Bureau of Land Management Wants to Remove 1000 horses

My personal words preceding the opposition letter:

"Being part of the change in the enlightened America now being evolved means looking carefully at the customary approach to "wild" animals who are our co-inhabitants of the planet. We need to question, with appropriate respect, human ideas about "management." Imprisoning, culling, removal, killing -- those methods belong to the atavistic past. Along with the original human inhabitants, most of the non-human animals living on this continent were killed in terrible and persistent massacres. Life itself now has reached a point where we must learn from, not blindly copy, the past, when we must not unthinkingly resort to solutions that were wrong even at the time."

Following from 'In Defense of Animals.' The link is at the bottom.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been found repeatedly to arbitrarily set Appropriate Management Levels (AMLs) for wild horses. The BLM's contention that approximately 1.7 million acres in the two HMAs can only sustain approximately 1,165 horses is questionable.

The proposed massive removal of wild horses and burros from the Adobe Town and Salt Wells HMAs and the warehousing of these animals in government holding facilities violates the intent of Congress and the will of the American people that our wild horses be managed on the range in a humane and minimally-intrusive manner that preserves their wild and free-roaming behavior.

https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1421

Canada to begin annual seal pup slaughter

The first two pghs are my precede to the following Humane Society letter to the Canadian prime minister. Sign by pasting this in your address line:
http://humanesociety.org/cancelthehunt

"Killing animals to sell their skin for ornamental wear is as outdated as killing entertainment in the Roman Coliseum. Aside from the horror of the seal killings, what kind of message does it extend to the world? We are already in the transitional time when humans realize that other species are not here for wholesale murder at the whim or commercial desire of humans. My own country also has customs of murdering animals; but please, can Canada be among the countries who say: No More?

The wholesale murder of baby seals is hurting the soul of the world."

Harp seals are facing a natural disaster. They need the sea ice to give birth to and nurse their young.

But this year, Environment Canada reports the lowest ice formation in history off Canada's east coast. For the first year on record, virtually no sea ice has formed in key seal birthing areas. The impact will be devastating. Many mother seals are likely to abort in the water, and unprecedented numbers of pups may die.

In the short term, we cannot halt the devastating impacts of climate change on these seals. But, a responsible government must take action to save the pups who manage to survive.

If the 2010 commercial seal hunt takes place, the few seal pups who live through this disaster will be clubbed and shot to death as they cling to tiny pans of ice.

The world is watching Canada's commercial seal hunt this year. Please protect both the seals and Canada's international reputation: Cancel the 2010 commercial seal hunt.

In the longer term, I urge you to consider the extremely negative animal welfare, ecological, and economic impacts of the commercial seal hunt, and end it for good.

Sometimes we win ... a little bit

Many of us wrote to the USDA after seeing a nightmare video about veal calves at a Vermont slaughter house. We can dream of a time when infant calves are not packed without being able to move into dark boxes for their entire short lives to feed the human desire for white baby meat. But for now we have a chance that their last days and hours will not be the unrelenting nightmare shown on a Humane Society film. Part of the response from the USDA follows:

"Subject: Communication with FSIS Regarding Handling of Veal Calves at Vermont Facility

Dear Sir or Madam:

Thank you for your correspondence to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the handling of veal calves at a Vermont facility. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has been asked to provide a response to you. We appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

As you know, USDA launched an immediate investigation upon learning of an undercover video produced by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that depicted animal abuse at Bushway Packing, Inc., of Grand Isle, Vermont. The deplorable scenes recorded in the video released by HSUS are unequivocally unacceptable. USDA’s FSIS is continuing its investigation into alleged violations depicted in the video.

In addition to its ongoing investigation, FSIS immediately suspended inspection at the plant, effectively shutting it down. USDA fully supports the investigation of all those involved in these alleged violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA), which requires that all livestock at federally inspected establishments be handled and slaughtered in a humane way. To this end, the Secretary has also called on USDA’s Inspector General to conduct a criminal investigation of the events in the video.
As you know, USDA launched an immediate investigation upon learning of an undercover video produced by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that depicted animal abuse at Bushway Packing, Inc., of Grand Isle, Vermont. The deplorable scenes recorded in the video released by HSUS are unequivocally unacceptable. USDA’s FSIS is continuing its investigation into alleged violations depicted in the video.

In addition to its ongoing investigation, FSIS immediately suspended inspection at the plant, effectively shutting it down. USDA fully supports the investigation of all those involved in these alleged violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA), which requires that all livestock at federally inspected establishments be handled and slaughtered in a humane way. To this end, the Secretary has also called on USDA’s Inspector General to conduct a criminal investigation of the events in the video. ..."

Wild horses and burros "Program"

Congressional hearings are scheduled again to decide on funding for "management" of wild horses and burros, meaning torturous round-ups, culling and killing.

Androcles wrote to the relevant congresspeople:

"Killing persons and animals as a solution to so-called problems needs to transition into the atavistic past of humanity. The time has already arrived when we must decide to co-habit with the other beings of the earth. Down the road of animal murder lies our destruction. Killing what we identify as inconvenient or as living on lands we want is not worthy of a civilized nation. Please join the new time now in transition. Please do not dig your feet into the murderous mud of the past."

U.S. may undermine whale moratorium

Greenpeace reported there is indication that some in the present administration are championing a deal to undermine the whale moratorium of 1986 and secure the future of the outrageous and unnecessary practice of commercial whaling. Although the moratorium has been defied by Japan, Iceland, and Norway, it has proven to be the most important whale conservation agreement in history. Androcles emailed the president:

"Killing the whales in ocean waters is like deliberately killing the inhabitants of another country. Nothing can justify it. Most enlightened humans have evolved in their consciousness and subsequently in their thinking about humanity's relationship to other species with whom we share the earth.

With every day we see that wholesale killing is not the solution or the way for the web of life to continue on this planet.

The same developments that created civilizations and enabled the ascent of humans as the apex predators on the planet gave us two conflicting opportunities. One was the technology to eliminate entire species for food, clothing, industry and ornament or because we wanted exclusive use of the land they occupied. At the same time came the other opportunity: through thinking and observation we began to see the precious and essential web of all life. There is no defensible reason to continue the method of earlier and more primitive mankind by killing species without regard for global consequences.

We humans pride ourselves on being the most successful predators in the history of the planet. Also we pride ourselves on the gift of consciousness. When will our consciousness see the impractical, immoral and perilous consequences of rampant killing? No killing is simply a killing.

The wholesale elimination of other species by murder and destruction of territory is not consistent with our survival.

Ellen DeGeneres, Cover Girl, and Animals

I've admired comedienne Ellen DeGeneres for her outlook on animals and was distressed to see her appearing in "Cover Girl" ads. I wrote to PETA -- which named her Woman of the Year for Animals -- to ask if Ms DeGeneres was aware that Cover Girl's parent company Proctor & Gamble is long known as one of the worst corporate offenders in practicing cruelty to animals through outdated tests. A good many of us have boycotted P & G and all its products for a long time because we know they continue to blind and kill thousands of animals, usually rabbits, every year even though alternate tests for so-called "hypoallergenic" products are available.

PETA emailed a reply within the same day! Here it is:

"

Thank you for writing to us about Ellen DeGeneres appearing in Cover Girl ads.

Before signing with Cover Girl, Ellen was diligent in making sure that Cover Girl no longer tests on animals. She made it crystal clear that the company’s "no testing" policy was essential in order for her to agree to be its spokesperson. We love her for that! It is because of principled people like Ellen that we will see an end to animal testing for cosmetics.

Cover Girl's parent company, Procter & Gamble (P&G), announced in 1999 that it had revised its animal-testing policy. P&G stated that it will end the use of animal tests for all its current nonfood, nondrug products. This indicates that P&G realizes the importance of the animal-testing issue.

However, P&G has not permanently halted all nonrequired animal experiments. According to P&G, it will not perform experiments on many existing products, but it has not agreed to stop testing new ingredients and products on animals. This is why P&G products are not listed as cruelty-free by PETA. In addition, P&G subsidiary Iams continues to perform unnecessary tests on animals (for information, please visit http://www.IamsCruelty.com).

Please contact P&G's chair, and encourage him to make a permanent commitment to never again test any product or ingredient on animals.

Alan G. Lafley
Chair, President, and CEO
Procter & Gamble
1 Procter & Gamble Plz.
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-983-1100
513-983-9369 (fax)
http://www.pg.com "

Lieberman's disingenuity

Joe Lieberman's fervent stance against the public option is driven by his cloaked prejudice against the poor and unfortunate, his innate and outdated puritanism, and his wish to keep Americans trapped in a hierarchy which the founders never intended, a hierarchy which serves commercialism, bankers and the military.