Un-American about Animals by Peter Singer

[shockra]

Un-American about animals

By Peter Singer | August 20, 2005

WHAT COUNTRY has the most advanced animal protection legislation in the world? If you guessed the United States, go to the bottom of the class. The United States lags far behind all 25 nations of the European Union, and most other developed nations as well, such as Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

<snip>

To measure how far ahead other countries are, we can first look at British animal protection legislation. British law makes it illegal to keep breeding sows in crates that prevent them from walking or turning around -- the way in which about four out of every five US sows are kept. In Britain, law does not allow veal calves to be denied adequate roughage and iron, as is common in the United States to help produce the gourmet veal often served in restaurants.

Nevertheless, it is not Britain but Austria that has the most advanced animal protection legislation. In May 2004, a proposed law banning the chicken ''battery cage" was put to a vote in the Austrian Parliament. It passed -- without a single member of Parliament opposing it. Austria has banned fur farming and prohibited the use of wild animals in circuses. It has also made it illegal to trade in living cats and dogs in stores and deems killing an animal for no good reason a criminal offense. Most important, every Austrian province must appoint an ''animal lawyer" who can initiate court procedures on behalf of animals.

Why are Europeans so far ahead of Americans in protecting animal welfare? I doubt that it is because Americans are more tolerant of cruelty. In 2002, when the citizens of Florida were given a chance to vote on whether sows should be confined for months without ever having room to turn around, they voted, by a clear majority, to ban sow crates. Most Americans, though, have never had the chance to cast that vote. The animal movement in the United States has not succeeded in turning animal rights into electoral issues about which voters seek their candidates' views.

more...

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/08/20/un_american_about_animals/

[wli]

1. Bushler will declare PETA a terrorist organization before allowing it n/t

[shockra]

3. Factory farmers are his friends.

http://www.vegsandiego.com/veg/59/CFA_Exposes_the_Connection_Between_Veganism_and_Stopping_War.htm

While the Bush administration has overseen the creation of a monster deficit, taken away almost all environmental regulation and started a seemingly unending war there is one more important connection we feel needs to be made. The Meat, dairy and egg industries will put millions of dollars into GW Bush’s reelection.

Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins pointed out in her book Bush-whacked “The Republicans win elections in the ‘red states’ in the center of the country, where cattle and chickens are produced and slaughtered. Democrats win their elections in the ‘blue states’ on the coasts. Republicans use the USDA to pay off their contributors in the red states. The result of that crude electoral calculus is laissez-faire food-safety policy whenever a Republican is in the White House.

[OKDem08]

2. Vegetarian 1 yr+ now

"I will not be a victim, I will not be a perpetrator, nor will I be a bystander"

[xchrom]

4. i'm not a vegetarian and i whole heartedly support

''radical''{only because we've not thought of these laws in this current light} animal rights laws.

i want to see humans SHARE the planet with animals -- not ride the planet into the garbage heap.

[shockra]

5. Ah.

That quote's on the Holocaust Museum in DC.

[JackieO]

6. I didn't realize Austria was so advanced.

Thanks for the article, shockra.