December 9, 2007
 
Hi all,
 
If anyone has experienced problems with the START phone line, we apologize.  The voicemail service has been having trouble for the past few days, and consequently we have had no message and no voicemail.  We are hoping it will be back up and running sometime tomorrow.
 
We also want to remind people that the e-mail service that sends this weekly update cannot receive messages.  If you want to contact START by e-mail, please use the address above.  Hitting "Reply" to these weekly messages will only get you a rather snotty automated response.  We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. 
 
As long as we're reminding you of things, don't forget to use GoodSearch for all your online searching.  You can also now use GoodShop for online shopping, and help START in the process.
 
The START annual survey will be available shortly, and we want to urge everyone to fill it out so we can use it in planning our 2008 activities.  Also, January 1 is the time of year to renew your membership (or start a new membership).  We use these funds for billboards, cable ads, literature, event fees, and so forth.  We will be advertising at MetroLink stations soon, and we are really excited about this opportunity to reach the community with a series of animal rights messages.  So, every dollar helps in this effort.
 
A) VW's Insane Bird Experiments
B) Channel 4 Hunting Show
C) MN Slaughterhouse Sickens Workers
D) Farm Bill Reform!
E) Quick Action Alerts
F) News Tidbits
G) Lobby Day in Jefferson City
 
A) VW's Insane Bird Experiments
Just as we couldn't imagine why a candy company (M&M/Mars) would experiment on rats, we can't see the logic in a car company (Volkswagen) experimenting on birds.  Unfortunately, where vivisection is concerned, logic has no place.  The German-based automobile manufacturer has been carrying out macabre experiments on wild-caught songbirds.  Yet, one of the main experimenters has his own webpage featuring his nature photography!  I guess it's like hunters who claim to revere and respect the animals they blast away.  Go to the IDA website and take action.
B) Channel 4 Hunting Show
KMOV-TV Channel 4, has for a long time had a Sunday night hunting show.  It's your basic "Gee, isn't that a gorgeous antelope, I think I'll kill it" sort of show.  A couple of START members have wanted to take some kind of action, whether it be letter-writing or demonstrations, etc.  It's hard to choose the appropriate action for something like this.  A number of television and radio stations have "outdoors" shows that feature hunting and fishing "experts," and these people are particularly adamant about their "right" to slaughter.  In any case, a politely worded letter, e-mail, or phone call to KMOV would certainly be a step in the right direction.  After all, they survive on ratings and public approval. 
 
Something worth mentioning to them would be the creepy prominent hunting ad on their homepage.  One of the first things you notice when you go to the KMOV website is the scrolling ad for a hunting supply store.  Camouflaged hunters are shown aiming at who knows what.  If nothing else, the ad is just plain irritating.  Maybe they'll respond to that aspect of a complaint.  (While you're at it you could also tell them how annoying the pop-ups are, especially since they override pop-up blockers.)
C) MN Slaughterhouse Sickens Workers (thanks, Mack!)
A Minnesota slaughterhouse is suspected of sickening workers in a particular area of the plant.  Those whose job it is to expel pig brains are coming down with neurological problems.  They use compressed air to essentially blow the brain matter out of the dead pigs' heads.  It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that routine procedures at a slaughterhouse would cause illness.  Groups fighting for workers' rights have long known the dangers to both health and safety that slaughterhouses and packing plants pose.  Human Rights Watch published an extensive report in 2005, detailing the high incidence of severe injury and illness these workers experience, as compared to their counterparts in other manufacturing jobs.  While we know that ultimately humans have at least some choice in this process while animals have none, the abominable conditions these people endure is still something we should acknowledge.  The vast majority are desperate uneducated immigrants, being paid poverty wages with no benefits, and absolutely no recourse when injured.
D) Farm Bill Reform!
This coming week the Senate is expected to vote on the Farm Bill.  Business as usual would be a bill loaded with subsidies to the largest farms and most bloated industries.  Money talks, which means we all lose.  But, the Lugar-Lautenberg Amendment, also known as the FRESH Amendment, is a good starting point in an effort to curtail "business as usual."  PCRM outlines what this amendment involves.  Call and e-mail our two US Senators as soon as possible and ask that they support the Lugar-Lautenberg Amendment. 
 
It's really very interesting to look at the various breakdowns of subsidy money and other contributions.  PCRM has links to several pages telling why a salad costs more than a hamburger, which companies benefit the most, and so on.  Very revealing.  You can find these links on the Farm Bill Reform page.
G) Lobby Day in Jefferson City
January 29 is Lobby Day in Jeff City.  This is a day for you to speak with your State Legislators in person.  See the MAAL website for details.  Let us know if you are interested and we might be able to get a carpool going, or at least a caravan of people.