A n i m a l W r i t e s © sm
The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Publisher ~ EnglandGal@aol.com
Issue #
08/18/02
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Journalists ~ ParkStRanger@aol.com
~
MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ The Case for Christian Vegetarian Activism By
Stephen R. Kaufman
2 ~ Missybelle's Happy Ending By Lorraine Pirillo
3 ~ West Nile Virus From Jim Willis
4 ~ Foundations For Inner Security By Robert Cohen
5 ~ The Dream of Icarus By Jim Willis
6 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
The Case for Christian
Vegetarian Activism
Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D., CVA medical director
stkaufman@mindspring.com
Nearly
all veg. advocates have had the frustrating experience of hearing someone
declare, “God made animals for people. We’re supposed to eat animals.”
Many find it hard to have sympathy for Christianity after hearing that.
While I will not attempt to show that, on balance, Christianity has benefited
animals, I do think that the faith is potentially very sympathetic to animal
protectionism. Furthermore, if we fail to reach out to the Christian
community, we “write off” a very large segment of American society.
Christianity and Animal Welfare
The Bible describes the Garden of Eden as vegetarian (Genesis 1:29-30), and the
prophet Isaiah envisioned a similarly peaceful end of time, when the Messiah
will come and “the wolf shall lie with the lamb” and “the lion shall eat straw
like the ox” and “they shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.”
(Isaiah 11:6-9) Veganism is clearly a biblical ideal. Furthermore, there
are many passages (mostly in the Hebrew Scriptures) that oppose cruelty to
animals and praise compassion for animals.
Despite these encouraging teachings, I don’t think that Christian tradition
mandates that all people must be vegetarian today. Christianity is
humanocentric, and those who need to eat animals for survival appear
justified. Of course, this is true of few Americans, and the harmful
effects of animal agriculture on the environment, world hunger, animal welfare,
and human health lead the Christian Vegetarian Association (www.christianveg.com)
to conclude that, if Jesus were among us today, he would likely be a
vegetarian.
Reaching Out to Christians
I don’t think an animal rights/animal liberation position readily derives from
Christian tradition, but a strong case against factory farming and any
unnecessary killing of animals receives powerful support. That many
Christians fail to see this should not prompt animal-friendly Christians to
leave their churches. Rather, they should persistently and respectfully
encourage their church communities to study and reflect on what the Christian
faith teaches about humankind’s proper relationship to nonhuman Creation.
Many animal advocates, frustrated by Christianity’s humanocentric tendencies,
may find the Christian faith altogether unappealing. Nevertheless, I urge
them, when distributing veg. literature, to also offer materials aimed at Christian
audiences. In Cleveland, Vegetarian Advocates primarily distributes Vegan
Outreach’s Vegetarian Living, and many people who visit our tables are
interested in the Christian Vegetarian Association’s pamphlet What Would Jesus
Eat…Today? Most Christians find the CVA pamphlet very compelling, while
many Christians are unmoved by animal rights or other secular arguments.
Sometimes, Christians challenge the pamphlet’s content, and these Christians
are simply advised to contact the CVA.
The CVA offers up to 5 copies of WWJET free of charge. After that, the
8-page pamphlets are only 12 cents each. For more information about the
CVA, visit
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~2~
Missybelle's Happy Ending
By Lorraine Pirillo
- Missybellesmom@aol.com
Missybelle
is a beautiful soon to be eight year old Java Macaque who now resides in a
beautiful sanctuary in Oklahoma. I had the pleasure of Mothering her for seven
years. I don't know if it was a pleasure for her being I was so ignorant
to her needs for nurturing, even nutrition. I was misinformed about her
care by the profit making pet shop that sold her to me. Could you imagine
they told me that "monkey's don't need water they get enough in their
food." Even I knew that any living creature needs water. I
should have been more concerned when I requested the breeders name and address
so I could talk to him about her care and they refused to give it to
me.
Every time I would try to write about Missybelle I would get so upset and start
crying that I couldn't do it. I thought if I wrote about having and loving
Missy and then having to give her up for her sake it would discourage people
from putting themselves and other primates though the heartbreak of separation,
and maybe put a dent in the breeding of primates in captivity for profit. If I
told my story, some people considering purchasing a primate would have second
thoughts.
When I first got Missybelle she was a helpless seven week old infant that had
been ripped from her mother's arms within days of her birth, this I found out
later with much distress and research. She was adorable so dependent on
me for everything, almost like a human infant. As Missy grew it became
more and more evident that she wasn't a hairy little helpless human but a
maturing wild primate whose needs are very different from those of humans.
I knew that I had to do something for Missybelle, I loved her so much, but
there is only so much I could give her, because I am a human primate and she
needed the comfort and companionship of a non-human primate. I noticed she was
getting more and more depressed. She was sleeping a lot. She was getting more
aggressive. I was the only one who could be around when she was out of the cage
or she would strike out at others. She had bitten everyone in the house and
some unsuspecting friends and family, some very serious bites that I myself had
received. I tried everything to keep her amused. I bought her stuffed animals,
toys, had custom cages made for inside and out so she would have plenty of
room. Took her outside to swim in the pool, play in the sprinkler, but all this
was still not enough. Plus she was alone when I went to work. As she
became more aggressive she had to spend more time in her cage for fear she may
hurt someone.
She needed the companionship of her own kind so she could be and act like a
monkey. So I started seeking help on the Internet where I met Kari from Jungle
Friends who told me about Linda and Mindy's Memory Primate Sanctuary in
Oklahoma. If you only knew what I put Linda through when I first thought about
sending Missybelle to her. She gave up on me a few times saying I wasn't ready.
I think what she really wanted to say, but was too polite to is "Stop
wasting my time I have more important things to take care of rather than
consoling you about bringing Missy to the sanctuary." I kept grilling her
about how much property, how big are the cages, what she feeds them, how she
feeds them, if she could send me pictures. I just drove her crazy. I am so glad
she didn't completely give up on us. Every time I thought this is it, she's had
it with me, I would get back in her good graces by sending a picture of
Missybelle, and ask her to reconsider, how could she say no to this face? Then
she would forgive my ignorance and consider taking Missy.
We drove from New York to Oklahoma straight through thirty hours because we
couldn't stop at a motel with Missybelle. Some may allow pets, but I don't
think that includes monkeys. Missy surprised us because she was a great
traveler. She gave me no trouble through the whole trip. Linda (director of
Mindy's Memory Primate Sanctuary) was gracious enough to open her home to us.
She let us come with Missybelle to check everything out and see if I thought
this would be a suitable home for Missy. When I put Missybelle in the cage at
the sanctuary and she held on to me through the bars, I could have died. It
felt like I was abandoning my baby. That night we left and went to the hotel,
needless to say I did not sleep a wink. I cried the whole night. My husband was
getting worried, thinking I may be having a breakdown. By morning my face was
so swollen from crying that my eyes were just slits. I think my husband and
Linda thought I would be bringing Missy back to New York with me.
Then the next morning when we returned to the sanctuary, Linda had put Missy
and Phoebus another Java Macaque together. She had done it while I wasn't there
because she knew I would be devastated when Phoebus a dominant male would let
Missy know he was the boss. Linda said there was a few bites, pinches and
screams, afterwards they were just fine. Phoebus kept following Missybelle to
get near her, and she was playing hard to get. Putting her nose up in the air
and walking away, but when he would walk away from her, because she wasn't
accepting his advances, she was right behind him being a tease. I knew then
this was meant to be. I think it must be like when your child gets married and
you have to let go. Only she was still a such a baby, even though she was 7
years old, she was still my baby. She had never been away from me since she was
7 weeks old. I still fed her 4 bottles everyday as well as other food.
Every time I would try to stop the bottle I felt she was not getting enough to
eat, so the bottle came back. I wasn't doing her any favors, just making her
fatter and fatter and less healthy. What I couldn't do for 7 years Linda was
able to do in 2 days, wean Missy off the bottle.
I won't say leaving Missybelle wasn't one of the most traumatic things I have
ever had to do. My heart was breaking for my loss but I also knew it was the
right thing for Missybelle, and it was a great gain for Phoebus also. By
the way, I fell in love with Phoebus immediately. I couldn't have picked a
better cage mate for Missy. He's not only one of the handsomest monkeys I have
ever seen but he had a similar temperament as Missy. He was also a New Yorker
(HAHA). When Linda and I were talking about them one day we realized they had
both been treated by the same Vet on Long Island, small world.
Well, I was finally able to tear myself away from Missy and started on the
journey home. I cried for 2 more days and couldn't wait to get home to run to
my email to see if there was any news about Missy. I came into the house
went straight downstairs to the computer my heart sank when I saw the empty
cage next to my computer and the tears started flowing all over again. Sure
enough the news was good, and I felt better. Not good but better.
Linda writes almost everyday, and she gives me updates and tidbits about the
monkey. The best part of this story is my return visit. We returned to
Oklahoma in November 2001, Missy had been there since August. Then I was
positive I had done the right thing. Missy had lost some of her baby fat and
was not struggling to climb due to all that excess fat she had when I first
brought her to the sanctuary. She was spry, running and climbing, playing,
teasing and being teased by Phoebus. Even her face looked more alert and happy.
When she first saw me she did nothing until I said her name. Then she grabbed
me through the cage, held me, kissed me and would not let go. It was almost
like she was telling me I'm Okay, I'm Happy and Thank You.
I was so afraid she would have forgotten me, or worse rejected me. Phoebus was
a little jealous that she was paying so much attention to us. So he would chase
her away from us. I think he was afraid we might take her away. I could never
separate these two, they were made for each other. Linda was so gracious, she
welcomed us to stay with her. It was wonderful. I would look out one window and
there was Missy and Phoebus playing and grooming. I would look out the other
window and we had the capuchins looking at us through the window. I think we
switched roles. They were watching us the same way we were watching them. It
was like I died and went to Monkey Heaven. Even my husband fell in love with
one of the capuchins named Cookie. He talks about her all the time.
I hope to retire in 7 years and be able to spend more time there and give Linda
a hand. What keeps me sane is knowing how well Linda takes care of Missy, that
she keeps me informed about Missy and all the monks, and my anticipated
visits. I love to hear about all of
them, but there is always that little tidbit I wait for, like a proud mother
hearing good things about their children. You can't buy the kind of love and
care Linda gives the monks, but you can support the food, housing
and necessary essentials. I happen to be very lucky as well as Missybelle
having found Linda was a lifesaver. Now Missy has a full life with
Phoebus and the addition of an adopted little girl Sunshine.
Two photo albums have been created of Missybelle, in the first one you will see
Missybelle in her home prior to the sanctuary. There are photos of her loose in
the house, in the backyard and in her cage. As you can see, she was treated as
a member of the family. Yet, she was still becoming depressed.
http://pictures.care2.com/view/1/368036720
The
second album is of Missybelle enjoying her life at Mindy's Memory Primate
Sanctuary.
http://pictures.care2.com/welcome/963449033
Thanks,
Lorraine, Proud to have been Missybelle's Mom. Even prouder that I was
able to find her companionship with her own specie.
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~3~
West Nile Virus
By Jim Willis - jwillis@bellatlantic.net
THE TIERGARTEN SANCTUARY TRUST
There
is an e-mail making its rounds about the first confirmed case of WNV in a dog,
a 2.5 yr. old Labrador Retriever in Georgia. The dog exhibited drooling,
decreased appetite, and general symptoms of a neurological disorder. He was
treated successfully with chloramphenicol and made a full recovery after 5
days. But before anyone panics - technically this is not the first case in a
dog, although it may be the first in the US, and WNV was confirmed in a cat in
1999.
More info about WNV and mammals is at the Centers for Disease Control website.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/birds&mammals.htm
Dogs
and cats are considered "incidental hosts." The virus is not expected
to reach a lethal level in them and most mammals, they are expected to make a
full recovery and WNV is not a reason to euthanize the animal. Taking all the
precautions you'd take for yourself should be sufficient to protect your pets
(don't keep standing water around, use a spray, stay indoors at dawn and dusk,
stay away from mosquito breeding grounds, and continue your usual flea &
tick prevention).
We don't keep outdoor cats and since cats groom themselves you have to be
careful about what topical agents you apply to them. The following is the
recipe for our homemade spray that we use on dogs/horses, and we've never had
problems with fleas, ticks, flies or mosquitos. We mix it in a large spray
bottle and reapply as often as necessary. If you live in an area with a high
mosquito population, you'd need to reapply it more often. Don't get the spray
in the eyes or on "privates."
Half apple cider vinegar (grocery store variety), half Listerine (or generic
amber mouthwash), one ounce of pure citronella oil (from any horse supplier),
one ounce of Avon Skin-so-Soft oil, one half-ounce bottle each of peppermint
and lemon oils (available from some pharmacies; these two ingredients are
probably not critical, but smell great). Spray the animal thoroughly and work
into the coat with an old towel.
Of course there are commercially available sprays for dogs, but read the
ingredients first, and note that some should not be used on cats.
Our dogs also get garlic in their food for all the usual reasons, and that
probably also helps ward off mosquitos. (We've also never had any problems with
vampires.)
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~4~
Foundations For Inner Security
By Robert Cohen - i4crob@earthlink.net
http://www.notmilk.com
For
some historians, eighteen years marks a generation. Two generations ago, my
friend Rynn Berry gave up milk and dairy products.
In 1988, Rynn gave a talk to the New York Vegan Society, and said:
"Twenty-two years ago, on August 15, 1966,
I became a vegetarian. Thenceforth, no
fish, no meat, no eggs or dairy products
would ever pass my lips. No animal would
ever be forced to give up its life that
I might sustain mine. So every year I
mark the occasion, and celebrate it as
though it were a birthday; for truly it
was a day of liberation, joy and rebirth!"
Happy birthday, Rynn!
Five years before Rynn's 1966 re-birth, Eva Batt delivered her sentiments at
the World Forum (October, 1961):
"Of course it would not be good for business
if too many people realized that milk is not
essential to optimal health. Coupled with
some of the disadvantages of relying on this
product of the over-worked, sex-hormoned,
antibiotic-filled, semi-invalid cow, with
her proneness to udder complaints, umbilical
sepsis, mastitis and chronic catarrh, etc.,
it might well bring about a new and refreshing
outlook on food habits.
The vegan genuinely believes that 'Thou Shalt
Not Kill' means exactly what it says; no more,
no less. It certainly does not mean 'Thou
Shalt Not Kill, except for the pleasure of
eating the bodies of the slain, or drinking
the milk intended by nature for the slaughtered
calf; the vain desire to adorn the human body
with the fur, feathers or skin of another
animal; or because it is a very profitable
business to breed or catch animals for the
experimental laboratory where they will be
starved, burned, gassed, poisoned, mutilated
and otherwise tortured and then killed."
On November 28, 1972, the New York Post reported these words, written by Albert
Einstein.
"A human being is a part of the whole, called
by us the 'Universe,' a part limited in time
and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts
and feelings, as something separate from the
rest - a kind of optical delusion of his
consciousness. This delusion is a kind of
prison for us, restricting us to our personal
desires and to affection to a few persons
nearest to us. Our task must be to free
ourselves from this prison by widening our
circle of compassion to embrace all living
creatures and the whole of nature in its
beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this
completely, but the striving for such
achievement is in itself a part of the
liberation and a foundation for inner security."
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~5~
The
Dream Of Icarus
Copyright Jim Willis 2002 - jwillis@bellatlantic.net
http://www.crean.com/jimwillis
Like velvet slumber covered me until
my wings were made of dreams,
and so I flew, buoyed by feathers held by wax,
precarious at best, and yet
I soared over rooftop and gable,
until the Earth below came into view
through the cotton batting of clouds.
My companions were the angels,
jealous, perhaps, that a man should challenge
their domain of air, of light, of carefree breezes.
I swooped and dove, trying out this newfound bliss,
of blessed freedom, yes!,
with an unfettered pleasure that escaped the bounds of gravity.
When below, I saw the most wondrous sights,
the release to freedom of all species...
the end of Man's depravity.
And I, privileged above all men,
watched as cage doors flew open and the released ran and frolicked -
as barnyard gates swung open and their prisoners
mooed and whinnied and cackled in glee -
They were free!
The shelters, too, they fell to ruins, and their inhabitants ran free...
like me,
and I hovered in mid-air as around me all began to sing praises
to The Creator for His benevolence,
and to our world for finally heeding what was always meant to be.
I dove toward the sea and glided,
above the fishes,
in glory,
I listened to their stories.
I spiraled upward over treetops,
the rainforest glistened,
the angels hastened,
but none could keep up with me!
Yes! I yelled and shouted,
the captors have all been routed,
and God in his majesty has decided that all should be free.
The Arab embraced the Jew,
the lines of communication grew,
between all man,
between man and beast,
they began to feast,
and in this holy hour all became one.
Not one more important and all basking in the sun...
all the same as me.
Like water ran my feelings,
like electricity, my nerves tingled,
like a river running on,
I flew.
But I flew too near the sun -
the angels shouted warnings,
but, alas, I did not heed them.
It was my fate to plummet, headlong toward the Earth,
to forsake this epiphany of my rebirth.
I awoke, tangled in my sheets,
the television blared its dour reports,
and through my window, I saw the city ringed by smog...
and a man raised his hand against another,
and his dog cowered, awaiting the blows.
All was again lost, what had been found,
and I in those tangled linens, soaked with sweat,
like a shroud was bound.
Then toward me, my cat crept.
Of hope, I was bereft.
It was not meant to be...not yet.
I turned my face away and wept.
<><><><><>
**We're pleased to announce publication of Jim's new book:
"PIECES OF MY HEART - Writings Inspired by Animals and Nature"
For complete information: http://www.crean.com/jimwillis/
**See the above site for a special fundraising discount offer.
****NOW AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON.COM & AMAZON.CO.UK****
To order directly from amazon.com in the US & Canada, please click here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/074141015X/thetiergarten-20/002-4291483-0770430
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~6~
Memorable Quote
"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but
because of those who look on and do nothing."
~ Albert Einstein
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