Dog Labs
www.Doctorsagainstdoglabs.com
Dog Lab-Free Veterinary Medical Schools
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine
200 Westboro Road
North Grafton, MA 01536
508-839-5302
vetadmissions@tufts.edu
www.tufts.edu/vet
Western University of Health Sciences
909-469-5543
Other Organizations Against Dog Labs in Veterinary Medical School
The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights
916-759-8106
AVAR@igc.apc.org
New England Anti-Vivisection Society
brochure Alternatives to Live Animal Labs
Ann Stauble - 617-523-6020 x13 or astauble@ma.neavs.com
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
Trading Places
by Cara Keighron
from Maynard S. Clark - MSClark@MediaOne.net
Here's
what it would sound like if meat-eaters were in the minority.
"Oh, so you're a meat-eater. Wow. I have a sister that eats meat, and
she's kind of unhealthy, but I guess if you're really careful about what you
eat, and take fiber pills, you'll be all right. I know a couple of meat-eaters,
actually. I don't mind y'all as long as you don't go preachin' to me about what
to do. I mean, if the Lord didn't intend us to eat plants, why'd he make 'em so
tasty, right?"
"You eat meat? I did that for a while back in my teens. A lot of
celebrities ate meat, and were obviously just doing it for attention, and a lot
of my friends thought it was really cool. I guess I just kind of followed the
crowd."
"You know, I actually used to eat meat when I was about your age. I was
the typical starry-eyed idealist, right? But, it's part of growing up to
be a little bit more practical. I realized I couldn't eat all the animals in
the world, and I guess I just kind of grew out of that phase."
"It's funny, I never would have guessed you were one of those meat eaters.
I mean, not to put too fine a point on it, you're kind of, um, small boned. I
don't mean you're thin, not by any stretch of the imagination. I like a girl
with some skin on her bones. But be honest. Don't you ever cheat a little
bit, and have a vegetable when no one's looking?"
"Man, here we go. I bet you think you have all the answers, but I tell you
what, my uncle had a vegetable farm, and he never did nothin' wrong to that
broccoli. He gave all those plants names, and he genuinely loved them."
"Uh-oh, I bet you don't want to hear this, but I gather. Yes I do.
It's a proud tradition. And just where do you think the human race would be if
no one gathered? Why, some of these plants would just take over. I'm thinning
them out so they can be strong and healthy instead of competing for water and
sunshine."
"What do you think of those freaks who take animals and lock them up in
laboratories? Me, I think that's really irresponsible, especially if you try
and say that we have to go ahead and test drugs on them? I don't want no
rat medicine. I want people medicine."
"Well, I guess we have to agree to disagree here. Wouldn't the world be a
funny place if we were all alike?"
http://www.themestream.com/articles/405333.html?newsletter=3D1
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
Gold Fish at a Frat Party
by Malini Patel
Mutilated, cut, tortured, and
burned
Laughing, cheering, carrying on
Academic intelligence, humanity unlearned
Not once is civility ever yearned.
Help me, save me, falls on deaf ears
Helpless and harmless, but nobody cares
Ten thousand eyes view your gasping for breath
Yet no eyes hold back any sorrowful tears.
Alone we yearn for a soothing voice
Knowing it will never speak
In our hearts we know the putrid truth
This silence, this longing, this anguish ... it reeks.
Copyright © 2000 by Malini Patel. All Rights Reserved
May be used in unchanged form by avowed Animal Rightists if
accompanied by this copyright message.
Animal Rights Counterculture
http://www.animalsong.org
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
Memorable Quote
"...if one person is unkind to an animal, it is considered to be cruelty,
but where a lot of people are unkind to animals, especially in the name of
commerce, the cruelty is condoned and, once sums of money are at stake, will be
defended to the last by otherwise intelligent people."
~ Ruth Harrison,
Animal Machines
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
(Permission Granted To Quote/Forward/Reprint/Repost This
Newsletter In
Whole Or In Part with credit given to EnglandGal@aol.com)
* Please forward this to a friend who
you think
might be interested in subscribing to our newsletter.
* ARO gratefully accepts and
considers articles for publication
from subscribers on veg*anism and animal issues.
Send submissions to JJswans@aol.com