Tag Archives: animal-rights

Please Don’t Eat the Aliens

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Though they’re often seen as invaders, “alien” animals didn’t choose their current status or situation. Practically without exception, unwanted, unwelcome, “exotic” or “alien” animals were brought to this country by humans or followed some anthropogenic path (on a ship or along a freeway median), usually into some freshly human-degraded habitat.

In the case of the nutria, the now reviled aquatic rodent was brought into this country from South America to live as captives for the fur trade, after trappers had nearly decimated all the indigenous muskrat and beaver. How soon people forget history when they decide to label an animal a “pest” and call for their extermination when said species has successfully adapted to their new surroundings. Instead they use exotic species to justify the continued cruelty of trapping, snaring and sometimes gassing or poisoning.

One self-promoter even wrote a hip pro-hunting book called, “Eating Aliens,” in the vein of idiotic reality TV shows like “Duck Dynasty” or “Swamp People.” I’ve had more folks contact me to purchase the rights to use my nutria photos in their publications than any other species in my files, but I always end up having to turn them down after asking them what their article is going to be about.

I don’t allow my photos to be used in any publication that promotes lethal “control” of some poor animal who is a victim of human expansion. The producers of Swamp “People” found that out when I refused to let them use this nutria photo on their stupid show…

Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved

Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved

.00¢=the Value of Non-Endangered Non-Human Life

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Some people who read yesterday’s blog post, The Fate of Human Decency is on Your Plate, may have thought, “What the heck, doesn’t this guy know there’s a big difference between the value of human, versus non-human life?”

That’s a good question; maybe I don’t. What is the value of a non-human animal’s life in this obsessively anthropocentric world?

It seems unless one’s species has been hunted to the edge of extinction, or is the property of some human being (the self-appointed masters of the Earth, and soon the Universe), the answer is .00¢—a big fat goose egg. And if they compete with any human endeavor, less than zero.

Meanwhile, if a human accidently dies because of someone else’s actions or behavior (hunting excluded) a person (hunters exempt) can be sued for millions of dollars. Now, I’m certainly not trying to diminish the monetary value of human life in any way, but maybe could share the wealth with our fellow Earthlings just a little bit.

Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved


Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved

 

The Fate of Human Decency is on Your Plate

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Well, I tried to hold true to my promise to swear off philosophizing, but I come across too many issues that need addressing to stay on that wagon for very long. The latest thing that got me thinking was a Facebook poster that read:

“I went to Subway today to get my favorite sandwich. The guy in front of me ordered a different sub. I was pissed because he didn’t get the same sub as me, even though it didn’t affect me in any way.
“This is what people sound like when they say gay marriage affects them.”

While I get it, and agree with the analogy in that context, I couldn’t help but think about the scenario in a literal sense. Ordering a Veggie Delite (hold the mayo and cheese) at Subway, I find myself getting pissed if the guy in front of me is ordering a Cold-Cut Combo sub. Not because it directly affects me, but because of the multitudes of sentient animals who endure miserable lives and horrible deaths to appease such hedonistic humans’ thirst for blood (and flesh and tissue and animal fat, etc.).

The sacred right to personal choice should be limited by the rights and interests of others. It’s not like I care whether someone’s food choices are unhealthy—hell they can smoke, drink or overeat to their heart’s content—as long as no one else suffers for their actions. And factory-farmed animals being served at fast-food restaurants suffer unimaginable conditions. Enslaved for life, a pig raised for bacon or sausage has no semblance of the kind of existence nature intended. The same goes for cows confined on feed lots, and chickens or turkeys de-beaked and crowded into windowless barns.

On a related note, last night I watched the Spielberg flick, Lincoln, and had a similar thought: although it’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come as a country in terms of accepting racial equality, we still have a long way to go in applying the notion of “equal under the law” to all of our fellow Earthlings. In order for society to truly stop living off the backs of the enslaved, the concepts spelled out by Thaddeus Stevens in the 13th amendment—that though all are not always equal in all things, they should be treated equally under the law—must apply to both human and non-human animals alike.

Just some food for thought next time you feel entitled to a meat-lover’s combo submarine sandwich. Every time you order from Subway, the “fate of human decency” is in your hands.

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Karma is Too Slow and Guns Are Too Damn Noisy

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A lot of folks, dismayed and disgusted by the cruel and callous treatment of non-humans animals by our species, console themselves with notions of Karma, as in: “They’ll get what’s coming to them…” But the trouble with Karma is it’s too damn slow and indiscriminate to stop ongoing abuses and injustices in their tracks. Besides, it’s not guaranteed, and humans don’t always learn from it.

While it’s understandable that people want to see the perpetrators of animal abuse punished, maybe we should focus our energies on the primary objective—to halt current cruelties and head off any potential future threats against the innocents. But I don’t pretend to know how best to do this or to make the ignorant see the light. I find myself torn between two divergent stances held by readers who commented to one of my blog posts (about the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association) a few days ago. First Chris stated:

“They mention that wolves pose a threat to private property, especially livestock. Animals are NOT your private property! End of story. Leave the wolves alone! That being said, I wouldn’t wish mad cow disease on anyone. These people are just ignorant and in denial of the facts. We should show them compassion and try to get them to realize the damage that they do. Very few of us Vegans have been Vegan for life. Most of us had to unlearn what we were taught and work to bring out our natural compassion. That is why I think it is unfair to call names and wish harm upon these people. It does frustrate me as well but we should be the beacon of light to draw others to our way of life and not repel them with vicious attacks and wishes of harm.”

To which Geoff replied: “With all due respect, being ‘ignorant and in denial of the facts’ seems a pretty lame excuse for those promoting and engaging in reprehensible behavior towards wolves and other wild animals. How much traction would that same excuse get in the human political sphere if employed to excuse practices like racial discrimination, genital mutilation, and ethnic cleansing? And why after half-a-century of non-stop “environmental education” in this country do we still have ignorant yokels in denial of ecological facts? Could it just be that stupidity, selfishness, and a pathological intolerance for other sentient beings has more to do with the problem than a simple lack of access to scientific facts?

“It seems that many good-hearted people like yourself that do all the right things in their own personal lives still fail to acknowledge how late is the hour, how desperate is the situation for much of the world’s non-human ‘citizens.’ Hoping that western ranchers who have already extirpated bison, wolves, prairie dogs, badgers, black-footed ferrets, coyotes, mountain lions, et al. from their native habitat will finally come around after just a few more generations of “education” is a fool’s paradise.

“There is nothing wrong about calling a spade a spade, or murderously intolerant selfish ignorant bastards just that. And a good fatal case of mad cow disease seems to me like poetic justice for those who brought this very pathogen into being by feeding discarded parts of slaughtered sheep as a source of cheap protein to cattle themselves being raised for slaughter and then managed to spread it around North America into wild ungulate populations courtesy of game ranches.”

This whole dilemma brings to mind the classic 1986 film, The Mission, in which Robert De Niro plays Rodrigo Mendosa, a guilt-ridden former mercenary and slave-runner who seeks redemption for killing his own brother in a fit of jealousy. As penance, Rodrigo drags a heavy net full of his weaponry (sword, armor, etc.) to a remote mission above an imposing waterfall near the headwaters of the Amazon, to become a missionary under the empathetic guidance of the earnest, nearly Christ-like Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons).

But the peaceful, priestly existence is cut short by the backward politics of the time (the 18th century), when the area falls under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal. Mendosa and two of his fellow Spanish Jesuit priests decide to fight to protect the Indian tribe under their charge. When Father Gabriel learns of this, he tries to diffuse the violent situation, “If you die with blood on your hands, Rodrigo, you betray everything we’ve done. You promised your life to God. And God is love!” Adding, “If might is right, then love has no place in the world. It may be so, it may be so. But I don’t have the strength to live in a world like that, Rodrigo.”

I see an analogy here, with Geoff in the role of Rodrigo and Chris as Father Gabriel. Unfortunately, both characters are killed by invading Portuguese troops: Rodrigo in battle and Father Gabriel while carrying a cross, leading his congregation in unarmed protest.

“The world is thus,” a plantation owner tells a head of the church, Father Altamirano, after the mission is burned and those Indians who were not killed outright have been taken as slaves.

“No, Señor,” replies Altamirano. “Thus have we made the world.”

Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved

Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved

Animal rights activists call for ban on “traditional” hunting games

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2013/05/02 Taipei, By Yang Shu-min and Maia Huang

May 2 (CNA) Animal rights activists on Thursday called for a ban on traditional hunting contests by indigenous tribes, saying such competitions are a form of animal abuse.

The indigenous peoples’ traditions of hunting animals to show respect for their ancestors and Mother Earth often involve cruel actions such as torture of the animals, said the the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan and some indigenous activists.

Furthermore, catching animals for fun and hunting pregnant creatures shows no respect for life and violates tribal traditions, said Chen Yu-min, director of the society.

The organization displayed video footage of a contest that showed about 200 people hunting squirrels and tearing the live creatures apart.

Such abuse hurts not only the indigenous culture, but also Taiwan’s international image and its tourism industry, the organization said.

It said that since 2009, at least 28 animal hunting contests have been held in 18 townships in nine counties across the country — all in the name of passing on traditions and cultural heritage.

Although hunters from indigenous tribes are excluded from the country’s wild animal protection laws, participants in such competitions could face animal abuse charges, said Lin Tzu-ling, general secretary of the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association.

Lin urged the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Council of Agriculture and tourism-related agencies to help promote animal rights and push for the abolition of hunting games across the country.

 

Vegans—Not Hunters—Are the Best Environmentalists

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Originally posted on April 22, 2012

You’ve probably heard the cliché, “Every day is Earth Day to an environmentalist.” Well, it’s true actually, at least to a true environmentalist—the kind of person who makes daily choices based solely on their concern for our planet and the life it supports. The gal, for example, who chooses not to eat farmed animals because of the enormous amount of abuse (not to mention gargantuan carbon footprint) inherent in those Styrofoam and shrink-wrapped packages that clog the sprawling meat isles across the country; or the guy who does not hunt because wild animals are a part of the living Earth he loves and respects.

Eager to look like the sensible ones, conventional environmentalists often assume the wobbly, half-hearted stance of dismissing, rather than embracing, the animal rights movement. On the other hand, dedicated animal rights advocates don’t shy away from calling themselves environmentalists. They know that only by adopting a vegan lifestyle can one truly be an environmentalist. Vegans understand that the Earth cannot sustain billions upon billions of hungry bipedal carnivores and they recognize that the surest way to ease suffering for all is to eat lower on the food chain—in keeping with our proven primate heritage.

Absurd as it sounds to folks who really do care for the planet, certain atypically adroit sportsmen have been caught spreading the dogma that gun-toting Bambi-slayers actually have a “love for the land” and a concern for the animals they kill—that murdering animals is a wholesome Earth Day activity. Proselytizing hunter-holy-men try to downplay the obvious lethal impacts hunting has on individual animals and entire populations, wielding one of the weariest—and wackiest—of all clichés, “Hunters are the best environmentalists,” despite well-documented proof that hunting has been—and continues to be—a direct cause of extinction for untold species throughout the world.

Over-zealous hunters completely eradicated the once unimaginably abundant passenger pigeon and the Eskimo curlew (both killed en masse and sold by the cartload for pennies apiece), the Carolina parakeet (the only species of parrot native to the US) and the great auk (a flightless, North Atlantic answer to the penguin).

Hunting is the antithesis of environmentalism. The very notion of the gas-guzzling, beer-can-tossing hunter as an environmentalist is laughable even to them. Show me a hunter who is not antagonistic toward the rights of animals and I’ll show you a rare bird indeed.

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Portions of this post were excerpted from the book, Exposing the Big Game: Living Targets of a Dying Sport: http://www.earth-books.net/books/exposing-the-big-game

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Stop Calling Them “Human” Rights

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Although lately the media (including the “liberal” New York Times) has been busily trying to drag us back to the Stone Age by promoting hunting, I still have to believe we’re gradually evolving overall as a species. Therefore, it’s time to suggest we stop using the term “human rights,” when talking about things that should be considered basic rights for all species.

The human race doesn’t need anything else singling it out to stroke its over-inflated, collective ego. Differentiating between human and non-human rights just encourages those who sneer or scoff at the idea of animal rights. Call it fairness, justice or common decency; or call them natural rights or individual rights. Better yet, why not just use the term animal rights and include human beings in with our fellow animal individuals, all deserving of kindness, consideration and respect.

This notion of human superiority is for the birds.

—Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved

—Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved

What Bill Maher Forgot to Mention

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Although Bill Maher is a staunch and righteous animal rights defender, he must have forgotten to mention,…the suppression of non-humans and the pumping of hot air into an overinflated human ego thereby giving them the sense of entitlement to exploit, enslave and kill animals at will. Unfortunately, most folks don’t interpret “Thou shalt not kill” to include non-humans. Maybe if the bible had suggested that ALL animals were created in God’s image, people would be a bit more humble.

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MFWP Sued Over Lynx Trapping

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Today the Missoulian reported that:

– Three conservation groups filed a federal court lawsuit Thursday against Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners and Director Jeff Hagener for allowing trapping and snaring in Canada lynx habitat.

The Friends of the Wild Swan, the WildEarth Guardians and the Alliance for the Wild Rockies say FWP reported at least nine incidents since 2000 of lynx being caught in traps set for other species; and say four of those animals died. They alleged that this violates the federal Endangered Species Act, which lists lynx as a threatened species and warranted for protection, and want the trapping prohibited in lynx habitat.

“In one instance, a young female lynx was found in a pool of her own blood, with extensive muscle damage, and an empty stomach — all from lingering far too long in a cruel, steel-jawed trap,” Wendy Keefover, carnivore protection program director for WildEarth Guardians, said in a news release. “Montana allowed this unnecessary death, which impedes lynx recovery, especially when it involves potential breeding animals.”

The lawsuit outlines some of the cases in which lynx were caught and died, including one that starved to death. 

Yes, you read that right, a lynx STARVED TO DEATH in a trap! Obviously there’s no 24 hour trap check required for species like bobcat or whoever trappers are “legally” targeting. How many more precious animals have to bleed to death, lose limbs or starve in traps before the world wakes up and trapping ends for good?

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