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IDA eNews: 10/10/07

by Mat Thomas (mat [at] idausa.org)
IDA eNews: 10/10/07
IDA ACTION ALERTS
1. What to Do...for World GO VEGAN Days
2. Black Bear Hunt on National Wildlife Refuge Doubles Number of Hunters
3. Chickens Beheaded and Eaten on Episode of "Kid Nation"

NEWS & CAMPAIGN UPDATES
1. Get Ready for Fur Free Friday 2007
2. Thousands Enjoy World Veg Festival Weekend in San Francisco
3. City of York Bans Sale of Foie Gras


IDA ACTION ALERTS

1. What to Do...for World GO VEGAN Days
Start planning veg-friendly activities for October 26-28

The 3rd annual World GO VEGAN Days are taking place this year from October 26th through 28th. These celebratory days of education and action are a time for people who care about animals, the environment, and their loved ones’ well-being to educate others about the vegan lifestyle as a compassionate, sustainable, and healthy way of eating and living.

This year’s World GO VEGAN Days are being presented by some of the nation’s leading animal protection organizations, including The American Vegan Society, Animal Acres, Animal Place, Compassion Over Killing (COK), Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM), Friends of Animals (FOA), Go Vegan Radio, In Defense of Animals (IDA), Mercy for Animals, and Veg News magazine.

There are lots of ways for anyone to get involved in WGVD, but remember that the further you plan ahead, the more you can do. Here are some ideas for activities to take part in during WGVD and beyond:

- Plan an event or activity to get people interested in veganism, such as a public lecture, cooking demonstration, feed-in with vegan food samples, leafleting, tabling, library exhibit, or street theater performance.

- Host a vegan potluck dinner or restaurant outing to show your family and friends that they don't have to sacrifice taste to save animals' lives. Sharing delicious vegan food with others is a fun and easy way to make a difference in the lives of animals and the people you care about.

- Order t-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, pins and other fun stuff from IDA ( http://www.idausa.org/shop-ida/index.html ) and other vegan merchants to have for the day of your event.

- Students: join or start a vegan club in your school and plan an event with your friends that will educate people about the benefits of a vegan diet to human health, animals, and the environment.

- Host a screening of Peaceable Kingdom, an eye opening farmed animal documentary, at your local library or another venue. Invite a guest speaker to talk about farmed animal welfare issues. Contact IDA for information on borrowing a copy.

- Write a letter to the editor ( http://www.idausa.org/vegandays/outreach.html ) about the benefits of a vegan diet or the cruelties of factory farming, or ask your local newspaper to write a story on the subject.

- Enter cooking competitions and bake sales using vegan recipes. Emphasize the fact that you didn't use any animal ingredients to make your delicious dishes.

- Add a link to IDA's WGVD website from your website. To use one of our banners or buttons, click here ( http://www.idausa.org/vegandays/action.html ), and simply right click on the banner or button of your choice to get the URL. If you are not sure how to edit your web page, consult your web designer or the person who created it.

- If you run an animal protection organization, become a presenter of World GO VEGAN Days. There are no costs to you for joining us as a co-presenter. All you need is to post the World GO VEGAN Days banner on your web site, which links to the World GO VEGAN Days web page. Contact Melissa Gonzalez at (415) 388-9641, ext. 228 or Melissa [at] idausa.org for more information.

- Visit a farmed animal sanctuary and take a friend who still eats meat. There are a number of farmed animal sanctuaries where you can visit rescued cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and rabbits live naturally in peace and harmony without fear of abuse or slaughter. Check out Animal Acres ( http://www.animalacres.org/ ), Animal Place ( http://www.animalplace.org/ ), Farm Sanctuary ( http://www.farmsanctuary.org/about/index.htm ), Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary ( http://www.animalsanctuary.org/ ), or IDA’s Project Hope ( http://www.project-hope.net/ ).


2. Black Bear Hunt on National Wildlife Refuge Doubles Number of Hunters
Take Action to urge cancellation of cruel and unnecessary bear hunt

With trophy hunters aggressively pursuing their "right" to kill black bears in Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge ( http://www.fws.gov/northeast/greatdismalswamp/ ), the Refuge is getting set to hold a cruel two-day hunt in early December 2007 in which bears will be unnecessarily killed in the name of recreation. This year, the Refuge has decided to double the number of hunters (from 50 to 100) allowed on the refuge each day, and has expanded the area open to bear hunting without any consideration of the impacts of such changes on the environment, the bear population, or other refuge users.

According to The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and Nansemond National Wildlife Refuge Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan ( http://www.chesapeake.va.us/services/citizen_info/pdf/GDSNWRfinalCCP8-2-06.pdf ) signed into effect on July 11, 2006, "The main purpose of the hunt is to add a priority wildlife-dependent recreational opportunity for the public. There are limited public hunting opportunities in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. By implementing a bear hunt an additional 200 hunter days will be provided to the area."

This hunt is not taking place to curb overpopulation, nor is it to protect members of the public. It is simply to provide hunting enthusiasts an opportunity to hunt big-game creatures such as black bears.

When the hunt came under fire last year, hunt promoters cited increasing encounters with bears in commercial and residential areas in the vicinity of the Wildlife Refuge. In reality, public safety cannot be the reason for the hunt -- especially considering that over the past century only two lives have been claimed by black bears in the entire Eastern U.S. Compare this to the nearly one thousand lives that are claimed in motor accidents every year in Virginia alone.

A wildlife refuge should be a sanctuary for animals and a place of education and preservation; not a forum for needless carnage. Public safety can be better ensured through education on coexisting with wildlife: people can dramatically reduce the number of encounters with black bears by keeping food safely stored and avoid harm to themselves and these wild animals when contact does occur by responding appropriately.

What You Can Do:

Please Take Action to urge Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine ( %takeaction-gdsnwr2%) to call off the hunt. Also Take Action to send the same message to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge ( %takeaction-gdsnwr1% ). For best effect, please edit the sample letters, and follow up with polite letters, phone calls, emails, or faxes.

Governor Timothy Kaine
Office of the Governor, 14th Floor
One Capitol Square, 830 E. Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Tel: (804) 371-0840
Fax: (804) 371-0935
Online feedback form: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm

Suzanne Baird, Refuge Manager
The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
3100 Desert Road
Suffolk, Virginia 23434
Tel: (757) 986-3705
greatdismalswamp [at] fws.gov

Marvin Moriarty, Regional Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035-9589
Tel: (413) 253-8200
Fax: (413) 253-8308
northeast [at] fws.gov


3. Chickens Beheaded and Eaten on Episode of "Kid Nation"
Demand that CBS stop killing animals on their "reality TV" shows

The abuse and killing of animals on so-called "reality TV" shows is about as old as the genre itself. Over the years, contestants on the long-running "Survivor" series have been shown on camera stabbing pigs to death and killing different animals for food, while "Fear Factor" was oft criticized during its run for injuring and killing animals, as well as getting people to eat live insects on-air. Disgusting as these televised antics may have been, the CBS network has sunk even lower by now making children kill animals for the ratings war.

"Kid Nation" is a new reality TV show based on the premise of stranding 40 8-to-15-year-old children for 40 days in an Old West ghost town. The idea is to see how they'll survive on their own and bring the town back to life without adult supervision (except the 200 or so unseen grownups on the production crew filming it all). Late last month, CBS aired an episode in which the kids decapitated 18 chickens "for protein." Some of the children, especially those who had raised and cared for the birds, were visibly disturbed by the beheadings.

The producers of "Kid Nation" deliberately staged this controversy by not providing adequate plant-based sources of protein (such as beans, nuts, or whole grains) for the children on the flimsy basis that in this far-fetched "reality," they would have had no other choice but to kill and eat the chickens or starve. The obviously fabricated situation of making children rebuild a deserted town is pretty ridiculous in the first place, but to compound this preposterous farce with animal cruelty in the guise of teaching kids (and viewers) a lesson in survival and "reality" is simply ludicrous.

This act of violence had absolutely nothing to do with survival or reality, and was specifically engineered by network executives to boost ratings. Nevertheless, since its premiere on September 19th, the show has already slipped in the Nielsen ratings, finishing third in its time slot last week despite the previous episode's chicken killing stunt. Apparently, viewers are not as interested in traumatizing children with animal sacrifices as the producers of this flagging production had hoped.

What You Can Do:

Write to Leslie Moonves, Chair & CEO of CBS -- the man who is purportedly responsible for the gratuitous violence against animals that is becoming a staple of the network's "reality" shows -- and let him know (politely) that killing animals for ratings is reprehensible and unacceptable. Also demand that CBS initiate a ban on killing animals on their programs, and be sure to request a response.

Leslie Moonves, Chair & CEO
CBS Television Network
7800 Beverly Blvd., Room 23
Los Angeles, CA 90036-2112
Fax: (323) 575-2669
Viewer webmail ( http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.shtml )


NEWS & CAMPAIGN UPDATES

1. Get Ready for Fur Free Friday 2007
Start making plans now for the year's biggest anti-fur event

Every year on the day after Thanksgiving for the last two decades, thousands of people around the U.S. have held demonstrations, marches, vigils, and other activities for Fur Free Friday to protest a global multi-billion dollar industry that kills over 40 million animals annually. Holding this national day of action on the busiest shopping day of the year allows activists to reach the greatest number of consumers, including those who may be thinking about buying fur as a gift or for their own wardrobe.

Animals on fur farms spend their lives trapped in wire cages stacked outdoors from which the only escape is death. In the wild, mink, foxes, and other fur-bearing species have a range of many miles, so being constantly confined and exposed to the harsh elements is a source of constant suffering for them. They are supposed to live in the wild where they can experience the natural existence that is their birthright, but are instead exploited for their coats and killed by anal or vaginal electrocution, which fries them from the inside out and stops their hearts while they are fully conscious.

Fur-bearing species are also caught in the wild using painful metal traps, and can linger in excruciating pain for days before a trapper comes to put them out of their misery. About one quarter of animals caught in this way escape by chewing their own limbs off (only to be killed by predators). If people knew the ugly truth about fur production, including the industry's illegal use of fur from dogs and cats, they would realize that even a little fur trim causes animals a lot of unnecessary suffering.

What You Can Do:

Last year, IDA supporters and local organizers coordinated a total of 43 Fur Free Friday activities in 20 states ( http://www.furkills.org/feature_061129.shtml ) (as well as one in France). We hope this year will be even bigger, and everyone can help by attending or organizing an event. Help save the lives of fur-bearing animals on Fridayday, November 23rd with these activities:

- Anti-fur marches bring a compassionate message to the streets where people throng on the busiest shopping day of the year in search of gifts for their loved ones.

- Fur funerals and vigils honor the lives and mourn the deaths of the animals that are killed every year to make fur garments, toys, and fashion accessories.

- Street theatre brings the suffering of fur-bearing animals to life and engages audiences with props, drama, and creative costumes.

- Undercover video footage ( http://www.undercovertv.org/vp_fur-farm.php ) allows activists to expose fur industry cruelty with a battery-powered TV/VCR, making a lasting impression on people who may never have seen the reality of animals' suffering before.

- Film screenings give people an opportunity to learn about the fur issue in greater depth. Tribe of Heart's documentary The Witness ( http://tribeofheart.org/wit1.htm ) remains one of the most effective tools animal advocates have to open people's eyes to the fur industry's abuse of animals.

IDA has big plans to help animals this Fur Free Friday: what about you? Please be a hero to animals this November 23rd by taking part in this important annual day of action aimed at putting the brutal fur trade out of business. If you would like more information on getting involved, please contact antifur [at] idausa.org . If you are planning an event, please register your event ( http://furkills.org/events.shtml#eventform ), so we can promote it and urge our supporters in your area to join you.

Learn more about the lives of animals used by the fur trade at furkills.org ( http://furkills.org ).


2. Thousands Enjoy World Veg Festival Weekend in San Francisco
Event co-sponsored by IDA and SFVS featured speakers, entertainment, and tasty food

The World Veg Festival Weekend celebration in San Francisco ( http://www.sfvs.org/wvd/ ), co-presented by the San Francisco Vegetarian Society (SFVS) ( http://www.sfvs.org ) and IDA on Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th, brought thousands of visitors to the San Francisco County Fair Building in beautiful Golden Gate Park for two days of activities promoting health and compassion for animals.

The highlight of the weekend was the many world-renowned speakers who gave inspiring and informative talks, including Howard Lyman ( http://www.madcowboy.com ), Dr. Gabriel Cousens ( http://www.gabrielcousens.com ), Dr. John McDougall ( http://www.drmcdougall.com/about.html ), Dr. Michael Greger ( http://www.drgreger.org ), Dr. Milton Mills ( http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm06winter/mills.html ), Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn ( http://www.heartattackproof.com ), and IDA president Dr. Elliot M. Katz ( http://www.idausa.org/about.html ), to name just a few.

There was also lots of great entertainment. Bizarro cartoonist Dan Piraro ( http://www.bizarro.com/ ) gave a talk on "Cartoons, Comedy & Compassion," and attendees enjoyed great jazz and folk music, as well as bellydancing. Wayne Huey, a vegan Chinese acrobat, astounded the crowd with his incredible displays of agility. Visitors perused the many vendor and non-profit booths in the main hall, enjoying enticing food samples.

At the IDA table, people learned how they could help animals through adopting a vegan diet and pick up free literature on a range of important issues. Our vegan t-shirts ( http://www.idausa.org/shop-ida/clothing.html ) were a particularly popular item for those wanting to express their values by wearing a compassionate message. Many people stopped by the table to thank IDA for co-sponsoring the event and for being there to represent the animals. Thanks to everyone who attended the World Veg Festival Weekend, especially to those who volunteered to help us out at the IDA table.


3. City of York Bans Sale of Foie Gras
Becomes first in UK to outlaw cruel duck liver "delicacy"

The anti-foie gras fervor that is sweeping the states is not confined to this side of the Atlantic, as the city of York recently became the first city in the United Kingdom to ban the sale of diseased livers from force-fed waterfowl. This is great news for a campaign that continues to grow worldwide because it opens up the possibility that the sale of foie gras will be outlawed throughout England.

While British animal welfare laws prevent foie gras producers from setting up shop in the country, the country remains one of the biggest importers of French foie gras in Europe. Yet Paul Blanchard, the Labor Party councilor who introduced the humane motion, hopes this will be the first step in making the entire country completely foie gras-free. "I believe York can play its part tonight to get foie gras banned in the UK," Blanchard told The Daily Mail newspaper ( http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=485811&in_page_id=1770 ). "This motion will be a start and it will raise awareness of this intolerable cruelty. This could genuinely be the end for foie gras in this country."

Blanchard has good cause for his confidence. Now that the City of York Council has approved his motion, they will start lobbying Lord Rooker, the Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health, to review the cruelty involved in foie gras production in light of the British government's policies on animal welfare issues. An honest analysis of the force-feeding process will hopefully lead the Ministry to conclude, as others have, that it universally ranks as one of the cruelest forms of animal agriculture, and that foie gras imports should henceforth be prohibited.

Ducks used for foie gras are kept in sheds without access to water for swimming, an activity that is as natural to them as walking is to us. The birds are force-fed about four pounds of corn mush every day through metal pipes shoved down their long throats. By the end of the process, ducks are physically debilitated with livers up to ten times normal size, and many are unable to stand or walk. In the U.S., California has passed a law that will ban the sale and production of foie gras by 2012, and it is already illegal to sell foie gras in the city of Chicago. In addition, the production of foie gras has been banned in 15 other countries around the world.

Visit http://www.banfoiegras.org for more information on foie gras and what you can do to combat this cruelty.


Pension Protection Act of 2006

Are you 70 1/2 years of age or older? Would you like to make a special gift to benefit animals, free of tax obligations? The Pension Protection Act, referred to by the IRS as "the most sweeping pension legislation in over 30 years," offers many substantial incentives. Among them, the opportunity to make a gift to IDA from your IRA, tax-free and without the penalty typically associated with early withdrawals.

Don't miss out! This legislation will expire at the end of this year, so to qualify for this tax exemption your gift must be completed by December 31, 2007. For further information on the IRA Charitable Rollover, or to request a sample letter which can be sent to your plan administrator, please contact Nicole Otoupalik, Director of Planned Giving, by phone at (800) 338-4451, or e-mail her at Nicole [at] idausa.org .


Subscribe to IDA's Weekly eNews

Subscribe to IDA's eNewsletter to get the latest information on campaign developments and animal protection news from around the world. Visit http://ga0.org/indefenseofanimals/join.tcl to sign up.
§please change contact information on your website
by Anita L. Wolff
You have the following number listed to contact the Governor's office - (804) 371-0840. That is no longer a number for the Governor's office; it is mine and I cannot do anything to help the people who are calling regarding the black bear hunt. The number they need to call is (804) 786-1201.

Anita L. Wolff
Technical Writer /Business Analyst
Division of Legislative Automated Services
6th Floor, General Assembly Building
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