Series 2558: Constituent Correspondence, 2000-2003
38846
From: "g. altenbach, s. smith, L. Thibidore." <az9999@earthlink.net>
To: "Undisclosed-Recipient:@earthlink.net;".Net.GOV_MAIL
Created: 2/15/2000 3:16 AM
Subject: Pls Urge Candidates to Include ANIMAL CRUELTY in the Issues.
Message:
SUBJECT : Please urge CANDIDATES to include "ANIMAL CRUELTY" in the ISSUES.
Dear Honorable Legislator ,
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES MUST INCLUDE "ANIMALS CRUELTY(especially FOOD ANIMALS )" IN THEIR ISSUES URGENTLY . We have not found any of the major presidential candidates including "ANIMAL CRUELTY" in their issues.
We would like to ask you to use your power and influence to urge all Presidential Candidates and Federal Election Commission to include "ANIMALS CRUELTY" ISSUE in their agenda.
The issue we are concerned most is "Humane Slaughter Act" (HSA). Congress passed the HSA in 1958 and broadened it in 1978. Among the HSA's most important provisions is the requirement that all animals be rendered unconscious with just one application of an EFFECTIVE STUNNING device by a trained person before being shackled and hoisted up on the line.
However, nearly 80 % of the 6100 slaughterhouses in the U.S. do not comply with the law. They hang animals upside down in the air with one leg tied with steel chain and then have their throats slit alive and then skin animals alive for leather despite their violent kicking , struggling, .screaming .......... They burn and drown millions of pigs in 140 degrees water to death. ...... Virtually, they do ANYTHING to torture and kill animals. All these is to achieve the most cost saving killing even for a couple of cents. EACH YEAR, just in U.S. alone , there are 125 millions of cattle, pigs , sheep (which is equivalent to half of the entire U.S. population), 300 millions of turkeys , and nearly 9 Billions of chickens are slaughtered for "FOOD". While the violation of the Federal Meat Inspection Act carries stiff fines and imprisonment , violations of the HSA carry NO penalties at all ! While in the celebration of the new MILLENNIUM, we are killing billions of animals every year more cruel than that in the STONE AGES in the massive scale. (reference: "SLAUGHTERHOUSE", chapter 1, by Gail Eisnitz, "Animal Liberation" by Dr. Peter Singer ). Indeed, the United States is the MOST CRUEL COUNTRY ON EARTH TO BILLIONS OF ANIMALS just to satisfy American's Meat & Dairy industries ! More importantly, the extreme CRUELTY is under the protection of the United States Governement and it's Congress ! The media also hide all the cruelty from the society ! Billions of animals every year just in this country alone live in the hell and die in the most cruel way too.
The next issue we are concerned most is the CRUELTY IN FACTORY FARMS. The EXTREME CONFINEMENT is the BIGGEST PROBLEM and its associated HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE :
Based on the governement figure, every year in the United States, there are 1.4 millions of Americans died from DIET related diseases , eg.: Heart Diseases, some Cancers, Strokes and Diabetes due to high saturated fat, high cholesterol and no fiber ANIMALS SOURCES FOODS. However, the United States Government continues to push beef, pork, turkey, chickens , cows milk , eggs to school children and the society too.
Each year, more than 91 million pigs were slaughtered and more than 17 billion pounds of pig flesh was produced in the U.S. Animals welfare is completely and totally ignored by the Congress, the President and the Industries. Once a sow has been impregnated, she is confined to a "gestation stall," 18 to 24 inches wide and about as long as her body. Unable to move or turn around, she is forced to live on a cold, bare cement floor in her own excrement for the entire pregnancy period 4 months. Then she is moved to a farrowing stall where she will give birth. The farrowing stall has approximately the similar dimensions as the gestation stall. Farrowings average 10 piglets per litter but range from six to 13. The purpose of the farrowing stall is to prevent a sow from crushing her offspring. The only reason the piglets are in such danger is that there is so little space, about 12 square feet, for a sow and all her litter. (Source: www.meatstinks.com ) The extreme confinement to the sow have been pushing them to the psychiatric disorders. The confined sow is often found rubbing her snout back and forth across the front of the crate or frantically and repeatedly biting the metal bars......
Every second, 125 tons of waste are produced by animals raised by the meat industry. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that almost half of America's surface streams and wells are contaminated by "agricultural pollutants."...... Every year, about 125,000 square miles of rain forest (along with 1,000 plant and animal species) are lost---more than half of it is now used for grazing cattle. More than half of the total amount of water consummed in the U.S. is used to irrigate land to grow feed for livestock. To produce a pound of protein from feedlot beef requires burning 40 times more fossil fuels than to produce a pound of protein from soybeans. (Source: "Diet for a New America" ).
Veal factories take newborn male calves from their mothers and chain them in crates measuring only 22 inches wide and 58 inches long. This is where they will spend their entire lives. From his first day to his last, the life of a "milk-fed" veal calf is one of deprivation, stress, and disease . (Source: www.hfa.org ) Nearly 50% of the all the antibiotics produced in this country are dumped to animals feed in all factory farms. According numerous health reports that such massive amount of antibiotics in animals flesh and by products creates resistant to antibiotics in human body. The drug is losing its power...
The meat and dairy industries deal in "downers" because they can still sell them for human consumption. Profits, not humane considerations, guides industry practice and downed animals suffer gross negligence and abuse at livestock facilities across the country. Downed animals commonly lay in alleyways, without food, water, or veterinary care, until it's convenient to take them to slaughter. They are dragged with chains or pushed with tractors or forklifts---practices which cause injuries and broken bones are so common. (Source: http://www.nodowners.org/ )
Intensively-reared chickens are crammed into crowded warehouses with tens of thousands of other birds. This overcrowding causes disease, suffocation, and heart attacks. Usually it allows only 0.55 square feet per bird, which is not enough even to spread one wing. (Even though USDA recommends 1.5 square feet.) (Source: www.upc-online.org , www.meatstinks.com ).
As far as wildlife, the LEGHOLD TRAPPING CONTINUES. Steel-jaw leghold traps are brutally inhumane. These traps are designed to slam closed on the leg or other body part of an animal. Lacerations, broken bones, joint dislocations, and gangrene can result. Some animals chew off their own leg in a desperate attempt to escape. The majority of smaller animals (rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc.) unintentionally caught in traps die or must be killed because of serious, disabling injuries. EIGHTY-EIGHT countries have outlawed steel-jaw leghold traps. Ironically , the steel jaw leghold traps continue in our National Wildlife Refuges and supported by U.S. CONGRESS . (Source: www.hsus.org )
The above only listed a few examples of Animals Cruelty topics in this nation. We hope all media people could stand up and speak out to your readers , to our Congress and to all Presidential CANDIDATES. PLEASE URGE THEM TO INCLUDE "ANIMALS CRUELTY" IN THEIR ISSUES AND AGENDA.
In comparison with all other issues, eg.: Anti-Abortion issue, Health care issue, Social Security, Tax, Environmental issues........ even protecting the right of an unborn human gene are discussed all day ... . However, billions of animals in excruciating pain and agony in this country everyday is almost completely NOT ADDRESSED (especially all FOOD ANIMALS) from any of the media nor from any of the politician. We actually live in the Atrocity times of the new modern Millennium.
We have seen Governor George Bush put "compassionate" word on his mouth often. However, sources said George Bush's family owns a PORK CASING COMPANY. Also from some investigative sources said he got THE MOST CONTRIBUTION from the SLAUGHTERHOUSES, BUTCHERS, FACTORY FARMS, TEXAS CATTLE RANCHERS......... (sources: http://www.ewg.org and http://www.crp.org ..... etc.). MEAT INDUSTRY STRONGLY SUPPORTS HIM BEHIND.
Every year, in Texas, nearly half MILLION of White Tail Deer are legally killed in the name of "HARVEST" . Texas is one of the BIGGEST HUNTING STATES in the nation. Some sources said he and his father are hunters too. We had sent many letters to him before concerning about massive killing in Texas , HE NEVER RESPONDED EVEN ONCE .
From the history, President Bush had appointed JoAnn Smith as Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. Ms. JoAnn Smith was a CATTLE RANCHER, SPOKESWOMAN, POLICY MAKER TO THE MEAT INDUSTRY with strong support from "AMERICAN MEAT INSTITUTE".(Source: "Slaughterhouse" by Gail Eisnitz,chapter 21).
If Governor George Bush were the President, it could mean the BIGGEST ATROCITY for billions of animals who had already suffered unspeakable horror, bloody and cruelty in all stages of the factory farms , transportation, stockyard, slaughterhouses..... We expect he would greatly promote EXPORTING "MEAT" TO MANY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY CHINA after he becomes the U.S. President. Millions more helpless animals will be killed , skinned alive , burned and drowned alive in numerous slaughterhouses .... USDA could be filled even far more people from the MEAT & DAIRY INDUSTRIES. Well, with death penalty Bush had executed over 100, a record in 50 years.
While worrying, we are also very frustrated ! Because there are candidates who really care about humans as well as Animals plight, eg. GREEN PARTY, NATURAL-LAW PARTY. Especially Dr. John Hagelin (President) and Michael Tompkins(Vice President) are the ONLY candidates running today for the executive offices who are anywhere NEAR what we know to be in the longterm best interests of the people, the nation, the continent, and the planet - and future generations. (Sources: http://www.hagelin.org/ , http://natural-law.org/ ) However, we did not see even one minute of their picture or hear any of their voice on all TV at all ! The media really have the responsibility to BE FAIR to all candidates with the equal air time and opportunity for EVERY CANDIDATE . We did not see any of the fairness from the media .
Billions of Animals fate is on the hands of every one in our society. PLEASE, you have so much talent and power, it is THE TIME to address the ATROCITY and help the most vulnerable nationwide. This will be one of the Biggest Issues all time for all concerned media , all environmental groups, all health conscious people and all concerned citizens as well.
We are always very grateful to you for your compassion , kindness and timely help.
Very Truly Yours,
G. Altenbach, S. Smith, L. Thibidore , M. Liu .
Related Links :
www.meatstinks.com
www.meatsource.com ,
http://www.stopeatinganimals.org
www.veganoutreach.org
www.pcrm.org
www.notmilk.com
www.upc-online.org
www.vegetariantimes.com
www.farmsactuary.org
www.hfa.org
www.hsus.org
www.farmusa.org
.........
- Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\Pls Urge Candidates to Include ANIMAL CRUELTY in the Issues_\Part.001
- Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\Pls Urge Candidates to Include ANIMAL CRUELTY in the Issues_\Mime.822
Attachments
pls_urge_candidates_to_include/part.001
pls_urge_candidates_to_include/mime.822