Bolivia has enacted what animal rights defenders are calling the world’s first law that prohibits the use of animals in circuses. A handful of other countries have banned the use of wild animals in circuses, but the Bolivian ban includes domestic animals as well. The law, which states that the use of animals in circuses “constitutes an act of cruelty,” took effect on July 1 and operators have a year to comply, according to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ximena Flores. The law was proposed after an undercover investigation by the nonprofit London-based group Animal Defenders International, or ADI, found widespread abuse in circuses operating in Bolivia. Flores said authorities are seeking to keep circus operators from killing animals they can no longer use.
Che, Milk and Jarman
Not by design and more by accident, the Grumpy Vegan has just watched three biopic-ish films in almost as many days. Each one focused on one man who could rightly be called a revolutionary by the lives they lived although they may not have claimed that mantle themselves. Each film was very different in its approach. Each one is worth watching for different reasons. They are Che: Part One, Milk and Derek.
Che: Part One dramatized the life of Che Guevara and his involvement in the Castro-led Cuban revolution up to their arrival in Havana. Milk depicted the life of Harvey Milk, the fist openly out gay man elected to public office in the US, who was assassinated along with the mayor of San Francisco. Derek was essentially a bio-obituary of the artist and film maker Derek Jarman in which he is featured describing his life.
The contrast between Guevara, who was straight and apparently unsympathetic if not hostile toward gays, and Milk and Jarman, who were out gay men and confronted homophobia, could not be more pointed. All three challenged oppression.
The question that must be asked is this: Is it truly a revolution when it denies and empowers the exploitation of others?
Portraits of End Dogfighting in Chicago
Gulls, the Story so Far
The Grumpy Vegan took this photograph this morning. Two babies remain from the original four. The first one that went missing was seen by a neighbour being carried off by a fox late one night. Not sure what happened to the second one. These babies and the several others who are being raised on roofs around the Grumpy Vegan’s seat have reached the point where they can almost fly. So, what happens sometimes is that they attempt to fly and the wind off the sea carries them off the roof where they were born and raised. They can end up on the ground, including the paths and roads and surrounding areas. Or they can be fly/blown onto a neighbouring roof. So far, it seems that their survival rate is more than 50/50. Their rate of growth is amazing. Their squawking is also changing from a high pitched “squeak, squeak” to a deeper screeching sound. They’re incredibly noisy throughout the day and night. But they’d be missed if they weren’t here!
Elephant Cruelty on Parade at the Circus
Here’s footage from the New York League of Humane Volunteers of captive elephants displaying stereotypic behaviour with Cole Bros. Circus in Staten Island on July 20, 2009.
Here’s undercover footage shot by PETA of Ringling Bros. as reported on the Daily News Web site.
The Profit Question
On one side of the Atlantic US Senator Saxby Chambliss demands US President Barack Obama’s nominee for Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the Office of Management and Budget, Professor Cass Sunstein, to write a letter saying that he promises to “respect” gun rights and “not take any steps to promote litigation on behalf of animals.”
While on the other side of the Atlantic the animal research business interests celebrate a huge jump in the number of animals uses.
The most important message from the animal procedures figures for 2008 is that we are doing more and better research to find solutions to serious diseases. This is a continuation of the trend which saw funding of biomedical research increase in real terms by over 50% in the decade to 2006, while animal procedures increased by just 12.5% over the same period.
And, again, on the other side of the Atlantic Michigan and Ohio agribusiness are trampling democracy to protect their interests.
Now, remind me. What do the poor babies have to worry about? Oh, yes. Profits.
Posted in Animal Rights
Tagged Animals in Agriculture, Animals in Research, Testing and Education
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