Addendum to prior email: essential info

[Guest guest]

Re my prior email re: contacting Nancy Pelosi:

 

I should have included this information from a letter that was sent to

all Members of the United States Congress; it contains important

information, is essential to understanding the issue, and I apologize

for not including it in my first email.

 

Nadine

 

 

January 18, 2010

 

Dear Member of the United States Congress:

 

We are writing on behalf of a coalition of animal welfare organizations

to ask the US Congress to halt consideration of passage of the US Trade

Agreement between South Korea and the United States for the below stated

reasons.

 

For a quarter century South Korea has ignored worldwide condemnation of

an industry based upon the torture of stolen and/or " farmed " dogs and

cats and perpetrated under the umbrella of a " cultural food " market.

With heightened worldwide awareness and condemnation of torture, as well

as a growing concern for the welfare of companion animals, we believe

that South Korea's continuation of an industry based upon the torture of

cats and dogs is unacceptable and inappropriate.

 

Whereas dog and cat eating is tolerated by a handful of other Asian

nations the South Korean " dog meat markets " are especially egregious

because:

 

* Unlike other countries where dog and cat eating is practiced, in

South Korea the intentional torture of live dogs prior to slaughter is

permitted. Breaking the bones of dogs with hammers or very slow hanging

over many hours or blood-letting are acceptable manners of slaughter

that are used. Dogs and cats are crammed into cages like factory

chickens, unable to stand, sit, or turn. Despite being confined for long

periods of time, as seen in the photograph below, they are not even

provided water in 100 degree heat. This is " animal control " in South

Korea. These horrific tortures are committed intentionally, due to the

myth fabricated by dog meat dealers that the meat tastes better due to

the secretion of adrenaline during duress and the belief that it has

medicinal properties, particularly as relates to virility.

 

* South Korea is, moreover, the only nation which has also

permitted the practice of the " juicing " of cats, which entails throwing

live cats into gigantic blenders, chopping them up alive into juice,

under the guise of a remedy for osteoporosis.

 

* Two million dogs a year are killed for food, which is far

greater than any other nation with reported statistics.

 

* In addition to the concerns about animal cruelty, eating dogs

and cats puts the human population at risk for the spread of cholera and

rabies. A cholera epidemic recently occurred in northern Vietnam during

the summer of 2009. The outbreak was caused by dog meat, which is the

main carrier of " vibrio cholera bacterium. " Dog meat also carries the

rabies virus which may take several weeks or years for the symptoms to

manifest. Once the virus takes hold the person does not usually survive.

It is estimated that over fifty thousand people in Asia die from rabies

each year and the numbers are growing yearly. Approximately fifty

percent of the dogs that go to market in South Korea have the distemper

virus which, while itself not contagious to humans, is in the same

family as the human measles virus. At this time, it is not yet known

what effect the eating of dogs with the distemper virus has on humans.

In an era where Asian nations have been responsible for the spread of

numerous diseases to the rest of the world, South Korea's reckless

disregard for basic health policies is unacceptable.

 

Serious consideration must also be given to the South Korean history of

duplicity and corruption and therefore, the political ramifications of

any Free Trade Agreement with South Korea.

 

1) In 1984, in an arrangement made as a result of political

pressure brought to bear by the International Fund for Animal Welfare

( " IFAW " ), South Korea passed a law abolishing dog meat eating. It was

passed into law with the intention of misleading the international

community, as the law has never been enforced. Similar to its northern

neighbor, South Korea's selective adherence to laws and agreements may

not bode well for any Free Trade Agreement.

 

2) Corruption in the South Korean government is rampant; former

Prime Minister Roh Moo-Hyun (2003-2008) committed suicide on May 23,

2009 due to accusations of having taken $6 million in bribes from a

businessman. Any agreement the US signs with South Korea is virtually

guaranteed to be ignored and misappropriated by corrupt parties within

the South Korean government, akin to the United Nations Oil for Food

Program and most foreign aid to third world nations. The United States

would thus be repeating the same mistakes, by pandering to a corrupt

government for the sake of its votes at the United Nations.

 

3) South Korea has not demonstrated itself to be a true ally of the

United States. For nine years it has failed to substantially support the

US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that is, until now, when the US Free

Trade Agreement is under consideration. Despite repeated pleas from the

US to send soldiers for these wars, it had only sent 200 medics and

engineers to Afghanistan and withdrew all of them two years ago, as soon

as one South Korean citizen was taken hostage. On Oct. 30, 2009 South

Korea announced that it would send troops to Afghanistan to " protect its

civilian workers " which total just 130, who " will not take part in

combat operations. " Hardly the actions of a " true " ally, after 50,000

American lives were sacrificed fighting against its enemies and billions

of US tax payer dollars were spent to protect South Korea for the past

60 years.

 

4) The world has changed in the past decade and the United States

cannot afford to be economically subsidizing nations with Free Trade

Agreements who are not true allies. Doing so at this time when US

unemployment is high and our economy is faltering would be tantamount to

committing economic suicide for the United States.

 

5) The preferential treatment of South Korea may also instigate

friction with other, more economically and militarily formidable,

southeast Asian nations, at a time when our foreign policy is under

duress.

 

6) The United States should no longer ignore or take lightly any

association with nations that utilize any form of torture.

 

7) South Korea's well known unfair trade practices, detailed in

House Resolution 934, is yet another reason why South Korea should not

be accorded any advantages whatsoever. As it is, South Korea already

discriminates against American made automobiles with its policies to

impede the import of automobiles, yet exports 70% of it automobile

production to the United States, thereby causing unemployment in the

USA. In short, South Korea is an economically rogue nation, willing to

violate every concept of fairness, decency, and civility.

 

The Alliance Against Animal Cruelty represents over 20 million people

determined to end South Korean dog and cat consumption. For all the

above reasons we respectfully seek your support. During the 1988

Olympics and again during the World Cup in 2001 South Korea closed the

" dog torture markets " and it can easily do so permanently.

 

We appeal to your compassion and conscience, to your commitment to

civilized values and the rejection of torture, to your love and

dedication to the welfare of the United States; we ask you to oppose any

Free Trade Agreement with South Korea.

 

Our Alliance, which includes many of your constituents, seeks a meeting

with you to discuss this important matter further. We look forward to

your response.

 

Cordially yours,

 

 

Garo Alexanian

Ed Wiacek

Andy Sessa

On behalf of the Executive Board