A n i m a l W r i t e s © sm
The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com
Issue # 06/16/02
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ Park StRanger@aol.com
~
MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE SIX ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ ParkStRanger Goes To School
2 ~ Feeling Overwhelmed?
3 ~ Job Opportunities
4 ~ David and Goliath: Anti-Vivisection; U.S. pharmaceutical industry
profits, and NIH as benefactor
5 ~ Through Opened Eyes (The Activist)
6 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
ParkStRanger Goes to School
By Greg Lawson - ParkStRanger@aol.com
One
of the great benefits of being president of the Vegetarian Society of El Paso
is that I am frequently asked to give talks to local clubs and high
schools. I always feel that if I reach just one person my time will have
been well spent. A month or so ago, I was asked to give a talk at an area
elementary school to a 5th grade class. I readily agreed but as the date
approached I began to worry how much they could absorb and I wondered how much
I should expose them too. It's not that I believe young people should be
sheltered from the truth, but I didn't want to upset them or get angry phone
calls from parents - "What have you done to my kid? He won't drink
his milk."
I arrived at the school last Tuesday and met with the Librarian, Mrs. Williams,
who had invited me. She thanked me for coming and said that she was
looking forward to my talk as her daughter was a vegetarian. "She
had Dr. Steve Best for a class and came home one day and announced she was a
vegetarian." I laughed and shook my head, "You wouldn't believe
how many times I have heard that exact same story."
Steve teaches Philosophy (heavy on animal rights) at the University of Texas,
El Paso, is a fellow journalist for Animal Writes, Vice President of Vegetarian
Society of El Paso , <http://utminers.utep.edu/vsep>, President
of VOICE FOR ALL ANIMALS
<http://www.zianet.com/boje/voice/index.html>, and is one of the most
active animal advocates I know. I am really looking forward to hearing
his talks at AR2002. Animal Rights 2002 National Conference
http://www.animalrights2002.org/
"I have never spoken to a group so young before," I told Mrs.
Williams. "It will be a challenge. One thing I am surprised about
though, you didn't ask me if I would be talking about slaughterhouses or
showing graphic pictures."
She laughed, "I would have asked that question if we were having Steve
Best here instead of you."
"I can't imagine Steve giving a speech to ten year olds, that wouldn't be
pretty," I cringed. "Do you have any books on vegetarianism in
your library?"
"No, we don't. Can you recommend some titles?" she asked.
"We might have some children's books in the Veg Society library, I'll make
sure you get a book or two and we have a pamphlet called Vegetarianism for
Teens. I'll get you some of those."
"Thank you, that would be great," she said.
So I talked to the kids, and I was careful to avoid words like
"sustainability." I showed them some fact sheets I use with an
overhead projector at our society's annual vegetarian workshop and I tried to
speak so 5th graders could understand.
The Only witty thing I have Ever seen Anti animal rights people say was to call
people like me PETAphiles, LOL, and I sure was feeling like one.
And the moment I had been hoping for happened. When I had finished with
the heath reasons for vegism, I said "Many of us choose to be vegetarians
cause we don't want to hurt animals, or cause them pain." And I saw
one little girl nodding her head vigorously and I knew my time had been well
spent.
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~2~
Feeling Overwhelmed?
©Shell 2002, theanimalspirit@hotmail.com
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/choices.html
Many
times I hear from people who are just learning about the rampant abuse and
exploitation of animals taking place in our world. While surfing the web,
reading books, or looking at leaflets, they come across photos and stories
depicting horrible abuse ranging from factory farming to domestic animal abuse
cases. After absorbing all of this information, people become despondent and
overwhelmed, wondering what one person can possibly do to alleviate so much
suffering. Sadly, many decide that they can't possibly make a difference or
that they can't deal with such horrible things. Instead, they put on blinders
and do nothing, throwing their hands up in the air and giving up before ever
getting started.
If you were to do nothing but dwell on suffering, you would become immobilized.
So what can you do to help billions of animals when you are just one person?
The answer is simple -- you can control your own actions. You can be a living
example of a compassionate lifestyle. As Gandhi said, "You must be the change
you want to see in the world."
Start with your own immediate environment:
When you are in the supermarket and you have the choice between a product
tested on animals or a product not tested on animals, choose the product not
tested on animals.
When you are in the mall and you have the choice between shoes made from
leather or shoes made from man-made materials, choose the shoes made from
man-made materials.
When you are in a restaurant and you have the choice between a steak or a vegan
entree, choose the vegan entree.
Your choices empower yourself and, in turn, empower animals who would otherwise
be forced to sit silently on the sidelines. People will notice. More
importantly, business owners will notice. As the market for animal products
decreases, more and more businesses will produce cruelty-free merchandise and
food.
It is not difficult to find cruelty-free products. Because of the demand for
products not tested on animals, it has become very easy to find products made
without animal testing or ingredients in mainstream stores. Look at the label
of any shampoo, face cream, even dishwashing liquid -- you will see that many
items are clearly marked "No animal testing -- No animal
ingredients." This is because manufacturers are realizing that there is a
demand for this sort of product and they are responding. Vegetarian "hot
dogs" and "hamburgers" can easily be found next to pig and cow
carcasses. The choice is yours. Many restaurants have added vegan entrees to
their menu or are willing to accommodate the dietary requests of their
customers.
If your local stores and restaurants do not offer vegan products, request them!
How will store/restaurant buyers and suppliers know what customers want unless
customers request it? Speak to the manager in person or, if you are
uncomfortable with that, make a phone call or write a letter. It doesn't matter
how you choose to communicate as long as you are polite, respectful, and clear
about what you want.
Do not forget to extend your compassion toward domesticated animals as well.
Millions of animals find themselves languishing in shelters or on the streets.
In the United States, the exact number of animals who die in shelters is widely
disputed -- the number ranges from 3 million up to 12 million. Even if we go
with the lowest estimate -- 3 million -- isn't that enough to make people stop
and take notice? Remember, the "shelter death" estimate does not
include homeless animals who die on the street -- discarded companions who die
unnoticed. When you decide to add a new companion animal to your family, choose
to adopt. You can save a life while enriching your own life at the same time.
You do not have to make great sacrifices or "give up" anything when
making these choices. Instead, think of it as giving an animal back his/her
life. As much as you "must have" that pair of leather shoes, think of
the significance of your actions. With every pair of leather shoes passed by,
for every steak that goes unordered, animal using and abusing industries and
their supporters will take notice. They will have to take notice -- because of
you.
You are concerned for other species and you want to help, yet you feel small,
insignificant -- lost in a world where Chicken McNuggets and leather shoes are
the "norm." You feel that you can't possibly make a difference. You
are wrong!
You -- yes, YOU -- are part of a much bigger picture. Your hand is being held
by an invisible partner. There are other people who feel exactly the same way
as you and, together, we can improve the world for all. Your choices do matter.
You do count. You can make a difference. Don't put it off any longer. Don't
dwell on the sadness. Focus on the positive changes that YOU can make ... and
start right now!
Remember -- "You must be the change you want to see in the world."
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~3~
Job Opportunities
ANIMAL SHELTERING ADVISOR – People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) seeks an animal sheltering advisor with
full-service, open admission shelter or humane association work experience to
assess various allegations of animal shelter abuse reported to PETA and to
intervene as necessary. This person will be responsible for working with
government officials to ameliorate conditions and implement proper policies and
procedures for shelters. This person will also represent PETA to the
media. Candidate must have proven strong writing, research, and
organizational skills as well as the ability to make independent decisions in
crisis situations needing authority intervention. Candidate must also be
able to handle cruelty complaints in a professional and confidential
manner. A degree in a related field is preferred. Animal
Friendly. Competitive salary and benefits. Please send resume with
cover letter to PETA, Attn: Human Resources, 501 Front Street, Norfolk,
VA 23510; or fax to 757.628.0789.
COPY COORDINATOR – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
seeks a copy coordinator to ensure that all Development Department copywriting
projects are researched and written as effectively as possible and delivered in
time to meet mail dates and schedules; this includes copy intended for use in
Canada, the U.K., Holland, and Germany as well as the U.S. Candidate must
have excellent written and oral communication skills as well as strong research
and proofreading skills. Experience with Windows operating system necessary;
relevant fundraising and/or marketing experience preferred. Send résumé and
cover letter to The PETA Foundation, Attn: Human Resources, 501 Front Street,
Norfolk, VA 23510; or fax to 757-628-0789.
EXECUTIVE 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.
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~4~
David and Goliath:
Anti-Vivisection; U.S. pharmaceutical industry profits, and NIH as
benefactor
From Linda J. Howard - lindajhoward@earthlink.net
On
29 May 2002, ABC News aired 'Bitter Medicine - Pills, Profit and the Public
Health, 'a special expose' narrated by Peter Jennings. [Appended further
below is a summary of the expose' from ABC News' web site with several points
underscored.]
The expose' focused on the following three points:
1) The enormous profits amassed by public-sector pharmaceutical industries;
2) The way in which NIH [National Institutes of Health] - which is funded by
tax dollars -contributes materially to pharmaceutical industry R&D
[research and development], and
3) The prevalence of the profit-inducing ruse when existing drugs are changed
in minute ways by pharmaceutical companies (even by a single molecule in some
instances) and introduced to the public as "revolutionary,"
"improved" and "new" in order for the pharmaceutical
companies to retain a monopoly on patents (thus, preventing the drug from being
released as a less expensive "generic.")
'Bitter Medicine' did not mention the gruesome, painful and (often) fatal
animal testing which is inherent in pharmaceutical R&D. However, the
Food and Drug Administration [FDA] requires animal testing for toxicity of all
new drugs... even ones changed by a single molecule.
The innocent and unconsenting animals who are used as disposable pawns in
pharmaceutical industry profiteering are seemingly unmentionables.
Pitting anti-vivisection activists against NIH has always seemed comparable to
a match between David and Goliath -- likewise for anti-vivisectionists up
against the pharmaceutical industry. To learn that NIH and the
pharmaceutical industry work hand-in-hand is akin to Goliath doubling in size and
strength.
GRAB A SLINGSHOT
No doubt, the airing of 'Bitter Medicine' will have raised public awareness
about long-standing flaws in "the system." Many people are
likely asking why it is the case that tax-funded drug "research" at
NIH is directly channeled to pharmaceutical companies. In essence, the
public pays for drugs in advance via obligatory imposed taxes and then again
pays marked-up retail prices to pharmaceutical companies.
The few attempts to legislate "fairness" in drug-manufacturing have
been smashed by the pharmaceutical industry. According to the Washington
Post, in year 2001 alone, the pharmaceutical industry spent $75 million on
lobbying -- more than any other sector. According to the Pharmaceutical
Law and Policy Report, "Because of the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying
efforts, too many members of Congress are afraid to directly challenge the
industry."
Enough is enough. It is time that Congress take control of this
demon. Please write to your Congressperson and urge her/him to sponsor
legislation to reform the drug industry.
Suggested talking points:
* Congress has an obligation to look out for the interests of constituents
("the public"), despite the temptation to succumb to pay-offs by
powerful special interest groups such as the pharmaceutical industry.
* Explain that it is in the best interest for consumers and animals for
Congress to enact legislation which restricts the ability of drug-manufacturers
from introducing variants of existing drugs merely to bolster their own
enormous profits. The public loses by having to consistently pay high
prices for pharmaceutical products and the animals lose by being subjected to
what is the equivalent of duplicitous "testing." Once the money-making incentive of
inundating the market with secondary drugs (ones in which there is no notable
difference from an existing drug) is reduced, there will be a decrease in
production, thus a decrease in the animal testing which is currently required
for these drugs to be introduced to the market.
Go to http://www.house.gov/writerep/ to find the contact information for your
U.S. Congressperson.
Summary of 'Bitter Medicine - Pills, Profit and the Public Health' from
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/ABCNEWSSpecials/pharmaceuticals_020529_pjr_feature.html
Bitter Medicine
Pills, Profit and the Public Health
May 29 — First there was aspirin to treat pain and inflammation, then came
Advil, Aleve, and 40 other similar drugs. By 1999, Celebrex and Vioxx were on
the scene, and they now outsell every other prescription pain reliever on the
market. Every year, $4 billion is spent on Celebrex and Vioxx alone.
"There's never been a study showing that they are more effective at
relieving symptoms of joint pain and inflammation than all these other
medicines that have been available for many, many years and are much more
affordable," said Dr. Matt Handley, a physician with Group Health
Cooperative, a nonprofit managed-care organization in Seattle. On top of
the $532 million spent every year on over-the-counter drugs, consumers spent
$90 billion more on prescription drugs last year than the $64 billion that was
spent just six years ago. And yet, there is little evidence that the huge
increase in spending is dramatically improving the health of Americans. Are consumers
getting their money's worth?
$802 Million for One New Medicine
Why do prescription drugs cost so much money? According to a Tufts
University study, on average it costs $802 million to bring one new medicine to
market. The high cost of drug development is the industry's justification for
the high price of drugs.
"The $802 million figure is used by pharmaceutical firms, I believe, to
help explain the enormous challenge involved in bringing a new product to
market," said Ken Kaitin, who runs the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug
Development. "These are extraordinary costs to bring individual products
to market."
While it is not possible to look at a breakdown of research costs — companies
aren't required to make this information public — their profits are public, and
the drug industry is the most profitable industry in the country.
"Their R&D [research and development] costs could be $15 billion, $15
trillion, $15 gazillion, and it wouldn't matter if their profits are double
that," said Dr. Marcia Angell, a former editor of the New England Journal
of Medicine.
The drug industry claims its high profits are necessary in order to conduct
expensive research and development. It spends more on research than any other
industry. [Note: Animal testing is inherent in this
"research."]
The federally funded National Institutes of Health may be the drug industry's
biggest benefactor. This government agency alone will spend more than $23
billion on research this year. And much of the research benefits the drug industry.
"There's no other industry in which you have so much public investment in
the fundamental knowledge that enables … the development of the commercial
industry itself," said Dr. Bernadine Healy, who used to run the NIH.
And how important is this publicly funded research to the industry? The NIH
looked at the five top-selling drugs of 1995 in a report. It found that
"NIH-funded research played a critical role" in discovering each one
of those drugs.
But however much it may actually cost to develop a drug, which drugs are
consumers getting for their money?
Similar to Existing Drugs
A closer look reveals that much of the profits from prescription sales are not
derived from breakthrough drugs, but rather from drugs that are similar to
already popular medications.
When a drug company submits a drug to the Food and Drug Administration for
approval, the agency tries to determine how important the drug may be. And the
FDA divides all drugs into two categories: "priority" drugs — which
are believed to be a "significant improvement" over what already
exists, and "standard" drugs — which are similar to what exists.
But, adding up all the drugs approved over the past six years, 80 percent of
all those drugs were deemed by the FDA to be similar to what already exists.
In other words, not a significant improvement.
"I think the level of innovation that we're seeing from the pharmaceutical
industry is really mixed," said Nancy Chockley, who runs an institute
funded by managed-care organizations. In a new report, NICHM found the
percentage of new, innovative drugs coming from the pharmaceutical industry is
actually decreasing.
"What we found is that over the last 12 years that there's really been a
shift in the type of new drugs being approved by the FDA," said Chockley.
"And we found that most of the growth was really in drugs that did not
show any significant clinical improvement."
Extending the Patent Life
The patent system gives companies an exclusive monopoly for the length of the
patent — meaning they can make huge profits. That is the incentive drug
companies have to continually invent new drugs. Then, when the patents on those
drugs expire, other companies can copy the drug, make a generic version, and
the new competition in the marketplace lowers the price. The FDA says the
generic drugs are just as good as the original drugs.
That's the way the patent system is supposed to work, but that is not the way
it always works. The drug industry's lawyers and lobbyists have created or
found so many loopholes in the laws that some generic drugs are often delayed
or never get to market.
BuSpar is an anti-anxiety drug manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb. After the
company had had a monopoly on the drug for years, the patent on BuSpar was set
to expire on Nov. 21, 2000, which meant a cheaper generic version was supposed
to be approved by the FDA and available to consumers the next day.
And then, just hours before its patent on BuSpar expired, Bristol-Myers Squibb
got a new patent on what the drug becomes after you swallow it. And the law is
written in such a way that Bristol-Myers was able to then keep the generic drug
off the market, claiming that it would violate its new patent. There was no
innovation involved — only an innovative legal strategy.
Dr. Carol Ben-Maimon, who has worked in the drug industry for 15 years and is
chairwoman of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, believes that
Bristol-Myers was in this for profit and not public health. "I don't think
there's any question," she said. "They didn't do anything to the
product to improve it. "
Bristol-Myers was sued by the generic companies, which claimed that the
last-minute patent filed with the FDA should not keep the generic drug off the
market. It took four months for a court to rule in the generic companies'
favor.
"During those four months, Bristol-Myers continued to have the exclusive
right to sell this product on the market, no generic competition, and I believe
this product is about, over a $700 million-a-year revenue product for
Bristol-Myers," said Rob Funston, an attorney for a company that produced
the generic version, Watson Labs. "So during those four months, they made
approximately $200 million." When asked several times to discuss its
strategy to extend the patents on BuSpar and on other drugs, Bristol-Myers
refused.
Less Innovation
Many experts believe the industry, in general, is producing fewer innovative
drugs.
"If I'm a manufacturer and I can change one molecule and get another 20
years of patent rights, and convince physicians to prescribe and consumers to
demand the next form of Prilosec, or weekly Prozac, instead of daily Prozac,
just as my patent expires, then why would I be spending money on a lot
less-certain endeavor, which is looking for brand-new drugs," said Dr. Sharon
Levine, the associate executive director and a pediatrician for the Kaiser
Permanente Medical Group. She is responsible for assessing the best
resources for the medical group, including helping decide which drugs are used.
But with so many drugs for each of these conditions, how are consumers supposed
to know which drugs are the best? Surprisingly enough, the FDA says a new drug
does not have to be any better than what already exists. "All you have to
be able to prove is that the drug is better than nothing," said Levine.
The rules by which this hugely profitable industry operates do not always serve
customers adequately. The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether
drug makers illegally delay generic competition. Some members of Congress are
trying to close the loopholes in the law to make it easier for generic drugs to
become available.
However, the drug industry has enormous influence in Washington. The
pharmaceutical industry has more registered lobbyists than the number of
senators and congressmen combined.
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~5~
Through Opened Eyes (The Activist)
By WantNoMeat@aol.com
Through opened eyes we clearly see
and answer the animal's plea
We must see what others ignore
so we alone unlock secrecy's door
We look inside the anguished eyes
and we have the burden to be wise
When others cover their ears
we are the ones to fight the tears
All of our strength it takes
to endure when our heart aches
When the images etch our mind
it's justice we struggle to find
The screams mark our soul
to end the agony our common goal
Silencing the wails cannot wait
in our hands we hold their fate
If only others would lend their voice
and for the helpless make the choice
With each action we destroy or defend
on each decision so many lives depend.
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~6~
Memorable Quote
"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your
face."
~ Ben Williams
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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Animal Rights Online
P O Box 7053
Tampa, Fl 33673-7053
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/1395/
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&
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not-for-profit publisher of The Animals' Agenda Magazine
http://www.animalsagenda.org/
The
Animals' Agenda Magazine: WebEdition
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