A n i m a l W r i t e s ©
sm
The official ANIMAL
RIGHTS ONLINE newsletter
Established 1997
Editor ~ JJswans@aol.com
Issue # 09/28/03
Publisher ~ Susan
Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Journalists ~ Greg Lawson -
ParkStRanger@aol.com
~ Michelle Rivera - MichelleRivera1@aol.com
~ Dr. Steve Best -
sbest1@elp.rr.com
THE ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE ARE:
1 ~ Peaceable Kingdom by Greg Lawson
2 ~ A True Story: The Bucks Stop Here!
by M. Joy Katz
3 ~ CHOICE: Consumers for Healthy Options In Children's Education
4 ~ Chicago Nonprofit Secures Vegetarian Commercial on Chicago TV
5 ~ Please Sign This Petition on Snowmobiles
6 ~ The Puzzling Callousness that Perpetuates the Meat Industry from a
Psychological Perspective
by
Stephanie L. Weiss
7 ~ ACT Radio, Animal Concerns of Texas
8 ~ Beggars No More by Stanley McNail
9 ~ Memorable Quote
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~1~
Peaceable Kingdom
By Greg Lawson - ParkStranger@aol.com
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Video
is composed of 30 pictures per second. That makes an hour and a half video
equal to 162 million words. "Peaceable Kingdom," the new documentary
by Tribe of Heart, has that much impact.
On Thursday night, ten members of the Vegetarian Society of El Paso were
treated to an advance showing by the producer, James Laveck, who was the
speaker at our society's bimonthly dinner on Saturday night. The founders of
Tribe of Heart, James and his partner Jenny Stein, are the filmmakers
responsible for the award winning documentary "The Witness." That
production told the story of Eddie Lama, a New York construction worker who
became an animal rights activist because of his relationship with a cat.
In my opinion, "Peaceable Kingdom" is an even more powerful film. It
tells the story of Gene and Lori Bauston and their rescue work at Farm
Sanctuary. We are introduced to many of the sanctuary's animals and told their
stories. The documentary also focuses on several former farmers who gave up
animal agriculture. Howard Lyman tells how he went from being a fourth
generation cattle rancher to a vegan advocate. Interspersed with Howard's
interview is footage of downer cows and we make the connection between those
animals and Howard, who was paralyzed from the waist down by a tumor on his
spinal cord. A one in a million operation cured Howard and forced him to
reevaluate his life. To see him interacting with the animals of Farm Sanctuary
is truly a moving thing; he and them had been given a second chance at life.
"Peaceable Kingdom" also contains scenes of slaughterhouses and
factory farms. We are shown dumpsters filled with live chicks, a stun bolt gun
being used on a cow, chickens having their throats slit and hung on hooks. The
footage is not as gruesome as other video I have seen but the general public
will be stunned by the atrocities.
In our discussion after the viewing, James pointed out that the film would
likely have a very different effect on people who are not aware of the facts.
The ten of us vegans who viewed it Thursday had heard the information before
and we know Howard and his story. Still, we were all very affected by
"Peaceable Kingdom." James Laveck told us that he is still working on
the final edit, making a few technical adjustments, and that he hopes to
release the film in the near future.
Saturday night, 100 members of our vegetarian society watched 20 selected
minutes from "Peaceable Kingdom." Thursday afternoon, James showed
"The Witness" to Dr. Steve Best's philosophy class. With 450 students
viewing the film, it was the second largest viewing of the documentary ever.
On Friday, Steve took James across the river to Juarez, Mexico. An animal
advocate there had set up two showings of the Spanish language version of
"The Witness." The first was at a public college and thirty-five
people attended. The second showing was for a group of one hundred veterinary
medicine students. James told me that the audiences were very receptive and
many left their phone numbers on the surveys that were handed out. He said many
wanted to know how they could help to improve conditions for the animals. One
student told James that she had been thinking about leaving vet school but that
the film had inspired her to stay.
Most of us who have been vegans and vegetarians for many years made that change
because of the printed word. Books by Peter Singer, John Robbins and others
caused us to change our lives. For this generation and the ones to follow, it
will be video that will effect the greatest amount of change.
If you haven't seen it already, be sure to get a copy of "The
Witness," and be watching for the release of "Peaceable
Kingdom." Visit:
www.tribeofheart.org
Welcome to Tribe of Heart
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~2~
A True Story: The Bucks Stop Here!
By M. Joy Katz - Gentle World -
gentle@aloha.net
co-author of Incredibly Delicious; Recipes for a New Paradigm
I came to the forest as a haven from mans' world, to find the
peace that dwells in the woods, the meadow and hills. I lived in quiet solitude
with the trees, my elders, who exemplified longevity and growing upward. I
lived here harmoniously with the deer, the squirrels and chipmunks. With them,
I shared my compost (avocado pits and all) and my Love. It was a magical
reality. A young buck, I called Bambi, felt little fear and decided to hang
around camp for the yummy fruit/veggie rinds and sincere feelings of elation
that occurred because of his presence. He ventured very close to me, literally
a foot away. He showed up like clockwork at our tent first thing in the
morning. Like a dog, he came when I called, and followed where I led him.
(Probably in hopes that I was leading him to the compost bucket!) He usually
came with that same clan consisting of two doe of different sizes and a fawn.
The fawn often nuzzled Bambi, following him, and crying out for him in
"fawn talk." Bambi took care of the fawn like a big brother. (I later
noticed some protruding little bumps above the brow on the fawn; it was a baby
buck!)
This year in particular, the bucks hung around with us at the campsite in the
national forest we visited annually. There was a four-pointed "Little
Buck" who always stayed with "Big Buck," a very handsome six
pointer. "Little Buck" was the most shy of humans.
Then a horrible madness darkened this magical reality of befriending the wild
deer. (Yes, these were wild deer whose other experiences with humans were that
of being stalked and preyed upon.) Bow and arrow buck hunting season had begun.
Men, who were perfectly within their legal rights, (the laws of man; not God)
came stalking these gentle beings that would not even think of hurting them! I
felt as though I was living through a wartime enemy invasion and that our camp
was a refuge from the insane cruelty that people, who physically resemble me,
inflict on deer. I was never so upset about being part of the human race.
I wondered how could humans who look so similar perceive things so differently?
How could they think of killing, especially when all around them were trees
transforming to a radiant golden color? Any sane parent would be taking their
child to witness this miracle of life, but I had the distinct displeasure of
seeing parents bring their children to the forest to teach them to kill one of
the most beautiful animals on the face of the Earth. I came home from a walk
one day to find one such hunter invading the privacy of my tent area. This man,
another man, and an eight-year-old boy were responsible for shooting Little
Buck. The hunter claimed to kill him, though he had never been found (alive or
dead) even after hours of searching. That day was a living nightmare. These
hunters had threatened to kill another buck when they returned in three hours,
if they didn't find the one they had already shot. Later when they returned,
they drove up and saw me with Bambi, not a foot away. I screamed to scare Bambi
away from them. He listened to me as always, though it took a couple of
screams. As it turned out, the hunters were impressed by how tame the
four-pointed buck was, and said that they had no interest in killing him. This
made me think if hunters only know how close we could be, how much like us they
are, and that they have families and relationships, perhaps, then, they would
not kill the deer. Days later, Big Buck returned with Bambi. He was wounded in
the groin area, with a sizable patch of dried blood on his leg and a limp that
showed especially when he ran. He was more skittish of me than before, but
trusted that he could find a shelter of love from the frightening world of man.
He and Bambi were standing side by side and looking curiously at me. Big Buck
became "Prince Charming" at that moment (because Big Buck is not a
great code name with hunters on the loose in buck hunting season!). The next
morning, a seven-pointed buck, who was obviously protecting him because he was
wounded, gallantly escorted him. He brought him to the front door of my tent at
dawn. What magnificence to behold! He left once he had brought the wounded buck
to me along with a dozen doe and fawns, and Bambi. All I could think of was
healing "Prince Charming" with my love, a song, and extra special good
peels! Eventually, the seven-pointer became a regular at camp, too. He was
given the name Sir Galahad.
Each day, we as a group, guarded and protected the bucks, reported to each
other as to their whereabouts, spoke to the hunters when necessary, and most
importantly, raised our consciousness in the hopes of saving them.
A cold snap hit the woods and Prince Charming had not been seen. I worried that
this would be detrimental to his healing. But, ah Indian summer warmth spread
though the woods and Prince Charming showed up regularly, seemingly to be
healing. Bambi would peep his face in the tent windows in the morning, and what
a joy for us all when the two big bucks would come running up daily for meals.
For their safety, we would slowly feed them trying to keep them with us 'til
dusk.
It is a triumphant feeling for my soul that even after being wounded by a
hunter and perhaps loosing Little Buck, that Prince Charming could sense the
difference between those who would hurt him and us, and still appear at our
campsite. And though we look like the same species as others they've
encountered, Bambi, Prince Charming, Sir Galahad, all the adorable curious
fawns and the doe who bravely eat from our hands, would all testify that we are
not the same species. They have studied us much by looking on curiously.
They've even figured out that our vegan dog who lay basking in he sun paying
them no attention, is, in fact, not a coyote (though I had seen one and it
resembled our dog in size and look). THE DEER FELT OUR VEGANISM!!! (Guess it
takes one to know one!) It is a privilege to be judged by these animals as
worthy of their trust. I have realized from many loving experiences with
animals that when we stop eating them and their bodily fluids, and stop wearing
their skins or exploiting them in any way, our reward is their friendship!
Their friendship is, by far, the greatest of the many rewards of the vegan diet
and lifestyle. Their friendship is no less than a blessing from God. It is one
of the purest and sweetest feelings we humans can know.
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~3~
CHOICE:
Consumers for Healthy Options In Children's Education
From FARM - outreach@farmusa.org
FARM is pleased to announce the launch of it's new CHOICE website
at www.choiceusa.net. The mission of
the CHOICE (Consumers for Healthy Options In Children's Education) program and
the website is to promote plant-based nutrition education and meals in schools.
The dual purpose is to improve the public health and to save millions of
innocent, sentient animals from the atrocities of factory farms and
slaughterhouses. Each vegan child saves 2,700 animals in his/her lifetime.
The site contains special sections for parents, teachers, food service
personnel, school administrators, students and activists. The Common Concerns
section explains the importance of plant-based diets. The News section reports
on the latest developments in children's nutrition. Other features include fact
sheets, recipes, lesson plans, games, stories, student activities, and
resources for additional information.
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~4~
Chicago Nonprofit
Secures Vegetarian Commercial on Chicago TV
November 1, 2003: Chicago animal-advocacy nonprofit
Protecting Animals, USA (PAUSA) secured 88 spots for their commercial,
"Behind Closed Doors," to air in Chicago and suburban markets.
The commercial was created and aired originally by Ohio animal-advocacy groups.
In Ohio, it generated an overwhelming response, including thousands of requests
for "Vegetarian Starter Kits," that the Chicago nonprofit PAUSA could
not resist.
"Many people are interested in adopting a sustainable, plant-based diet.
They just need information on how to do it," says PAUSA campaign director
Danielle Marino.
The last shot of the commercial asks viewers to consider vegetarianism and to
visit www.ProtectingAnimals.org, where they can order a free "Vegetarian
Starter Kit," a magazine explaining the benefits of a vegetarian diet to
one's health, the environment, and farm animals, all carefully referenced. The
magazine also includes recipes and frequently asked questions about
vegetarianism.
The commercial will run November 1st - 30th on Animal Planet, MTV, and VH1.
Contact: Danielle Marino - Campaign Director, PAUSA
(773) 463-2317
Protecting Animals, USA is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 animal-advocacy organization
based in Chicago, IL. We strive to peacefully advocate for the welfare of
non-human animals through outreach, education, and active campaigning. We focus
on farmed animal issues and promoting a vegetarian diet to reduce their
suffering.
www.ProtectingAnimals.org
P.O. Box 25097
Chicago, IL 60625
773-463-2317
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~5~
Please Sign This Petition on Snowmobiles
By Care2.com
The noise and pollution caused by snowmobiles have caused
tremendous harm to the wildlife of Yellowstone.
We only have 10 days to stop snowmobile quotas from INCREASING in Yellowstone
National Park. We need a real outcry of public comments opposing this act! We
at Care2 are aiming to get 30,000 comments, and right now we're halfway there.
Please help us today.
All you need to do is send in one last public comment condemning snowmobiles in
Yellowstone.
Sign this petition and we will submit the comment for you.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/477824693?ts=1064731032&sign[partner_userID]=636532710&sign[memberID]=636532710&sign[partnerID]=1
BACKGROUND:
Thanks to the tireless efforts of activists around the country, both the public
and Congress recognize the devastating impacts snowmobiles have in Yellowstone
and Grand Teton national parks. Unfortunately the battle is not yet over.
It has been more than two years since the Bush administration told us that they
intended to "reexamine" the original Park Service study and decision
to replace noisy, polluting snowmobiles with park-friendly, multi-passenger
snowcoaches. Now the new rule will continue to allow snowmobile use in
Yellowstone, and we need your voice in this final public comment period.
During the public comment period for the Bush draft supplemental environmental
impact statement, more than 360,000 people commented and 80% of those comments
supported the original plan to ban snowmobiles. Congress heard these voices. An
amendment to ban snowmobiles from Yellowstone in the House lost by virtue of a
tie (210-210).
We need to demand protection for our first national park! Submit your official
comment to the Park Service.
Thanks for your help!
http://www.care2.com/
Care2 Environment Supersite
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~6~
The Puzzling Callousness
that Perpetuates the Meat Industry
from a Psychological Perspective
By Stephanie L. Weiss, PhD. -
PsychSLW@aol.com
Children are for the most part, born sensitive. Sensitive to the
cries and pain of all sentient beings. A natural aversion to blood and violence
also seems to be wired into most children, with the exception of autistic or
other impaired individuals. How is it then that the beloved toy lamb, cow,
piggy, does not become a symbol for the need to protect and love real animals
on the earth? How can a child cling to her baby pink piggy and eat pork chops?
Isn't it interesting that many restaurants advertise their establishments with
adorable cartoon images of the very animals that they sell slaughtered and
cooked? How can the majority of people eat chicken wings while looking at that
very cute cartoon of a chicken with her babies? The answer from a psychological
perspective would probably be best explained by a massive pressure to conform
to the common norms of our culture. We want to be loved, we want to fit in. And
fitting in means eating hamburger and chicken wings. Denial is a powerful
defense mechanism that allows the human mind to deny, block out unacceptable
thoughts and feelings that interfere with the immediate well being of the
person. As intelligence, both emotional and academic increase, denial becomes
more difficult. So the answer is not an easy one. For more intelligent
thoughtful human beings, narcissism seems to be involved in the decision to eat
meat, i.e., it tastes good to me, I don't care who/what suffered to give it to
me. Additionally, we live in a culture that values prosperity above all other
values. Meat represents affluence, rice and beans represents poverty. Expensive
restaurants, status symbols offer steaks, lobsters, geese etc. Another answer
may lie in the fact that many religions have misinterpreted spiritual documents
(in my opinion) to stress the divine superiority of mankind over animals, which
breeds and perpetuates an ironclad rationalization, utilized by many supposedly
animal friendly people, who just believe that we are superior and that our very
superiority makes it "OK" to conquer and devour. An additional
cultural phenomenon that perpetuates the meat industry is of course, the media.
Animal products are a massive economical resource. The industry spends billions
of dollars a year advertising and implanting images of doctored up dead animals
to look like tantalizing meals, which the public buys, seeing this as the food
that represents satiation, happiness, family etc. Tradition plays a large part
in the perpetuation of meat eating as well. Families have comfort food, and
comfort food is chicken soup, grilled cheese with bacon, bacon and eggs etc.
These are the foods we were raised on. Morningstar Farms realized this, and
very wisely made vegetarian imitations of these products, and have been very
successful with this. Unfortunately, although eating the eggs of chickens and
milk from cows could be argued to be a benign practice by many well meaning
lacto-ovo vegetarians, as these products do not kill live animals, eating dairy
and eggs provides billions of dollars to the factory farming meat industry. The
chickens and cows used to give us these products are kept in filthy,
terrifyingly inhumane conditions. The chickens given hormones, beaks clipped,
living in their own excrement and on top of their own dead relatives. The cows
given growth hormone, and living horrible lives, constantly lactating, being
abused and dying young, slaughtered for meat afterward. But the question
remains, why aren't more people
sensitive to this? Perhaps animal rights organizations need to press harder
to release actual footage of the
factory farms to the public. Why not massively advertise a documentary,
"welcome to columbine" style, where these farms are exposed in the
popular media. Are you listening Hollywood? The power of advertising, and
massive education are the answers.
In the meantime, wear your animal rights tee shirt. When people ask you why you
are a vegetarian, go out on a limb, step up on your soap box and rant. Do it
for the animals. When out with young relatives, explain to them that you don't
order hamburger because it is a dead animal, because it disgusts you and
explain Why. Ask people if they had
to go and kill the cows, sheep or pigs they eat if they would be capable of
doing so? If they answer no, and wince, gently enlighten them that they are
hiring people to kill animals for them every time they purchase meat. Buying a
hamburger is like killing a cow, it just involves a middle man. Fortunately, we
also have medical research on our side. On a person to person basis, we must be
brave. We must be outspoken, we must be role models.
Stephanie L. Weiss, PhD. Boynton Beach Clinical Psychologist
561-795-8071
PLEASE LIMIT ANY REPLICATION/DISTRIBUTION TO ANIMAL RIGHTS ONLINE COMMUNITY
ONLY.
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~7~
ACT Radio, Animal Concerns of Texas
By Greg Lawson - ParkStranger@aol.com
Be sure to listen to ACT Radio tonight at 9:30pm EST (7:30pm,
mountain time) with cohosts Greg Lawson, Steve Best and Elizabeth Walsh. KTEP
can be heard over the web with Real Radio, which is a free download.
Tonight we feature our second conversation with Steve Hindi, founder of SHARK, Showing Animals Respect and
Kindness. We discuss his new campaigns to stop Adidas from slaughtering
kangaroos and to retire the bear mascots of Baylor University.
El Paso NPR - KTEP 88.5
: National Public Radio for the Southwest
http://www.ktep.org/program_detail.ssd?id=103
Instructions for downloading Real Radio here...
ACT Radio
http://utminers.utep.edu/vsep/actradio
Be sure to keep listening to ACT every second and fourth Sunday. On October 12
and 26 we will feature conversations with James
Laveck, producer of the films "The Witness" and "Peaceable
Kingdom."
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~8~
Beggars No More
By Stanley McNail
"Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge" Shakespeare
In memory of pigeons
Wantonly killed by grain
Poison in the downtown
Area of the City of St Francis
Called "rats of the skies"
Their flocks have grown thin
Dodging the city's commotion
And din,
Starving for breadcrumbs
Too sparingly tossed,
Braving the winds and
The bone chilling frost.
Who will remember the
Flash of their wing,
Iridescent in sunlight
With earth-tones of spring,
And who will there be
To offer their bread
To little gray beggars
Now crumpled and dead?
Refuge on rooftops
They never have found
From 2 footed predators
Roaming the ground,
Despoilers of nature,
Of heaven and earth
Betrayers of life
And the source of all birth.
May Someone Invisible
Scatter warm bread
For innocent beggars
And lovingly spread
The best of fresh grains
For their trusting bills,
And sparkling pure water
From springs of the hills,
With freedom forever
To circle and soar
For little gray pigeons
Beggars no more.
(Stanley McNail has left his body)
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~9~
Memorable Quote
"You
and I want to love and be loved; we really don't want to hurt, or violate, or kill.
We used to believe that we had to do that to live; we were trained to accept
violence as normal. Now we know there are alternatives. Now we can leave behind
our inherited patterns of brutality and domination, creating together a better
world for all beings."
~ Billy Ray Boyd
(For the 'Vegetarian in You')
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
Susan Roghair - EnglandGal@aol.com
Animal Rights Online
P O Box 7053
Tampa, Fl 33673-7053
http://www.oocities.org/RainForest/1395/
-=Animal
Rights Online=-
«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»
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