URGENT-Dismantling of Animal Protection Imminent

[Guest guest]

In 2006, the animal rights community was caught flat-footed by passage of the

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). Many didn't think a draconian

measure such as the AETA could be enacted into law. But, it was.

 

And now, it's happening again (see below Dawnwatch article).

 

We must mobilize and take action before it is too late. The organized

forces in animal agriculture are in the process of nullifying the will of the

American people and our AR efforts from the last twenty years.

 

Please, please, please telephone and email your US congress person and urge

her/him to vote against Section 123 of the 2007 Farm Bill Bill. For your

representative's contact information, go to:

 

www.house.gov

 

Cross post widely, please.

 

Thank you.

 

Margaret Morin

Vegetarian Network of Dallas

 

Dawnwatch article follows:

**********

 

Last week I strayed from the DawnWatch tradition of focusing only on media

stories in order to alert people to a chilling piece of federal legislation

that has the potential to nullify the efforts of those who have fought and

prevailed on behalf of the animals in state legislatures. (See http://

tinyurl.com/2chz9g for that alert.)

 

Today, Friday June 22,the Arizona Republic editorial page took a stand

against that legislation in an editorial headed, " Hog-tying the will of

Arizona voters. "

 

The editorial opens:

" In November, Arizona voters said they want farm animals treated humanely and

decently.

 

" Last month, the subcommittee on livestock, dairy and poultry of the U.S.

House Agriculture Committee inserted a provision in the 2007 Farm Bill that

could nullify that vote.

 

" The subcommittee's broad pre-emption language is being denounced by at least

40 environmental, science, sustainable-farming and animal-welfare groups,

including Consumers Union, the Sierra Club, the Humane Society of the United

States, the Center for Food Safety, Physicians for Social Responsibility,

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and National Catholic Rural Life

Conference.

 

" Animal welfare groups say Section 123 would prohibit states from enacting

bans on cruel factory farming methods such as gestation crates for pigs and

tight confinement for veal calves. Arizonans approved just such a ban when

they became aware of the realities of modern farming.

 

" This measure thumbs its nose at those Arizonans. "

 

It points out,

 

" With more attention being given to the human responsibility for granting

farm animals the respect that any sentient being deserves, this is no time

for the federal government to enact sweeping bans on such efforts "

 

It also explains that Section 123 could affect laws dealing with contaminated

food or genetically engineered crops as it would not allow states to

" 'prohibit the use in commerce' of any product that had passed USDA

inspection. "

 

The editorial ends with, " Section 123 should be removed. "

 

You can read the whole piece on line at http://www.azcentral.com/

arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0622fri1-22.html

 

Please thank the paper for taking a stand on the issue. The Arizona Republic

takes letters at

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/sendaletter.html

 

You can learn more about the issue from last week's DawnWatch alert linked at

the top of this alert. That page links to other pages from where you can send

letters to your legislators regarding the added section. If you haven't

already done that, please do.

 

There is currently nothing in any legislature with the potential to have a

greater impact on the treatment of a greater number of animals.

 

Yours and the animals',

Karen Dawn