KFC gets its chicken from the same suppliers as most other chicken restaurants. So how was a man whose favorite Harlem restaurant actually named a "chicken and waffles" entrée after him convinced to lend his name and likeness to PETA's anti-chicken road show? After all, when Sharpton emerged from prison in 2001 after a four-week hunger strike, he didn't ask for tofu and lentils. He reportedly told a crowd of well-wishers: "I'm going to walk through Harlem just to settle in again, then I'm going to Amy Ruth's for some fried chicken."
Source: http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/headline/2739
An organization that supports the terror tactics employed by extremist animal rights groups has issued a comprehensive and shocking report of vandalism and destruction that occurred last year in the name of animals. They boast of nearly two attacks occurring each day.
Bite Back, a group and magazine that supports the Animal Liberation Front’s (ALF) underground activist work, has issued the 2004 Direct Action Report. It proudly highlights attacks that ALF affiliates have performed worldwide against sportsmen, farmers, furriers, researchers and others. The fur industry was the most common target.
In 2004, animal rights terrorists committed more with 554 acts of sabotage worldwide. Destruction included at least 20 arson attacks, smashed windows, glued locks, slashed tires and destruction of hunting equipment.
Featured acts of terror include the following:
The title of the “Best U.S. Liberation” went to the ALF activists who raided a laboratory at the University of Iowa and released hundreds of mice and rats vital to medical research.
The Iowa lab attack was also mentioned as “Best Video Performance.” Video footage of the vandalism that reveals masked activists waiting for an elevator, releasing the rodents and smashing computers and lab instruments is called “a performance worthy of an Oscar” in the report.
The Largest Liberation Award involved the release of over 6,500 mink from a mink farm. Mink released in this manner generally die from starvation or fall prey to predators.
A chicken slaughter house was also firebombed and sustained severe damage.
Click here to view Bite Back’s 2004 Direct Action Report.
In response to these and other animal rights terror attacks, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance has prepared a draft bill called The Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act.
The bill recognizes animal and eco-terrorism as forms of domestic terrorism, increases penalties for persons participating in the politically motivated actions and creates specific penalties for those who aid in these acts of terrorism. The Alliance’s language was adopted as an official model by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a bipartisan membership association promoting individual liberty and limited government, and has been circulated to state legislators throughout the nation. For more information about the legislation, contact USSA Vice President for Government Affairs Rob Sexton at (614) 888-4868 ext. 218 or rsexton@ussportsmen.org.
Source: http://www.ussportsmen.org/interactive/features/Read.cfm?ID=1476
(Columbus) – A coalition of the nation’s leading national bowhunting organizations and communications firms have joined to combat the newly elevated threat to bowhunting posed by the merger of two national animal rights groups.
The groups are uniting behind an initial U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance plan to mobilize bowhunters in defense of their sport.
“Bowhunters have proven their resolve in the past and must again demonstrate their might to stave off promised attacks by anti-hunters,” said Rick Story, senior vice president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.
At a January meeting, the Bowhunter Rights Coalition (BRC) was launched in response to the January 1 merger of the Humane Society of the United States and the Fund for Animals. The new mega-animal rights group boasts of a multi-million dollar budget and has vowed to target bowhunting in 2005.
State and local bowhunting organizations, as well as individual bowhunters and other sportsmen are being recruited to unite under the BRC flag. Bowhunter Magazine, The Bowsite, The International Bowhunting Organization and Pope & Young Club have already joined the coalition.
“The BRC will build a grassroots network capable of defending against attacks in the courts, in legislatures or on the ballot,” said Story. “These allies will help to distribute issue alerts, urge sportsmen to contact lawmakers regarding hunting-related legislation and dilute the burden of legal fees in defense of bowhunting.”
The coalition’s main thrust will be the ability to effectively communicate and to have a rapid response capability. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is preparing a BRC website on which it will post the latest news about the assault against bowhunting for sportsmen and bowhunting publications. It will provide educational materials about bowhunter safety and more. A chat room will also be available to discuss issues and for occasional live chats with leaders of the bowhunting community.
“The Alliance’s successes over the years have been attributed to our ability to organize,” said Story. “That was evident in the formation of the Bowhunter Defense Coalition in 1988 in response to increasing attacks on bowhunting. This effectiveness will be recreated with the BRC.”
A report from the Humane Society of the United States released on January 31 lays out the group’s plans to ban hunting in 2005. Aside from previous plans to target bowhunting, HSUS is preparing a ballot campaign to ban Michigan’s dove season for which sportsmen arduously fought.
For more information about how to join the Bowhunter Rights Coalition, call the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, (614) 888-4868 or e-mail info@ussportsmen.org.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.
Source: http://www.ussportsmen.org/interactive/features/Read.cfm?ID=1478
Coming To A State Near You.......
.......decentralize the organization and eventually station a "coordinator" in each of the 50 states......
........"We need all the help we can get to bring attention to homeless animals, and losing an office that can do that is sad," said Ms. St. Arnaud.........
Is This Best Explained By....
Humane Society closes Bowling Green regional
office
By STEVE
MURPHY
BLADE STAFF WRITER
BOWLING GREEN - Nearly 28 years ago, Sandy Rowland opened the Humane Society of the United States' regional office on Haskins Road, working with advocates for domestic animals in four states.
Yesterday, Ms. Rowland closed the regional office on the instructions of national headquarters in Washington, putting herself and three other employees out of work.
"I'm still in shock over this," Ms. Rowland said. "I just want to go on serving. I cherish the years that I have spent helping animals."
As Great Lakes regional director for the Humane Society of the United States, Ms. Rowland worked with shelters, animal-rights groups, and other agencies in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia. She also pushed animal-rights legislation with state lawmakers in Columbus and Lansing.
Ms. Rowland said she was told two weeks ago that the Bowling Green office would be closed and that an office in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Ill., would serve Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois. She said the Humane Society headquarters in Washington gave little explanation for the decision. "I was just told there's going to be a new structure," she said.
Wayne Pacella, president of the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, said the closing of the Bowling Green office is part of a plan to decentralize the organization and eventually station a "coordinator" in each of the 50 states.
"With the model that we had, we had essentially 10 regional offices, so we had people physically located in just one-fifth of the states," he said.
The Humane Society plans to consolidate its regional offices near larger cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, Mr. Pacella said.
The closure of the Bowling Green office won't affect animal shelters and other services offered by such agencies as the Wood County Humane Society and the Toledo Area Humane Society, which are separate from the national organization.
One area Ms. Rowland's concerned about is a series of free spay and neuter clinics for impoverished pet owners that her office started in southeast Ohio. "The clinics hopefully will go on," she said.
Aimee St. Arnaud, director of Toledo Humane Ohio, said she was disappointed.
"We need all the help we can get to bring attention to homeless animals, and losing an office that can do that is sad," said Ms. St. Arnaud, who worked for Ms. Rowland in the early 1990s while a student at Bowling Green State University. "That just means the rest of us have to work harder to do that."
Contact Steve Murphy at:
smurphy@theblade.com
or 419-724-6078.
Source: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050201/NEWS17/502010360&SearchID=73197975966799
Courtesy: Marc R.
Rooster rumble a cockamamie idea?
By Brad Dickson
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Here's a story that had me checking the newspaper date to make sure it wasn't April Fools Day: Oklahoma Democratic State Senator Frank Shurden has introduced a bill that will allow legalized cockfighting provided the roosters wear little tiny boxing gloves.
You thought athletes who participate in the sport of curling look stupid
running around with those brooms. Shurden said wagering on boxing roosters will
generate revenue. And this is the party that dares criticize the Bush economic
plan?
Oklahoma voters banned the gentleman's sport of cockfighting in 2002
because they felt two roosters slugging each other with little razors affixed to
their wings was inhumane. Shurden, a "longtime devotee of cockfighting" —
and what politician wouldn't want that label — introduced
his tiny boxing gloves bill as a way around the ban. In addition to gloves, the
roosters would wear tiny chicken-sized electronic vests to record the number of
hits and determine a winner. Critics claim Shurden is a cockfighting purist
who's laying the groundwork to legalize cockfighting in its original form.
It's nice to see not every political figure in the nation is caught up
with this meaningless "terrorism-economy-peace in the Middle East" tripe and has
the wherewithal to focus on the important issues we face. It's also gratifying
to find one elected leader not bogged down worrying about ridiculous swill like
tax relief, unemployment, health care and crime, and willing to step up to the
plate and get the boxing gloves on the cocks, so the U.S. can retake our
rightful position as the leaders of the Free World. Wait till the French hear
about this! They'll be back in our corner.
All this begs the question: Who is State Senator Frank Shurden? What kind
of politician would want a legacy like this? We had Harry Truman's "The Buck
Stops Here," FDR's "All we have to fear, is fear itself," Ronald Reagan's "I
paid for that microphone!" and Frank Shurden's, "Boxing Gloves for Chickens!" I
wouldn't say this guy is low brow, but if this passes his next goal is to get
the sport of Backyard Wrestling into the Olympics.
Personally, I must admit when I heard cockfighting had been banned in
Oklahoma I cried "Fowl!" I don't have anywhere to go with this, but I wanted to
work that joke in.
But why stop here? Let's get the great minds in this country working
together to bring the following sports into the mainstream:
The Oklahoma cock fighting story is actually getting quite a bit of
publicity. It was featured on the national wires and covered by a number of
sports departments from around the country. And sports guys, a little reality
check — you know you may not be on the fast track at your local
station when it's Super Bowl Week and your assignment is to cover a press
conference featuring pugilistic roosters in boxing gloves. Now come World Series
week if you find yourself reporting on the Cow Chip Throwing Championships in
Beaverton, Montana...hint, hint.
The stated goal of cockfighting proponents: to make cockfighting
virtually like regular boxing. So far it seems to be working, today Don King
showed up and took all the champion cock's winnings. Actually, I'm just glad
Michael Powell stepped down. Two weeks ago I could not have written the
sentence, "Don King showed up and took all the cock's winnings."
Critics assert that cockfight-loving State Senator Shurden must be a
"vicious, sadistic, angry, hostile, mean-spirited, blood-thirsty" - no, wait,
I'm sorry. That was Senator Barbara Boxer they were talking about. Lots of folks
confusing those two these days.
Myself, I get a kick out of picturing two roosters standing around in the
locker room before their fight wearing their tiny boxing gloves and brightly
colored vests watching synchronized swimmers, NBA players covered in tattoos,
and Packer "cheesehead" fans on a big screen going, "Boy, do they look
dumb."
Hawaiian Humane Society investigators armed with a search warrant raided a home on Mahakea Street. They returned after seizing 64 dogs from the property over the weekend.
"We received a complaint from the Department of Health regarding smells coming from the property. And when they went to investigate, they found more than 50 dogs living in poor conditions," said Jacque Smith of the Hawaiian Humane Society.
The Humane Society suspected more dogs were living in the home, but they could only find chickens roaming around the house Tuesday.
"We've been working with the owner for the last couple of weeks. We've given them ample opportunity to bring up the standard of care and living conditions for these animals," Smith said.
Two people who bought dogs from James Montgomery said they've either had trouble with the dog, or the dog was not a purebred as Montgomery had claimed.
Police came here Tuesday to help the Humane Society with a search warrant of the house, looking for more dogs, but when they saw the filthy conditions inside a child endangerment case was opened.
One police officer who went inside the home said trash was piled up and the house smelled of animal urine. He said there was so much junk everywhere, that there were only little trails to walk around in.
Three children were taken into protective custody. Police escorted two from the home. Police were scheduled to pick up another child from school.
Police said the children aged 9, 12 and 14 will be turned over to Child Protective Services.
Their mother Susan Montgomery refused to discuss the situation. James Montgomery, who is a teacher at Kaiser High School, was not home.
On top of possible animal cruelty charges, the Montgomerys may face criminal child endangerment charges as well.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ibsys/20050202/lo_kitv/2565008