ANIMAL MEDIA ALERTS --
MARCH 2004
JABARI -- GORILLA,
TAUNTED BY TEENAGERS THEN SHOT DEAD
Jabari, the
gorilla recently shot dead at the Dallas Zoo, is again on the front page
of the Dallas Morning News. The Wednesday, March 31, front page heading
is, "With gorilla on run, zoo, police clashed." Reporter Terri
Langford tells us,
"For
nearly 50 minutes, as the zoo's staff tried to evacuate patrons into locked
buildings, move the injured to safety and track Jabari, they found themselves
overrun by officers who ignored or were unaware of established emergency
protocol the Police Department personnel helped to write."
You'll
find the article on line at:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/033104dnmetzoostaff.a3a8.html
Another
article on page 15a, by Jason Trahan, lets us know how the whole sad event
began:
"With
many schools in recess, more teenagers than usual were visiting the park.
Two teenage boys standing on a trail looking into the gorilla exhibit
hurled something, either ice or stones, over a wire fence at the top of
a wall that ranged from 12 to 16 feet tall. The target, witnesses reported
later, was Jabari, who was perched near a rocky overhang in the habitat.
"Zoo
staff familiar with the gorilla believe the teens' hijinks would have
been unbearable to him."
You
can read that article, headed "Drama unfolded in Jabari’s final
hour" on line at:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/033104dnmetzooticktock.cbaf.html
A
captive gorilla being taunted by teenage boys, jumped the wall to
his enclosure in frustration and anger. Incredibly, despite his having the
strength of many men, he inflicted only minor injuries on patrons he came
across. Yet he was shot dead.
The
teenage boys will probably suffer no consequences. And in a column
by James Ragland on Monday, we learned "An anonymous woman donates
$1 million to the financially strapped zoo after Jabari's death."
The
boys get off scot-free, the zoo gets a million dollars, and Jabari loses
his life.
You
can read Ragland's article, "I've heard just about enough on Jabari"
(March 29, page 1B) at:
http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/jragland/stories/032904dnmetragland.9f47a.html)
The
Dallas Morning News takes letters at: Letterstoeditor@DallasNews.com
Always
include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending
a letter to the editor. And never use any of my exact wording,
or attach a sample letter to the editor if forwarding a media alert. Editors
reject letters that appear to be part of campaigns -- they are looking
for heartfelt notes from readers.
Shorter
letters are more likely to be published.
NEW YORK TIMES ON ANIMAL TESTS FOR DEPRESSION
DRUGS
The March
28 Sunday New York Times has an article in the "Ideas and
Trends" section, by Gina Kolata, headed "Of Mice and Men; Why
Test Animals to Cure Human Depression?" (Section 4, page 3.) It is
likely to depress those with compassion for members of other species.
It opens:
"You might think if questions were raised about whether antidepressant
drugs can make patients suicidal during the first few weeks of treatment,
that scientists would turn to animal testing for further investigation.
"After all, suicides are rare enough that there are no firm human
data on whether the drugs can cause them. But you can do experiments with
animals -- examining their brains, giving them high doses of drugs --
that you could never do with people."
Because it
would hurt people. And they matter.
She goes on to say that animal experiments on suicide danger are not currently
an option because there is no animal model for depression. She writes,
"the first generation of antidepressants was discovered by accident."
The article says that depression has a strong emotional and cognitive
component that is hard to mimic in an animal.
But, of course, scientists
have tried:
"In one popular test, mice are placed in a pool of water and monitored
to see how long they swim before giving up. If they are treated with an
antidepressant, they swim longer.
"Another experiment involves hanging mice by their tails; those given
antidepressants struggle longer before giving up.
"In a third test, mice are taught to avoid an electrical shock by
pushing a lever. When the lever is inactivated, the mice continue to push
it anyway, even though they still get shocked. Mice under the influence
of antidepressants keep pushing it longer."
We have a quote from Robert R. Ruffolo, president of research and development
at Wyeth, saying that animals such as mice "don't feel
happy or sad." Yet, they found that the same drugs that made
a mouse swim longer alleviate depression in humans.
In other words, Wyeth's president of research wants to assure us, or himself, that
other animals do not have emotions like ours, so it is
OK to use them in harrowing and even torturous experiments -- yet
they are sufficiently like us for the experiments to have
enough validity to be funded and carried out.
Ruffolo also said that if researchers stumbled on an animal test that
predicted whether an anti-depressant drug might prompt suicide as a rare
side effect in people "We would immediately go back and test all
of our drugs." One hates to think of the tests scientists might come
up with to see if they can induce (and then try to prevent) suicide
in members of others species.
Kolata writes of animal tests on existing drugs:
"That cycle produces lots of me-too drugs but little insight into
how to produce better antidepressants that could help more people and
perhaps even make them more cheerful and optimistic."
By "me-too"
drugs, Kolata means drugs that do much the same thing as those already
on the market, thereby offering no benefit in their release to anybody
other than the patent holders. All of those new and unexciting drugs are
tested on animals. Peter Jennings did a superb story on the wasteful process
that you can read on line at:
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/ABCNEWSSpecials/pharmaceuticals_020529_pjr_feature.html
You can read the whole of Kolata's article on line at: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/28/weekinreview/28kola.html
You may have to register but it is easy
and free -- you only have to do it once and an online registration to
the New York Times is worth having.
The article should serve as a good eye opener to Times readers who have
bought the picture sold by the biomedical industry suggesting animal testing
is all about curing AIDS and cancer and that the utmost care is taken
to limit the suffering of the animals involved. It presents a good opportunity
for letters to the editor about the way members of other species are treated
by human society.
Never use
any of my exact wording when writing to an editor, or attach a sample
letter to the editor to any alert. Editors are not interested in
publishing letters that appear to result from campaigns -- swamping editors
with similarly worded letters is detrimental rather than helpful. However,
if the article inspires you to pen a few lines of your own, please take
a moment to send them. Many different letters on about the same
article will make it highly likely that one or two will be printed. Shorter
letters are more likely to be published.
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor.
The New York
Times takes letters at: letters@nytimes.com
WALL STREET
JOURNAL FRONT PAGE ON HOMELESS DOGS IN BANGKOK
On a happy
note -- the Wednesday, March 24, Wall Street Journal had a heartwarming
animal friendly article on the front page: The article can
now be read on the Houston Chronicle website at:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/2469844
You may have to register but is easy and free.
The article tells a heartwarming story about the effort led my Buddhist
monks to spay-neuter, feed, and give medical attention to Bangkok's homeless
dog population. Its placement on the front page of the country's
second highest selling newspaper gives us a particularly good opportunity
for letters to the editor about America's companion animal overpopulation
crisis.
The Wall Street Journal takes letters at: wsj.ltrs@wsj.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published.
(I send thanks
to Connie Chambers for making sure we saw this -- WSJ articles
don't come through the usual web search sources.)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE FRONT PAGE ON HOG FARM HORROR
Today's (Wednesday, March 24) Chicago Tribune has two related stories
on hog farms -- one, on the front page, dealing with the environmental
impact, and another focusing on cruelty.
The front page story, by Andrew Martin, is headed, "Factory farm
foes fed up; Sick of the foul odors and government inaction, critics of
huge swine operations are taking complaints to court." It describes
lawsuits as "an increasingly popular--and increasingly successful--choice
in the raging battle over factory-style farms that is playing out across
rural America." We learn that environmental groups have filed lawsuits
but "increasingly, neighbors themselves are heading to court, complaining
that the odor and gases wafting toward their homes are making them sick
and destroying their property values." However, the industry, with
the government's help, is fighting back: "At the state level,
many legislatures have passed Right to Farm laws that make it nearly impossible
for residents to file lawsuits against farms claiming that they are nuisances."
On page 19 there is a related article, also by Andrew Martin, headed,
"At some farms, it's `hog hell'; The fumes, diseased animals
in manure-fouled pens and rotting corpses assault the senses at a facility
in Nebraska. Critics say it's hardly unique."
Here's how it opens:
"The odor knocks visitors off balance the moment they walk in the
battered front door of HKY Farm. It's not so much a barnyard smell as
a noxious combination of manure, ammonia and death that intensifies as
one moves toward the barns.
'Next comes the sound of dozens of sows screaming and thrashing at their
cages at the arrival of visitors and the prospect of food, a noise so
loud and unsettling that a farm manager puts on ear plugs as he enters.
"Inside, HKY Farm looks like a Third World prison for pigs.
"Dozens of dead piglets are dumped in piles or encased in pools of
manure beneath the floor, having drowned there after falling through a
hole. Dead hogs remain in their cages, discarded and stiff in walkways
or rotting in pens as other pigs gnaw at their carcasses.
"Many of the 1,800 or so pigs that are alive are emaciated, crippled
or covered with open sores, having been poked by jagged iron bars from
broken cages or fallen through slats that separate them from the manure
pits below.
"The nursery, heated to protect the piglets, is swarming with flies,
and the "sterile room" where food and medicine are stored includes
yet another pile of dead pigs stacked in front of a refrigerator and bags
of pig feed.
"Then there's the manure. It's piled in mounds in cages and concrete
pens where the animals live, dripping down the walls and floating as particulate
matter in a fetid brown haze that permeates the buildings.
"'You've heard of hog heaven, haven't you?' said Robert Baker, an
investigator for the Humane Farming Association, speaking through a paper
air mask as he walked through the farm. 'What this is, is hog hell.'"
As the heading suggests, the article makes it clear that the conditions
described above are "hardly unique."
The following link takes you to a Tribune photo of pigs living on factory
farms in rows of cages so small they cannot even turn around, and to
links for today's Chicago Tribune hog farm articles:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-pod-040324hog-photo,1,3023919.photo?coll=chi-business-hed
They provide great opportunities for
appreciative pro-veggie letters to the editor. The Chicago Tribune takes
letters at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-lettertotheeditor.customform
or ctc-TribLetter@Tribune.com
and says, "Include your name, address and phone number. The
more concise the letter, the better the chances for publication."
A book plug: The latest novel by Annie Proulx, the Pulitzer
prize winning author of the "The Shipping News," attacks modern
pig farming. In "That Old Ace in the Hole" Proulx makes, in
an entertaining manner, one of the most persuasive statements
against CAFOs I have ever read. She focuses mostly on the environmental
issues but there are some strong paragraphs on the treatment of the animals.
You can check it out and/or purchase it at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743242483/dawnwatch
THE ETHICIST ON
FUR
The Ethicist
column, by Randy Cohen, in the Sunday, March 21, New York Times Magazine,
makes a strong anti fur statement. A woman has written to ask him if it
is acceptable to wear an old fur handed down to her through her husband's
family, perhaps as a parody of fashion conscious women who wear news furs.
Cohen asks
how anybody would know it was a parody: "Are the words, 'I Am Heartless
and Vain' shaved into the back?"
And he writes,
"It's insignificant that the fur was a gift: the animals that suffered
don't care who pays the bill. "
He writes, however, that it does matter that the fur is not new, as the
woman does the animals no good by tossing it in the trash, and no harm
by wearing it, "Except this -- appearing in fur announces that doing
so is acceptable. You are voting with your feet (if the coat is much too
long for you). Your wearing the great-aunt's fur does not injure any animals,
but it does injure us: it coarsens our sensibilities as it declares our
values."
He suggests that an old fur might be worn "discreetly, privately"
such as for "an unseen lining for a cloth coat -- utility without
propaganda." He then adds, "And perhaps readers can suggest
other uses for this old fur. Ideas can be sent to the column."
Since PETA uses donated furs for anti fur demonstrations and many wildlife
rehabilitators and animal shelters use them in cages, I hope people will
send in some suggestions and thank Randy Cohen for the column.
The column actually looked at two other issues in its opening lines. Before
writing, "there is no justification for harming animals to make something
as frivolous as a fur coat," Cohen writes, "A case can be made
for some exploitation of animals -- as food or in important medical research
-- when there is no meaningful alternative, and when their suffering is
minimized." Unfortunately he doesn't note that in the case of food,
he has just ruled out eating meat in all modern wealthy nations. And there
is much evidence that medical research on animals could also be ruled
out under those standards. (See http://www.pcrm.org/). Whether
it is acceptable to use animals in life-saving human research if there
really are no "meaningful alternatives" is a complicated question.
The animal rights position is that it isn't -- that the life of a member
of another species is not worth less than a human life, that his suffering
matters no less, and that we shouldn't do it just because we can.
Perhaps some who hold the rights view will want to discuss it with Cohen.
I hope Cohen's clear demonstration that he does not take animal suffering
lightly, and his acknowledgement that that anti fur activists hold "the
moral high ground," will evoke respectful and friendly discussion
of the issues.
You can read his whole column on line at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/21/magazine/21ETHICIST.html
You can "Send your queries to ethicist@nytimes.com
"
And the New York Times Magazine takes letters at: magazine@nytimes.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published.
USDA SEIZES CIRCUS ELEPHANTS
-- WASHINGTON POST STORY
Those who
have been following the case of Lota and other elephants suffering under
the "care" of John F. Cuneo Jr. and his Hawthorn Corp will be
thrilled with today's Washington Post story, (pg A3): "USDA Seizes
Circus Elephants; Decree Under Animal Welfare Act Settles Charges
of Improper Care."
Marc Kaufman writes:
"For the first time since elephants began entertaining people
at American circuses more than 200 years ago, the federal government has
removed a herd of circus animals from an owner accused of mistreating
and mishandling his animals.
"Under a consent decree that took effect this week between the U.S.
Agriculture Department and John F. Cuneo Jr. and his Hawthorn Corp., 16
circus elephants will be removed from its Illinois facilities by August
and sent to other homes. The company also agreed to pay a $200,000 fine.
"The removal will end a troubled history Cuneo has had with elephants.
One of his animals went on a rampage in 1994 in Honolulu, killing its
trainer and running through the streets before being shot and killed.
Two other animals got into a fight in Charlotte that ended with the animals
crashing into a church and demolishing a car. In 1996, two of Cuneo's
animals died of tuberculosis in the same week.
On the general issue of performing animals he writes:
"The USDA prosecution of animal welfare violations and the
consent decree were hailed as a milestone by animal rights advocates,
who have become increasingly vocal in arguing that it is inhumane to include
elephants in circuses and even to display them in zoos. Activists say
that animals suffer when they are chained to posts for long times -- as
happens in circuses and most zoos -- and that training elephants to do
tricks can be especially inhumane because it is generally done by inflicting
pain. Although a number of circuses have discontinued elephant acts in
recent years, others have defended them as proper entertainment."
Finding homes for the 16 elephants is going to be an issue. Carol Buckley
from the elephant sanctuary in Tennessee (http://www.elephants.com/)
is quoted: "Cuneo has made a lot of money on the backs of these animals,
and now he's getting rid of them when they're less and less useful to
him. Because there is TB in the herd, it's going to be very difficult
to find homes for them individually or in some groups. We think they need
to remain together as a herd, and that's going to be very hard to do."
You can read the whole Washington Post article on line at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2956-2004Mar17.html
The Washington Post takes letters at:
letters@washpost.com
. This story presents a great opportunity for letters to the editor against
the use of wild animals in circuses. The PETA website http://www.circuses.com
has loads of information on circuses in general, and there is background
information on this case at: http://www.circuses.com/savelota.html.
And you can read a PETA press release
about the release of the elephants at: http://www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=4072
NEWSWEEK ON VEGAN CHIC
The March
22 US edition of Newsweek, currently on newsstands, has a great little
article on page 68 headed "Vegan Chic."
Julie
Scelfo tells us, "Just because they don't use animal products doesn't
mean vegans can't be stylish. In fact, today's creature-friendly designers
are making such chic accessories, even carnivores crave them." Then
she lists places that sell chic vegan shoes, accessories, handbags, and
belts.
The
piece is on line at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4523302/
The
nice little write-up presents a nice little opportunity for nice little
appreciative letters to the editor on the joy of being vegan,
and the reasons for it. For those interested, Vegan Outreach has a great
website that provides many answers to the question "Why Vegan?":
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/
Newsweek
takes letters at: letters@Newsweek.com
Always include your full
name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor.
Shorter letters are more likely to be published.
VICTORIA AUSTRALIA
STATE GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST ATKINS
I share interesting news from Australia: The
country's biggest selling daily newspaper, Melbourne Victoria's 'Herald
Sun,' ran a front page story on Monday, March 15, headed: "Health
alert on diet used by millions"
Jeremy Kelly and Fay Burstin open:
"Victorians are being warned off one
of the world's most popular diets amid fears its devotees risk heart disease,
cancer and depression.
"A taxpayer-funded campaign, which is
being unveiled today, will try to persuade overweight people to quit the
high-protein, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet."
Health Minister Bronwyn Pike is quoted:
"When we know something is bad for people,
like smoking, then we let people know what the health risks are. And I
believe there are health risks associated with this diet and other fad
diets."
The article goes on to tell us that Pike cites
the short term effects of the diet as "constipation, dehydration,
bad breath, low energy and poor concentration" and has concerns that
in the long term "such diets increased the likelihood of cancer,
heart disease, depression, and osteoporosis."
We learn that the State Government "plans
initially to give out posters and information booklets at gyms, doctors'
waiting rooms and universities" and might follow those actions with
media advertising.
The March 16 Sun Herald has another article
on the issue headed, "Atkins bosses defend methods."
Fay Burstin writes:
"The Atkins empire yesterday reacted
angrily to a state plan to discourage Victorians from using its diet,
accusing Health Minister Bronwyn Pike of failing to do her homework.
"Atkins Physicians Council chairman Dr
Stuart Trager, speaking from New York, told the Herald Sun he was surprised
and disappointed with the Government's campaign to discredit the popular
low-carbohydrate diet."
Trager is quoted: "US Federal Government
officials had a much more positive response and I hope that when they
(the Victorian Government) dig deeper they will reconsider their campaign."
(I am sure the American meat, dairy, and egg
industries were delighted with the US Federal Government officials' positive
response.)
We learn that the federal president of the
Australian Medical Association supports the government campaign, and that
the health ministers spokesperson said that "research from the CSIRO,
the Australian Heart Foundation and other respected health organisations
was relied upon to show the dangers of a low-carb diet."
You can read all of "Atkins bosses defend
methods" on line at:
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8977734%255E662,00.html
At the bottom of the page you'll see a box
headed, "Have Your Say." It explains, "We welcome your
comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication
on the condition that they may be edited. Please provide your full name
and suburb/location. We also require a working e-mail address – not for
publication, but for verification. The telephone field is optional."
I hope my Aussie subscribers will respond
to this story with a commendation for the Victorian government and some
words about the animal suffering resulting from the huge consumption of
animal products encouraged by the Atkins diet. Those from America might
comment on the American government's different attitude.
TERRIFIC ANTI IDITAROD
COLUMN IN USA TODAY
The national paper, USA Today, has a terrific
anti Iditarod column in the Monday, March 15 edition. It is headed, "Iditarod
disgrace: As death toll of dogs rises, so does the race's purse."
(Sports, pg 7C.)
Columnist Jon Saraceno opens:
"I'm all for mutiny. Dog mutiny, that
is.
"When it comes to the Iditarod Trail
Sled Dog race, how do we get more of our furry friends to lie down on
the job? If they belonged to a union, there would be a strike every March
when the 1,100-mile marathon of dog misery is propelled by more than 1,000
members through the treacherous Alaskan wilderness.
"In that labor dispute, I would be all
for the stressed-to-the-max dogs. They are overworked and underpaid. The
money and the glory go to management -- in this case, mushers and their
sponsors.
"Why does Alaska permit the 'Ihurtadog?'
"Easy. Commerce -- shameless, bloody
business carried out on the backs of man's best friends."
He goes on to detail various dog deaths, and
notes that many die after the race so their deaths are not recorded as
Iditarod deaths and many "continue to trudge on with various injuries."
He writes about all the money people make
off the race, then ends the column,
"The dogs, of course, get their usual
take. More suffering."
You can read the whole piece on line at:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/saraceno/2004-03-14-saraceno_x.htm
And you can send a thank you to Jon Saraceno
at jons@usatoday.com
Better yet, send one to the paper -- a letter
to the editor questioning the Iditarod and all human abuse of members
of other species for our entertainment. USA Today takes letters at: editor@usatoday.com
(I send a big thank you to Chas Chiodo who
made sure we saw this column.)
Always include your full name, address, and
daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters
are more likely to be published.
BERGEN RECORD ON BEARS
AND NEW YORK TIMES ON WOLVES
Two major
papers have recently taken stands on behalf of the animals. The Sunday,
March 14, New York Times carried an editorial against the Alaskan government's
wolf hunting policies, and the Thursday, March 11, Bergen Record (Sorry
to be late, I just saw it today) included a strong editorial condemning
the New Jersey bear hunt. For those who are not sure of the significance
of an editorial: whereas a column represents the opinion of a columnist,
and an opinion piece (usually on the editorial page) or op-ed represents
the opinion of a guest writer, an editorial expresses the stance of the
paper. So animal friendly editorials in leading papers represent an encouraging
shift in the media.
I am sure most of us remember the reports, last year, of the New Jersey
bear hunt. Perhaps hardest to forget is that of the injured cub who ran
out of the woods and died at the side of the road as sobbing motorists
gathered around him. It is heartening to see that the Bergen record seems
to share the sensibility of those motorists. The editorial, headed "no
bear hunt," begins:
"Predictably, the trigger-happy state Fish and Game Council voted
this week to hold another bear hunt this fall - despite the well-founded
objections of the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"Although the vote could ultimately lead to an ugly showdown between
the council and the DEP over the legality of such a hunt unless a compromise
is reached, a wiser long-term course of action would be for the Legislature
to intervene and to put the self-serving council out of its misery.
"The problem with the inflexible 11-member council is that it is
dominated by representatives of sportsmen's groups who have a vested interest
in approving the hunt. The situation is akin to letting vegetarians decide
whether to ban beef or allowing beer drinkers to write the laws on drunken
driving. Because the group cannot be objective, the public is ill-served
by its decisions.
"The time has come for lawmakers to scrap this pro-hunting group
and replace it with a council that reflects a wide range of views. The
new council should include several wildlife biologists and environmental
professionals, as well as hunters, animal-rights advocates, and other
members of the public. And it should be accountable to the head of the
DEP."
It goes on to suggest a temporary ban on the hunt while populations are
checked and other methods of population control, such as contraception,
are investigated.
You can read the whole piece on line at:
http://www.bergen.com/registration/registrationLiteForm.php
(You may need to register but it is simple,
quick and free.)
The Bergen record takes letters at: letterstotheeditor@northjersey.com
. I hope the paper receives many appreciative letters for its stance.
You might, in your letter, want to take a stance on all hunting, or on
the way our society treats members of other species.
The Sunday, March 14, New York Times editorial is headed "Wolf
'Control' in Alaska." (Section 4, pg 12.) It opens:
"In Alaska, the wolf wars have taken a sobering turn for the worse.
For 30 years hunting lobbyists have campaigned for what is euphemistically
called wolf 'control.' Thanks to the compliance of Gov. Frank Murkowski
and the state's official game board, the legal protections for Alaska's
7,000 to 9,000 wolves have been seriously eroded. In nearly 20,000 square
miles of the state it is now legal for private citizens to shoot wolves
from airplanes and helicopters. In one district the limit has been increased
from 10 wolves a year to 10 wolves a day.
"In these districts, the new regulations call for an 80 percent 'temporary'
reduction in the wolf population. But a reduction on that scale is merely
likely to be the first step towards the total elimination of wolves. This
isn't sport hunting - there's nothing sporting about deploying an air
force to hunt animals. The real spirit of hunting has always been about
working within the balance of nature. But not in Alaska."
The editorial lets us know that Alaskans have voted against aerial shooting
twice, "But now the extremists have taken over."
It discusses the success of wolf reintroduction plans elsewhere in the
United States, then concludes, "But in Alaska the age-old war on
wolves has resumed with all its age-old savagery - the savagery of humans,
that is."
Again, a letter expressing appreciation for this editorial in support
of the wolves would be great -- though you may want to give a different
interpretation of "the spirit of hunting."
You can read the whole article on line at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/14/opinion/14SUN2.html
The New York Times takes letters at;
letters@nytimes.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published.
NEW YORK TIMES FRONT PAGE ON CHEESEBURGER
BILL
The front page of the Thursday, March 11, New York Times tells us that
"The Cheeseburger Bill" passed the house yesterday. The story,
by Carl Hulse, is headed, "Vote in House Offers a Shield In Obesity
Suits."
Hulse opens, "Saying overeating is a problem for individuals, not
the courts, the House easily approved legislation on Wednesday to bar
people from suing restaurants on the ground that their food makes customers
fat.
Representative Ric Keller (FL-D), the chief sponsor of the measure, is
quoted: "The food industry is under attack and in the cross hairs
of the same trial lawyers who went after big tobacco."
Hulse writes, "Opponents said the legislation was unnecessary and
irresponsible in light of this week's government report identifying obesity
as a condition fast catching up to tobacco as the No. 1 preventable cause
of death in the United States. Democrats said the fact that the House
was devoting almost a full day to the proposal illustrated the misplaced
priorities of the Republican majority."
"The measure was the latest Republican-led effort to provide legal
immunity for a specific industry after efforts to impose broader limits
have been blocked. Last week, a measure to provide immunity to gun manufacturers
and dealers was defeated. Last year, a broad energy measure stalled over
resistance to granting immunity to producers of a gasoline additive blamed
for water pollution. In the past, Republicans pressed for immunity for
the tobacco industry and producers of vaccines."
John Banzhaf, a law professor at George Washington University who has
been a main critic of the measure is quoted:
"There seems to be a hysteria that a couple of law professors are
going to pick on poor little defenseless companies like McDonald's, Kraft
and KFC."
And Neal Barnard, president of the Physician's Committee for Responsible
Medicine is quoted: "Given that we are just now beginning to discover
the industry's involvement, granting them sweeping immunity is, at best,
dangerously short-sighted."
You can read the whole story on line at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/11/politics/11BURG.html
Yesterday, after sending out the obesity story alert, I was asked by a
subscriber what it had to do with animal protection. As obesity continues
to make big news, it seems like a good time to clarify that. The meat-laden
American diet is the direct cause of the suffering of billions of animals
on factory farms and in slaughterhouses. Their suffering rarely makes
the news. But when related issues make the news, we have the opportunity,
with letters to the editor, to publicize their suffering, and publicize
the joys of plant based diets.
Some of us shun meat because we feel it is wrong to take another life,
and we feel that it is unnecessary to do so when we have so many other
more healthful choices. Most people feel that eating meat is natural,
and they enjoy it. And they are OK with a life being taken as long as
they don't have to think too much about it. But most people, with a normal
dose of compassion, would not be comfortable faced with the truth about
the way animals are currently treated on factory farms. As long as meat
is a daily rather than occasional part of the American diet we have little
hope of ending factory farming -- there are just not enough fields to
graze. And if meat were an occasional rather than daily part of most
diets, billions of animals per year would be saved.
As our government props up the meat industry, and now protects the fast
food industry, it fights against dietary changes that would be more
healthful for its citizens and better for the environment. Since those
changes would save billions of animals, diet and obesity are animal protection
issues.
Please consider responding to the diet related stories now in the news
with veg-friendly letters to the editor.
The New York Times takes letters at letters@nytimes.com
And consider a letter to your local paper, which probably publishes a
higher percentage of letters received.
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published.
AMERICA'S OBESITY
ON MANY FRONT PAGES
Big fat is
today's big news. It is on the front page of many leading newspapers in
the US. And America's fight against obesity is even making news in other
countries. Meanwhile, there is a bill in Congress that would prevent 'Big
Fat' lawsuits against fast food chains. It was discussed on today's Crossfire
on CNN. And the Atkins's death controversy is New York Magazine's
cover story.
USA Today, the paper with the highest circulation in the United States,
headed the March 10 front page story, "Obesity on track as No. 1
killer."
Nanci Hellmich writes, "Poor diet and lack of exercise might end
up killing more people than tobacco use and become the leading cause of
preventable deaths in the USA by as early as next year, a new study says.
Diet and physical inactivity accounted for 400,000 deaths in 2000, or
about 16.6% of total deaths. Tobacco, with 435,000 deaths, was 18.1% of
the total, says research in today's Journal of the American Medical Association."
We learn that "the government announced two ways it intends to help:
by running public service ads on the importance of controlling weight
and by paying for new obesity research."
You can read the whole story on line at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-03-09-edit-leigh_x.htm
The front page Washington Post story
(March 10) by Rob Stein is headed, "Obesity Passing Smoking as Top
Avoidable Cause of Death."
Stein writes that faced with the obesity crisis, "In response,
the Bush administration announced a new public education program yesterday,
including a humorous advertising campaign that encourages Americans to
take small steps to lose weight. In addition, the National Institutes
of Health proposed an anti-obesity research agenda. Tomorrow, a special
task force will present the Food and Drug Administration with recommendations
on what that agency can do to help reverse the cresting public health
crisis."
But, "Critics, however, immediately denounced the moves as inadequate,
saying the administration should take more aggressive steps to encourage
more healthful diets, and force the food industry to improve its products
and stop advertising junk food to children."
There is a great quote from, Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's
Center for Eating and Weight Disorders: "The government should have
been much more aggressive about this much earlier. Even now, the administration
defaults to explaining the problem away by individual responsibility and
lack of physical activity rather than focusing on the toxic food environment."
He also said "The government could change agriculture policy to subsidize
the industry making healthy foods instead of unhealthy ones."
And there is a particularly topical quote (see Crossfire story on "The
Cheeseburger Bill" below) from the president of the American Obesity
Association:
"If we just count on the American population to change their eating
habits and exercise habits, we're going to continue to have obesity. What
we're doing is not working."
You can read the whole article on line at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43253-2004Mar9.html
These articles present a great opportunity
for letters from slim and healthy vegetarians, against subsidies to the
meat and dairy industries, school food charts that push their products,
and lunch programs without veggie options -- and in favor of plant based
diets. You might also comment on "The Cheeseburger Bill" that
would ban people from suing fast food restaurants for their weight problems.
No matter what one thinks of such lawsuits, one might question the government's
eagerness to step in and protect the fast food industry when today's
big story makes it clear that the citizens need protection from that
industry.
USA Today takes letter at: editor@usatoday.com
The Washington
Post takes letters at: Letters@washpost.com
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published. Please be careful not to use any of my exact phrases when writing,
and never attach a sample letter to alerts asking for feedback to the
media. Editors are on the look out for campaigns, and not interested in
publishing letters that do not appear to come from readers who have thought
enough about the article to have put together a couple of lines.
Many other papers featured America's fight with obesity on the Wednesday,
March 10, front page. I will paste links to those articles below. Though,
for my Aussie subscribers I will give the link, here, to the story
in The Australian: "US
eats its way to early grave." Page 10
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8928268%5E23289,00.html
The Australian takes letters at: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/files/aus_letters.htm
And because the New York Times is a national newspaper:
The New York Times -- Pg A16. Column 6; "Death Rate From Obesity
Gains Fast On Smoking"
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/10/health/10OBES.html
The New York Times
takes letters at: letters@nytimes.com
------------------------------------------------
CNN's
Crossfire, on March 10, looked at "The Cheeseburger
Bill." Guests were
John Banzhaf - GW Law Professor, Plaintiff's Attorney and
Rep. Mike Rogers - (R) Michigan
Here is the promotional blurb:
"In the Crossfire: 'America, you're fat, and it's time to do something
about it,' seems to be the message the government wants you to hear these
days. A political food fight is underway in Congress as it considers the
'cheeseburger bill' to keep American's from suing restaurants over their
bulging waistlines. Meanwhile the Department of Health and Human Services
is launching a tax-payer funded ad campaign urging people to slim down.
The outrage over obesity has even led McDonalds to shed its Super Size
portions. Is the federal government going too far? Is it the government's
role to criticize your eating habits? Should fast-food restaurants have
any accountability about the nutrition of their food? Should they be required
to offer a healthier menu? Is food the new tobacco in the litigation wars?
And are restaurants in this "fast-food nation" ultimately to
blame for its weight?
You can read a transcript of the lively discussion at:
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/10/cf.00.html
And please send comments to:
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And the story
on the cover of the current edition of New York Magazine is "The
Last Days of Doctor Atkins."
It is lengthy
but interesting. Particularly of interest was the contrast between a statement
Atkins made on TV and the state of his real health. Reporter Steve Fishman
tells us that after emerging from hospital in 2001 after a cardiac arrest,
Atkins explained that it was the result of an infection, then went on
TV and told Katie Couric, "So what are they [my critics] going to
say now that they know I don’t have any blockages?"
But Fishman
writes, "Of course, Atkins did have blockage. In 2001, his coronary
arteries were perhaps 30 to 40 percent blocked, according to Patrick Fratellone,
his cardiologist and employee."
You can read
the whole story on line at:
http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/people/features/n_10035//index.html
And you can
send a veg-friendly letter to New York Magazine at:
NYLetters@newyorkmag.com.
--------------
Here are links to some of the papers that featured America's obesity problem
on the March 10 front page:
The Boston Globe -- "US LAUNCHES
A FIGHT AGAINST OBESITY" - http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/03/10/us_launches_a_fight_against_obesity/
The Globe takes letters at: letter@globe.com
Chicago Tribune - "Deaths due to obesity rise 33% in 10 years; Fat
nears tobacco as top killer in U.S."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0403100249mar10,1,348088.story?coll=chi-news-hed
The Tribune takes letters at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-lettertotheeditor.customform
or
ctc-TribLetter@Tribune.com
Los Angeles Times -- "Obesity Gaining on Tobacco as Top Killer;
Bad diets and inactivity are rampant and could cancel out many health
advances, studies say."
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-obesity10mar10,1,6136404.story?coll=la-news-science
OR
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-obesity10mar10,1,4015283.story?coll=la-home-nation
The Times takes letters at: letters@latimes.com
The San Francisco Chronicle - "Poor diet killing more in U.S."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/10/OBESE.TMP&type=health
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/03/10/MNGCR5HRJ71.DTL
The Chronicle takes letters at:
letters@sfchronicle.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- "Obesity crisis rivals tobacco;
Being overweight may cancel out gains in longevity."
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared/health/ap/ap_story.html/Health/AP.V1574.AP-FIT-Obesity.html
The Journal-Constitution takes
letters at: letters@ajc.com
The Baltimore Sun -- "Fat, inactivity: fatal combo;
Obesity: A new study says unhealthful eating and lack of exercise are
overtaking tobacco as the top cause of U.S. deaths."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal-te.diet10mar10,0,5553079.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
The Sun takes letters at: letters@baltsun.com
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin) -- "Poor diet, inactivity
becoming a leading cause of death"
http://www.jsonline.com/alive/news/mar04/213497.asp
The Journal Sentinel takes letters at:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/submit.asp#submit
jsedit@journalsentinel.com
The Kansas City Star
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/8146349.htm
The Star takes letters at: letters@kcstar.com
Orlando Sentinel (Florida) --"'WE'RE JUST TOO DARN FAT"
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom/science/orl-asecobesity10031004mar10,1,1309711.story?coll=orl-home-promo
The Sentinel takes letters at: insight@orlandosentinel.com
San Jose Mercury News (California) -- "Fat may soon be No. 1 cause
of preventable deaths in U.S."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8149652.htm
The Mercury News takes letters at: letters@sjmercury.com
St. Petersburg Times (Florida) -- "It's what's killing us"
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/03/10/Worldandnation/It_s_what_s_killing_us.shtml
The Times takes letters at: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Christian Science Monitor -- "Downsize
this! Americans escalate their war on fat"
http://search.csmonitor.com/search_content/0310/p01s02-ussc.html
The Monitor takes letters at: OpEd@csps.com
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) -- "FIGHTING FAT"
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/Nation/1AC5D51A842DAE5E86256E53002340C9?OpenDocument&Headline=Fighting+fat%3A+Obesity+nears+tobacco+as+top+preventable+cause&highlight=2%2Cfighting%2Cfat
The Dispatch takes letters at: letters@post-dispatch.com
The Myrtle Beach Sun-News-- " Study: Obesity nears smoking as top
cause of preventable death"
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/nation/8149210.htm
The Sun-news takes letters at: opinions@thesunnews.com
If your local paper ran the story (most did) and you would like to send a
letter to the editor, don't hesitate to ask me if you need help finding
the right address. Small papers publish a high percentage of letters they
receive -- some close to 100%, so I always recommend writing to smaller
papers. And I am happy to take a look at letters and offer an edit.
CALIFORNIA BILL TO BAN FOIE
GRAS
The Monday,
March 1, Sacramento Bee covered an exciting development in California:
"Bill would outlaw foie gras. Gourmet chefs and animal activists
face off over effort to ban the delicacy." (Page A3.)
Since California and New York are the only states in the USA that produce
foie gras, the success of the bill would have a significant impact on
the US industry.
The article, by Cynthia Hubert, tells us:
"Members of the group Animal Protection and Rescue League have seized
ducks from Sonoma Foie Gras, the only producer of the delicacy in the
western United States, sued the operation for animal cruelty, and circulated
videotapes of workers feeding ducks by forcing pipes into their gullets.
The company's owner said he has received death threats and that his restaurant
has been vandalized.
"Now activists have the support of a key state lawmaker, Senate President
Pro Tem John Burton, who last month introduced a measure that would ban
foie gras from being produced and consumed in California. The state would
be the first in the nation to ban the product, though it has been outlawed
in several other countries, including Israel and Germany."
There is a beautiful quote from Burton: "We just shouldn't be cramming
a tube down a duck's throat and forcing in food to make foie gras. It's
an inhumane process that other countries have sensibly banned. I'm pleased
California will be next on the list."
You can read the whole article on line at: http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/8378496p-9308266c.html
It gives those in the Sacramento area
a great opportunity for letters to the editor against foie gras, and the
cruelty involved in much of our food supply.
The Sacramento Bee takes letters at: opinion@sacbee.com and notes that there is a 200 word limit for letters to the editor.
The Bee is one of the few newspapers that will not consider letters from
outside of its distribution area.
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published.
The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights has information on
the bill at: http://www.avar.org/foiegras2.html
The page suggests: "Please write
a polite letter by March 26th to your California State Senator. Ask her
or him to support SB 1520.Tell your senator that it is time to prohibit
practices which involve animal cruelty, especially for gratuitous food
items. Senators can be mailed at c/o State Capitol Building, Sacramento,
CA 95814. If you do not know who your state senator is: Call 916-322-9900."
Farm Sanctuary has created a website designed to help "Ban the Cruel
Force Feeding of Birds." It asks us to support bills against foie
gras in both California and New York: http://www.nofoiegras.org/
And a superb resource for information
on the cruelty of foie gras, including a disturbing photo gallery, is:
http://www.gourmetcruelty.com
WATCHDOG
-- KPFK SERIES ON ANIMAL ISSUES, EVERY MONDAY
I am delighted to announce that Watchdog, our KPFK evening
news spot, is expanding into a one-hour series, a talk show on animal
issues. It will air on KPFK, the Pacifica station in Los Angeles, on
Monday's at 2pm from March 1, through May, 2004.
Janee
Taylor is producing the series and I will be hosting.
Those
in Los Angeles and parts of San Diego can listen on 90.7. It airs
in Santa Barbara on 98.7.
If
you are not in range you can listen live on line, anywhere in the world,
at 2pm US Pacific Time, 5pm Eastern: http://www.kpfk.org/
In
the second half of the show we will take callers. Please call with
questions or comments for our guests. The call-in number is:
(818) 985-5735
Listen if you can, and please
send comments to Watchdog@KPFK.org
|
