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AR-NEWS Digest 396
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) UPC 7th Annual Spring Mourning Vigils for Chickens
by Franklin Wade
2) An unmitigated blessing
by Andrew Gach
3) [UK] Majority of public favour ban on fox-hunting
by David J Knowles
4) [DE] Wholesome food, unwholesome profits
by David J Knowles
5) [UK] Anti-fox-hunting campaigner appointed Minster of Sport
by David J Knowles
6) [UK] Pollution wipes out river life
by David J Knowles
7) [CA] Vancouver regional SPCA participates in adopt-a-phon
by David J Knowles
8) (US) Poultry Overflow Boosts Oklahoma
by allen schubert
9) [Australia]Man up tree halts logging.
by bunny
10) (Vietnam) Disney & McDonald's Linked to $0.06/Hour Sweatshop
in Vietnam
by Persephone Moonshadow Howling Womyn
11) The Current Status of the Macy's Campaign
by MINKLIB@aol.com
12) Fund Web Site
by Mike Markarian
13) COK Activist Update
by Paul Shapiro
14) Admin Note--Subscription Options
by allen schubert
15) Re: FDA shoots down generic substitution for Premarin
by AAVSONLINE@aol.com
16) (Fwd) Please Help
by "Alliance for Animals"
17) re: movie cruelty - letter to newline - updated slightly
by "Jon Nathan"
18) Help Dogs/Cats in Pet Stores
by ScottVanValkenburg
19) [CA] FWD. ACTION ALERT
by David J Knowles
20) [CA] FWD. ACTION ALERT
by David J Knowles
21) Shriners reprimanded over fundraising
by Lesli Bisgould
22) Jeff Watkins update
by Bryan Pease
23) (NY) "Fishing Rights" Takes On Unexpected Meaning to Wise- Use
Allies
by Persephone Moonshadow Howling Womyn
24) (ZA) Delegates Back Ban on Ivory Trade
by allen schubert
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 00:25:39 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Franklin Wade
To: Ar-News
Subject: UPC 7th Annual Spring Mourning Vigils for Chickens
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * ACTION ALERT * CONTACT KAREN DAVIS
(301) 948-2406
United Poultry Concerns Announces
Seventh Annual Spring Mourning Vigils for Chickens
When: Saturday June 21, Noon - 3 PM
Where: Montgomery Village in Gaithersburg, MD
Rt 355 (North Frederick Road)
What: PROTEST DEMONSTRATION at BOSTON MARKET, CHICKEN OUT, KENNY
ROGERS, KFC, & Other Foul Food Outlets on Rt 355.
----------------------------
When: Saturday June 28, 1997, Noon - 3 PM
Where: Milford Senior High School, Milford Delaware
What: PROTEST DEMONSTRATION at DELMARVA CHICKEN FESTIVAL
United Poultry Concerns is doubling its attack on the poultry
industry and the chewing of dead wings, leg stumps and battered
breasts. On June 21 & June 28, we will target both the source and
outlets of Earth's Foulest Feast.
Like the plague, the poultry industry seeps a Bacterial River of
Fecal Soup 'Cause Billions of Chickens are Cooped in Poop..
The Potomac River is "clogged with excrement from corporate
poultry farms. . . ." -- American Rivers Report, April 1997.
"The contamination and cruelty are linked," says Karen Davis,
president of United Poultry Concerns, author of Prisoned
Chickens, Poisoned Eggs. "These poor chickens are forced to peck
all day in poop. They are fed it, they sit in it, they breathe
it. Toxic waste gases--confinement-shed poop fumes--are in their
bloodstream. There's a direct connection between the Poisoned
Potomac, "Stomach Flu," and the Floods of Blood We Shed."
Please join United Poultry Concerns at Montgomery Village on June
21, and the Delmarva Chicken Festival on June 28. Stick Up For
Chickens Not Chicken.
For more information contact United Poultry Concerns
Ph: 301-948-2406; www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
Directions to Milford, Delaware. From Washington/Baltimore: Take Rt 50 East
over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Stay on 50 East till you reach Rt 404. Take
404 East to Rt 317 East, which turns into Rt 14 East. Follow Rt 14 East to Rt
113 going North. At 2nd light, you'll see a bowling alley on your left. Turn
right onto NE 10th St. Go straight thru next light. You will then see Milford
Senior High School on your left. Poultry Festival will have signs posted for
parking. Banners & Signs Provided. Length of trip: Four Hours.
_____________________________________________________________________
franklin@smart.net Franklin D. Wade
United Poultry Concerns - www.envirolink.org/arrs/upc
Compassion Over Killing - www.envirolink.org/arrs/cok
Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 21:44:20 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: An unmitigated blessing
Message-ID: <336EB724.3F0C@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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The editorial page of the May 2 1997 issue of the Wall Street Journal
contains nine opinion pieces regarding ethical issues raised by
cloning. The authors include a Nobel Prize winning animal researcher,
an US senator (former heart surgeon), a child psychiatrist, a rabbi, an
archbishop, a science fiction writer and the physicist Edward Teller, a
former cold war warrier and chief proponent of Reagan's Star War
project.
Interestingly, all nine opinions are of men - not a single woman made it
to the roster.
Of the nine men, seven gave full or slightly qualified support to
cloning. The archbishop thought human cloning should be forbidden, but
"legitimate research" (read, animal research) should go ahead at full
speed. The rabbi also expressed slight misgivings about human cloning,
but that hardly diminished his enthusiasm over this great scientific
advance. The science fiction writer, the senator, the vivisector, the
physicist and the child psychiatrist had nothing but scorn for those who
would in any way interfere with the triumphant march of science.
Only two of the nine expressed serious concern: John B. Fagan, a
molecular biologist and Leon R. Cass, a physician and professor - but
they, too, only worried about human cloning. Not a single word anywhere
among these opinions that would question the appropriateness of
engineering animal species or the far reaching consequences of that
endeavor for the world.
Fagan's and Cass' opinion pieces follow.
Andy
==================================================================
(The Wall Street Journal, editorial page, May 2 1997)
John B. Fagan is a molecular biologist and scientific
adviser to Genetic ID, a Fairfield, Iowa, company:
Dolly's advent has stimulated some far-fetched speculations
on cloning humans: Perpetuate yourself or a loved one;
generate spare body parts; create legions of someone with
"superior" traits. Dolly's creator had quite different motives,
but ones whose ramifications are equally disconcerting. Ian
Wilmut developed his cloning method on higher mammals as
a tool for germline genetic engineering, i.e., manipulating
genes so that changes will be passed on to future
generations.
Although he abhors using this tool on humans, its mere
existence creates an opening for imprudent opportunists: "For
$299.95 your child can be born with the Mozart, Einstein or
Michael Jordan gene." Sounds interesting, but germline
engineering alters every cell, including the reproductive
system. Therefore, the inevitable slip of the genetic
scalpel by even the best-intentioned scientist will bring harm
not only to one person, but to all subsequent offspring.
Scientists acknowledge that these mistakes are unavoidable.
Therefore, if applied widely, germline engineering will
progressively corrupt the blueprint of our species with
genetic errors. These will irreversibly burden future
generations with new genetic diseases, causing millions to
suffer. Such manufacturing defects cannot be recalled.
President Clinton has made a good start toward staving off
this danger, but ultimately we need laws explicitly banning
human cloning and germline manipulations. Several
European nations have taken the lead in passing such laws.
We should follow suit and also establish international treaties
similar to those governing nuclear weapons.
***
Leon R. Kass is a physician and a professor in the
Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago:
The repugnance most people feel toward the prospect of
cloning human beings is the bearer of deep wisdom, not
easily articulated. The main issue is whether human
procreation is to remain human, whether children will be
made rather than begotten, whether we should embrace the
dehumanized rationalism of the "perfect" and "healthy" Brave
New World. Cloning threatens confusion of psychic and
social identity and individuality, even when practiced on a
small scale. Self-cloning would yield the dreaded result of
incest: to be parent or child of one's sibling. Cloning also
represents a giant step (not the first) toward transforming
procreation into manufacture, children into artifacts and
commodities, products of human will and design. Cloning,
like other nontherapeutic genetic engineering, is a form of
despotism, an attempt to make children in our image and to
control in advance their future. It thus represents in blatant
form a deep violation of the meaning of parent-child
relations, of the meaning of procreatively saying yes to our
own demise and "replacement." We should therefore
declare human cloning to be deeply unethical, and we
should do all that we can to prevent it from happening.
President Clinton's moratorium on human cloning has given
us the opportunity to decide whether we shall be slaves of
unregulated "progress," or whether we shall remain free
human beings able to guide our technique toward the
enhancement of human dignity.
Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 23:19:38 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Majority of public favour ban on fox-hunting
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970505232003.379f8ae0@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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According to a public opinion poll carried out for The Economist by Market
Opinion & REsearch International (MORI), whic was published in this week's
edition of The Economist, a majority of all those asked favoured a ban on
fox-hunting.
The breakdown among those who said that they were definitely voting for one
of the main three parties - the poll was taken the week before lat week's
General Election - and by gender & age groups were as follows:
(All figures for those in favour to ban fox-hunting)
ALL - 64 %
Conservative - 51 %
Labour - 71 %
Liberal - 65 %
Democrats
18 - 34 year olds - 73 %
35 - 54 year olds - 61 %
55 + - 57 %
Males - 61 %
Females - 66 %
Also in the same poll, only 6% of those polled agreed that to the
legalization of cloning for individuals (humans).
The poll was taken between April 25th and 28th, and involved a sample size
of 962 adults age 18 + within 171 parliamentary constituancies (electoral
areas). There is no data on the +/- margin of error on the poll.
Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 23:19:40 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [DE] Wholesome food, unwholesome profits
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970505232005.379fabe2@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From The Economist - May 3rd edition
LUTJENSEE, GERMANY
Germany's opticians loathe Gunther Feilmann. By selling attractive
spectacles at low prices, he demystified the profession, uprooted a cosy
oligopoly, and built up Europe's biggest chain of discount opticians, with a
turnover last year of DM 1billion ($600 million). Mr Feilmann's mass-market
instincts are also focused on a different target. Is he the man to shine a
light into what should be one of Germany's most profitable business niches?
Mr Feilmann, who has his own impeccably organic farm in Hof Lutjensee near
Hamburg, believes that modern farming id unethical and unhealthy.
Mass-produced meat means cruel treatment of animals and over-use of
antibiotics, he argues. Arable farmers drench the soil with pesticides with
pesticides and other chemicals. Many Germans agree with his sentiments:
around three out of four , according to a poll by the Allensbach
market-research institute, would like to eat more food that is produced
naturally. For some time now Lufthansa's first class passengers, and guests
at German luxury hotels, have been offered organic food. In the wake of mad
cow disease, many student cafeterias and even a few mid-priced restaurants
are joining gourmets in the switch to organic fare.
Yet the organic-food business in Germany is in a shambles. The existing
chains of health-food shops are amateurishly managed, poorly stocked and
often exorbitantly priced. Ecological farmers occupy only a sliver of the
coutry'e agricultural land and they seem value a stress-free life more than
profit. Marco von Kessel, a former manager in the food industry who is now
an organic farmer, looks shocked at the suggestion that he should expand his
farm to raise thousands, rather than hundreds, of cattle and pigs. "That
would be against the whole idea," he explains. "You can't have mass
production of organic food."
Mr Feilmann finds such unbusinesslike talk mystifying. He dreams of a chain
of organic supermarkets, selling a range of green-minded products at
competitive prices. But he is making heavy weather of it. After several
years, and after investing several million D-marks, Mr Feilmann's two farms
so far supply only a few dozen bakeries in the Hamburg area, plus meat and
dairy products for the one - rather modest - supermarket based at his farm.
The difficulties Mr Feilmann has experienced reflect the cost and labelling
problems of green business. Rearing animals humanely can be too expensive to
be profitable; growing crops organically is more viable, but even here
volumes are too low to pay overheads on processing, distribution and
marketing. In the shops, meanwhile, few consumers are sure that what they
are buying is genuinely organic. In Germany scores of different agencies
certify ecological correctness, but no national symbol yet exists.
Big supermarkets are beginning to fill the gap. Tengleman, which owns the
country's biggest chains, has introduced a brand for organically produced
milk and cereal products called Naturkind (Child of Nature), as well as a
new line in humanely farmes meat, with, it says, pleasing results. However,
the supermarkets are treating the subject gingerly. After all, labelling one
lot of food as ethical and healthy does little for the credibility of the
rest of their wares.
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 00:05:59 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Anti-fox-hunting campaigner appointed Minster of Sport
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970506000623.379f6c6e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>From The Electronic Telegraph - Tuesday, May 6th, 1997
Left-winger made minister of sport
By Robert Shrimsley
TONY Banks, the outspoken Left-winger and former chairman of the Greater
London Council, was yesterday made minister for sport .
Mr Banks, 54, one of the more colourful and acerbic Commons speakers, was a
surprising choice as he was thought too Left wing for Mr Blair. But the new
Prime Minister may feel Mr Banks will be less trouble inside his team than out.
Since he was elected in 1987, Mr Banks, 54, has earned a reputation for
using spectacular language in the House of Commons. More than once he has
been rebuked by Speakers for over-stepping the mark.
A keen Chelsea fan and long-standing campaigner against fox-hunting, Mr
Banks admitted he had been surprised himself by the appointment. He took the
call while being filmed for a television food show.
"I was completely gobsmacked. I didn't expect anything, certainly not this,"
he said. "Having thought about it, I said 'yes'. I wasn't one of those
spending any time by the telephone and therefore I was completely surprised."
With Labour set to re-establish a Greater London Council with an elected
mayor, Mr Banks has been widely mentioned as a possible candidate for the post.
He served on the former Greater London Council from 1970 to 1977 and from
1981 to 1986, and was chairman in its last year.
Later, he became chairman of the Labour Group of London MPs. He is more used
to Whitehall than many of his colleagues, having served as a political
adviser to Dame Judith Hart, Minister for Overseas Development in the
Callaghan government.
He has served as a frontbench spokesman in the Commons on transport, the
environment and London issues.
Mr Banks was educated at state schools, the University of York and the
London School of Economics.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 00:06:01 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Pollution wipes out river life
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970506000626.379f6f0c@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>From The Electronic Telegraph - Tuesday, May 6th, 1997
Pollution wipes out river life
By Peter Birkett
THOUSANDS of fish and young eels were killed yesterday by pollution that
destroyed all aquatic life in a five-mile section of the River Medway in Kent.
The Environment Agency scrambled every available emergency worker it could
contact over the bank holiday to trace the source of the pollution in the
tidal section between New Hythe, near Maidstone, and Wouldham Marshes, near
Rochester.
"In that section everything is dead," said Ray Kemp, agency spokesman. "This
is a very serious incident. We have the added difficulty in tracking the
source because whatever is in the river is colourless and odourless."
The dead fish were mainly flatfish, flounders and elvers, said Mr Kemp.
"There are many thousands dead. It is particularly tragic because the
quality of the Medway has improved so much in the past few years.
"Salmon have returned and the Allis Shad, a rare herring-like fish thought
to be extinct in the river, has come back," he said.
Agency officials said they hoped that the tide would eventually flush the
pollutant out to sea.
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 00:06:03 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] Vancouver regional SPCA participates in adopt-a-phon
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970506000628.379fcc66@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
VANCOUVER, B.C. - For the first time ever, the whole of the Vancouver
Regional SPCA participated in an Adopt-a-phon this past weekend.
All shelters within the region opened longer than normal hours, and the
Vancouver shelter was open for a full 36 hours.
The event was coordinated by Eillen Drieger, acting shelter manager at the
Surrey SPCA.
Dreiger was pleased by the results - over 200 animals, mainly cats and dogs,
were adopted out throughout the region, with the shelter adopting out the
most - 72 - being her own at Surrey. (Surrey has a not totally underserved
reputation as being one of the worst areas in the Lower Mainland when it
comes to animal abuse, so it was doubly pleasing for Dreiger.)
The Vancouver shelter also held an open-house, organized by Dreiger, and
also involved other local groups involved in animal rescue. These included:
the Vancouver Humane Society; Meow Aid; Royal City Humane Society (based in
New Westminster); Citizen's Pet and Aid to Animals in Distress (Both run by
elderly ladies who do a sterling job helping to pay for spaying/neutering
and other veterinary costs for low-income humans who have companion
animals); the Rainforest Reptile Refuge, which provides a shelter for
unwanted lizards, snakes, turtles and also a few spiders; Critter Care, the
Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. and O.W.L. (all involved in wildlife
rescue); Pacific Assistance Dogs Society and the Canadian Guide Dogs for the
Blind Association; and several others.
This event marked a first for the SPCA, both by participating in the event
and also by allowing the participation of the other groups.
It remains to be seen whether this marks a new direction of cooperation
between the SPCA and the many other groups who work on the front-line, or
whether it was merely a one-off. But given Dreiger's enthusiasm, hopefully
it will be the former. (And a big thanks to Eileen for giving me the figures
in time for broadcast on today's show despite taking the day off to catch up
on much needed sleep.)
David J Knowles
Animal Voices News
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 07:37:51 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Poultry Overflow Boosts Oklahoma
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970506073745.006d9618@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
05/06/1997 01:39 EST
Poultry Overflow Boosts Oklahoma
TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- It's no secret that poultry is big business in
Arkansas. Now the
overflow has pushed west, and poultry has grown into the third-largest
farm industry
in Oklahoma.
Not everyone is happy about the expansion of dense livestock operations in
Oklahoma, even though chickens were worth $367 million in the state in 1995.
Suzette Hatfield leads a group opposed to corporate farms that have sprung
up this
decade. She said the environmental and economic threats are enormous.
``Independent farmers are struggling to stay in business in the face of the
tremendous growth of the corporate swine and poultry industries in the
state,'' said
Ms. Hatfield, coordinator of Oklahoma Family Farm Alliance. ``As a few
mega-corporations gain control, they dictate their own terms and squeeze
out the
small guy.''
Poultry, especially the production of broilers for market, found a home in
eastern
Oklahoma as the industry ran out of space in northwestern Arkansas.
``Growing steady at 5 percent for the last 15 to 20 years, just about
everyone who
was going to grow chickens in Arkansas already did,'' explained James
Britton,
poultry specialist with the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
Poultry made sense for farmers with fewer than 300 acres, Britton said,
and the
average size of farms in the five counties bordering Arkansas is a little
more than
230 acres.
``It was about the only way to make a living,'' said Harold Fogleman, a
poultry grower
near Rose, Okla. ``I wanted to have a job where I was my own boss.''
For dairy farmers, who dominated the area around Fogleman's farm, poultry
brought
a different type of work.
``It's kind of a break,'' he said. ``We're a little tied down, but we
could take off until
midnight and the birds wouldn't miss you.''
Poultry operations spread slowly, and the western boundary now forms along
U.S.
69, Britton said. But unless companies build feed mills farther west,
poultry growing
in Oklahoma might slack off, he said.
``Poultry can only go so far from the feed mills,'' Britton said, ``and
they are just about
there.''
High-density hog farming, meanwhile, increased the swine population by 621
percent in a little more than five years in Oklahoma.
In the past five years the number of cattle, the state's agriculture
leader, has
remained nearly constant at 5.3 million head. Populations of other animals
have
even declined -- sheep, for instance, by half.
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 20:43:42 +0800
>From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [Australia]Man up tree halts logging.
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970506203838.26bf0e44@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Protest hits new heights.
West Australian Newspaper (Tuesday May 6th)
(Has photo of protester camped 30m up tree holding banner which reads
"LETS PRESERVE GIBLETT FOREST FOR THE FUTURE")
With a small gas stove, a mobile phone and some good books,
Chris Lee is in for the long haul.
The Margaret River man has set up camp 30m above the ground,
attached to a 400 year old Karri tree in old growth forest north
of Pemberton.
He is being supported by a small group of protesters camped beneath
him. His calls of nature are dealt with by way of two yellow buckets
and a pulley system.
Mr Lee believes the State Government will not be able to fell the Giblett
block,part of the heritage-listed karri-forrest, as long as he has his
head in the clouds. He claimed he was prepared to stay on the platform for
weeks.
Greater Beedelup National Park Society spokesman Roger Cheeseman has called
Mr Lee an environmental hero.
Felling the area was called off yesterday after protesters set up blockades
on roads to the logging coupe.
WA Forest Alliance spokesman Peter Robertson said many more protests were
expected over the next few days.
The Government is yet to declare the forest a temporary control area.
When that happens, protesters could be arrested and removed forcibly.
Forest Industries Federation spokesman Cam Keen said protesters should
call off the blockade and join the Commonwealth and State governments'
regional forest assessment.
The assessment which should finish in WA by the end of the year, is
determining the conservation value of forests to create a reserve system.
"Rather than take the law into their own hands by illegally blockading
roads, they should follow the lead of their colleagues in the Eastern States
and join
in the RFA process," Mr Keen said.
"This is the forum to raise their concerns about forest management and
timber harvesting not through unlawful practices causing disruption to
lawful activities."
But Greens (WA) MLC-Elect Christine Sharp said people had turned to direct
action because the forest assessment had been set up to exclude conservation
groups.
End
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere ai te karohirohi
i mua tonu i o koutou huarahi.
-Maori Prayer
(May the calm be widespread, may the sea be as the smooth surface of the
greenstone and may the rays of sunshine forever dance along your pathway)
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 06:13:21 -0700
>From: Persephone Moonshadow Howling Womyn
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Vietnam) Disney & McDonald's Linked to $0.06/Hour Sweatshop
in Vietnam
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970506061300.00882780@206.86.0.11>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Another reason to call/write/fax McDonald's & Disney ......... Moonshadow
/* Written 7:24 AM May 1, 1997 by clr2 in igc:labr.global */
/* ---------- "Disney & McDonald's Linked to $0.06" ---------- */
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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Labor Alert/Labor News
a service of Campaign for Labor Rights
URGENT ACTION ALERT!
Disney & McDonald's Linked to $0.06/Hour Sweatshop in Vietnam
Summary: Seventeen year old women are forced to work 9 to 10 hours a
day, seven days a week, earning as little as six cents an hour in the
Keyhinge factory in Vietnam making the popular giveaway promotional
toys, many of which are Disney characters, for McDonald's Happy Meals.
After working a 70 hour week, some of the teenage women take home a
salary of only $4.20! In February, 200 workers fell ill, 25 collapsed
and three were hospitalized as a result of chemical exposure.
Background: Included in the Happy Meals sold at McDonalds are small
toys based on characters from Disney films. According to McDonald's
senior vice president Brad Ball, the Happy Meals characters from the
"101 Dalmations" movie were the most successful in McDonald's history.
Ball adds, "As we embark on our new global alliance, we anticipate ten
great years of unbeatable family fun as customers enjoy 'the magic of
Disney' only at McDonald's" (PR Newswire Associates, March 19, 1997).
Located in Da Nang City, Vietnam, the Keyhinge Toys Co. Factory
employs approximately 1,000 people, 90 percent of whom are young
women 17 to 20 years old. Overtime is mandatory: shifts of 9 to 10
hours a day, seven days a week. Wage rates average between six cents
and eight cents an hour--well below subsistence levels. Overcome by
fatigue and poor ventilation in late February, 200 women fell ill, 25
collapsed and three were hospitalized as a result of exposure to
acetone. Acute or prolonged exposure to acetone, a chemical solvent,
can cause dizziness, unconsciousness, damage to the liver and kidneys
and chronic eye, nose, throat and skin irritation.
All appeals from local human and labor rights groups continue to be
rejected by Keyhinge management which refuses to improve the
ventilation system in the factory or remedy other unsafe working
conditions. Along with demanding forced overtime, Keyhinge management
has not made legally mandated payments for health insurance coverage
for its employees, who now receive no compensation for injury or
sickness.
Many of the young women at the Keyhinge factory making
McDonald's/Disney toys earn just 60 cents after a 10 hour shift. The
most basic meal in Vietnam--rice, vegetables, and tofu--costs 70
cents. Three meals would cost $2.10. Wages do not even cover 20 per
cent of the daily food and travel costs for a single worker, let alone
her family.
Action requested:
Call, fax or write:
James R. Cantalupo, President
McDonald's Corp
1 McDonald's Plaza
Oakbrook, IL 60521
Tel: (630) 623-3000
Fax: (630) 623-7409
Micheal Eisner, Chief Executive Officer
Walt Disney Company 500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
Tel: (818) 560-1000
Fax: (818) 560-1930
McDonald's contracts its toy production through MB Sales, which
subcontracts the work to Keyhinge Industrial.
MB Sales
918 North Ashland Ave.
Tel: (312) 819-0045
Include in your message the following demands:
McDonald's and Disney must immediately intervene at the Key hinge Toy
factories in Vietnam and China.
1. Under the guidance of qualified occupational health and safety
professionals, steps should be taken to correct unsafe working
conditions, especially with regard to poor ventilation and exposure to
chemicals.
2. McDonald's-Disney should open these factories to independent
monitoring by respected local non-governmental human and labor rights
organizations to verify compliance with fundamental human rights.
3. McDonald's and Disney must seriously address the plight of these
factory workers suffering under sub-subsistance wages and move toward
paying at least subsistance-level wages.
4. McDonald's and Disney should join and work with the White House
Task Force to end sweatshop abuses around the world.
Model Letter to McDonald's
James R. Cantalupo, President
McDonald's Corporation
1 McDonald's Plaza
Oak Brook, IL 60521
Fax: (630) 623-7409
Dear Mr. Cantalupo:
I urge you to immediately intervene at the Keyhinge Toy factories
in Vietnam and China which are producing toys for McDonald's. There
are serious and persistent violations occurring in these factories,
including unsafe exposure to chemicals; mandatory workshifts
stretching from 9 to 15 hours a day seven days a week; failure to pay
legally mandated benefits, and wage rates as low as 6 cents an hour--
which do not even cover 20 percent of a worker's daily food and
transportation costs, not to mention her family's needs.
I hope you will move swiftly to address and correct these abusive
conditions. Occupational safety and health professionals should
immediately correct unsafe working conditions, especially exposure to
toxic chemicals. A concrete effective step McDonald's could take to
support human rights would be to open these factories to independent
monitoring by respected local, non-governmental human and labor rights
organizations which would guarantee respect for human rights.
I am sure McDonald's is horrified to learn that its 'Happy Meals'
are linked to sltarvation wages of teenage women in Vietnam and China.
I hope that McDonald's will join the discussion tying wage rates to a
worker's basic sibsistance needs, and lead the industry to move in
that direction. I urge you to join and work with the President's Task
Force to end sweatshop abuses around the world.
McDonald's has the leadership and visibility to help change the
world and make this a better place for all of us. I am anxious to
know what steps you will take. Thank you.
Sincerely,
For more information about this Alert, contact: Maggie Poe, National
Labor Committee, 275 7th Ave., New York, NY 10001; Tel: (212) 242-
3002.
To receive the Campaign for Labor Rights newsletter, send $35.00 to
Campaign for Labor Rights, 1247 "E" Street SE, Washington, DC 20003.
To receive a sample copy of the newsletter, send your postal address
to clr@igc.apc.org or 541-344-5410. We rely on subscriptions to help
us provide our many services. Please join! Also check out our web
site at http://www.compugraph.com/clr
To receive email Labor Alerts directly, send an email to
clr@igc.apc.org with "labor alerts -- Disney campaign" or "labor
alerts -- all campaigns" in the subject line.
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 11:53:49 -0400 (EDT)
>From: MINKLIB@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: The Current Status of the Macy's Campaign
Message-ID: <970506115346_-997401934@emout20.mail.aol.com>
Several years ago the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade began a campaign to
get fur out of all stores owned by Federated Dept. Stores. This includes
Macy's, Bloomingdales, Rich's, Lazarus, Goldsmith's, etc.
The campaign has made some dramatic progress as of late, but still has a ways
to go. Macy's West was operating 15 fur salons and 30 bridge outerwear
depts. which carried fur trim at this time last year. They announced a few
weeks ago that the last of the 15 fur salons was closing! This was
motivating news as we had been hitting them so hard for quite some time!
The flip side to this is that the man in charge of the fur salons is now
working on the bridge outerwear depts. which are set to number 50 for the
coming season. These depts. will sell fur trimmed coats which is
unacceptable to us. Fur trim falls into a long term fur marketing strategy.
If they can get people to accept a little fur now, in stylish jackets aimed
at young consumers, then perhaps any doubts about fur will erode away,
helping stimulate full fur sales in the future. Secondly, most fox, coyote,
and raccoon skins are now used for trim. A collapse of fur trim would put a
lot of trappers and most fox farmers out of business.
While Macy's West has shown progress, Macy's East is going in the totally
wrong direction. When the campaign began CAFT did not have contacts in
Macy's East cities, so they haven't been a campaign target in ernest anywhere
near as long as Macy's West has, and perhaps that is part of the problem.
Macy's East has leased out their fur salon to a Canadian fur co. called
Birger Christenson. This is the same company that operates the fur salons at
Saks Fifth Ave. They will be doubling the number of Macy's East fur salons
from 15 to 32 this year. This will be BC's first year at Macy's so maybe we
can make them fall flat on their face!
Please help us keep the pressure on Macy's, and other Federated stores.
Organize protests in your area against Macy's stores. Email us so that we
can make you a contact group to help take part in national days of action.
Please flood them with phone calls and letters as well.
Tell Macy's West that while closing the fur salons is a step, the sale of fur
trim still means that animals are suffering and dying for a frivolous
purpose.
Michael Steinberg, Chairman
Macy's West
50 O'Farrell St
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-397-3333
Tell Macy's East that you won't buy while animals die! Point out that Macy's
West is moving in the right direction while Macy's East seems hellbent on
angering the anti fur majority so that they can sell to the 1% of Americans
that actually buy fur.
Harold Kahn, Chairman
Macy's East
151 W 34 St
NYC, NY 10001
212-695-4400
or you can call their fur dept. at 1-800-TLC-FURS
With your help we can get fur out of Macy's! Anyone interested in supporting
the campaign financially can contact the:
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade
PO Box 822411
Dallas, TX 75382
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 08:53:58 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fund Web Site
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970506120612.49ffaa32@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Fund for Animals' web site is now at:
http://www.fund.org
The old address will still work too.
Mike
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 12:12:01 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Paul Shapiro
To: AR-News
Subject: COK Activist Update
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
All four adults who were arrested on 5/3 at a Compassion Over
Killing D.C. Miller's Furs protest were arraigned and released on their
own recognizance Monday morning. The one minor who was arrested was
released to his parent's custody and has an arraignment on the 12th.
Obviously, "not guilty" pleas were entered for all four adults and will
be entered for the minor. Thank you to all who called the jails.
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 15:31:45 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Admin Note--Subscription Options
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970506153142.006cde3c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
A routine posting...........
Here are some items of general information (found in the "welcome letter"
sent when people subscribe--but often lose!)...included: how to post and
how to change your subscription status (useful if you are going on
vacation--either by "unsubscribe" or "postpone").
---------------------------------------------------------------
To post messages to the list, send mail to ar-news@envirolink.org
POSTING
To post a *news-related item* (no discussions), send your message to:
ar-news@envirolink.org
Appropriate postings to AR-News include: posting a news item, requesting
information on some event, or responding to a request for information.
Discussions on AR-News will NOT be allowed and we ask that any
commentary either be taken to AR-Views or to private E-mail.
------------------------------------------
***General Subscription Information***
ALL THE FOLLOWING SHOULD NOT be sent to ar-news !!!
(send them to listproc@envirolink.org)
For all commands, use a blank Subject line.
---------------------------------------------------
To request a digest version, send mail to listproc@envirolink.org
with the following single line:
set ar-news mail digest
To switch back to immediate mail, and to get copies of *your* postings
also, send the following command:
set ar-news mail ack
or the following to not get your own postings:
set ar-news mail noack
To see how you are set up ***(and to see if you are still subscribed!)***, use
set ar-news
To temporarily stop mailings, use:
set ar-news mail postpone
To re-enable it, use ack, noack, or digest as above.
To unsubscribe, use:
unsubscribe ar-news
or:
signoff ar-news
If you have to subscribe again, use:
subscribe ar-news first_name last_name (use false name if you want!)
If you have problems, please contact:
Allen Schubert
alathome@clark.net
allen
********
"We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Walk your talk
and no one will be in doubt of where you stand."
-- Howard F. Lyman
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 15:36:14 -0400 (EDT)
>From: AAVSONLINE@aol.com
To: UncleWolf@worldnet.att.net, ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: FDA shoots down generic substitution for Premarin
Message-ID: <970506153344_-863950353@emout08.mail.aol.com>
In a message dated 5/5/97 11:06:06 PM, UncleWolf@worldnet.att.net (Andrew
Gach) wrote:
<>
Five out of the seven groups which testified on Wyeth's behalf had received
funding from the company.
If anyone would like a small article on Wyeth's clever machinations regarding
the generic premarin substitutes, I'll be happy to e-mail it.
Andy (breslin)
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 16:02:56 -0600
>From: "Alliance for Animals"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Fwd) Please Help
Message-ID: <199705062111.QAA05063@mendota.terracom.net>
We received this letter today at The Alliance. Please pass this
info on and help Shaun if you can. Thanks.
Tina Kaske
Alliance for Animals
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 14:56:16 -0700
>From: me
To: alliance@allanimals.org
Subject: Please Help
Dear friend,
I have forwarded the below letter to New Line Cinema regarding an act of
cruelty depicted and released by their company. Please help me in seeing
some fruition to this senseless act of torture and murder.
Truly,
Shaun Ehsani
THIS LETTER MUST BE FORWARDED TO AN OFFICE CAPABLE OF REPLYING TO
THIS
MATTER:
To whom it may concern,
Recently I had this misfortune to view a film released by your company
titled "Riff Raff". In this movie I viewed OUT RIGHT cruelty, torture,
and murder of animal life. In the movie a group of men beat, stepped on
and killed a TAME rat and then removed babies of this animal from their
nest and crushed them under their boots.
Before you discard this correspondence, KNOW that copies of this letter
and this query have been forwarded to NUMEROUS aniaml cruelty
legislators, organizations, and political interest groups. This is not a
critique of your release but an indictment of an illegal act portrayed,
released, and ditributed by YOUR company.
I am hereby requesting a formal explanation of these matters, as this
movie bears YOUR name, and why you see fit to release such dipiction of
ACTUAL cruelty in the United States where laws forbid such acts for
entertainment sake. Furthermore, I request the name and address of the
director of this film and the studio that sanctioned its production.
I am truly sadened by this senseless act that you have commited and by
the lack of realization on YOUR behalf not to censor ATLEAST THAT
SCENE!. How could you release such a movie in the US? In this day and
age where one believes there are sensible people at the helms of
corporate giants such as New Line, how could you depict such abberant
cruelty on a product that bears YOUR name? YOU depict an innocent animal
being bludgeoned, that is the fact. Will you one day show a human being
tortured or raped, or how about a child being beaten by a group of men.
Is this all covered in your "artistic license"? I and countless others
believe you have no such right and DEMAND an explanation of your
actions.
Shaun Ehsani
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 17:32:21 -0400
>From: "Jon Nathan"
To: ,
Subject: re: movie cruelty - letter to newline - updated slightly
Message-ID: <199705062126.RAA27572@envirolink.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
this is an edited version of the letter shaun ehsani posted - i just fixed
a few spelling mistakes and such. it's probably a good idea to have a
gramatically correct letter if everyone is going to send it.
i sent it to because i couldn't find a more
appropriate address.
letter below the big line..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
please forward this to the appropriate person.
--------------
To whom it may concern,
Recently I had this misfortune to view a film released by your company
titled "Riff Raff". In this movie I viewed OUTRIGHT cruelty, torture,
and murder of animal life. In the movie a group of men beat, stepped on
and killed a TAME rat and then removed babies of this animal from their
nest and crushed them under their boots.
Before you discard this correspondence, KNOW that copies of this letter
and this query have been forwarded to NUMEROUS animal cruelty
legislators, organizations, and political interest groups. This is not a
critique of your release but an indictment of an illegal act portrayed,
released, and ditributed by YOUR company.
I am hereby requesting a formal explanation of these matters, as this
movie bears YOUR name, and why you see fit to release such dipiction of
ACTUAL cruelty in the United States where laws forbid such acts for
entertainment's sake. Furthermore, I request the name and address of the
director of this film and the studio that sanctioned its production.
I am truly saddened by this senseless act that you have committed and by
the lack of realization on YOUR behalf not to censor AT LEAST THAT
SCENE!. How could you release such a movie in the US? In this day and
age where one believes there are sensible people at the helms of
corporate giants such as New Line, how could you depict such abhorrent
cruelty on a product that bears YOUR name? YOU depict an innocent animal
being bludgeoned; that is the fact. Will you one day show a human being
tortured or raped, or a child being beaten by a group of men?
Is this all covered in your "artistic license"? I and countless others
believe you have no such right and DEMAND an explanation of your
actions.
--
Jon Nathan
jon@blading.com
http://www.csis.american.edu/~jn0729a/
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 14:50:35 -0700
>From: ScottVanValkenburg
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Help Dogs/Cats in Pet Stores
Message-ID: <13257909239.16.SCOTT@mathom.xkl.com>
A campaign to end the sale of dogs and cats in Seattle "pet" stores begins
Saturday May 10th at 12:30 with a demo outside Seattle Pet Center which is
located at 15009 Aurora North. Supporters from outside Seattle can call the
store at 206/367-1314. There are only 5 stores in Seattle that continue to
sell dogs and cats.
Campaign organizers have produced a brochure stating that "pet stores that
sell dogs and cats are responsible for the killing shelter animals every day."
The brochure notes that pet stores sell unaltered animals, they accept litters
that "pet" owners can't find homes for without providing education/incentives
for neutering, they encourage local breeders and puppy mills, and don't provide
the information necessary to carry through on a lifetime relationship with a
dog or cat companion. Text of the brochure can be emailed to interested groups
for downloading and reproduction with local pet store info.
The treatment of dogs and cats as commodities must be challenged if killing
in shelters is to end, according to the campaign organizers. Many Sunday
newspaper sales result from "pet" owners who want to recoup their animal's
hefty pet store purchase price.
The other 4 stores selling cats and dogs also need phone calls (and a
dmeonstration is set for May 17th at a second location: B&J Plumbing Garden,
(Yes, you read that correctly!) at 9409 Delridge Way, SW, West Seattle). Calls
to the other 4 will help the campaign:
B&J Plumbing Garden, 206/767-6206
Animal Talk, 206/526-1558
Little Mermaid Stores, 206/363-1150
Ridlow Pets, 206/782-2292
For further info (including a copy of the brochure) call Seattle ProPaws at
206/284-3745 or email me privately at scott@xkl.com.
-------
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 17:23:57 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] FWD. ACTION ALERT
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970506172419.1c0f7c2e@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From: WhaleSave
Subject: ACTION ALERT
Participate in the
INTERNATIONAL MARINE MAMMAL FREEDOM WEEKEND
P R O T E S T
the transfer of BELUGA NANUQ
SUNDAY, MAY 25 @ NOON
outside the Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium has applied for export permits to transfer a male
beluga whale called Nanuq, to a refrigerator in Sea World in San Diego. The
Sea World "Arctic" exhibit is an indoor air-conditioned box that already
displays three beluga whales. It is cruel to keep wildlife in captivity,
but keeping marine mammals swimming in a tank filled with artificial water,
breathing artificial air indoors for the rest of their lives is down-right
heinous.
Former Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Minister John Crosby banned
the export of wild-caught belugas in 1992. The ban came shortly after the
Shed Aquarium in Chicago captured and killed two of four Canadian whales by
injecting them with a lungworm vaccine made for cattle.
STOP THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM FROM EXPORTING NANUQ TO SAN DIEGO!
The ban on
exportation of wild-caught Canadian beluga whales should apply to all
wild-caught belugas, whether they were caught ten days or ten years ago.
Please phone/write/fax/e-mail the current DFO Minister to urge him to reject
the aquarium's export permit application and disallow the proposed inhumane
transfer of Nanuq to the United States.
the DFO's December 29, 1992 press release stated the following:
"Noting that there were other sources for belugas, including whales born in
captivity, the Minister also announced today that he will no longer consider
the live capture of belugas for export."
This statement of commitment was made by former DFO Ministers John Crosby
and then Brian Tobin. Does the honourable Minister Fred Mifflin agree with
the two previous DFO ministers on this point?
If so, does the Minister agree that the ban on exportation of wild-caught
beluga whales should apply to all Canadian wild-caught belugas, whether they
were captured ten days or ten years ago?
The Honourable Fred J Mifflin, Minister
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Government of Canada
Parliament Buildings Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON. K1A 0A6
Tel: (613) 992-4133
Fax: (613) 992-7277
e-mail: min@www.ncr.dfo.ca
For more information please contact:
Annelise Sorg
Coalition For No Whales In Captivity
102-1365 West Fourth Avenue
Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3Y8
Tel: (604) 736-9514
Fax: (604) 731-2733
E-mail: annelise@direct.ca
Please send us a copy of your letter to the DFO. Thank you!
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 17:26:17 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] FWD. ACTION ALERT
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970506172639.092710e4@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From: WhaleSave
Subject: ACTION ALERT
Participate in the
INTERNATIONAL MARINE MAMMAL FREEDOM WEEKEND
P R O T E S T
the transfer of BELUGA NANUQ
SUNDAY, MAY 25 @ NOON
outside the Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium has applied for export permits to transfer a male
beluga whale called Nanuq, to a refrigerator in Sea World in San Diego. The
Sea World "Arctic" exhibit is an indoor air-conditioned box that already
displays three beluga whales. It is cruel to keep wildlife in captivity,
but keeping marine mammals swimming in a tank filled with artificial water,
breathing artificial air indoors for the rest of their lives is down-right
heinous.
Former Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Minister John Crosby banned
the export of wild-caught belugas in 1992. The ban came shortly after the
Shed Aquarium in Chicago captured and killed two of four Canadian whales by
injecting them with a lungworm vaccine made for cattle.
STOP THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM FROM EXPORTING NANUQ TO SAN DIEGO!
The ban on
exportation of wild-caught Canadian beluga whales should apply to all
wild-caught belugas, whether they were caught ten days or ten years ago.
Please phone/write/fax/e-mail the current DFO Minister to urge him to reject
the aquarium's export permit application and disallow the proposed inhumane
transfer of Nanuq to the United States.
the DFO's December 29, 1992 press release stated the following:
"Noting that there were other sources for belugas, including whales born in
captivity, the Minister also announced today that he will no longer consider
the live capture of belugas for export."
This statement of commitment was made by former DFO Ministers John Crosby
and then Brian Tobin. Does the honourable Minister Fred Mifflin agree with
the two previous DFO ministers on this point?
If so, does the Minister agree that the ban on exportation of wild-caught
beluga whales should apply to all Canadian wild-caught belugas, whether they
were captured ten days or ten years ago?
The Honourable Fred J Mifflin, Minister
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Government of Canada
Parliament Buildings Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON. K1A 0A6
Tel: (613) 992-4133
Fax: (613) 992-7277
e-mail: min@www.ncr.dfo.ca
For more information please contact:
Annelise Sorg
Coalition For No Whales In Captivity
102-1365 West Fourth Avenue
Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3Y8
Tel: (604) 736-9514
Fax: (604) 731-2733
E-mail: annelise@direct.ca
Please send us a copy of your letter to the DFO. Thank you!
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 21:34:27 -0400
>From: Lesli Bisgould
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Shriners reprimanded over fundraising
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970506212907.0917c3c0@idirect.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
This was in the Chronicle Herald May 6, 1997- provincial paper.
Shriners reprimanded over fund-raising:
A reprimand from head office has left some officials with the
Shriners organization in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
red-faced and short of $50,000.
Officials with the Philae Temple of the Shriners organization
confirmed Monday the 1,300-member unit was ordered to stop promoting
some events and give $50,000 to the Canadian Shrine Hospital in
Montreal.
"Nothing underhanded is happening. We only wanted to use as much
Shriner money as possible for the kids who need it right here in
Atlantic Canada," Don Judson, head of the Shriners in Nova Scotia,
said in an interview at the organization's Halifax headquarters at
3530 Connolly Street.
The Shriners are aggressive fund-raisers on behalf of children
requiring special medical care.
The Philae Temple suffered a setback last year when it cancelled its
circus fund-raiser.
"We had to get out of (the parade) because of all the pressure from
animal rights groups, and it's really cut into the funds we have at
our disposal," said Mr. Judson, a P.E.I. resident and the top-ranking
member, or potentate, of the Philae Temple.
Mr. Judson confirmed the temple received a reprimand from head office
late last year, asking that certain fund-raising projects be dropped
and that the money be forwarded immediately to the Montreal health
facility.
At Shriners international headquarters in Tampa, executive
vice-president Charles Cumpstone said the "redirection of funds" was
ordered after an internal audit revealed the Halifax-based unit was
raising funds through a unauthorized non-profit corporation that has
since been disoolved.
"It's clearly a mistake on the part of some well-intentioned
members of our organization," he said. "The Shriners organization
has very strict rules about how money will be raised and how it will
be spent."
Mr. Cumpstone said the issue was resolved amicably between the US and
Canadian arms of the Shriners.
A number of Shriners in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have apparently been
critical that some local fund-raising efforts weren't clearly
identified as events designed to raise cash for local use.
Docments including this complaint and allegations of financial
mismanagement were distributed to the media Monday.
This year, Philae Temple will contribute about $300,000 to the cost
of transporting children who require specialized hospital care, said
Mr. Judson.
Lesli Bisgould
Barrister & Solicitor
4 - 7 Playter Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
M4K 2V8
t: 416-465-7511
f: 416-465-0644
email: bisgould@idirect.com
Date: Tue, 6 May 1997 21:31:22 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Bryan Pease
To: ar-news@envirolink.com
Subject: Jeff Watkins update
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Here is the latest on Jeff Watkins, the Syracuse activist who was on
hungerstrike for 30 days to underscore legislative demands...
On Tue, 6 May 1997, Teresa Cavanaugh wrote:
> I just got off the phone with my friend Kelly who went to visit Jeff. He
> has been put in solitary. This is what happened: Last night he was working
> in the kitchen and someone called the guard a faggot. So, the guard told
> someone to lock him in up in solitary, but... he pointed to a guy that
> didn't say it. So, Jeff stuck up for that guy and said that they had the
> wrong person and that if they were going to put him in solitary, they were
> going to have to take Jeff too. So, he has been in there for 24 hours now,
> which is mandatory, but I don't know how much longer he is going to be
> there. He has lost his job in the kitchen, and will now be getting only 2
> visits a week instead of 7. The justice system is so messed up!!! Anyways,
> does anybody know if this could effect him getting out early on good
> behavior???
> Tracey
PLEASE CALL AND/OR FAX THE JAIL!!!!
Onondaga County Correctional Facility:
315/435-5581 phone
315/435-5596 fax
Demand that Jeff Watkins be given back his priveledges. If he can't work
in the kitchen, he can't eat because that is the only way he knows what
is vegan...they already lied to him once and got him to eat mashed
potatos that had whey in them...
On the MOVE, Bryan
Check out the NO COMPROMISE web page!
-=[ http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/nocompromise/ ]=-
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 18:40:53 -0700
>From: Persephone Moonshadow Howling Womyn
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (NY) "Fishing Rights" Takes On Unexpected Meaning to Wise- Use
Allies
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970506183349.0083bb40@206.86.0.11>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
This is an excerpt from the latest _A CLEAR View_ ......... Moonshadow
A CLEAR View
May 6, 1997
Volume 4, Number 7
Attached is the latest issue of _A CLEAR View_, our
periodic bulletin on the 'wise use' movement.
Permission to repost by electronic means (or reproduce in
other media) all or part of the attached report is granted
so long as the information is attributed to CLEAR.
[snip]
*4 "Fishing Rights" Takes On Unexpected Meaning to Wise-
Use Allies
New York State's top court recently declared that fishing
rights do exist and can be bought and sold. The ruling in
Douglaston Manor, Inc. v. George Bahrakis on February 11
has been hailed by various "wise use" groups as an
affirmation of "property rights". Others aren't so pleased.
The NYS Court of Appeals ruled that landowners who
specifically "own the riverbed" can indeed regulate fishing
on their property. Historically, NYS state law has been
interpreted to mean that any navigable waterway was open
to access by the public.
The case began as a trespassing incident but grew into a
major property rights test. Ten fishing guides and anglers
were arrested at the request of landowner and prominent
central New York lawyer H. Douglas Barclay. Barclay
sought to eject the boats and waders from his mile long
run of the Douglaston Salmon Run (in Oswego County),
but the fishermen resisted, citing prior interpretation that
navigable waterways were open for public use. Barclay, a
former Republican state senator, had wanted to charge for
use of the river.
The case revealed potential friction in the alliance between
consumptive users of wildlife and property-rights
adherents. Usually hunters and property rights groups are
allied in a loose coalition drawn together more by
common "enemies" than by any one unifying ideology.
Court of Appeals Judge Joseph Bellacosa, seemingly more
concerned with maintaining social order than analyzing
the law, stated that recognizing the navigability of a
waterway "would precipitate serious destabilizing effects
on property ownership principles and precedents". The
other six judges all agreed. The court upheld the right to
navigate the river but not anchor.
Bellacosa stated that it would be absurd to rule otherwise
since the state, at the behest of the Division of
Environmental Conservation (DEC), has itself been
purchasing the same land rights to open it up for fishing
(despite the fact that NYS residents are advised to avoid
eating fish caught from NYS rivers). The ruling
overturned an earlier 1995 Appellate decision.
The ruling also means that owners of property can buy the
riverbed if they want to prohibit fishing or control access.
This legal tactic has been used in other states by
Naturist/Nudist groups to regulate access, thereby
avoiding legal entanglements that could lead to a
shutdown.
Though the strength of the "wise use" movement appears
to be a growing danger in NYS, partly as a reaction to the
Adirondack Park plan (which would regulate how private
landowners can develop their property within certain
portions of the Adirondacks) and the wolf reintroduction
effort, the case could indicate that relations between "wise
use" factions are straining. (Sources: Gannett News
Service, West Database NY-CS)
(Contributed by Patrick Fish, New York)
[snip]
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 23:04:13 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (ZA) Delegates Back Ban on Ivory Trade
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970506230410.006d910c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(Some interesting stuff here...similar to prohunting claims for culling.)
from AP Wire page:
-------------------------------
05/05/1997 13:42 EST
Delegates Back Ban on Ivory Trade
By PAUL ALEXANDER
Associated Press Writer
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- Delegates at a conference on the African
elephant argued Monday against repealing a ban on ivory trade, saying the
alternative would be a return to widespread poaching.
``If that happens, the African elephant will be in danger of final
extinction,'' said Perez
Olindo, director of the African Elephant Foundation International.
Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe have proposed that the U.N. Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species consider loosening the ban on ivory
trade at its annual conference next month in Zimbabwe.
They claim the ban, which took effect in 1989, has allowed elephant
populations to
rebound so quickly that there now are too many of the animals.
Japan would be the prime destination for most of the ivory.
Environmentalists say 70,000 elephants were killed annually by poachers
before
1989. They say there is no scientific proof that elephants could safely be
classified
``threatened'' instead of ``most endangered.''
Others, however, note that elephant herds destroy foliage, leading to
erosion, and
damage crops and huts in search of food. They argue elephants can be
killed to
reduce the size of the herds, with the meat, hide and ivory sold to raise
money for
local communities and conservation.
Those who have suggested relaxing the ban on ivory claim controls could be
imposed to ensure only legally taken shipments would be sold. Conference
delegates, virtually all of whom favor a continued ban, called that naive.
``You have the element of greed and corruption,'' said Norbert Mumba of
the Central
Bank of Zambia.
Several speakers said easing the ban would lead to greatly increased
poaching,
and that backlogs of ivory would be ``laundered'' by mixing it in with
legally taken
tusks.
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