Their Turn - The Social Justice Movement of Our Time Their Turn - The Social Justice Movement of Our Time

Ice Bucket Challenge Sparks Debate on Animal Testing

September 3, 2014 by 5 comments


Opinion

In an opinion piece criticizing Pamela Anderson for opposing the ALS Association’s ice bucket challenge because the organization funds animal testing, the New York Post made no mention of why Ms. Anderson and “39 percent of Americans say medical testing on animals is morally wrong.” In fact, the Post attempts to discredit her by portraying her opposition as merely philosophical while stating that the benefits of animal testing are real.

The movement to ban animal testing isn’t philosophical; it is based on a frantic desire to stop animals from being tortured in labs. In her statement regarding the ALS ice bucket challenge, Ms. Anderson wrote: “In recent experiments funded by the ALS Association, mice had holes drilled into their skulls, were inflicted with crippling illnesses, and were forced to run on an inclined treadmill until they collapsed from exhaustion. Monkeys had chemicals injected into their brains and backs and were later killed and dissected.”

Some scientists maintain that animal research is necessary; others argue that it’s outdated and irrelevant to humans. Animal rights say it’s unjustifiable. But can all sides agree on one thing — that imprisoning animals in small cages for their entire lives, depriving them of everything that comes naturally to them and conducting painful experiments on them constitute torture? When making a decision about whether or not to support animal testing, shouldn’t people be equipped with that baseline knowledge?

If chimpanzees used in medical experiments had the power to switch places with and conduct tests on their captors, wouldn’t the researchers demand to be released on moral grounds? Wouldn’t they hope and pray that others rescue them?  If so, then they should follow the golden rule: Do unto others, animal cutters!

Humans are an arrogant bunch.  We think we are so superior to every other other species that we can do whatever we want to them, but aren’t we the only species that is destroying the planet?

One statement in the NY Post article (inadvertently) acknowledges the need for the animal rights activists like Pamela Anderson: “It’s fine, maybe even admirable, to strip naked to urge humane treatment of pets, combat cruel factory-farming or oppose unnecessary animal testing (as in the cosmetics industry).” The Post editors and mainstream society will eventually oppose all animal testing; they just don’t know it yet.


Denmark Arrests 14 Anti-Whaling Activists

September 2, 2014 by 3 comments


The News

As Sea Shepherd activists from around the world attempted to block the slaughter of 33 pilot whales in the Faroe Islands, the Danish Navy rounded up and arrested 14 of them. The slaughter is part of a “four century-old tradition” called “The Grind” during which hunters drive 1,000 pilot whales to the shore and hack them to death with hooks and knives. After the activists who were patrolling the waters were arrested, the hunters murdered all 33 whales. Here is video – taken from a safe distance – of a typical drive:

Your Turn

What could be crueler than rounding up 1,000 gentle and intelligent pilot whales and mercilessly slaughtering them? In 2014, can “tradition,” “culture” and “food” be used to justify this barbarism? Scandinavian countries are among the most progressive in the world, so why do the Danish sanction, protect and celebrate this annual bloodbath? Please help Sea Shepherd bring an end to what activist Pamela Anderson aptly describes as a “barbaric, psychotic frenzy.”


“What is Carriage Operator Hiding?”

September 2, 2014 by 1 comment


The News

In response to a Boston Globe story which stated that a carriage operator buried her horse before state authorities could investigate the cause of death, TheirTurn subscriber Mickey Kramer submitted a letter to the editor. Coincidentally, The Globle published Mr. Kramers’s letter about this beast of burden on Labor Day: “Considering Freddie supposedly got a clean bill of health three weeks earlier, it seems disingenuous, if not suspicious, of owner Sally Sutherland to bury the horse she claims to love before finding out a cause of death. What, if anything, is there to hide?”

horse+carriage+cruelty

Your Turn

Freddy spent almost 30 years working to make money for his owners before dying on the street. They worked him until the very end, depriving him of a humane retirement on a tranquil pasture where he could enjoy his final years. Some “traditions” should not be preserved, and urban carriage rides, which are inhumane, unsafe and anachronistic, are one of them. Learn more about the plight of the carriage horses and what you can do to help.


When Did Fish Become a Vegetable?

September 2, 2014 by 11 comments


Opinion

Over the years, restaurant servers have suggested fish when I told them I’m vegetarian, and many vegetarians have told me they eat fish. Are these people genuinely confused? Do they not see the fish as animals because they look so much different from cows, chickens and pigs? Or do they want the “vegetarian” label without having to give up fish? Whatever their reasons, can we all agree that fish aren’t vegetables?

Unlike vegetables, fish are sentient — able to feel things. When caught on a sharp hook that pierces their faces, they experience pain. When dragged out of their home in nets or by hooks, they suffocate — just as we would if someone held our heads underwater. Why would we inflict that kind of pain on someone? For sport? For a plate of food? Is it really worth it?

While hunting evokes a negative response among many people, fishing does not. In fact, many view it as a wholesome family activity. But it is far from wholesome. Fishing is a blood sport; it is hunting in the water. So, if you oppose hunting, then shouldn’t you oppose fishing and consuming fish? If you’re not convinced that fishing is inhumane, please read more.


A Nuanced Look at “Zoophilia”

August 29, 2014 by 10 comments


The News

A new documentary film about efforts by animal rights activists to ban beastiality (zoophilia) in Denmark shines a spotlight on the one “zoophile,” Oliver Burdinski, who was willing to speak on camera. In an in depth interview, Mr. Burdinski argues that animals can consent through physical cues and that he, not his dog, is the passive partner. The opposite, he says, would be cruel.

Mr. Burdinski speaks very candidly about his experience: “When I was 14 or 15, I wasn’t sure if it was right, so I tried to get human partners. But I was not happy with them. I tried to be normal. In 1994, I got internet and realized that I’m not alone.”

The video below is the in-depth interview. To see the new documentary, which is very interesting, click the link at the top of the story.

Opinion

Mr. Burdinski says he did not choose to be a zoophile; he insists that it’s his sexual orientation. He reminds me of a childhood neighbor who is now in prison for pedophilia. His parents told me his addiction to “touching boys” was kept in check by high doses of an antidepressant, but, when he reduced his dose due to side effects, the urges came back. I don’t know if he has OCD or if his sexual orientation is pedophilia. Either way, he is a very nice guy born with a very big problem. Sad for him. Sad for his victims.

Unlike my childhood neighbor, who has not spoken publicly about his struggles, Mr. Burdinski is very brave to be the public face of zoophilia and to educate the public about the issue. Even though a ban on zoophilia cannot be enforced in peoples’ homes, I do think it should be outlawed in order to end animal sex tourism in Denmark. I can’t believe that even exists! Then again, Denmark is home to one of the cruelest events on earth – “The Grind” – during which 800 pilot whales are rounded up and brutally slaughtered each year in the Faroe Islands.