Monthly Archives: September 2002

British Hunters Threaten Militant Actions

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The British newspapers The Sunday Mercury and The Times (London) both ran stories this week featuring supporters of fox hunting threatening to carry out Animal Liberation Front-style actions if the government goes ahead and bans fox hunting.

Here’s how the Times summed up the various ideas being put forth by some pro-hunting extremists,

One plan is to immobilise a motorway by covering a stretch with a ton of pop rivets that would slash vehicle tyres. Other ideas include dumping sand into sewers to block drains, and pouring dye into Welsh reservoirs that supply the Midlands. Severn Trent Water has stepped up its security. Such action, and a massive campaign of civil disobedience, is expected to follow any government announcement to ban or curtail hunting. The hotheads are operating under the loose banner of The Real Countryside Alliance and have issued leaflets and a poster with a Green Union Flag and slogans such as “rural rebellion” and “free country.”

The Sunday Mercury reported that some pro-hunt acts of violence had already occurred. According to that newspaper,

Four Labour MPs, including junior agriculture minister Elliot Morley, have had their constituency offices attacked by a group of militant pro-hunt supporters — believed to be from the RCA — led by a balaclava-clad woman. It has also been blamed for defacing the famous hillside white horses in Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire with giant graffiti figures of huntsmen and hounds.

Aside from the fact that this sort of nonsense is indefensible, like animal rights terrorism it will prove self-defeating. These sorts of actions do not gain sympathy for a cause, but only further alienate people who might agree with hunters and marginalize the fox hunting movement. Mainstream groups should denounce these sort of tactics.

Sources:

‘We’ll attack water supply’. Paul Malley, The Sunday Mercury, September 15, 2002.

Hunt hotheads plan disruptive action. Valerie Elliott, The Times (London), September 16, 2002.

20th Annual World Farm Animals Day

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Farm USA’s Alex Hershaft recently distributed a press release announcing the 20th annual celebration of World Farm Animals Day. The release had an odd title, “Activists bring the slaughterhouse to America’s streets.” Is that some sort of commentary on the movement’s penchant for terrorism and destruction? Hershaft has, after all, made it clear that activists who espouse violence are more than welcome at his annual animal rights convention, and no sort of criticism of such activists will be permitted therein.

The press release was filled with several dubious claims, but smartly avoided publishing any statistics on the number of farm animals killed in 1983, when the event began, to 20 years later

When World Farm Animals Day began in 1983, Americans ate a total of 180.9 pounds of meat per capita every year. For 2003, the USDA projects Americans will eat 193.6 pounds of meat per capita. But, of course, for farm animals the situation is (from Farm USA’s perspective) far worse.

Beef consumption during those 20 years declined from 74.2 pounds in 1983 to an estimated 62.0 pounds in 2003. The problem, of course, is that this means total chicken consumption skyrocketed from 34.5 pounds in 1983 to an estimated 53.3 pounds in 2003 — and it takes a lot more chickens to provide that additional 18.8 pounds of meat than it does cattle. The total number of farm animals has exploded just in the United States.

Yet, according to Farm USA,

Growing awareness of the adverse health consequences of meat consumption, including the largest recall of ground beef contaminated with E. coli, is driving consumers to meat alternatives offered by mainstream producers in local supermarkets.

Certainly there is a rise in the popularity of vegan and vegetarian products, but Farm USA makes the mistake of associating that with a total rejection of meat, which is simply not happening (my family, I suspect, is typical — we buy plenty of meat substitutes along with our chicken and turkey).

Moreover current estimates put the total number of farm animals worldwide as likely doubling this century as the per capita incomes in the underdeveloped world increase to developed world levels.

Farm USA also makes this odd warning about foot and mouth disease,

The foot-and-mouth and mad cow epidemics have devastated the European meat industry and threaten to have a similar effect in the U.S.

But, of course, the foot-and-mouth and mad cow epidemics have been a boon for American animal agriculture which has been exporting meat to make up for the problems in Europe. Neither Mad Cow nor foot-and-mouth have yet to rear their heads in the United States despite the wishful thinking of some animal rights activists.

It won’t be too long before Hershaft is issuing the press release for the 30th and then the 40th and so on observances of World Farm Animals Day.

Source:

Activists bring the slaughterhouse to America’s street. Farm USA, August 25, 2002.

Mixed Results from Study of Swedish and Norwegian Vegetarians

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A study of 2,041 Swedish and Norwegian 15 and 16 year olds found mixed results from the small number of such teens who were classified as “low meat eaters” including vegetarians.

The studies main finding was that the subgroup identified as consuming little or no meat were not healthier than the teens in the group who were not “low meat eaters.” Such teens were just as likely to smoke, drink alcohol, or do drugs as their meat consuming peers. Their was also no statistically significant difference in their weight, body mass index or opinion about their weight.

Ironically, health issues were actually more important to the omnivorous teens than to the vegetarian and near-vegetarian subgroup. The “low meat eating” subgroup also reported being depressed more frequently than did the omnivorous teens.

The researchers had a number of speculations about the differences, but the bottom line is that they’re studying so few vegetarians and near-vegetarians that the best the researchers could offer is speculation. Most such studies end up like this, surveying a large group of individuals and then subsequently producing studies on the small number of vegetarians. It would be interesting to see a large scale study of vegetarian teens.

Source:

Teens who eat less meat no healthier than others. Reuters, September 10, 2002.

UPI ‘Journalist’ Defends Ecoterrorism

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United Press International environmental reporter Dan Whipple wrote an op-ed about environmental terrorism that soft pedaled the phenomenon based largely on Whipple’s inability to actually do any research on the topic.

According to Whipple,

Despite a bonfire of publicity, and apocalyptic warnings from property rights activists and congressional committees, the list of ELF’s “accomplishments” is small: Two “actions” in 1996, three in 1997, eight in 1998, three in 1999, nine in 2000 and four in 2001.

In fact, ELF committed at least 22 actions in 2001 causing at least $1.6 million in damage (the actual damage total was probably closer to double that). How do I know this? Because the North American Liberation Front Press Office published a report listing all 2001 actions. Apparently Whipple prefers to just pull his numbers out of the air rather than go to the source.

Moreover, Whipple wonders if ELF terrorism is really terrorism,

Having pulled up a few survey stakes myself, I’m not in a position to take the high moral ground. But is it terrorism? Is even burning a restaurant — and we all know how tough it is to find a good restaurant — on the same level as blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, Okla., or leveling the World Trade Center?

Is burning down an abortion clinic or a black church the same thing as flying a plane into a building? Of course not, but it is nonetheless still terrorism, as is environmental terrorism.

I also find it odd that UPI has hired as an environmental journalist someone who admits engaging in illegal acts to disrupt logging. Would they hire someone who admitted illegal acts in anti-abortion protests to cover women’s issues?

Whipple continues,

There is an enormous difference between principled civil disobedience — including monkeywrenching — and murder. The word “terrorism” has been thrown around too loosely.

I wonder if he’d feel that way if people burned down his house or the office where he works because of ideological reasons. Somehow, I doubt it.

Source:

Blue Planet: Ecoterrorism redefined. Dan Whipple, United Press International, Sept. 13, 2002.

Great Britain’s Rural Ministry Likely to Propose Compromise Bill on Fox Hunting

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Great Britain’s rural affairs minister, Alun Michael, will likely soon propose a compromise bill on the contentious issue of hunting foxes with dogs that would bring such activities under national anti-cruelty statutes, but leave the details up to local tribunals.

Under the compromise proposal that appeared to be shaping up after three days of hearings conducted by the rural minstry, what constitutes cruel fox hunting would be established nationwide, but enforcement and delineation of acceptable hunting practices would be left to local tribunals. Any infractions against such laws would be outside of the criminal law and those violating them would not have criminal records.

The other proposal that was advanced by laywer Gordon Nardell would institute a Scottish-style ban on all fox hunting with dogs, with some exemptions for using dogs to flush out foxes so they can be shot.

During the last legislative session, the House of Commons voted for a complete ban on all fox hunting with hounds, while the House of Lords voted for an alternative bill that would allow fox hunting ot continue but under greater regulatory oversight.

As many as one million sporters of fox hunting are expected to turn out later this month to protest in favor of continued fox hunting with hounds.

Sources:

Compromise bill on hunting ‘within weeks’. The Daily Telegraph (London), September 12, 2002.

Hunt tribunal plan. Charles Clover, The Daily Telegraph (London), September 12, 2002.

Karen Davis: Chickens Have Feelings Too

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The Register-Guard (Oregon) made the mistake recently of publishing an article in which it quoted the manager of local Noti’s Greener Pastures Poultry as claiming that chickens don’t have feelings. Karen Davis responsded with a letter in which she begged to differ and described her personal relationship with her favorite chicken.

Noti’s manager Aaron Silverman told the newspaper that,

If you spend time with chickens, you realize pretty quickly that they don’t hae feelings and emotions the way horses or dogs do. I’ve even had pigs that pout, but I have never seen a chicken pout.

That slight of the chicken was just too much for Davis, who describes her close personal relatinship with her chicken, Viva,

My nonprofit organization, United Poultry Concerns, grew out of the bond I formed with a chicken named Viva who escaped being slaughtered in 1987. From Viva, I learned many things. For example, when you hold a chicken close to your heart and she squirrels her neck around your neck and buries her face in your hair, she often purss like a cat. If you have — as I do — a yard full of hens and roosters, you learn quickly how emotional these birds are.

Whatever you say, Karen.

Source:

Chickens have feelings. Karen Davis, letter to the editor, The Register-Guard (Oregon), September 7, 2002.

UPI 'Journalist' Defends Ecoterrorism

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United Press International environmental reporter Dan Whipple wrote an op-ed about environmental terrorism that soft pedaled the phenomenon based largely on Whipple’s inability to actually do any research on the topic.

According to Whipple,

Despite a bonfire of publicity, and apocalyptic warnings from property rights activists and congressional committees, the list of ELF’s “accomplishments” is small: Two “actions” in 1996, three in 1997, eight in 1998, three in 1999, nine in 2000 and four in 2001.

In fact, ELF committed at least 22 actions in 2001 causing at least $1.6 million in damage (the actual damage total was probably closer to double that). How do I know this? Because the North American Liberation Front Press Office published a report listing all 2001 actions. Apparently Whipple prefers to just pull his numbers out of the air rather than go to the source.

Moreover, Whipple wonders if ELF terrorism is really terrorism,

Having pulled up a few survey stakes myself, I’m not in a position to take the high moral ground. But is it terrorism? Is even burning a restaurant — and we all know how tough it is to find a good restaurant — on the same level as blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, Okla., or leveling the World Trade Center?

Is burning down an abortion clinic or a black church the same thing as flying a plane into a building? Of course not, but it is nonetheless still terrorism, as is environmental terrorism.

I also find it odd that UPI has hired as an environmental journalist someone who admits engaging in illegal acts to disrupt logging. Would they hire someone who admitted illegal acts in anti-abortion protests to cover women’s issues?

Whipple continues,

There is an enormous difference between principled civil disobedience — including monkeywrenching — and murder. The word “terrorism” has been thrown around too loosely.

I wonder if he’d feel that way if people burned down his house or the office where he works because of ideological reasons. Somehow, I doubt it.

Source:

Blue Planet: Ecoterrorism redefined. Dan Whipple, United Press International, Sept. 13, 2002.

Great Britain's Rural Ministry Likely to Propose Compromise Bill on Fox Hunting

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Great Britain’s rural affairs minister, Alun Michael, will likely soon propose a compromise bill on the contentious issue of hunting foxes with dogs that would bring such activities under national anti-cruelty statutes, but leave the details up to local tribunals.

Under the compromise proposal that appeared to be shaping up after three days of hearings conducted by the rural minstry, what constitutes cruel fox hunting would be established nationwide, but enforcement and delineation of acceptable hunting practices would be left to local tribunals. Any infractions against such laws would be outside of the criminal law and those violating them would not have criminal records.

The other proposal that was advanced by laywer Gordon Nardell would institute a Scottish-style ban on all fox hunting with dogs, with some exemptions for using dogs to flush out foxes so they can be shot.

During the last legislative session, the House of Commons voted for a complete ban on all fox hunting with hounds, while the House of Lords voted for an alternative bill that would allow fox hunting ot continue but under greater regulatory oversight.

As many as one million sporters of fox hunting are expected to turn out later this month to protest in favor of continued fox hunting with hounds.

Sources:

Compromise bill on hunting ‘within weeks’. The Daily Telegraph (London), September 12, 2002.

Hunt tribunal plan. Charles Clover, The Daily Telegraph (London), September 12, 2002.

Never Forget PETA's Reaction to 9/11

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After last year’s terrorist attacks, my first reaction was shock and horror and my second reaction was wondering if People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals would be stupid enough to try to put an animal rights spin on the tragedy.

And, of course, they did. The following is a press release that was posted to PETA’s web site sometime between the evening of Sept. 11 and the morning of Sept. 12. Somebody at PETA had the good sense to yank this off the site sometime later on Sept. 12, but not before I’d already posted a copy to this site’s discussion group.

That this was PETA’s initial reaction to the 9/11 attacks speaks volumes about that organization’s priorities — note that at a time when the phone system in and out of New York was brought to its knees by the heavy volume of traffic, PETA was urging people to call repeatedly if necessary to urge mayor Rudolph Giuliani to make animal rescue a high priority.

New York City’s Animals Desperately Need Your Voice

——————————————————————————–

Obviously our hearts go out to every human being affected by the tragedy at the World Trade Center. This terrible tragedy has serious repercussions for animals, too. Due to the tremendous loss of human lives, there will undoubtedly be many animals left orphaned. Other animals are trapped in buildings that have been evacuated and to which people have learned they are unable to return. PETA’s headquarters is receiving calls from desperate New York City residents whose companion animals are trapped inside now vacated apartments, some so close to the World Trade Center that the animals inside can only be highly traumatized by the explosions, the sirens, the noise, the shaking ground, the smoke, and now the unexplained absence of their families. We know of at least one 13-floor building, 120 Greenwich Street, practically across the street from the World Trade Center, where more than 20 dogs and an undetermined number of other companion animals are locked inside apartments without food or water or comfort.

These animals need your immediate help.

Mayor Giuliani has a poor record when it comes to animals. In 1998 he refused to allow desperate New Yorkers whose apartment building’s scaffolding collapsed, the opportunity to tend to or rescue their beloved animals for more than five days, leaving animals to become dehydrated and starving.

Please urge Mayor Giuliani to set up a task force to locate and rescue animals in need. To many of this disaster’s victims and their families, these beloved animals are members of the family and would be a great source of comfort.

PETA and other animal protection groups are willing to send trained rescuers into the buildings to take the animals out, if given the chance. We will sign waives of liability in the event of any injury or death. United Animal Nations (UAN.org), can offer assistance with mobilizing volunteers and rescuing and caring for abandoned animals.

Mayor Giuliani’s address is:

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Tel.: 212-788-9600
Fax: 212-788-7476
E-Mail: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

If you have a difficult time getting through to Mayor Giuliani due to phone line trouble, please don’t give up; keep trying.

Never Forget PETA’s Reaction to 9/11

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After last year’s terrorist attacks, my first reaction was shock and horror and my second reaction was wondering if People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals would be stupid enough to try to put an animal rights spin on the tragedy.

And, of course, they did. The following is a press release that was posted to PETA’s web site sometime between the evening of Sept. 11 and the morning of Sept. 12. Somebody at PETA had the good sense to yank this off the site sometime later on Sept. 12, but not before I’d already posted a copy to this site’s discussion group.

That this was PETA’s initial reaction to the 9/11 attacks speaks volumes about that organization’s priorities — note that at a time when the phone system in and out of New York was brought to its knees by the heavy volume of traffic, PETA was urging people to call repeatedly if necessary to urge mayor Rudolph Giuliani to make animal rescue a high priority.

New York City’s Animals Desperately Need Your Voice

——————————————————————————–

Obviously our hearts go out to every human being affected by the tragedy at the World Trade Center. This terrible tragedy has serious repercussions for animals, too. Due to the tremendous loss of human lives, there will undoubtedly be many animals left orphaned. Other animals are trapped in buildings that have been evacuated and to which people have learned they are unable to return. PETA’s headquarters is receiving calls from desperate New York City residents whose companion animals are trapped inside now vacated apartments, some so close to the World Trade Center that the animals inside can only be highly traumatized by the explosions, the sirens, the noise, the shaking ground, the smoke, and now the unexplained absence of their families. We know of at least one 13-floor building, 120 Greenwich Street, practically across the street from the World Trade Center, where more than 20 dogs and an undetermined number of other companion animals are locked inside apartments without food or water or comfort.

These animals need your immediate help.

Mayor Giuliani has a poor record when it comes to animals. In 1998 he refused to allow desperate New Yorkers whose apartment building’s scaffolding collapsed, the opportunity to tend to or rescue their beloved animals for more than five days, leaving animals to become dehydrated and starving.

Please urge Mayor Giuliani to set up a task force to locate and rescue animals in need. To many of this disaster’s victims and their families, these beloved animals are members of the family and would be a great source of comfort.

PETA and other animal protection groups are willing to send trained rescuers into the buildings to take the animals out, if given the chance. We will sign waives of liability in the event of any injury or death. United Animal Nations (UAN.org), can offer assistance with mobilizing volunteers and rescuing and caring for abandoned animals.

Mayor Giuliani’s address is:

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Tel.: 212-788-9600
Fax: 212-788-7476
E-Mail: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

If you have a difficult time getting through to Mayor Giuliani due to phone line trouble, please don’t give up; keep trying.