S.382 Title: A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Ensign, John [NV] (introduced 2/15/2005) Cosponsors (39) Related Bills: H.R.817

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2005 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

ALL ACTIONS: 2/15/2005: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. 2/16/2005: Introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1500) 4/29/2005: Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent. 4/29/2005: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

GFN thanks all who contacted their Representatives to contest this bill.

John "J.P." Goodwin, born on 2/13/73, is the grassroots coodinator at the Humane Society of the United States. HSUS, the world's richest animal-rights organization, pretends to be an animal-welfare organization. Goodwin, who previously co-founded the Texas-based Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, is clear about his intentions: "My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture," he has written in an Internet activist listserv.

He's developed a lengthy arrest record in pursuit of that goal. He was arrested and convicted for being the ringleader of a crew that vandalized fur retailers in multiple states during the 1990s. The animal-rights watchdog newspaper Animal People News profiled Goodwin in 2000, noting that he "gleefully announced a string of Animal Liberation Front mink releases and arsons against furriers and fur farms" while a "spokesman" for the underground terrorist group.

Goodwin also handled the media after a Petaluma, California, slaughterhouse arson in February 1997. But he really shocked the public with his comments on the March 1997 arson at a farmer's feed co-op in Utah. Referring to a fire that caused almost $1 million in damage and could easily have killed a family sleeping on the premises, Goodwin told the Deseret News, "We're ecstatic."

Background: Grassroots Coordinator, Humane Society of the United States; former Animal Liberation Front member.

Here is the Goodwin case. Lexis formatting is poor - sorry!

STATE OF TENNESSEE, Appellee v. JOHN P. GOODWIN, MICHAEL S. KARBON, and JESSIE KEENAN, Appellants No. 02C01-9311-CR-00260 COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TENNESSEE, AT JACKSON August 30, 1995, FILED Shelby County. Hon. W. Fred Axley, Judge.

COUNSEL: For Appellants: Lionel R. Barrett, Jr., Attorney at Law, Nashville, TN. Jacob M. Dickinson, Attorney at Law, Memphis, TN.

For Appellee: Charles W. Burson, Attorney General and Reporter. Joel W. Perry, Assistant Attorney General, Nashville, TN. John W. Pierotti, District Attorney General. James M. Lammey, Jr., Assistant District Attorney General, Memphis, TN

JUDGES: Penny J. White, Judge, CONCUR: David Hayes, Judge, John H. Gasaway, III, Special Judge. OPINION BY: Penny J. White

In this case appellants, charged with multiple counts of vandalism, challenge the trial court's imposition of sentence and denial of probation. We have conducted a de novo review of the sentences and find that the cases should be remanded to the trial court for further consideration in light of this opinion.

Appellants Goodwin, Karbon, and Keenan, members of an animal rights organization called the Animal Protection Association, were charged with multiple counts of vandalism. Pursuant to negotiated plea agreements, each appellant plead guilty on each count to vandalism under $ 500. n1 After presentence [*2] reports were prepared, appellants requested that the court suspended their sentences and place them on probation. The court denied the requests for probation and sentenced each appellant to concurrent sentences of eleven months and twenty-nine days. The court imposed a seventy percent service requirement with no work release, denied judicial diversion, and denied probation.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Footnotes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - n1 Appellant Goodwin was charged with four counts; appellant Karbon was charged with three counts; and appellant Keenan was charged with two counts.

In 1991 and 1992, a number of furrier and meat markets in Memphis, Tennessee, were the victims of numerous acts of vandalism resulting in serious property damages to their businesses. Appellants were members of an animal rights organization which was described as "fairly conservative." Each appellant admitted to committing numerous acts of vandalism prior to the arrests which led to the convictions in these cases.

At the sentencing hearing, Sergeant Stewart of the Memphis Police Department [*3] testified that he had investigated vandalism at a number of furriers in Memphis. Stewart testified that over one hundred incidents of vandalism had occurred between 1991 and 1992 at furriers and at meat markets. Each of the acts of vandalism involved similar modus operandi. Stewart identified appellant Goodwin as a person who had previously been charged, convicted, and paid restitution for the vandalism of meat markets. Additionally, Sergeant Stewart testified that, upon arrest, Goodwin stated that his arrest would not result in a discontinuation of the Animal Liberation Front's activities. n2

Due to space prohibition in this newsletter we must continue this investigation in another issue, probably tomorrow. In the mean time you can call the Memphis, Tennessee Police Dept at 901-353-8211 for reference regarding the arrest and conviction of Mr Goodwin, the HSUS spokesperson. Please refer them to police reports numbered H 20606503 on 6/19/92 and H 20605833 on 6/16/92

Summary: HR 817 is a bill heavily supported and lobbied by the Humane Society of United States (HSUS) which would do the following:

Make it a federal felony instead of a misdemeanor for anyone who transports a game fowl in interstate or foreign commerce for the purposes to exhibit a game fowl in a fighting venture even in a state where the activity is legal (e.g. Louisiana and New Mexico)

HSUS successfully lobbied for passage of a provision which would already make it a misdemeanor for anyone who transports a game fowl in interstate or foreign commerce for the purposes to exhibit a game fowl in a fighting venture. This legislation was snuck into the 2002 Farm Bill and never received a Congressional Mark-up in either the House or Senate Agriculture Committee. Now HSUS, the same organization that wants to put an end to animal agriculture, sport hunting, grey hound racing, trophy hunting, and rodeos just to name a few, wants to trample further on states rights by making it a felony for anyone transporting or selling a game fowl in interstate or foreign commerce engaged in a fighting venture, even when that venture is legal in a state or foreign country.

Reasons why the UGBA opposes this anti-states' rights legislation:

10th Amendment: This legislation tramples on state's rights by denying game fowl breeders the ability to travel to a fighting venture in a legal state like Louisiana and New Mexico. Because HSUS cannot win at the State level (legislation targeting this industry at the respective states has been defeated in the legislatures), it has now targeted the federal level as a means to end an industry it opposes.

HSUS destroying the economic livelihood of rural America: For many of our members, game fowl breeding is a way of life and contributes significantly to their family's income, i.e. sales of game fowl. The equipment sales for farms, feed for chickens, and transportation related activities (airlines, car fuel, hotels, etc) also contribute to the economic fabric of the community.

Health: By supporting the increase in penalties for the new federal law, you are only forcing more breeders to go underground and thus making it more difficult for associations like the UGBA to monitor gamefowl for good poultry health.

Federalizing Animal Rights: By supporting the animal rights groups' (HSUS and PETA) federal attempts to legislate the industry, you could be helping them open the door to criminalizing other lawful activities involving interaction with animals such as hunting, fishing, trapping, rodeos and horse racing. Wayne Pacelle, HSUS CEO, has stated in the past that "our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cockfighting and dogfighting. Our opponents say that hunting is a tradition. We say traditions can change" (Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Oct. 8, 1991).

Court Challenge: This public law has been legally challenged by the United Gamefowl Breeders Association (UGBA) in the U.S. Western District of Louisiana. The Judge has ruled in favor of the UGBA by finding that they have standing to go to trial. The UGBA believes since the federal courts have found that the UGBA has standing to go to trial, we should at least allow the courts to now decide what Congress has already acted on in P.L. 107-171.

For these reasons, we respectfully ask for your opposition to HR 817!

The United Gamefowl Breeders Association (UGBA) was founded in 1975 to represent the interest of gamefowl breeders across the nation. The UGBA currently represents over 100,000 gamefowl breeders in America and 15,000 dues-paying members in 33 states. The UGBA's primary mission is to exchange better methods and ideas toward the perpetuation and improvement of the various breeds of gamefowl, to improve marketing methods, to cooperate with Universities and other agencies in poultry disease control, and to further develop and enhance the general good health of gamefowl.

"Christianity is our foe. If animal rights is to succeed, we must destroy the Judeo-Christian religious tradition." Peter Singer

"My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture" John Paul "JP" Goodwin

"If you take the attitude that one form of animal use is acceptable, then you can't criticize anything else" Wayne Pacelle, HSUS

It has come to the attention of the GFN staff of Toby the "innocent" rabbits soon demise. In honor of all ARA's we at GFN seek your help regarding this very serious issue. Please show your support for Toby.