Article about foie gras bill in San Jose Mercury News 6/3/04

June 4, 2004

Please write a letter to the editor about the cruelty of foie gras. This overall crappy article at least ends with: "We engage in willful ignorance about these things for understandable reasons. If we want to eliminate every objectionable practice, we will all end up as vegans."

Nora

Karen Dawn [KarenDawn]Thursday, June 03, 2004 3:19 PMDawnWatch

The front page of the B section of the San Jose Mercury News looks at the California Bill aimed at banning foie gras. The article, by Scott Herhold, is headed "Diners should settle dispute over foie gras." Unfortunately Herhold focuses on the concerns of the owner of Sonoma Foie Gras, who will eventually lose his business if the bill passes. But any press on this issue, rather than silence, can be good for the animals. It gives us an opportunity to tell the other side of the story.Herhold does not hide his bias:"Foie gras -- liver that is fattened by force-feeding a duck or goose through a pipe down the throat -- has long generated dispute between animal rights activists and foodies. The activists say it's cruel. The foodies say diners should decide."You can put me down with the foodies, though I have no pretensions to being a gourmet. But before I get to philosophy, listen to Guillermo Gonzalez's story. It's one example of how nobly conceived legislation can end the livelihood of a real person."There are quotes from Gonzalez, and from Teri Bernato, of the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, regarding the force feeding of ducks to enlarge their livers:Gonzalez: ''Certainly, the image of using a tube to deliver the feed into a duck body is not a pretty picture. But in reality, the ducks' anatomy is totally adaptable. They have a built-in capacity to absorb all the feed and transform it into fat and store it.''Bernato: ''They're putting a huge pipe down their throats. Liver disease is not pleasant, no matter who has it. So it's very cruel.''Herhold ends his column with:"We engage in willful ignorance about these things for understandable reasons. If we want to eliminate every objectionable practice, we will all end up as vegans. And this year, anyway, the state has other problems that matter more. Leave Guillermo Gonzalez alone. Let the diners decide."He has given us a great opportunity for letters that do, indeed, sing the praises of a plant based diet, or that point out that one can shun the most egregiously cruel practices without going vegan; and a humane state or country can legislate against them, as many have.You can read the article on line at: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8826076.htmThe Mercury News takes letters at: letters The following websites have excellent information, including distressing photographs, about foie gras and the legislation aimed at banning it:http://banfoiegras.com and http://www.nofoiegras.org/I am going to take this opportunity for a couple of plugs:1) The "No foie gras" site tells us:"Hundreds of veterinarians signed petitions urging AVMA to oppose the cruel methods used to produce foie gras. The petitions were submitted in the form of a resolution to the AVMA, which has confirmed that the issue will be addressed at the House of Delegates session in July."It is hard to believe that there is any question as to whether the AVMA would support a resolution against a food that is based on liver disease. But the AVMA's history of stands against animal welfare is shocking. On Monday, June 7, on KPFK's Watchdog, we will look at the AVMA. (Watchdog is on 90.7 in LA and San Diego, and streams on the web at KPFK.org, at 2pm.) Professor Peter Singer, UPC president Karen Davis, and veterinarian Holly Cheever are guests. You can find out more about Watchdog at http://www.DawnWatch.com/Watchdog.htm. Shows are archived there, compliments of PVNET.2) In the Mercury News article cited above, the writer notes, "Last year, when Guillermo and his effervescent wife, Junny, opened a restaurant, Sonoma Saveurs, vandals broke into the building and poured cement down the drains." That incident set off a huge wave of media coverage about the foie gras battle. It is hard not to see Burton's bill as, at least to some extent, riding that wave.I have just received my copy of "Terrorists or Freedom Fighters? Reflections on the Liberation of Animals," a new book about direct action tactics often linked with the ALF, edited by Dr Steven Best and Anthony Nocella. I have written a chapter in it, headed "From the Front Line to the Front Page -- An Analysis of ALF Media Coverage." I examine, in some detail, the coverage around the foie gras vandalism incident. I have not yet read the rest of the book, but after reading the Introduction and taking a look at the various chapters, I cannot wait to read it. I already know that I can recommend it. It includes essays by movement leaders such as Ingrid Newkirk, Bruce Friedrich, Robin Webb, Tom Regan, Paul Watson, Rod Coronado, Karen Davis, and Kevin Jonas.You can find out more about the book, view a table of contents, and read the Introduction at:http://www.cala-online.org/Terrorists_or_Freedom_Fighters2.htmYou can purchase it at:http://www.lanternbooks.com/detail.html?session=60aaeda45219338da374ca82d10ac8e4 & cat=16 & id=159056054xYours and the animals',Karen Dawnwww.DawnWatch.com (DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it at www.DawnWatch.com. To to DawnWatch, email KarenDawn and tell me you'd like to receive alerts. If at any time you find DawnWatch is not for you, just let me know via email and I'll take you off the r list immediately. 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