The
official ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Established
1997
Editor ~
JJswans@aol.com
Issue #
07/11/04
Publisher ~ Susan
Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Journalists ~ Greg
Lawson -
ParkStRanger@aol.com
~ Michelle Rivera
- MichelleRivera1@aol.com
Webmasters ~ Randy Atlas - ranatlas@earthlink.net
~ Trevor Chin - tmchin@yahoo.com
Staff ~ Alfred Griffith - agriffith@igc.org
~ Denise Higgins - Demnymets@aol.com
~ Andy Glick
- andy@meatfreezone.org
~ Sheridan Porter -
Pad4Paws21@aol.com
~ Bill Bobo - RunRun@aol.com
~ Katie Vann - Vann167@aol.com
THE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ NY Author Decries Neglect of Nobel Laureate Isaac
Bashevis Singer's Legacy
2 ~ Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee Ready to Rescue 6
Ailing Elephants
3 ~ Job Opportunities
4 ~ E-mail Update re: Lee Adams
5 ~ Is There An Afterlife For Pets?
6 ~ Puppy Mill Prayer
7 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
New York
Author Decries Neglect of
Nobel
Laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer's Legacy
www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/7/emw138917.htm
Dr. Charles Patterson, author of the groundbreaking book
ETERNAL TREBLINKA, which he dedicated to the Yiddish writer and Nobel Laureate
Isaac Bashevis Singer, laments that on the occasion of the Singer Centennial
(Singer was born in Poland on July 14, 1904) an important part of his legacy is
being ignored. Singer was the most powerful pro-animal voice in modern
literature and a passionately comitted vegetarian, but you would never know it
from centennial observances taking place in his name.
(PRWEB) July 6, 2004 -- Charles Patterson, author of the
highly acclaimed book "Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the
Holocaust," regrets that most people honoring the centennial of the
Yiddish writer and Nobel Laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-91) are unaware
just how important his vegetarianism was to him and what a central theme it was
in his writings. Most of the main characters in his novels and short stories
either are vegetarians, become vegetarians, or think about becoming
vegetarians.
From an early age Singer was greatly upset by the abuse and
killing of animals he saw around him in Poland. His indignation was so strong
that he thought that there should be an Eleventh Commandment: "Do not kill
or exploit the animal. Don't eat its flesh, don't flail its hide, don't force
it to do things against its nature."
"The longer I am a vegetarian,” he wrote, “the more I
feel how wrong it is to kill animals and eat them. I think that eating meat or
fish is a denial of all ideals, even of all religions. How can we pray to God
for mercy if we ourselves have no mercy? How can we speak of right and justice
if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood? Every kind of killing seems
to me savage and I find no justification for it."
The Holocaust made a deep impression on Singer. Although he
escaped it by following his older brother Joshua to the United States in 1935,
his mother, younger brother, and many members of his extended family who
remained in Poland were killed. Singer’s stories and novels set in America are
mostly about Holocaust survivors and refugees from Europe.
Although he did not write about the Holocaust directly, it
was the ever present lens through which he viewed the world, especially when it
came to the killing of animals. The central character in his short story
"The Letter Writer," a Holocaust survivor, declares: "In
relation to them, all people are Nazis; for the animals it is an eternal
Treblinka."
In his foreword to a book about vegetarianism published in
1979, Singer wrote: "We know now, as we have always known instinctively,
that animals can suffer as much as human beings. Their emotions and their sensitivity
are often stronger than those of a human being. Various philosophers and
religious leaders tried to convince their disciples and followers that animals
are nothing more than machines without a soul, without feelings. However,
anyone who has ever lived with an animal--be it a dog, bird or even a
mouse--knows that this theory is a brazen lie, invented to justify
cruelty."
Singer warned that as long as human beings go on shedding
the blood of animals, there will never be any peace. "There is only one
little step from killing animals to creating gas chambers a la Hitler...There
will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and
destroy those who are weaker than he is."
Singer was a patron of the International Jewish Vegetarian
Society, and in 1986 he received the "Jewish Vegetarian of the Year"
award from the Jewish Vegetarians of North America.
In Israel the organization CHAI (Concern for Helping Animals
in Israel) built an Isaac Bashevis Singer Humane Education Center at the SPCA
(Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in Tel Aviv. The center
contains an extensive library of books and videos about animals and animal
issues and conducts educational programs, including CHAI's "Living Together"
program that brings together Jewish and Arab children to learn about and help
animals.
At dinners in his honor where chicken was usually served,
Singer would decline the main course. Once when a woman asked him if he didn’t
eat chicken for "health reasons," he said, "Yes, for the health
of the chicken."
Singer was one of the most powerful pro-animal voices of the
twentieth century and the first major writer in modern literature to use the
Holocaust analogy to describe the exploitation and slaughter of animals. This
important part of the Singer legacy should not be ignored or forgotten.
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~2~
The
Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee
Ready to
Rescue 6 Ailing Circus Elephants Including Lota
Hohenwald, TN--(June 23) Lota, a circus elephant that has
been the focus of three lawsuits, the inspiration for an international petition
for her release and responsible for raising awareness of the plight of captive
elephants, will finally be released to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.
Earlier this year a lawsuit was brought by the United States
Department of Agriculture against the Illinois-based Hawthorn Corporation, the
company that owns LOTA. In the suit, the Hawthorn Corporation, a company which
trains and rents elephants for circuses, was charged with numerous counts of
cruelty and neglect of its 16 circus elephants. As a result, John Cuneo, owner
of the Hawthorn Corporation, agreed to relinquish his 16 elephants by August
15th to facilities approved by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service.
The USDA has asked The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee to
accept six of the Hawthorn 16. The Sanctuary has immediate barn space for two,
Lota and Misty; both suffer from tuberculosis and require special facilities
separate from other elephants for the duration of their six month treatments.
Additionally, the Sanctuary has secured temporary housing for four more
Hawthorn elephants while they undergo testing to insure that they are disease
free.
However, providing permanent sanctuary for these six
elephants is costly. A new barn must be built with a price tag of one million
dollars. The Sanctuary has approached animal welfare organizations, private
foundations and individuals and has raised $877,000 to date. [Watch the
donation tally rise at www.elephants.com/hawthorn/hawthorn.php ]
Although the Sanctuary would like to rescue all 16 Hawthorn
elephants, this is only possible if additional housing can be secured and
monies raised beyond the one million dollars that the Sanctuary needs to
provide permanent refuge for the first six elephants.
Some of the Hawthorn elephants have lived together for
decades. Most are aged and in poor health. Separating them from one
another could inflict extreme emotional trauma. Additionally, this herd
represents a wealth of information regarding the life threatening diseases that
plague captive elephants. The Sanctuary’s wish is to establish a world class
health and welfare program that would keep these 16 elephants together and
through non-invasive research, benefit many captive elephants around the world.
The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, is the
nation's only natural-habitat refuge developed specifically to meet the needs
of endangered elephants. It is a non-profit organization, licensed by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, designed
specifically for old, sick or needy elephants who have been retired from zoos
and circuses. Utilizing more than 2700 acres, it provides two separate and
protected, natural habitat environments for Asian and African elephants. To
learn more about the Sanctuary or to make a donation to help rescue Lota and
the Hawthorn elephants please visit their web site at www.elephants.com or call
931-796-6500 ext. 26
NEWS CONTACT: Carol Buckley - 931-796-6500 x 10
Kim - volunteers4circusanimals@yahoo.com
Circus and Elephant Advocate
Sign my petition to help elephants through legislation:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/945552036
Watch my favorite rescued girls live on the EleCam:
www.tappedintoelephants.com
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~3~
Job
Opportunities
FARM has the following positions open:
@ Office Manager
Responsible for keeping the office organized, neat, and
running efficiently, for maintaining office equipment and telephone and DSL
services, for ordering and organizing supplies and merchandise, for managing
mail and mailings, and for filling requests for information and merchandise.
The position requires good organization, an eye for detail, and tinkering
skills.
@ Database Manager
Responsible for developing and maintaining FARM's membership
and other databases, on-line store, website-database interactions, and
e-mailing services. The position requires good working knowledge of MS Access
and other pertinent applications, good organization, and an eye for detail.
Each position also requires: applicable prior experience,
self-starting ability, ability to work in a close team setting, and
demonstrated dedication to animal rights and veganism.
We offer an unparalleled opportunity for professional
growth, and personal fulfillment, along with modest pay and possible housing,
if needed. The office is located in a safe and pleasant residential
neighborhood of Bethesda, MD, 20 minutes from downtown Washington.
FARM is a national organization promoting planetary survival
through plant-based eating. Our programs include the
Great American Meatout, (www.meatout.org)
World Farm Animals Day, (www.wfad.org)
Gentle Thanksgiving, (www.gentlethanksgiving.org)
Letters From FARM, (www.farmusa.org/letters.htm)
CHOICE, (www.choiceusa.net)
and the Animal Rights National Conferences. (www.ar2004.org)
To learn more about FARM, check our view our various
campaigns. (www.farmusa.org/index.htm)
To apply, e-mail a resume and cover letter including any
special qualifications, interests, availability, financial
requirements, and special needs to: staffing@farmusa.org.
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~4~
E-mail
Update re: Lee Adams
From Steve
Hindi - SHindi@aol.com
SHARK supporters and opponents alike know our history of
investigating rodeos around the US, and our success in regularly exposing rodeo
cruelty. Our documentation of rodeo animal abuse has been publicized by
local, national and international media. This makes SHARK the most hated
animal protection in the world in the eyes of the Rodeo Mafia. The following
story demonstrates the fear, cowardice and incredible ruthlessness of the Rodeo
Mafia. This is the story of Lee Adams, a talk show host from Reno,
Nevada.
Statement of Lee Adams
On Friday, June 25, 2004, I set about to put together a
radio show that I have done live at the Reno Hilton for the past 11 months on
KPTT 630 Radio, a local ESPN affiliate. The Reno Rodeo was to have its
next-to-the-last performance in town on this date to record crowds.
Thinking that the subject was very topical and thought-provoking, I did some
research about how animals are treated in rodeos across the country. I
stumbled across a website at http://www.sharkonline.org/.
I learned of documented abuse and mistreatment of animals in
rodeos, and wanted to find out more, as well as hear from both sides. I
telephoned the owner of the website, Steve Hindi, and invited him on the
show. I then learned that the animal welfare coordinator for the
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, Cindy Schonholtz, happen to be in town
and I was able to track her down and invite her onto the show. She
immediately agreed to appear in person on the show, and got directions on how
to get there. I then informed her that I would also have Steve Hindi from
SHARK (Showing Animals Respect & Kindness) on the show with her.
At this point she started backpedaling and told me that she
would have to clear it with her superiors at the PRCA. Within an hour,
she called back and canceled her appearance. I then got a call from my
boss, General Manager Dane Wilt of Lotus Radio in Reno, who was very
upset. He demanded to know whose idea it was to put an animal rights
activist on the air. I should point out here that Lotus Radio has 5 radio
stations in Reno, including 94.5 The Mountain, a country FM station, which
turns out to be the official radio station of the Reno Rodeo for the past 4
years running. Since Miss Schonholtz had just canceled and I wanted to
have both sides on the air, coupled with the fact that Dane was very upset, I
told him that I wouldn't put Mr. Hindi on the air and he hung up.
First thing Monday morning, Dane called me into his
office. He also requested the presence of office manager Tammy Jo Baxter,
as he often does when very serious conversations are about to take place.
He started out this way "Lee, there is absolutely no possible way that you
can justify what you did on Friday. The rodeo is our partner. You
have shown no regard for our relationship with them, etc, etc. You will
never be on the air on KPTT again. Ever."
I then tried to explain my reasons for doing the show to no
avail. I even apologized, saying I used poor judgment by not consulting
with him first. He was determined to remove me from the air, saying that
my apology was worthless because it didn't come fast enough. He went on
to say that he couldn't trust me to be on the air ever again. Since I am
also the sales manager of KPTT, I asked how he could trust me to call on
clients if he couldn't trust me to be on the air. He said that that was
different, and I disagreed. I told him then that if he really didn't
trust me, I didn't need to be there, and so I resigned. I reminded him
that all of this fuss was over a show that NEVER EVEN AIRED. It didn't
matter. He wasn't changing his mind, so I assured him that I was serious
about resigning.
Since this occurred, I have informed a few of my clients
about what happened, and they are furious, some already demanding answers and
threatening to cancel many thousands of dollars worth of advertising. The
Reno Hilton is also a rodeo partner, but they have supported me. Their
President & CEO Tim Maland has been very understanding. We are
negotiating putting my show on another station.
END OF STATEMENT
This story demonstrates again the corrupting power of
the Rodeo Mafia, and specifically the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
(PRCA). Lee Adams was simply trying to put on a good, thought-provoking
radio show. Mr. Adams simply wanted to let the public hear both sides and
let them draw their own conclusions.
The Rodeo Mafia has sunk to a new low; something I would
have thought was impossible. How nauseating to think that these clowns
claim to be the keepers of Western American heritage. Now I hope that you
will help out.
Please contact Dane Wilt, the radio station general manager,
who was so willing to roll over for animal abusers, and let him know what you
think. His E-mail address is Dane@kozzradio.com, and his office phone
number is 775-329-9261. Mr. Wilt's immediate supervisor is Tony Bonnici
in Las Vegas. His phone number is 702-876-1460, and his email is
tonyb@lvradio.com
As usual, please let us [SHARK at SHindi@aol.com] know of
any response you may receive.
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~5~
Is There
An Afterlife For Pets?
By David
Briggs
Religion
News Service
Do all dogs go to heaven?
In some households, a dog's life could be considered
paradise on Earth, with an indulgent baby-boomer generation creating such
institutions as doggie day care, doggie spas and doggie vacations.
And the connection doesn't stop there — witness the growth
in pet cemeteries and sympathy cards for grieving animal owners.
But what about the next life?
As houses of worship respond by offering more services, such
as the blessing of animals, speculation has increased on the afterlife of pets.
Several books, Web sites and religious services keep alive
the memory of pets and offer hope to owners that death will not separate them
from their canine loved ones.
In an animal-memorial service at the Cleveland Buddhist
Temple, Arlene Rosenberg joined other grieving owners in a ceremony celebrating
their pets' lives. She placed a picture of her pooch, Golda, on the altar and
talked about "the tremendous joy, empathy and compassion" the dog
brought to her family.
Still fresh in her grief from her pet's death three weeks
earlier, the Jewish woman from University Heights, Ohio, said she found the
Buddhist service comforting.
LYNN ISCHAY / RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
Louise Foresman of Cleveland mourns the death of her dog,
Laughter, at a recent memorial service for animals at the Cleveland Buddhist
Temple.
"There's no doubt in my mind (Golda) has an incredibly
beautiful soul," she said. "I feel very strongly that I will be
reunited with her one day."
Dog owners need the reassurance that they will be reunited
with their pets in the next life in much the same way that religious people
cope with the death of a loved one with the belief they will meet again in
heaven, some observers say.
"It gives more than comfort," said Mary
Buddemeyer-Porter, author of "Will I See Fido in Heaven?" "Until
they actually believe their pets are in heaven, they can't have any
comfort."
Though speculation by academics on animal afterlife is
limited, and there are no direct biblical texts on the subject, several trends
have led to a serious interest in the issue. The trends include the gradual
historical shift from animals as servants of an agricultural society to the
modern pet culture.
Several theories have emerged.
Some say cats and dogs are immune from both heaven and hell
because they do
not have the mental capacity to make choices affecting
salvation.
Others say that, precisely because they are sinless, dogs
and other animals will be restored in the new creation. It wasn't animal sin
that ruined the first Eden, and there is no reason animals will be kept out of
the kingdom to come, believers say. They point to the presence of animals in
the images of heaven in Revelation.
"All of the animals will go to heaven. They are
sinless," said Niki Behrikis Shanahan, author of "There Is Eternal
Life for Animals." "Every creature that was created was created for
eternity."
A third theological stream speculates that some animals will
go to heaven and others will not. For example, animals that exhibited
viciousness toward other animals or human life may not make it; animals that
were caring and gentle in this life could have a place in paradise.
Animal-rights advocates often point to the parable of the
rich man and the beggar in the 16th chapter in the Gospel of Luke. The rich man
who feasted sumptuously while the beggar sought scraps from his table ends up
in hell. Would not the dogs who did not ignore the beggar but licked his sores
in apparent comfort end up in heaven with the poor man? The Gospel does not
speak to that question.
Just as human beings must wait to find out what the
afterlife will be like, so, too, will the fate of pets remain a mystery in this
life, many say.
Still, it is important that clergy and theologians are
talking about the issue, said Webb, author of "On God and Dogs: A
Christian Theology of Compassion for Animals."
"To think about animal resurrection means that these
bodies are valued and will be restored; it means that their lives, as well as
their deaths, will have to be treated with respect."
And while clergy still are hesitant about giving definitive
answers, observers say pet owners are much less likely today to be dismissed as
childish or told offhand that their dogs or cats are excluded from heaven.
In a recent discussion in The Joyful Noiseletter, the
publication of the Fellowship of Merry Christians, the Rev. John Battern, a
United Methodist pastor from Iowa, said it seems reasonable God would want
humans to use their full capacity to love in heaven. Thus, he said, "Yes,
Virginia, there are dogs and cats and other wonderful creatures in
heaven."
Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001971383_petafterlife03m.html
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~6~
Puppy Mill
Prayer
From
Wenmans_Barking_Lot@hotmail.com
(gave
permission to print on 5/27/01)
I huddle
inside my small cage.
I can
barely standd, it's so small, but that is ok,
because
the wires of the floor cut into my bare feet when I do.
My skin is
raw, and cut, where I've had to lay so uncomfortably
for hours
on end, days without end, years that go on forever.
My body
offers no comfort, as it's thin, and boney.
I have no
bed on which to lay my body.
No blanket
to cover me when I'm cold.
No
furniture on which to sit.
No private
place to do my "business".
No friends
to call my own.
I am in
Solitry Confinement,
with only
myself for company.
My fellow
"prisoners" can't help me,
for they
too are in total misery.
Their
lives are no better than my own.
I often
hear their cries in the night.
Cries of
pain, cries of sadness, cries of loneliness.
I am
hungry, and sick, but my captors don't really care.
I receive
no medical attention, as I'm not considered
important
in the entire scheme of things.
My
children give me a few moments of joy,
But they
are taken too early, leaving my breasts filled with milk.
I know a
different kind of pain now.
The pain
of love lost.
The pain
of true misery.
My stomach
has stopped growling.
It's way
beyond that, as I sit here with the pain.
Yesterday
I vomited blood, as my stomach began to turn on itself.
Today I
saw hair falling out by handfuls.
What had
been beautiful golden hair is now gone.
Part of me
wonders if maybe it will be over soon.
I sit day
in and day out, staring into space.
I have no
family to remember to give me strength.
I know of
no god to worship in times of fear.
I have no
love to remember in times of pain.
I have no
hope.
I have no
hope,
For I am a
prisoner of Cruelty.
A prisoner
of Pain.
A prisoner
of Greed.
A prisoner
of War.
For I am a
prisoner of a Puppy mill.
*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`*´`³¤³´`*:»«:*´`³¤³´`*:»³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`´`*:»«:*³¤³´`³¤³´`
~7~
Memorable
Quote
"I
would daily throw out crumbs for the sparrows in the neighborhood. I
noticed that one sparrow was injured, so that it had difficulty getting
about. But I was interested to discover that the other sparrows,
apparently by mutual agreement, would leave the crumbs which lay nearest their
crippled comrade, so that he could get his share, undisturbed."
~ Albert
Schweitzer
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
Susan
Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal
Rights Online
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal
Rights Online=-
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
["Reprint
permission granted by Animal Rights Online
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Animal Writes in whole or part, please do so unedited, and include this
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