MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'animal rights'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:09:50 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169711&cid=t_112966_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FnEONkj1S2e8%2F A confusing controversy has broken out in the UK today over an unusual situation in which the Seroquel antipsychotic pill has been found in some packages of the Nurofen Plus painkiller sold by Reckitt Benckiser. And speculation has entered the media that the Nurofen packages, which are available only behind pharmacy counters, may have been sabotaged by animal-rights activists. So far, there is no evidence to suggest this is the cause, which was reported by The Daily Mail. The paper wrote that Reckitt uses animals to test some drugs, although not Nurofen Plus, and that an investigation is under way to determine whether a group or individual activist was behind the switch. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has asked pharmacists, meanwhile, to check their packages (read ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169711 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:20:30 +0100 5169711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4747885&cid=t_112966_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-f7KG02PNKo%2F Battles between animal-rights groups and drugmakers is nothing new, but the latest spat between the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, and Merck has a couple of interesting twists. To be specific, PETA late last week filed a lawsuit against Merck for refusing to include a shareholder proposal that would require the drugmaker to disclose its use of animal testing in all research. Merck, however, refused to include the proposal in its proxy, prompting PETA to sue. This marks the first time that the animal-rights group has actually gone to court because a company denied a request to include a shareholder resolution in a proxy. But why exactly did Merck deny the proposal? The drugmaker contends PETA failed to prove shareholder status, even though PETA has owned Merck stock ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4747885 Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:09:46 +0100 4747885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272502&cid=t_112966_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F12%2F20%2Fdeath-at-seaworld-where-is-tilikum-the-whale-who-killed-his-trainer%2F My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. Death at SeaWorld: Where Is Tilikum, the Whale Who Killed His Trainer? Dawn Brancheau, the SeaWorld performer who died last February, had not crossed my mind in months. But last night I came across some year-end stories on 2010 newsmakers and what they were doing with their 16th minute of fame. One was Isaiah Mustafa, who found fame and fortune on a Super Bowl commercial for Old Spice. Another was Antoine Dodson, who scared away a would-be rapist from his sister’s bedroom and whose comments to a news crew led to the “Bed Intruder Song.” Tilikum, the killer whale, became a household name on Feb. 24, after he turned on his trainer Dawn Brancheau. When I first saw her picture, I realized that years ago I’d seen Brancheau pe... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272502 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:01:28 +0100 4272502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036889&cid=t_112966_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F10%2F05%2Foakland-cop-kills-dog-leaves-family-a-note-on-front-door%2F A typical Golden Labrador Retriever My new post on Politics Daily / Woman Up. Oakland Cop Kills Dog, Leaves Family a Note on Front Door. A burglar did not violate Mary Kate Hallock’s house in Oakland, Ca. on Sept. 28, but the false alarm at her home led to the death of her dog. In Hallock’s back yard, Oakland Police officer Victor Garcia shot and killed Hallock’s 11-year-old golden Lab. According to the note left for owner Hallock on the front door, her dog Gloria was shot after she “advanced on officers in a threatening manner.” Really? Gloria, whom Hallock had raised from a puppy, was arthritic and suffered from hip dysplasia. And then there’s the matter of three bullets. So one bullet wouldn’t have stopped an “advancing” elderly gold... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036889 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:59:25 +0100 4036889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942763&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fracist-rant-morrissey-calls-chinese-people-subspecies-for-animal-cruelty%2F photo: WENN.com In a recent interview with Guardian Weekend magazine, Morrissey, our favorite mopey musician, said that the people of China were a subspecies because of the way they treat animals. And, while this is an inflammatory statement that any sensible human (celebrity or not) would retract, Morrissey is standing by his words: “If anyone has seen the horrific and unwatchable footage of the Chinese cat and dog trade – animals skinned alive – then they could not possibly argue in favour of China as a caring nation. There are no animal protection laws in China and this results in the worst animal abuse and cruelty on the planet. It is indefensible.” So, is Morrissey racist? Or is he just voicing what many animal rights advocates actually think, but are afraid to say on... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942763 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:23:42 +0100 3942763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831328&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyou-know-youre-unwell-if-youre-a-monkey-mom-who-raises-monkids%2F Do your kids wear clothes, eat junk food, brush their teeth, and use the toilet? Of course they do. How about scream, bite, scratch, pull hair, draw blood, and send you to the hospital? What a coincidence! So do “monkids,” poor little capuchin monkeys that don’t live in the wilds of the Central American jungle. Instead, 15,000 of them reside in U.S. suburbs and are raised by insane “Monkey Moms” (and dads) who think it’s a terrific idea to keep these wild animals as captured pets. But Monkey Moms don’t like the term “pet.” They prefer “companion for life.” So, we can’t really blame these pissed off little monkids for attacking their owners (out of love!) and sending them to the emergency room. We’d do the same th... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831328 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:46:49 +0100 3831328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831329&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fangela-kinsey-saves-feral-cats-daily-do-gooder%2F Angela Kinsey (of NBC’s The Office) recently became the face of a new PSA for Alley Cat Allies. She hopes to direct attention to all those who have helped or fed stray cats. Apparently I’ve done it, you’ve done it, and your neighbor has done it (40% of us have, to be exact). These alley cat allies also want to spread the idea of Trap-Neuter-Return – a program that helps control feral cat populations and improve kitty-cat health. We applaud these efforts, because cats are cool. But we’ll never love them as much as Angela on The Office does. photo: Nikki Nelson/WENN.com Post from: BlissTree Angela Kinsey Saves Feral Cats: Daily Do-Gooder (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831329 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:30:40 +0100 3831329 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767042&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fpeople-cant-do-the-job-hire-an-animal%2F If we were part of the wild animal kingdom, we’d be totally fed up with humans by now. Animals have been farmed, domesticated, hunted, driven to extinction, and, recently, covered in oil. They’ve probably had enough. But some animals just keep on giving. (Of course, they don’t have much of a say in the matter.) The Huffington Post has a cool slideshow of some animals who help humans do things we really can’t do alone — like patrol the ocean for terrorists (see cute dolphin below). We just hope these animal employees are treated just as well as their human co-workers — or better. Check out the full set of photos here. photo via Huffington Post via Huffington Post Post from: BlissTree People Can't Do the Job? Hire an Animal. (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767042 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:54:45 +0100 3767042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767049&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fcharo-wants-to-end-bullfighting-daily-do-gooder%2F Charo is now the spokesperson for PETA’s anti-bullfighting campaign. She has been against the cruel sport for years — she even has an anti-bullfighting song. Bulls are either starved or drugged before a fight, and sometimes they even have their horns sawed off. Charo is encouraging advocates to write a letter to José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain’s Prime Minister. photo: WENN.com Post from: BlissTree Charo Wants to End Bullfighting: Daily Do-Gooder (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767049 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:30:58 +0100 3767049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640985&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Frue-mcclanahans-charity-work-daily-do-gooder%2F We’re still mourning the loss of Rue McClanahan, but we’re also celebrating the former actress’s great work, both for her Golden Girl character, Blanche, and for her work with the Farm Sanctuary’s Legacy Society as their longtime spokesperson and advocate for animal rights. She hosted major events and galas, as well as helped pass legislation banning foie gras in California, promoting compassion for animals. via Look To The Stars Post from: BlissTree Rue McClanahan's Charity Work: Daily Do-Gooder (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640985 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:30:09 +0100 3640985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471967&cid=t_112966_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FX7m28P4JGHk%2F "Sarah Palin's Alaska", set to air on TLC, is getting lots of attention, but not in a good way. Remember “Drill, Baby, Drill!”? We’re guessing that The Discovery Network (which owns TLC, Planet Green, and the Discovery Channel) would like you to forget about it, given its recent $2 million contract with Alaska’s former Governor Sarah Palin. The rogue politician will host a reality TV series, Sarah Palin’s Alaska, about her home state, but it’s stirring up considerable controversy among animal rights and environmental groups. Many activists disapprove of Palin, who is well-known for her pro-oil-drilling slogans and staunch support of aerial wolf hunting, being featured on a network known for health, wellness, and nature programming. The netw... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471967 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:23:26 +0100 3471967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3108547&cid=t_112966_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVMFUskz4orM%2F Animal rights activists regularly go after the pharmaceutical industry, but they made big headlines last summer when some visited the hometown of Novartis ceo Dan Vasella and painted “murderer” on the church, desecrated the graves of his sister and parents, and set fire to his Austrian vacation home. Vasella spoke with USA Today about the episode and his reaction. USA Today: Aren’t you helping activists by giving them the soapbox they desire? Vasella: I don’t believe so. It’s my duty as a citizen to speak up when illegal actions take place. Suffering in silence doesn’t help anybody. You have to stand up. You have to fight for something. If everyone remained silent, then the people who are violent would prevail. USA Today: Aren’t you putting a bull&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3108547 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:25:36 +0100 3108547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405116&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F05%2Fanother-barely-veiled-threat-of-murder.html This comes very close to an outright death threat--without quite being one. An animal rights terrorist supporter named Jason Miller has strongly hinted that a UCLA animal researcher could be murdered, and indeed seems to hope that it will happen. From a preface to his piece against animal research in Thomas Paine's Corner:I'm dedicating this piece to the courageous animal defenders and rescuers comprising the ALF, the Justice Department, the Animal Liberation Brigade, and the other militant direct action groups who are taking the fight to vivisectors and the rest of their ilk comprising the animal exploitation complex. Given the relentless nature of the systemic torment and slaughter of millions of other sentient beings that take place day after day, violent responses from nonhuman animal ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405116 Sun, 10 May 2009 15:34:00 +0100 2405116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380778&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fhuman-exceptionalism-requires-that-we.html When the rulers of To the Source saw my piece "Homo Sapiens, Get Lost" in NRO about the the growing anti-humanism that is infecting the environmental movement, it gave them an idea. They asked me to write a piece for TTS, using the same Brave New World analogy as a launching pad that I used in NRO, but to take the thrust of the piece in a different direction. Using the principles of human exceptionalism, they asked me to distinguish the instrumental use of nascent human life in biotechnology and contrast it to an upcoming animal welfare event known as "Be Kind to Animals Week." That seemed like a nice challenge and so I hit the old keyboard, resulting in "Keep the Human in Humane."First, I describe the ongoing threat of brave new world biotechnology. From the piece:Looking around, can ther... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380778 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:14:00 +0100 2380778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365464&cid=t_112966_154_f&fid=36427&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FABlogAroundTheClock%2F%7E3%2FfPpWQB4GupM%2Fucla_pro-test_a_success.php I hope you got educated before the UCLA Pro-Test yesterday. It went great - see the coverage by DrugMonkey, Nick Anthis, DrugMonkey again and Scicurious. Show Your Support for Medical Progress by signing the Petition for responsible animal research. Then go and crash this poll, despite it being flawed. And to continue our education on the matter, Janet has posted the 6th post and the 7th post in her series. Read the comments on this post... (Source: A Blog Around The Clock) A Blog Around The Clock blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365464 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:19:22 +0100 2365464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2354119&cid=t_112966_154_f&fid=36427&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FABlogAroundTheClock%2F%7E3%2FaUTcYWJsgq8%2Fsupport_the_ucla_pro-test_tomo.php The UCLA Pro-Test is tomorrow. If you live there - go. If not, prepare yourself for inevitable discussions - online and offline - by getting informed. And my fellow science bloggers have certainly provided plenty of food for thought on the issue of use of animals in research. First, you have to read Janet Stemwedel's ongoing series (5 parts so far, but more are coming) about the potential for dialogue between the two (or more) sides: Impediments to dialogue about animal research (part 1).: Now, maybe it's the case that everyone who cares at all has staked out a position on the use of animals in scientific research and has no intentions of budging from it. But in the event that there still exists a handful of people who are thinking the issues through, or are interested in understanding... A Blog Around The Clock blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2354119 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:00:03 +0100 2354119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353786&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fanimal-rights-activist-named-to-fbi.html There is only one domestic suspected terrorist on the FBI's "most wanted terrorist." His name is Daniel Andreas San Diego, who hails from my neck of the woods in Berkeley, CA. San Diego has been on the run for years after allegedly bombing a local company that refused to promise to never do business with Huntingdon Life Sciences. From the story:For the first time, an accused domestic terrorist is being added to the FBI's list of "Most Wanted" terror suspects. Daniel Andreas San Diego, a 31-year-old computer specialist from Berkeley, Calif., is wanted for the 2003 bombings of two corporate offices in California. Authorities describe San Diego as an animal rights activist who turned to bomb attacks and say he has tattoo that proclaims, "It only takes a spark."...An arrest warrant was issued ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353786 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:18:00 +0100 2353786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347924&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fsf-chronicle-columnist-gets-it-right-on.html Think of the animal rights movement as predators that threaten an entire herd: All the animals are under threat but it is the weak, stragglers, or isolated that face the most concerted attack.Thus, while all animal research facilities are under threat, Huntingdon Life Sciences is the most vilified and its contractors and service providers most subjected to ancillary targeting. Why HLS? It was weakened, when years ago, a British television program showed a puppy being abused at a HLS facility. (Those responsible were fired and prosecuted, and properly so. Management had a turn over, and despite repeated attempts to pin further charges of abuse on HLS, to my knowledge, all have proved unfounded.) But that video set HLS apart, and it has been subjected to an unremitting and sometimes violent ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347924 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:38:00 +0100 2347924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306948&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2Fpeta-admits-it-kills-adoptable-cats-and.html The more I observe PETA, the more bizarre it seems to me. It claims to love animals, and yet it euthanizes more than 90% of the animals it takes in. Why does PETA have to do this? Animal shelters are able to euthanize animals too sick, injured, or aggressive to be found good homes. Moreover, it does not have a formal adoption program, it has admitted to the Telegraph, and it kills adoptable animals. From the story:Peta insists that homes could not be found for the dogs and cats, usually because they were in such poor health or because they were "unsocialised" and aggressive, usually because of bad treatment by their owners.But the organisation, which does not run its own animal adoption programme and does not accept animals into its care elsewhere, admitted to The Sunday Telegraph that som... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306948 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:54:00 +0100 2306948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2270321&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fspanish-animal-rights-activists-go-nude.html What is it with animal rights activists and nudity? Spanish liberationists have gone naked to protest a Canadian seal hunt. From the story: Around 100 people stripped naked and lay on the ground in a central Madrid square on Sunday as part of an international day of protest against Canada's annual seal hunt, due to resume next month. The members of animal rights group Equanimal smeared themselves in red liquid to signify a "massacre" of seals by Canada, where the annual seal hunt is due to resume in April. Some wore red underwear, others were totally nude. "We want to sensitise people to the fact that animals are capable of feeling and suffering like us, and to protest against the massacre of hundreds of thousands of seals which is about to begin in Canada," said spokeswoman Silvia TovalNo... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2270321 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:06:00 +0100 2270321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263902&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2Fhit-and-run-injuring-humans-or-aniamls.html The drive to create moral equivalencies between human beings and animals continues. In California, a bill has been introduced that could treat leaving the scene of an accident involving a car and an animal, the same as a hit and run involving a human being. From AB 1224, authored by Assemblyman Mike Eng:Existing law requires the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury or death to another person to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident and to fulfill specified requirements. Under existing law, a violation of this provision is either a felony or a misdemeanor.This bill would declare the Legislature's intent to enact legislation to include animals, pets, and livestock under the basic "hit and run" statute in order to fine drivers who leave the sce... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263902 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:21:00 +0100 2263902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2194864&cid=t_112966_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F02%2F18%2Fits-possible-to-nurture-yourself-and-mother-nature%2F Midweek Mental Greening Last week, I told you about a Boston Globe article that discussed the negative mental health effects global warming is having on some people, and promised you some tips on how to deal with those kinds of effects – whether the issue is global warming, poverty, animal rights or any other matter that has you upset. Check them out below. Take action and get involved. As I mentioned last week, sitting around and twiddling my thumbs has never been my thing. One of the best ways you can ensure something is being done is to do something. Whether it’s as easy as making sure your signature is on the petitions for causes you believe in or as involved as organizing a local chapter of your favorite nonprofit. You’ll feel better about yourself and the problem or issue ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2194864 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:19:44 +0100 2194864 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2156341&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F02%2Fabolitionist-gary-francione-laments.html Gary Francione, who argues that to be authentic all animal rights believers must be vegan and lead by example (I agree with him on this), is unhappy. He worries that the animal rights movement is falling backwards because of the "humane meat" campaigns that, in his mind, have made carne respectable to consume for some who were once abstainers. As evidence, he points out that the Food Standards Agency in Britain has found that the number of people eating a partly or completely vegetarian diet fell from 9 per cent in 2007 to 7 per cent in 2008. As evidence that the humane meat movement is undercutting animal rights, properly understood, he quotes from an article by former vegetarian Tessie Williams. From his column: The reason for Williams' return to meat: "I see my decision to return to mea... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2156341 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:26:00 +0100 2156341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2097787&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F01%2Fuc-davis-animal-researchers-threatened.html Bomb threats should be called what they are: Death threats. Animal researchers at UC Davis are being threatened. From the story: Police at UC Davis are on high alert while they are investigating a threat made on a controversial Web site targeting two of the university's researchers.According to UC Davis spokesman Andy Fell, the "Revolutionary Cells Animal Liberation Brigade" posted on a Web site that they had sent mail bombs to the UC Davis researchers late Saturday. The researchers work at the California National Primate Research Center, which conducts tests on primates to try and benefit human and animal health. The center does studies on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, asthma, autism and Alzheimer's disease.This should be condemned unequivocally by everyone, regardless of their ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2097787 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:39:00 +0100 2097787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2060835&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F12%2Fthis-is-kind-of-criminality-that-too.html A victim of ancillary targeting in the UK has testified in a criminal trial about the kind of hell he experienced merely for working for a company that had a relationship with Huntingdon Life Sciences. From the story: William Denison says what happened to his family at the hands of ALF extremists was like "Chinese water torture". He is managing director of F2 Chemicals, a company which did not deal directly with HLS but is owned by a Japanese glass firm that had links to it. He was picked out as a legitimate target.Denison and his family were hounded at home. His wife left her job as a result of stress, neighbours in his village were told he was a paedophile and he had to install 24-hour security and CCTV cameras in his home.The targeting began at work, but spread quickly. Packages from th... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2060835 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:03:00 +0100 2060835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1996204&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fanimal-rights-raid-on-egg-farm-kills.html In Finland, some ALF-type activists raided a chicken farm and killed thousands of chickens in the process. From the story:Suspected radical animal welfare activists raided a poultry farm in Narpio in the southwest of Finland Thursday night. The raiders broke eggs, and destroyed electric equipment, causing the ventilation system to break down. Up to 5,000 of the 26,000 chickens are believed to have died for lack of air.Graffiti left on the wall of the farm contained the letters EVR, the Finnish abbreviation of the Animal Liberation Front.Of course, they won't care that the chickens died. In other similar situations, animal rightists claimed that death was better than lives lived in torture.On a more macro level, we are seeing increased viciousness in political activism from the Left, in ani... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1996204 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:50:00 +0100 1996204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1963876&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fembattled-oxford-animal-research-center.html It wasn't easy, a thicket of opposition, sometimes very threatening, from animal rights activists, impeded progress, but the new Oxford animal research center has finally opened. From the story on BBC:Four years ago, Cambridge University cancelled plans for a primate research centre, because of concerns over spiralling security costs linked to animal rights. It marked a huge victory for animal rights protestors, who then moved their campaign to Oxford. The vast majority of protests have been entirely lawful. But the police say a small minority of extremists have carried out acts of arson and vandalism against the university, building contractors and anyone they suspected of being linked to the new laboratory. In 2004 the contractors pulled out citing... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1963876 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:54:00 +0100 1963876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1943276&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F11%2Fpig-organs-for-humans-coming.html We have an organ shortage that desperately needs ameliorating. With such pressing needs, some wish to bend or even break important ethical rules by, for example, obliterating the dead donor rule so that people can be killed for their organs.We can't go down that road, but if it works, we can possibly use organs from pigs. This process known as xenotransplantation, may be coming within ten years according to a report, with kidneys being the most likely organs. From the story: Organs from pigs could be widely available for transplanting into patients in a decade, Lord Winston said yesterday. The first organs suitable for transplanting, most likely kidneys, are expected to be ready within three years and, if tests are successful, their use could be widespread by 2018. A herd of as few as 50 p... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1943276 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:06:00 +0100 1943276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908705&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fshs-in-air.html I recorded an interview with Shelton Walden a bit ago for his program Walden's Pond on WBAI, 99.5 FM in New York. It airs today at 1 Eastern, or can be streamed here. This is a Pacifica radio station, on the left of the political spectrum as well as the radio dial, and so I was very pleased to be able to reach an audience than in my usual media appearances.Our topics were animal rights, human exceptionalism, human rights, much of the spectrum we cover here at SHS. Walden was a good interviewer and the format allowed us to go into depth.There is a permanent stream of this show in the archives. Go to October 26, 2008 at 1:00 PM. But if you have the inclination and are not otherwise occupied, check it out. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908705 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:32:00 +0100 1908705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894799&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fcastigated-for-self-defense-against.html Animal rights types sometimes get so lost in their hyper romanticism about animals they lose touch with reality. This is happening now in Canada in the aftermath of a man killing a bear in self defense. The bear's cubs subsequently were euthanized. From the story: A B.C. [British Columbia] man who clubbed a bear to death in self-defence is now defending himself from a smear campaign. Jim West of 70 Mile House says angry animal-rights crusaders have been harassing him at home and impersonating him in e-mails to media outlets...Mr. West says he's also been receiving phone calls. "One woman asked me why I killed the bear and why I didn't run away. Well, you can't outrun a mother bear," said Mr. West who is recovering from the 60 stitches to his skull, upper lip and left arm he received in the... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894799 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:11:00 +0100 1894799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879931&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2F421077803%2Fmore-monkey-business-chimp-business-to.html In a follow-up post to our post earlier today about primates, Brandon Keim of Wired Science asks, "Chimps: Not Human, But Are They People?":"As a population of West African chimpanzees dwindles to critically endangered levels, scientists are calling for a definition of personhood that includes our close evolutionary cousins. Just two decades ago, the Ivory Coast boasted a 10,000-strong chimpanzee population, accounting for half of the world's population. According to a new survey, that number has fallen to just a few thousand. News of such a decline, published today in Current Biology, would be saddening in any species. But should we feel more concern for the chimpanzees than for another animal — as much concern, perhaps, as we might feel for other people? 'They are a people. Non-huma... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879931 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:25:31 +0100 1879931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1879934&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E5%2F420728282%2FO1DBuFgt_Ug%26amp%3Bhl%3Den%26amp%3Bfs%3D1 Friend and colleague Chris MacDonald of the Business Ethics Blog, is not monkeying around (alright, enough with puns, but I couldn't resist) -- he has provoked a firestorm of discussion about animal rights in his recent postings about a story on monkey waiters in Japan. The video and news story indicates that the 'monkeys are only allowed to work two hours a day, which is not bad, even if they are only being paid peanuts.'Fodder for discussion in your bioethics class! (Source: Women's Bioethics Blog) Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1879934 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:11:57 +0100 1879934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1865398&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2Fthis-is-what-gandhi-would-have-done.html Animal rights radicals who engage in ALF and SHAC terrorism presume to put on the mantle Martin Luther King and Gandhi, claiming that their threats, bombings, vandalism, identity theft, harassment, and intimidation is right out of the civil disobedience playbook. And PETA refuses to condemn, claiming that these actions are akin to the Underground Railroad.So would Gandhi and King have condoned falsely accusing a researcher of being a pedophile to obtain the great goal? That's what happened in the UK. From the story:A father of three was left living in fear after animal rights extremists sent his neighbours letters falsely branding him a paedophile, a court heard today. Vincent Howard, 40, also had a hoax bomb delivered to his family home as part of a sustained campaign of intimidation by t... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1865398 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:42:00 +0100 1865398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856418&cid=t_112966_154_f&fid=36427&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FABlogAroundTheClock%2F%7E3%2F412495677%2Fpolitics_of_animal_protection_1.php Originally written on September 1, 2006, re-posted today to raise more dust ;-) Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: A Blog Around The Clock) A Blog Around The Clock blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856418 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:21:30 +0100 1856418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1837049&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fswamps-now-have-rights-in-ecuador.html The picture above, if it were taken in Ecuador, would be the image of a rights-bearing entity, with constitutional rights co-equal with those of "people" and "persons." Yes, as expected, the people of Ecuador have passed their new constitution, which as I wrote in an earlier SHS post contains the following provision:Persons and people have the fundamental rights guaranteed in this Constitution and in the international human rights instruments. Nature is subject to those rights given by this Constitution and Law.The only way to read that provision is that nature and all aspects thereof--rocks, dirt, pond scum, mosquitoes, lizards, trees--is and are co-equal with humans since "nature rights" are the same as those of people, a provision that is now the supreme law of Ecuador. Good GRIEF! John... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1837049 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:24:00 +0100 1837049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825409&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fpeta-joke-wants-ice-cream-made-from.html I can't tell you all how often I ignore PETA's ridiculous antics. They are addicted to publicity--any publicity--to promote their zealotry and I am loath to lend any hand in that enterprise. But sometimes a story comes along that so succinctly illustrates the group's idiocy that it is impossible to resist: PETA wants Ben and Jerry's to make ice cream from human milk. From the story:"PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health.Women as so many dairy cows:... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825409 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:15:00 +0100 1825409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791571&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fveganism-may-shrink-brain.html This study would seem to validate that meat is a natural food for humans, and moreover, it is good for us. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791571 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:35:00 +0100 1791571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1738955&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fwhat-passes-for-animal-rights.html The animal rights movement's strongest claim promoting vegetarianism is ethical, as in "If it has a face, don't eat it." But that isn't good enough. Too often they go into odious comparisons between the worst human evils and barbecuing a steak (PETA's infamous Holocaust on Your Plate Campaign), or engage in outright distortion and propagandist manipulation. Case in point, pretending a child eating a hot dog has colon cancer. From the story:A new TV commercial shows kids eating hot dogs in a school cafeteria and one little boy's haunting lament: "I was dumbfounded when the doctor told me I have late-stage colon cancer." It's a startling revelation in an ad that vilifies one of America's most beloved, if maligned, foods, while stoking fears about a dreaded disease.But the boy doesn't have ca... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1738955 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:06:00 +0100 1738955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1738957&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fmanuscript-is-turned-in.html Finally. It was several years in the making, but I have just electronically turned in my manuscript of the animal rights book to the publisher. It came in at between 90,000 and 100,000 words, not surprising given that "short-winded" is not exactly my strong suit.I can't tell you what a relief it is to be done. Much work remains, of course. Editing can be a cruel and painful process. But most of it now is in the hands of the publisher.I am going to take a week off, except for SHS, rest, and paint the bedroom. And then I will get back to the lecture circuit, writing articles, and return to recording Brave New Bioethics podcasts, which I sorely neglected in the press of the looming book deadline. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1738957 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:14:00 +0100 1738957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1733737&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fanimal-rights-leader-slams-hsus-for.html I believe that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is an animal rights group as committed to the agenda as PETA. But it is far more clever. Rather than engage in PETA-style antics, and rather than push the meme that animals are people too, intead, it implacably files lawsuits against animal industries, pushes voter initiatives like the one that put pregnant pigs in Florida's Constitution and Proposition 2 this year in California, and otherwise spends a fortune trying to make animal husbandry more difficult.As a tactic, it is brilliant: If you keep chewing at the edges long enough, the entire pie will be consumed.Some animal rightists hate this approach because, to them, it reeks of animal welfare advocacy that validates animal husbandry and increases public support for it by eli... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1733737 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:11:00 +0100 1733737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1711718&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fgwynith-paltrow-endorses-company-that.html Oh, oh. A-list movie star Gwyneth Paltrow has endorsed a clothing company that uses animal skin in some of its products, and predictably, the animal rights ideologues are coming unglued. From the story: The Hollywood star has been signed up by Italian designer Tod's and is pictured draped in fox fur and wearing fur-lined boots feature in the company's latest advertising campaign.Miss Paltrow, 35, who is married to the Coldplay singer and vegetarian Chris Martin has won praise for her impeccable green credentials and is a fan of holistic practices and yoga. The decision to endorse Tod's, a luxury goods company which also uses ostrich and snakeskin in its products, and describes itself as "refined, understated luxury, impeccable taste and enviable quality", has come as a shock to animal righ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1711718 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:54:00 +0100 1711718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1700583&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fmore-proof-of-need-for-animal-research.html As if it were really needed, here is further proof that animal research is absolutely necessary to the alleviation of human suffering and finding treatments for terrible afflictions: Scientsts have been able to recreate Alzheimer's disease in mouse models which will permit the affliction to be studied in ways that could never be done in living humans. From the story: A common form of dementia has been artificially reproduced for the first time, in a move experts have hailed as a "crucial breakthrough" in our understanding of the disease. The development allows scientists the first ever opportunity to map the onset of the disease, similar to Alzheimer's, and track how drugs affect it...By creating the same damage to the brain in mice, the scientists, led by Professor John Mayer, at the Univ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1700583 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:50:00 +0100 1700583 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1686146&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fanimal-rights-nonsense-change-name-of.html I so often write about the deadly serious side of the animal rights movement--the threats to people--that I too often forget to point out some of the more jejune stunts that some advocates pull. Case in point: One animal rights activist wants to change the name of Homo sapiens. From his call to sign a petition a (my emphasis):WHEREAS "complex" describes human beings far more comprehensively than does "sapient" and so the Latin complexus describes human beings and differentiates our species from others more accurately than does sapiens;Whereas human beings act based on names and descriptors, accurate or not, at least as much as on demonstrated reality;Whereas calling themselves by the inaccurate name Homo sapiens promotes and perpetuates an attitude in human beings of their own exceptionali... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1686146 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:11:00 +0100 1686146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1682889&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fwar-on-scientists.html Secondhand Smokette, better known as Debra J. Saunders, has an excellent column in today's San Francisco Chronicle castigating the animal rights terrorists who are attacking animal researchers. (I should point out that she was writing about the dangers of animal rights before I ever did.) From her column: Imagine if a group of rabid creationists started fire-bombing the homes of University of California professors to prevent them from teaching evolution. Area politicians would be holding competing press conferences to assure the public that they would take on the violent zealots, who have declared war, not only on good academics and their families, but on science itself.No need to imagine. Across California, a different group of zealots has done just that. True believers have distributed p... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1682889 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:36:00 +0100 1682889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1676917&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F08%2Fanimal-rights-terrorism-in-santa-cruz.html The animal rights fanatics are getting closer and closer to killing somebody. In the most recent attacks, UC Santa Cruz researchers were the victims of firebombs. One was a car, the other was of a house--with people in residence! From the story:In the off-campus incident, a well-known molecular biologist and his family, including two small children, were forced to escape a smoke-filled house using a second-story ladder after a firebomb was intentionally set off, police said. One family member sustained injuries requiring brief hospitalization, and police are calling the firebombing, which occurred shortly before 6 a.m., a case of attempted homicide.How many times have I posted here at SHS about the growing radicalism and violence of groups like ALF and SHAC--only to be told by animal right... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1676917 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:18:00 +0100 1676917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1671426&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fmore-animal-rights-threats-in-santa.html Readers of SHS will recall the home invasion of the Santa Cruz cancer researcher who enraged animal rights fanatics for experimenting on lab rats looking for a cure for breast cancer. There hasn't been much news from there lately, until now. New threats are being made. From the story: There are some people in Santa Cruz very nervous over a pamphlet that contains a lot of personal information about them. Police are looking for whoever left pamphlets listing the names and addresses of U.C.S.C. researchers at a cafe.The crudely-constructed pamphlet titled "Murderers and Torturers Alive and Well in Santa Cruz" warns "We know where you live. We know where you work. We will never back down." A customer at a café brought the pamphlet to police. It was the title that caught his attention, but onc... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1671426 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:17:00 +0100 1671426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668314&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fanimal-researcher-on-air.html Our friend P. Michael Conn, Associate Director and Senior Scientist of the Oregon National Primate Research Center, was interviewed on the radio about his fine book The Animal Research War. (Before the interview begins, the hosts discuss the best time to eat sushi and the genetic makeup and expression of dogs.) Then, Dr. Conn explains the importance of animals in research and the terrorism to which he and other researchers have been subjected. From the interview: There is a very real and very violent war going on right now against animal research. It's almost invisible in the media...We want people to know that these extremist groups are having a strangling effect on drug development; things we need so desperately...We are in the middle, we are the welfarists, we want the best things for a... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668314 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:53:00 +0100 1668314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1646374&cid=t_112966_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F342636699%2F The FDA commish is being berated this week in full-page ads in The Washington Post by animal activists, who are frustrated and impatient that the agency has failed to respond to their entreaties to eliminate animal testing used to determine toxicity in drugs. And so PETA, the People for the Ethical Treament of Animals, have placed a cute little beagle alongside von Eschenbach’s hound dog mug in hopes of stirring widespread passion among the public. The ad reads: “Because the FDA guidelines are antiquated, dogs are still forced to ingest, inhale, or be injected with drugs. Those who don’t die outright can suffer for months or even years while their organs fail and they become riddled with cancer and other diseases. Thanks to the FDA, dogs are also purposely infected with disea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1646374 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:21:02 +0100 1646374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1645829&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fvegan-is-murder.html As promised a few weeks ago, I have expanded upon my original thoughts about the killing of field animals in plant agriculture and how that impacts the "meat is murder" meme pushed by animal rights activists. It is published in today's NRO. I describe how field animals are killed by being chopped up in combine blades or burned when field leavings are torched. I then point out that this creates an intellectual problem for animal rightists. From my column:Animal-rights activists certainly don’t mention this inconvenient fact in their advocacy materials. But if the matter comes up in debate, they have a problem: They believe it is “speciesist” to grant some sentient animals--including humans--greater value than others; as PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk so famously put it, “a rat, is a fish, ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1645829 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:05:00 +0100 1645829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575330&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fanimal-rights-activists-want-hemsley.html Leona Helmsley left her hundreds of millions of dollars to care for dogs. And now the animal rights groups want that action. From the article by the industry funded and excellent information source, Center for Consumer Freedom: Helmsley's money, which may amount to as much as $400 million in grants every year, "could make such a difference," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) president Ingrid Newkirk told the Associated Press yesterday. [Newkirk] said at least 3 million dogs are put to death each year for lack of spay and neuter programs. "Many people cannot afford the surgery for their dogs," she said. Last year, PETA raised $30 million. With all of this money, it managed to spay or neuter just 6,341 dogs and cats. (PETA also killed 1,997 pets while finding adoptive homes ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575330 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:13:00 +0100 1575330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1554371&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fif-meat-is-murder-so-is-vegan.html I grow weary of PETA's antics. Now, they are attacking actress Jessica Simpson for wearing a T-shirt that read, "Real Girls Eat Meat." From the story:Alistair Currie, a spokesman for Peta, said: "Jessica Simpson might have a right to wear what she wants, but she doesn't have a right to eat what she wants--eating meat is about suffering and death.Yeah? Well, so is going vegan. PETA won't tell you this, but I will: their vegan lifestyles also come at the expense of the deaths of countless animals. You see, mechanized plant farming for wheat, soy, and other vegan staples slaughters hundreds of millions of mice, rabbits, gophers, snakes, and other field animals. And then there is the chemical annihilation of rats and mice in silos and other grain and vegetable storage facilities. One study I f... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1554371 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:54:00 +0100 1554371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1552933&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fmuskrat-ignores-moral-duty-to-other.html A muskrat has undermined a levee on the Mississippi River, leading to the threatened destruction of homes. From the story:A heroic effort by hundreds of townspeople, volunteers and National Guardsmen to hold back the Mississippi River failed yesterday--undone by a burrowing muskrat. The furry rodent dug a hole through the earthen levee in the eastern Missouri community of Winfield, allowing water to penetrate the flood wall, which failed shortly before dawn.Gasp. Undermining a human levee is as cruel as destroying a beaver's dam! Put that rodent in jail! This is a profound violation of the muskrat's duty to treat other members of the community of equals based on mere sentience, equally.What? Oh, right. The muskrat owed the threatened homeowners nothing. It is not a moral being. It was mere... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1552933 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:45:00 +0100 1552933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1516400&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fanimal-researcher.html The BBC's science and technology magazine Focus has a feature on the "most dangerous jobs in the world." They include HazMat teams, snake venom farmers, vulcanologists--and animal researchers. From the story (no link available) that includes what has happened to our friend and co-author of The Animal Research War, P. Michael Conn:While most animal rights activists campaign against testing peacefully, extremist factions use intimidation tactics to scare scientists into stopping their research. Mlchael Conn, whose includes research on primates, got first-hand experience when he attended a job interview at the University of South Florida (USF). Alter an online posting stated that "killing a vivisectionist is justifiable," he was met at the airport by extremists wearing a t-shirts which read, ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1516400 Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:53:00 +0100 1516400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508120&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fswiss-moving-toward-total-ban-on-animal.html A Swiss Court has banned the use of the macaque monkey in brain experiments. From the Nature story (no link):Zurich's two largest institutes are appealing to the country's supreme court after a lower court decided to ban two primate experiments studying how the brain adapts to change. They say that the ban is a serious threat to all basic research that uses animals in Switzerland...The scientists use primates because their brains are closer to the human brain than any other species. "We need to understand the basic biology of our brains in order to be able to successfully treat brain diseases such as Parkinson's," says Kevan Martin, one of the researchers. He says he intends to re-apply for ethics approval, making the value of the research more explicit. Roger Lemon, a neuroscientist at Un... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508120 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:36:00 +0100 1508120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1491953&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fnone-dare-call-it-racism-comparing.html The KKK used to compare African Americans to animals. That was pure bigotry. I thought that was all in the past, but now it is the animal rights radicals that do it. The hyper radical Steven Best put it this way in an interview:Stealing blacks from their native environment and homeland, placing chains around their bodies, shipping them in cramped quarters across the ocean for months with no regard for their suffering and death, branding their skin to mark them as property, auctioning them as servants and slabs of meat, separating family members from one another as they screamed in protest, breeding them for service and labor, exploiting them for profit, beating them out of hatred and anger, and killing them in huge numbers when they were no longer of service--all these horrors began with t... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1491953 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:56:00 +0100 1491953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1481801&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fin-mind-of-animal-rights-terrorist.html Ronnie Lee is a notorious ALF activist who recently revealed has state quite clearly the totalitarian mindset that drives his particular corner of the animal rights-liberation movement. From an interview he gave: It’s about changing people's attitudes and it’s about changing the way that people behave. People only ever change their behaviour for 2 reasons. One reason is because they want to and the other reason is because they are too frightened not to. We have to educate people, so that they want to change, but we also have to make it so they have got to, or else.Nice. I am nearing the end of my European soujourn. When I get back I'll read the whole interview and perhaps write about it some more. (Source: Secondhand Smoke) Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1481801 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:13:00 +0100 1481801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1472331&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fseeking-person-status-for-chimpanzee.html Matthew Hiasl Pan is the name given to him. Nice name except for one major detail. Pan is a 26 year old Chimpanzee. And in the radical animal rights activists mind Pan should be seen as, treated as and protected in law as a person.Thankfully the high court in Austria decided that only people get people status. Duh! The only agreement with the animal rights activists is that Pan is not a human. But the claim is, if you get to know Pan, you will realize that he is a person.Not happy with the Austrian decision, they've taken their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.Wesley has said, "giving constitutional rights to animals and plants will open Pandora’s Box.“Chimp personhood is a primary goal that animal-right activists seek to attain and then use as a wreckin... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1472331 Wed, 28 May 2008 14:25:00 +0100 1472331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1463653&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Feu-court-to-rule-if-chimp-is-person.html Can't even take a vacation! But this is very big:Chimp personhood is a primary goal that animal right activists seek to attain and then use as a wrecking ball to disintegrate human exceptionalism. Once a court's declares a chimpanzee to be a full person, that ruling would make chimps, in at least some regards, our legal equals, which, in turn would erect a new Noah's Ark, only this time shaped like a courtroom, with animal "guardians" soon clogging the courts with suits "by animals" demanding rights.An early try in Austria toward this end was not successful, as I covered here at SHS. But now the EU Court decided to take that case on appeal--and that ain't good. There was no reason to take the case just to deny what does not, and has never existed. Thus I fear this means that at least some ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1463653 Thu, 22 May 2008 21:10:00 +0100 1463653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454256&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fanimal-rights-versus-environmentalism.html I have noticed a slowly growing schism between animal rights and environmentalism. The former cares about each animal as individuals, perceiving their moral value (whether based on "painience" or "sentience") to that generally accorded to human beings. Environmentalism, in contrast, cares about macro systems, a view in which individuals--perhaps even human beings--matter less and in the more radical view, can even be sacrificed to "save the planet."This sometimes leads the two to come into conflict, as I have pointed out here. Now, animal rights activists are threatening to stop a planned kangaroo cull that is being done to protect endangered grass and grasshoppers. (But grasshoppers are animals, and accordingly, PETA has called for the end of insect exploitation such as domesticated queen... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454256 Mon, 19 May 2008 18:15:00 +0100 1454256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1450196&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fmore-commentary-on-swiss-nonsense.html I did a lot of media on my "Silent Scream of the Asparagus" piece in the Weekly Standard. But I am certainly not alone in noticing the extremes to which the Swiss are now going, not only with plant "dignity," but also with certain "rights" for social animals--including goldfish--about which I also commented here at SHS. And now Michael Cook, the creator of the splendid bioethics news clearing house BioEge, has weighed in with "The Dignity of Swiss Goldfish." From his column:Switzerland's passion for the dignity of all creatures great and small, however, rings hollow in view of its treatment of human beings. It is one of the few countries in the world where assisted suicide is legal. The best-known agency for DIY [do it yourself] euthanasia, a Zurich-based group called--what else?--Dignitas... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1450196 Sat, 17 May 2008 22:16:00 +0100 1450196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1413383&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fanimal-rights-threats-of-violence-not.html The terrorist pimp Jerry Vlasak, reacting to a judge's refusal to lift a restraining order against ALF and others who have made the lives of UCLA animal researchers a living hell through threats of death, bombs left on doorsteps, etc., has issued a clear threat of violence that is barely even veiled. From the Animal Liberation Front Press Office press release: Jerry W. Vlasak, MD, a press officer for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, stated after he heard about the rulings, "How stupid can this [Judge] Terry Friedman be? Not only does he flaunt his obvious financial biases for the plaintiffs, but fails to realize that removing legal and constitutional avenues of redress, as history proves out, will only promote illegal actions on behalf of the non-human animals being gratu... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413383 Thu, 01 May 2008 16:08:00 +0100 1413383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1413385&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fpixie-dust-regrows-severed-finger.html I would be more comfortable about this tremendous potential advance in healing serious wounds if it were reported in a peer reviewed medical journal rather than the sensationalistic Daily "Halle Berry Shows She's a REAL Mom as Dress Reveals Post Baby Tummy" Mail, but the story seems convincing: A man's partially severed finger has been made to regrow with an experimental powder. From the story: Scientists are claiming an amazing breakthrough - regrowing a man's severed finger with the aid of an experimental powder. Four weeks after Lee Spievack sliced almost half an inch off the top of one of his fingers, he said it had grown back to its original length. Four months later it looked like any other finger, complete with "great feeling", a fingernail and fingerprint.And here's a little matt... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413385 Thu, 01 May 2008 14:07:00 +0100 1413385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1401322&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Frights-for-social-animals-in.html The country that has brought the concept of "plant dignity" to the world has now extended "rights" to members of "social species." animals. From the story: Under a new Swiss law enshrining rights for animals, dog owners will require a qualification, anglers will take lessons in compassion and horses will go only in twos. From guinea-pigs to budgerigars, any animal classified as a "social species" will be a victim of abuse if it does not cohabit, or at least have contact, with others of its own kind. The new regulation stipulates that aquariums for pet fish should not be transparent on all sides and that owners must make sure that the natural cycle of day and night is maintained in terms of light. Goldfish are considered social animals, or Gruppentiere in German... The law extends to unlike... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1401322 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 15:15:00 +0100 1401322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1393669&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Fucla-obtains-restraining-order-to.html This shouldn't be necessary--and it isn't enough--but the Animal Liberation Front and others have been enjoined from coming within 50 feet or researchers' homes and from otherwise intimidating and harassing them. Of course, that will make no difference to the fanatics. From the story:"Two of the groups (the Animal Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Brigade) are clandestine organizations that regularly break the law," Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a trauma surgeon and press officer for the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, told City News Service. "The Animal Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Brigade neither care nor know about the restraining order."Vlasak is only half right: They do know but they do not care. Why? In my view ALF-type animal rights fanaticism is not about animals ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1393669 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:28:00 +0100 1393669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363657&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Fhsus-trying-to-drive-egg-industry-out.html The HSUS, following up on its success in convincing voters to grant pregnant pigs the constitutional right not to be maintained in gestation crates in Florida--a state that only had a few pig herds at the time, which have been driven out of business by the law--has now used its considerable financial power to qualify a California state initiative to outlaw veal crates. There are no veal operations in California. It would also allow gestation crates. But those are being voluntarily taken out of use by the small pig industry that exists in California. Thus, as to the pork and veal aspects of the measure, once again HSUS is once again attacking virtually non existent targets.But there is an egg industry in CA, and HSUS's initiative, if passed, will require that laying hens be kept in space wi... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363657 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:47:00 +0100 1363657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1351932&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Fanimal-rights-violence-attack-against.html In "Keep Scientists Safe," neuroscience professor Jeffrey Kordower had the guts to unequivocally identify terrorism in the name of animal rights as the thuggery it is. From his column in the Chicago Tribune:Black-masked attackers disrupting a child's birthday party. A firebomb left on a doorstep. In the last six months, biomedical researchers have faced these terrifying attacks and more, with shadowy animal rights groups proudly claiming responsibility. Despite being highly regulated, peer-reviewed, crucial to public health and legal, vital research is increasingly under violent attack by activists using illegal means. It is time for the science, academic and health communities to say "enough" and do something about it. No researcher should experience the trauma of this kind of attack alon... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1351932 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:03:00 +0100 1351932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337860&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fron-coronado-expresses-regret-for.html Rodney Coronado, previously imprisoned for committing arson, is going to jail again. Unlike his previous defiance, this time at his sentencing he expressed regret. From the story:Coronado was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison after pleading guilty to demonstrating how to use a destructive device during a speech in Hillcrest in August 2003.Before Miller sentenced him, Coronado said those days were behind him, that he wanted to be a family man, a good husband to his wife of eight months and a father to his two children. "My life, I see going in a completely different direction," Coronado said. Coronado, 41, accepted responsibility for his words and said he was ready to serve his sentence and then "be allowed to move on with my life.""I have said and done things in my past which... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337860 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:01:00 +0100 1337860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337001&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fanimal-rights-threats-of-violence-and.html Why this was ever considered "art" I will never know, but there was supposed to be a film shown at the San Francisco Art Institute that depicted animals being bludgeoned, with a discussion to follow. Stupid and cruel. But we have seen other deeply offensive "art" presented before by institutes and museums--and protests pressuring to shut them down. But those protests are usually for naught because the "arteests" and the First Amendment Crowd always go into high dudgeon about the importance of the free expression, even if it profoundly offends. Which is right, although one wishes these people would be more considerate of their neighbors' sensibilities.Protests over this junk would have been very appropriate, but the thuggish method by which animal rights activists closed down the exhibit wa... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337001 Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:10:00 +0100 1337001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1312336&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fvoice-of-america-puff-piece-on-ingrid.html If you wanted to know why so many people misunderstand the subversive, anti-human nature of the animal rights movement, just look at this ridiculous puff piece of Ingrid Newkirk, byline Faith Lapidus, that appeared--your tax dollars at work-on the Voice of America. From the story: She founded PETA--People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals--in 1980, with a mission much larger than vegetarianism. The organization fights to end the suffering of animals on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in the entertainment industry, and in laboratories. Some of PETA's first campaigns targeted research labs where monkeys and chimps were used as test subjects. Yes, well PETA doesn't just want to end suffering, it wants to end all human use of animals--a point that Lapidus somehow missed in her reporti... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1312336 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:01:00 +0100 1312336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1307613&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fcourage-scientists-speak-out-in-defense.html There are two veins of thought about animal research among liberationist advocates. One has integrity: It says that humans can benefit from animal research, but that we should eschew it for ethical reasons, e.g., as Gary Francione believes, no sentient being can be property. I disagree profoundly with this argument, but it has the integrity of truthfulness and permits us to have a rational discourse based upon an accurate factual foundation.The other argument utterly lacks intellectual integrity. This argument claims that humans receive no benefit from animal research, and thus for both ethical and scientific reason, all research should be abandoned. This is so specious that it does not even allow debate. It is like someone saying that gravity did not cause the apple to fall from the tree ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1307613 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:06:00 +0100 1307613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283368&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fanimal-rights-activists-like-wolves.html I write often here about animal rights, most often to decry the violence in the movement. But we shouldn't lose sight of the perfectly legal methods liberationists also apply to end the domestic use of all animals.One of the most effective, is to focus attention on a few discreet alleged "abuses" of animals at a time. This is smart. Animal products are so ubiquitous that railing against them all would be to disburse the movement's energies and render it impotent. So liberationists choose a few primary enemies at at time, allowing all aspects of the movement from the theorists, to the lawyers, to the political activists, to the terrorists, to concentrates their attention like a knife point and do real damage.This is why the movement is now so focused on foie gras--the product made from over... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283368 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:00:00 +0100 1283368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271800&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fmore-proof-that-animal-rights-movement.html When I began writing my book on the animal rights movement, I believed that there was the "mainstream" movement--if that term is applicable to any ideology as radical as animal rights--and extremists who were violent and dangerous. And I puzzled at the generally muted or non-reaction of most leaders of the mainstream movement and their seeming indifference to arson, the threatening of families, and etc. that are the hallmarks of so-called "direct actions," taken by the likes of ALF and SHAC.Well, my research and events have led me to the unexpected conclusion that I was in error. There are not two movements, one peaceable and one violent, but one movement; people united in purpose and cause who merely pursue and support each others' different strategies toward the same end. Indeed, the ani... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271800 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:35:00 +0100 1271800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1261807&cid=t_112966_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F242324224%2F A rash of vandalism, intimidation and arson across continental Europe in 2008 is evidence of a worrying new wave of animal-rights extremism being exported from Britain, according to experts contacted by Nature.* In early January, threats led to a Dutch developer withdrawing from a new, $89 million biomedical research park in the Netherlands. A month later, Hasselt University’s Biomedical Research Institute in Belgium was set on fire. And in Barcelona in Spain, vandals targeted Novartis offices. The pattern “is quite clear-cut”, according to Simon Festing, director of the Research Defence Society, a London-based group representing medical researchers. Festing tells Nature that he believes new, more stringent enforcement in the UK has led many extremists to move their activities ov... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1261807 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:12:34 +0100 1261807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258066&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fanimal-rights-terrorism-somebody-could.html I am sick of animal rights apologists stating that their "direct actions" aren't violent. In Santa Cruz, the home of a scientist was invaded by masked activists because the scientist uses animals in cancer research. And there was a physical assault of a family member: From the story: A UC Santa Cruz faculty member whose biomedical research using animals sheds light on the causes of breast cancer and neurological diseases was the target of an attack Sunday afternoon, reportedly by animal rights activists. UCSC Chancellor George Blumenthal confirmed late Monday that an off-campus home invasion by six masked intruders occurred at a faculty member's home. In a statement, Blumenthal called the incident "very disturbing."Santa Cruz police reported that six people wearing bandanas tried to break ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258066 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:23:00 +0100 1258066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1258068&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fideology-distorts-reason-animal-rights.html The South African government has relegalized the culling of elephant herds. Predictably, animal rights activists are calling for a boycott. From the story: Beginning in May, the government will lift a 13-year ban on elephant culls, which are usually carried out by shooting entire herds, including youngsters, from helicopters.Animal Rights Africa said culling was "cruel and morally reprehensible," adding that elephants have emotions similar to those of humans. The move could hurt the country's tourism industry, with animal welfare lobbies calling for a tourist boycott to protest culling...The guidelines call for "humane" killing, specifying that a rifle of at least .375 caliber be used. Sharpshooters usually kill entire herds because of the complex social structure of elephants and because ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1258068 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:56:00 +0100 1258068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1251083&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fanimal-rights-terrorists-continue-arson.html Animal rights advocates and ALF apologists often say that they aren't terrorists because all they do is burn buildings, and not hurt people. But they also terrorize their enemies with threats, like the one quoted below--intending to coerce her out of research by threats of burning her house to the ground: Communiqué from ALF activists Date: February 21, 2008 Institution targeted: UCLA Primate Vivisector Edythe London Received anonymously Edyth London, you and your work are deplorable. You are given paychecks in exchange for addicting primates, the closest kin that the human species knows, to numerous sickeningly addicting drugs like crystal meth. For ... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1251083 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:52:00 +0100 1251083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215200&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Falf-admits-london-terrorist-arson.html I reported yesterday on the shameful and criminal firebombing of Dr. Edythe London's house. One commentator thought I might have jumped to a conclusion. But the despicable ALF has now bragged about their felonious conduct. From the anonymous press release: After promising to return if she continued torturing non-human primates in her UCLA laboratory, animal liberationists have again targeted the home of notorious primate vivisector Edythe London. According to the Los Angeles Times, an incendiary device damaged her home today; no one was home at the time. London was targeted by the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) last October for her role in torturing non-human animals to death in outdated and unnecessary experiments; in that incident, tens of thousands of dollars in damage was reported after... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215200 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:34:00 +0100 1215200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1211988&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fanimal-rights-terrorists-close-to.html I am convinced that unless they change course very soon, animal rights terrorists will soon kill someone. I bring this up because animal rights nuts apparently set fire to the home of Dr. Edythe London:Authorities are investigating a fire caused by a device left Tuesday at a house owned by a UCLA professor who conducts animal research--the second time the house has been targeted in less than four months. The device was placed Monday morning on the front porch of a Westside house owned by Edythe London, FBI officials in Los Angeles said. London, a professor of psychiatry and bio-behavioral sciences and of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, uses lab monkeys in her research on nicotine addiction.FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller confirmed that offi... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1211988 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:06:00 +0100 1211988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1160936&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F01%2Fmonkeys-cant-sue-yet.html The attempt by animal rights activists to grant animals the right to sue in their own names has been rejected in Texas. From the story:A Texas appeals court has affirmed a lower court decision that nine chimpanzees and monkeys that were brought to the Primarily Primates sanctuary in 2006 don't have a legal right to sue. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had sought to gain legal standing for the primates transferred from Ohio State University to the sanctuary after they were retired. PETA alleged that the sanctuary conditions were substandard and that it would be best for the seven chimps and two monkeys to be moved to another sanctuary.That's good but this issue is not going to go away any time soon. Oh, and for those of you who think it will never happen? A Brazilian judge award... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1160936 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:45:00 +0100 1160936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1159462&cid=t_112966_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F01%2Flawrence-tribe-supports-allowing.html Lawrence Tribe is a Harvard law professor who has been suggested as a possible Supreme Court nominee if the Democratic Party retakes the White House. In other words, he is Establishment Law, not somebody on the fringe. In researching for my book, I just came across a journal article, taken from a speech Tribe gave at Faneuil Hall in Boston, in which he sure seems to support giving animals standing to bring lawsuits in their own names. Claiming a "deep intuition that chimps and dolphins and dogs and cats are infinitely precious--like ourselves," Tribe states :...[E]xisting state and federal statutes depend on enforcement by chronically underfunded agencies and by directly affected and highly motivated people--and that's just not a sufficiently reliable source of protection. Recognizing that... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1159462 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:40:00 +0100 1159462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=758708&cid=t_112966_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F137542734%2F Once upon a time, when I sat down to read the newspaper, I just read it: Front page, arts, book reviews, world news, skip the sports. Now I sit down in front of my laptop to read, and get up mid-story if I hear Charlie calling—-and, inevitably, much of what I read is through the lens of Charlie, and of autism. For example: Eating gluten-free in NYC has gotten easier. (Though I think Charlie, who is more or less on the diet at home, and less or more on it when we eat out, is quite content with his favorite New York food emporium.) People are “most likely to become obese when a friend becomes obese“: Maybe it is not such a bad thing to have a differently functioning mirror neuron system, as some researchers say autistic persons do—imitation is not always exactly the b... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=758708 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:59:32 +0100 758708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=551307&cid=t_112966_140_f&fid=35479&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarhousewife.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fvery-important-message-for-animal.html I just received this, and I couldn't even read all of it, it was so horrible. You may not be able to either, but I think more people should know about this, mostly because of the inhumanity. The methods used by these companies should make your heart break, and hopefully inspire change in such a deplorable industry. Please read. Slaughter house: China butchers cats and dogs to satisfy the west's hunger>for fur>>>>It sounds too grotesque for words. But pelts from slaughtered cats and dogs>are being passed off as 'ethical' fur. Last week, the US fashion industry>cracked down on dubious ladelling, not good news for British shoppers as>fashion insiders predict a flood of rejects from the US>>The short video would have made even the most hardened fur-lover recoil. A>grey longhaired German shephe... The Bipolar Housewife Experiment blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=551307 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:53:00 +0100 551307