Month: October 2005

New Wizard of Oz DVD Set

On November 1st, a new 3DVD Wizard of Oz collection will be released. This version features an Ultra Resolution restoration of the film that should make it look stunning. Also included are the complete versions of five earlier film versions of Oz, including four from the silent era and a cartoon short from 1933 which featured music and was the first film to show Kansas in black-and-white and Oz in color.

About the only way this 3-disc set might have been improved would have been if they had licensed my Wizard of Oz search engine. Come on Warners — throw a little love (and money) this way.

What Matt Rice Does Is Lie

The Helena, Montana Independent Record reported on an appearance there by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals anti-circus protesters.

Julie Kelton, 19, stripped seminude in order to protest the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. She was accompanied by PETA’s Matt Rice who told the Independent Record,

We sometimes have to do interesting and shocking things to get animals the attention they deserve.

But what Matt Rice seems to do is spend his time lying to reporters about PETA’s activities.

In 2004, for example, Rice told reporters that PETA would never use shock tactics with children despite PETA’s repeated promises to do just that.

Rice’s claim that PETA doesn’t target children with shock tactics was as accurate as his claim that Kelton would appear naked.

Interestingly, an opponent of PETA got in a plug about PETA’s habit of killing animals into the story,

At least one passer-by took exception to the protest. Ingrid Rosenquist, a deputy county attorney, said her father is a biomedical researcher, and she has been active in training horses and dogs for competition. Saying she was speaking only for herself, not her employer, Rosenquist said PETA kills animals at its own shelters and supports animal rights terrorists.

As with its other campaign, she said, PETA exaggerates the frequency and severity of mistreatment of circus animals. She referred people to the Web site www.petakillsanimals.com.

Good for Rosenquist.

Source:

Semi-naked protester strikes a pose for mistreated circus critters. Ed Kemmick, The Independent Record (Helena, Montana), September 30, 2005.

Three Activists Indicted in Wegmans Break-Ins

In early October, a grand jury indicted three animal rights activists in a series of break-ins at Wegmans Egg Farm in Wolcott, New York.

Adam Durand, 25; Melanie Ippolito, 21; and Megan Cosgrove,22, were indicted on several counts each including burglary, criminal mischief, petty larceny and criminal trespass.

The three activists allegedly broke into the egg farm several times in May and August 2004. They videotaped conditions at the facility and later released a short video through their group Compassionate Consumers. The activists also removed 11 hens from the facility.

Although not indicted, Compassionate Consumers activist Jodi Chemes was fired from her job at Deloitte & Touche after publicizing the tape’s release (Wegmans is a client of Deloitte & Touche).

According to the Times of Wayne County,

In the initial arraignment, it is alleged that the Durand and Ippolito used wire cutters to gain access to the manure rooms below the chicken houses. It was also stated that they took a total of 8 hens from the buildings on at least two occasions.

The grand jury indictment has Durand charged with three counts each of Felony Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Misdemeanor Petit Larceny and Criminal Trespass. Ippolito was charged with two counts each and Cosgrove with one count each.

The Times also reported that Compassionate Consumers offered to end its campaign against Wegmans if the egg producer agreed to reduce or drop the charges against the activists (the prosecutor in the case has said he will not reduce or drop the charges without Wegmans’ consent), but apparently the company refused such a deal.

Sources:

Jury indicts 3 in Wegmans Egg Farm case. Misty Edgecomb, Democrat and Chronicle, October 4, 2005.

Trio plucked by County Grand Jury for WegmanÂ’s Chicken Farm break-in. Times of Wayne County, 2005.

Bill Introduced in House to Make Downer Ban Permanent

Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) recently introduced a bill in the House of Representatives which would permanently ban downed animals — animals which fall and cannot get up under their own power — from entering the food supply.

After a cow in the United States tested positive for Mad Cow Disease in 2003, a temporary ban on the slaughter of downed animals for food was put into place by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns.

The bill would require that any downed animals be immediately and humanely euthanized and adds that,

It shall be unlawful for an inspector at an establishment to pass through inspection any nonambulatory livestock or carcass (including parts of a carcass) of nonambulatory livestock.

The USDA would be given one year from passage of the bill into law to promulgate regulations for the humane slaughter of downed animals and their exclusion from the food supply.

The full text of the bill can be read here.

Activist Wants Senate to Cancel Eco/Animal Rights Terrorism Hearings

Joe Miele, of New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, was unhappy when Republican Sen. James Inhofe announced hearings to investigate eco- and animal rights terrorism. Miele posted to AR-NEWS urging activists to send letters to Inhofe characterizing the hearings as a waste of money and a diversion from the evils of global warming and birth defects. The sample letter Miele posted is fascinating,

The Fur Commission USA has begun a letter-writing campaign to support the
hearings being conducted by the Senate Committee on The Environment in
Washington into what the government calls “eco-terrorism.”

To counter their message, please write to the anti-animal extremist
committee chairman Senator James Inhofe and inform him that there are far
more important things to do than to waste taxpayer money appeasing special
interest groups by targeting those who defend the earth and her animals.

SAMPLE LETTER:

The Honorable James Inhofe, Chairman
Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works
410 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Inhofe:

I am writing to respectfully urge you to stop wasting taxpayer money to
satisfy special interest groups who oppose wildlife and environmental
protection.

The multi-billion-dollar industries you serve to protect are those that
perpetuate environmental destruction on a global scale and are creating
problems such as global warming, birth defects and dwindling populations of
wildlife and endangered species.

By focusing your attention on the activities of environmental and animal
rights groups, you are allowing global polluters and those who rape the
environment in the name of profits to continue their business as usual.
This is not only myopic, but incredibly irresponsible. As a public servant
you are obligated to carry out the will of the people. Unfortunately, you
choose to carry out the will of anti-environmental corporate interests. By
doing this you are betraying the public trust and destroying your
reputation.

Please Senator Inhofe, please cease your foolish and wasteful inquiries into
the state of the environmental movement and focus your attention on the
industries that are the world’s major polluters and exploiters. They are
the ones who deserve your scorn, not those who are trying to reverse the
march toward the environmental devastation you so willingly support.

Sincerely,

Looks like some activists are starting to feel the heat from all the negative attention that animal rights and environmental extremists are starting to attract.

Source:

Letters needed: Counter message of Fur Commission. Joe Miele, October 2, 2005.

Animal Liberation Front Claims Responsibility for Attack on Home of GlaxoSmithKline Executive

In October, the Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for Sept. 7 attack on the UK home of GlaxoSmithKline executive Paul Blackburn.

In an e-mail posted on animal rights extremists sites, the ALF claimed,

On the night of Weds 7th Sept we Brigade G of the Animal Liberation Front detonated a bomb on the doorstep of GlaxoSmithKline director Paul Blakburn, Beaconsfield, Bucks.

This contained 2 litres of fuel and 4 pounds of explosives. We did this because GSK is a customer of Huntingdon Life Sciences and GSK we realise that this may not be enough to make you stop using HLS, but GSK this is just the beginning.

We have identified and tracked down many of your senior executives and also junior staff, as well as those from other HLS customers.

Drop HLS or you will face the consequences. For all the animals inside HLS, we will be back.

Members of Blackburn’s family were in the home when the extremists ignited the incendiary device — so much for all that nonsense about ALF taking extreme care not to risk human lives.

The ALF also claimed responsibility for a September 23 attempted arson at a sports facility in Oxford.

Source:

Firebomb in Beaconsfield. Bucks Free Press, October 4, 2005.