September
2004
My
Recipe for a Humane World
By J. P. Goodwin
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In many ways, the progress of our movement will be
measured by how we affect public policy. One important component of
public policy that
leads to enhanced corporate responsibility is consumer education. The
choices we make in our personal lives have a great impact on animals.
In addition, no one can deny that the establishment of a legal framework
to protect animals from harm is also an important sign of success.
To gauge our political potential, we must look at the success we have already
experienced when our issues have been put before voters. Twenty-four states allow
for the passage of ballot initiatives. This form of lawmaking involves gathering
signatures from registered voters, and then a measure is placed on the ballot
for a vote. The animal protection movement has been more successful in passage
of ballot initiatives than virtually any other social cause (with the exception
of the term limits movement). In fact, since 1990 voters have approved 17 ballot
initiatives with animal advocates winning far more than we lost.
Taking it to the next level, the Humane USA Political Action Committee recently
helped defeat California state Senator Rico Oller in his bid for the U.S. Congress.
Animal issues played a key role in defining the type of person Oller is, and
contributed mightily to his defeat. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a strong supporter
of animal protection, was narrowly elected by just 2,000 votes after Humane USA
sent a mailer to 80,000 advocates asking them to come out and vote for her. Humane
concerns have strong potential for affecting voter behavior, and determining
who ultimately serves in public office.
Compassionate Values in Mainstream Legislation
By organizing effectively and in a disciplined fashion, we can make major changes
through the legislative process. This has several advantages.
First, the passage of legislation brings legitimacy
to our cause. In a world where morality is often defined by what is
legal and what is not, it becomes
essential that we prohibit by law such forms of cruelty as setting leghold
traps that maim wildlife, or confining breeding pigs in gestation crates
so small that
the sows can’t even turn around.
An effective political front shows the strength of a movement. CEOs of major
companies are not likely to rock the boat or make bold political pronouncements.
Smart businesspeople tend to embrace reforms such as ending animal tests or demanding
a change in how farm animals are raised only when they recognize that humane
values have become mainstream values.
Second, opinion leaders in the media have an enormous impact on the thinking
of people in this nation. The media is starting to see animal protection as a
legitimate moral issue and not something limited to the fringe of society. A
strong political presence aids in this evolution of thought in those who speak
to the masses and places our issues on the radar screen for public discussion.
The animal protection movement is now focusing heavily on factory farming of
animals as the most pervasive form of animal abuse in the world today. Changes
in our buying habits will go a long way towards ending factory farming. Recent
movement by companies like McDonald’s, to demand their egg suppliers
end the withdrawal of feed from egg laying hens as a means of forcing the birds
to
molt, helps establish that farm animals do matter.
Ultimately, it must be established in law that confining farm animals in ways
that their movement is severely restricted is unacceptable. It must be established
in law that the genetic manipulation of animals to develop massive meat producing
machines is wrong. It must be established in law that the force feeding of animals
to produce foie gras, or the deliberate starving of animals to trigger new egg
laying cycles, is wrong.
One example is how the debate over factory farming was thrust into the public
spotlight when voters in Florida were given the opportunity to vote on a proposed
ban on gestation crates. This measure passed with 55 percent of the vote. Or
one might point to attention currently on the plight of elephants in the circus
due to a pending ballot initiative in Denver, CO to ban such exotic animal acts.
Legislation is necessary to end many forms of animal exploitation. It is unlikely
that anyone who would shoot a confined animal is going to have a moral awakening
that there is something wrong with canned hunts. We doubt many cockfighters will
wake up one day and realize that a decent person does not strap knives onto the
heels of roosters who are then given adrenaline boosting drugs and pitted against
one another in a fight to the death. For these activities to be brought to an
end, they must be stopped by the force of law.
Humane Education and Establishing Credibility
This same principle holds true with issues that we can affect through educating
the public. Every potential fur buyer who is made aware of how mink and fox
become severely stressed on fur farms is someone whose consumer choices can
prevent
needless animal suffering. But the complete collapse of the retail fur market
in the U.S. still wouldn’t put all fur farms and trappers out of business.
Half of all global fur consumption today is in China and Russia, countries
where animal advocacy movements are still in infantile stages of development.
Rather than wait for animal advocates in developing nations to catch up, we must
propose banning the killing of animals for their pelts today. Such a bold statement
by Congress, while not yet a reality, would certainly help fledgling animal movements
abroad by establishing credibility for their efforts.
Furthermore, the same public education campaigns that persuade people not to
wear fur also help bring support for our broader legislative efforts. In fact,
a politically viable movement of animal advocates aids directly in stopping cruelty.
Bans on leghold traps in eight states have led to less suffering for furbearing
animals. Outlawing cockfighting in 48 states has saved literally millions of
animals that would otherwise have been torn apart in cock pits. While some cockfighting
goes on illegally, the activity has been severely limited, especially in states
that classify this bloodsport as a felony.
Many avenues of social change are available to us. While not all tactics are
effective or acceptable, a variety of approaches are needed to create the type
of world we all want to live in. The effective use of the political process
is an essential ingredient in the recipe for a humane world.
J.P. Goodwin is Grassroots Outreach Coordinator for the Humane Society of the
United States. To get involved with the Humane USA PAC, visit www.humaneusa.org.
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