Farm lobbyists and supporting lawmakers want to close the shutters on video cameras exposing animal cruelty across the country. If they have their way, animal rights groups say they will lose an important tool for holding animal abusers accountable.Examples of factory farm exposés leading to prosecutorial action seem to pop up every year. There was that time last year in North Carolina where a Mercy for Animals video showed Butterball workers kicking and dragging turkeys on the ground, along with a slew of other abuses. Once revealed, six of those workers were charged with animal cruelty. In 2011, a video from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) showed workers chemically burning the legs of Tennessee walking horses. Federal prosecutors quickly charged and convicted the suspects and credited HSUS for providing “evidence instrumental to the case.”Continue Reading… … Read More
Today’s Depressing Post-Thanksgiving Metaphor
Magnus Fiskejö
describes what happens to the turkeys pardoned by the president
and sent to a petting zoo:
The birds are then, in proverbial fashion, said
to live happily ever after. In reality, however, they are usually
killed within a year and stand-in turkeys are supplied. This goes
on year after year. The chosen birds are killed because they have
been engineered and packed with hormones to the point that they are
unfit for any other purpose than their own slaughter and
consumption….The sturdiest survivors may live a little more than
a year. But the birds are always finally put out of their growing
misery. Then they are buried nearby in a presidential turkey
cemetery—the ritualistic significance of which remains to be
explored.
Via
Jason Read, who adds: “They are creatures designed for the
cage, and no decree can change that. Yep, the holiday really
symbolizes the nation.” And I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving
too!
The Week In Arts & Culture: Sumptuous Feasts, Hand Turkeys And Transgender Icons (PHOTOS)
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are shaking yourself out of that food coma for the week to come. But before you get out of bed, check out what you missed in the art world this week, from artistic hand turkeys to stunning World War II photos.This fall has been a rough month for animals in the art world. First, we found out that British bad boy Damien Hirst killed 9,000 butterflies for a questionable installation at the Tate Modern. Then we came across Belgian artist Jan Fabre’s cat-throwing performance video, in which he, well, throws cats up a flight of stairs. This disappointing pair of artsy acts against animals got us thinking… Have artists always been this insensitive to animals’ rights?Read More…
Did Obama Reference Romney’s ‘Gifts’ Comment At Presidential Turkey Pardon? (VIDEO, POLL)
Did President Barack Obama poke fun at Mitt Romney’s infamous “gifts” comment at the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation on Wednesday?”They say that life is all about second chances,” Obama said to laughter, his daughters, Sasha and Malia at his side. “And this November, I could not agree more. So in the spirit of the season, I have one more gift to give, and it goes to a pair of turkeys named Cobbler and Gobbler.”Video of the event shows that Obama’s remark elicited no laughter, so if the president was trying to make a joke, it’s unlikely to be remembered as one of his greatest hits.Read More…
More on Newt Gingrich
Pres. Obama makes Nate Silver joke while pardoning turkeys
On Wednesday afternoon, freshly returned from his trip to Asia, President Obama pardoned the annual Thanksgiving turkeys and marked the occasion with a joking reference to statistician and poll wizard Nate Silver, author of the blog, FiveThirtyEight. This year, for the first time, the American…
"Once Again, Nate Silver Completely Nailed It"
President Obama was is festive mood today while sparing the lives of Cobbler and Gobbler, two 40-pound turkeys that were selected for the traditional Thanksgiving pardons. "Once again, Nate Silver completely nailed it," Obama joked about the would-be-meals that were selected by an online … … Read More
