Berlin Trip

Well, I have been in Berlin now for the past five days, and while I can say that I am enjoying myself, it would be untrue for me to say that I am having as much fun as I did in Paris. It isn´t that Berlin is bad, or anything like that...It just is not as exciting as Paris was. Interestingly it is true that the majority of people that we have run into do, in fact, speak very good English...and also, most people here are quite friendly. Finding vegan food has been challenging...mostly hit or miss, because some of the information on Happy Cow.net has not always been the most up-to-date, but for the most part I´ve had no trouble eating. We went to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe a couple days ago, and I am not ashamed to admit that I had to compose myself because I could not help but cry. Today, we went to the Sachsenhousen Concentration Camp, which also was quite shocking...It´s just so hard for me to believe that people could actually be CAPABLE of that type of savagery and that much evil. But of course it did happen. I couldn´t help but think of my two Jewish friends Kim and Virgil, and how much different the world might have been for them if Hitler had won the war, instead of losing it. I´m so glad that he did not win it. In any event, we´ve seen several other sites around Berlin so far, and as I said, it´s been an enjoyable trip, but I did like Paris more. One thing I can´t get over here is all the graffiti all over everything! There is graffiti on SO MANY buildings here, all over the place! It´s not like it´s just in one place, either...It is everywhere! So that took some getting used to. I do miss my fur babies though, and I´m ready to get back to them...But we´ve still got quite a bit to see!

Life Changes

Isn't it funny how we hate for things to change in our lives, and when they do, how we react so strongly to them? I recently went through such a change, one that really hurt me. I had been spending lots of time and energy (and invested quite a bit of my emotions), with a group of people that are helping to change the world...At least, helping to change the world for animals. It was a great source of comfort, accomplishment, and solidarity for me, at least in the beginning. But it's really sad when one becomes disillusioned with people, after seeing what they are truly like on the inside. That's sort-of what happened with me...I became involved "on the inside," and I realized that quite a few of the people were not everything I made them out to be in my mind. So now, I find myself adrift again, wanting to help animals but not sure at this point how to do so, because I can't allow myself to be involved again with people who have no integrity in their personal relationships, or even in how they view the world. I truly don't know what to do. I know that I'll be taking a break, and that my upcoming trip to Germany will be a welcome relief from the stress, drama, and upheavals of the last three months or so...But what about when I return? What direction will my advocacy and activism take then? What will I do with myself? These are the things I do not know. I have found myself quite sad lately over all these negative changes (at least, in my view), and I don't know how long it will take me to bounce back from it. One thing is for certain: I will never give up on my dream of a world where non-human animals will no longer be exploited, tortured, abused, or misused by us human animals. I can't let go of that wish and desire. But this whole experience does leave me wondering (once again) about the integrity, honesty and trustworthiness of the people I meet, both within and without the AR movement.

Yet MORE Baltimore Police Harassment and Illegal Arrests!

The following was posted by one of my fellow activists on Indy Media last night, after the illegal arrest of one of our other activists....

Another activist arrested in Baltimore while leafleting at Ringling Brothers Circus

An animal rights activist was arrested tonight, April 2, 2009, in Baltimore. He was legally and peacefully protesting the treatment of animals at Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus, which is showing at the 1st Mariner Arena.

Adam Ortberg arrived to join other leafleters in front of the arena, and was met by a plain-clothed police officer who is always seen at Baltimore Ringling shows. The officer told Adam that he was a "marked man" and that if he stepped over an imaginary line that they designated as a "no leaflet zone" (on public sidewalk), that he was going to jail for 18 months. It was obvious Adam was singled out amongst the rest of the activists by these police, as they hadn't said anything at all to any other activist present tonight.

Preparing for the usual infringement upon Baltimore activists' rights, another activist took out her camera phone and began videotaping the scene. One of the plain-clothed cops saw her filming, walked over, and put his camera phone approximately 3 inches in front of her face. This is an obvious violation of police conduct. In an effort to protect the activist, Adam put a leaflet between the activist's face and the cop's camera. At that point, the cop told Adam he had assaulted him. Luckily, the whole incident was filmed, and what the cop claimed was obviously false, as it clearly shows in the footage.

The activist who was filming told the police that there would be yet another lawsuit filed against them for false arrest and harassment. She was then told that if she "kept talking" that she'd be "locked up" as well.

Several activists politely asked the cops for their badge numbers, and all were either completely ignored or rudely declined. All were caught on film.

The video of the incident will be uploaded after clearance from Adam's lawyer, as there will be a false arrest civil suit filed against the officer.

Last Wednesday, another activist, Aaron Ross, was arrested in front of the 1st Mariner Arena, for leafleting at the Ringling Brothers show. He was told he crossed the imaginary line into the "no leafleting zone" (on public sidewalk). As with all of the approximately 20 arrests of Baltimore animal rights activists in the past year, he was released with no charges.

This is what the Baltimore City Police Department likes to refer to as a "walk through," when a person is arrested, taken to booking, processed, and released with no charges. Police succeed in getting protesters away from the scene by giving unlawful orders and then arresting, but then they are not held accountable for the false arrests, as they personally do not have to pay the settlements to the falsely arrested activists.

This is a disgrace to the people of Baltimore. Our tax dollars are paying police to harass and falsely arrest peaceful activists, while the crime rate in Baltimore is outrageous! The murder rate in Baltimore is 5 1/2 times the national average, yet police are wasting time hassling people who are merely handing out leaflets and holding signs for abused circus animals.

Another Undercover Investigation Into an Egg "Farm."

Well of course I've been saying it for a long time, but here is yet again FURTHER proof that factory farmed animals are being abused...Right here on video. This is exactly why people should not be eating eggs....And this is exactly the sickening, depraved stuff that egg-laying hens go through every single day.

Abortion VS. Animal Rights

Okay, so I've been wanting to talk about this for a long time, but finally felt that today was the day...Many times when AR activists are out leafletting, protesting an animal abuser, or talking to people about veganism/animal rights, we invariably get the one idiot (or sometimes two or three), who tries to shut us up by saying, "But I bet you're pro-choice, aren't you?" Of course, this is merely a tactic that they use to, as I said before, shut us up. But I finally felt like it was time to talk about why the two really have very little (if anything) to do with one another, and why just because one exists (abortion), doesn't mean that is an excuse for the other to exist (animal abuse/exploitation).
It all started because last night (LATE), I posted a comment to an article that someone sent me about a disgusting "sport" (I use that term VERY loosely) in which people use hounds to chase fox or coyotes sometimes to their deaths (and sometimes not to their deaths). Oftentimes, the fox or coyotes are ripped apart, literally. Now in fairness, yes the properties are usually quite large, but they are also fenced, leaving an ultimate limit upon how far the fox can run. These types of places are really quite similar to canned hunting "ranches"(If you don't know what canned hunting is, look it up. If it doesn't sicken you, get psychiatric help). And yes, there are so-called "hiding spots," but when you're one fox or coyote being chased by numerous dogs, the chances are more than likely that you're going to be caught.
Now in my mind, any rational, feeling person with a normal set of emotional responses to the world around them, as well as a normal brain chemistry, would think such an event distasteful at the absolute best and downright disgusting at worst. In my opinion, it's simply barbaric and savage. But, I digress...onto the abortion issue....
Of course there was someone who defended their love of these disgusting displays of savagery by pointing out that we shameful animal rights people usually support abortion, and how could we? Well of course I would be lying if I said that there aren't animal rights people who support abortion...However I personally know some that do not. Abortion is a very complicated, emotionally-driven, hot-button issue in this country (and in most others, I imagine), and in my mind it is not always as cut-and-dried as activists (on either side) would like it to be.
However, AR and abortion are mutually exclusive in my mind, and have nothing, really, to do with one another. Here's why, in my opinion: 1) Animal Rights (at least as far as I understand it) concerns the well-being of someone who is already here (the animal/animals in question). Abortion concerns the well-being of something that is not even here yet. Why do I use "something" for the abortion statement? Simple....A fetus is a something, not a someone (up until a certain point, that is, in my opinion, which I will go into in a moment). 2)A living, breathing animal (or a living, breathing human, whether baby, toddler, juvenile, or adult) cannot be frozen for use at a later date. Embryos most certainly can be frozen or used at a later date. Try this with a baby, which clearly is a life, and I think you'll see how horrific the results will be. 3)An animal that has already been born can survive out of its mother's womb, as can a baby. Of course I make this statement with the understanding that the afore-mentioned animal or baby has no underlying health issues that would prevent him/her from surviving and living in a normal manner. An embryo or fetus cannot, at least not before a certain stage of development. 4)Whether you agree with abortion or not (and as I said, I know people who are both vegan and AR activists who do and do not support abortion), that does not make animal abuse excuseable. In fact, if you value life so much that you are anti-abortion, it seems that you would also value an innocent animals' life as well. 5)Whether some of us in the world like to admit it or not, animals do, in fact, suffer. They scream, wail, squeal, struggle, moan, and try their damndest to escape whatever torture is being inflicted upon them. They want to live as much as you or I do, and you can see in them as well as in a child that if you hurt them, they do suffer. I know lots of people out there want to make themselves feel better by saying this isn't true, but you and I both know you're lying to yourself in order to make your animal-abusing ways okay in your own mind.
I am sure I could go on and on, but I think you are all seeing where I'm going with this. A few further things I want to say as far as my own personal opinion (call them my own personal "caveats" or "qualifiers" if you wish).....I do personally believe that once a baby is capable of surviving outside the womb, that yes it is a life. I also personally believe that abortion under that circumstance (what I understand to be called "late term" abortion) should be severely restricted. I think that if the mother's life is in danger or if the child would be born so developmentally disabled that it would cause a severe hardship on the child, then abortion would be a viable option. I always believe that the life of the mother is the first concern. And I could certainly see why no parent would choose to have a child that would be extremely deformed or disabled. Some parents still choose to do so, however, and I think they should be allowed this decision. Some people call us hypocrites if we support abortion yet fight for the rights of animals. What I find fascinating about this is that they are also hypocrites, because many of these same people have never even set foot in an adoption agency, much less thought of adopting/fostering an unwanted child. But yet they preach about being so concerned for the lives of babies/children. They are also many of the same people who preach about not wanting to take care of other people's children & familes (I.E. welfare, etc.), but yet they want to force people who probably wouldn't be great parents to begin with to have a child they probably don't want and may very well be unable of taking care of. And you have churches who are so socially irresponsible that they go to countries where people can barely afford to feed themselves and tell them that birth control is a sin, but while they are watching their children starve to death they should pray and God will take care of it...all the while, their kids are still starving to death. How many of them, when they are sitting in their churches listening to their pastors talk about the evil sin of abortion, hear that same pastor also talk about their responsibility to help the children who are unwanted and unloved in our foster-care system? I wager a guess that there are very few of them. Having gone to evangelical churches as a child and as a young adult, I never remember once hearing any anti-abortion pastors encouraging adoption. They're all concerned with the fetuses lives before they get here, but once they're born that seems to be secondary. Also, many of these pro-lifers (although I know not all of them) feel that abortion should be illegal under ANY circumstance. What does that mean? Simple: If a woman is raped, she should be forced to have the baby. If a woman is the victim of incest, and gets pregnant, she should still be forced to have the baby (I know this sounds extreme, but folks, there are many pro-lifers who believe this..although again I say I know not all of them do). Do you want YOUR mother or sister being raped by a family member and then being forced to have that baby? Do you think that is right? Seriously? There are those who even believe that if a woman's life is in danger, she should still have the child and take her chances and that "God will take care of it." I know all of us can probably remember seeing news stories about women who forego cancer treatments so that their babies can be born, and then these mothers die of cancer. So sure, they had the baby, but now the baby has to grow up without a mother! BUT these same people will tell you how wrong it is not to have a "mother and father" household, b/c they are against single parents and (God forbid) gays raising kids. So, they'll let the many thousands of kids languish in foster care while they encourage more to be born to people who don't want them, all the while telling gay men and lesbians and single men/women that they shouldn't be adopting kids and giving them love. After all the only kind of love that is real and valid is the love of two evangelical opposite-sex Christian parents (of course I say this with complete sarcasm, as I believe love is a good thing all the way around).
I guess where I'm going with this is as follows.....If you are a vegan, have adopted children who would have otherwise languished in the foster care system unwanted for years, and have at least some basic concern for the rights of women to make their own choices regarding their OWN bodies and health (and this includes my very own mother, thank you very much), then you have a right to question me on abortion. But don't you dare preach to me about the sanctity of life when you condemn innocent animals to the most horrible, unimaginable lives possible each and every day through the choices you make at the supermarket. Don't you dare.

Corrupt Cops

Well once again the police in Baltimore, Maryland have proven what corrupt and evil BASTARDS they are, by ILLEGALLY arresting peaceful protesters.  As if this is anything new.  I was at a protest this evening against a restaurant that serves foie gras, and before we were there five minutes, we were swarmed upon by the crooked ass Bmore police.  This has happened several times, first at Brighton's restaurant, and now at Corks, which is the restaurant we were protesting this evening.  The cops have a much longer history of harassing activists of course, particularly the group of activists that I am involved with, but the incidents and Brighton's and at Corks are the ones I have seen with my own two eyes.  I'm utterly amazed and shocked that they are allowed to legally get away with it.  Actually, strike that...it's not LEGAL, they just think they're getting away with it.  As if we are going to roll over and play dead.  The protests are completely legal, because we are using public sidewalks, and not impeding anyone's progress along the sidewalk...plus, as long as we don't have more than 25 people we are not required to have a permit.  The police continually tell us that we 1)Have to have a permit, and 2)That we are being "disorderly."  Well anyone familiar with police harassment tactics knows that disorderly conduct is one of those blanket charges that cops come up with in order to intimidate people into stopping whatever it is that they are doing.

Just so I am clear, let me reiterate, that we ARE NOT doing anything illegal.  We are not harming anyone, we are not preventing them from going into the restaurant or moving along the sidewalk, and we are not violating any of the protest-related laws of the city of Baltimore.  Further evidence of the fact that we are not violating the low is how, after each and every single arrest that I have personally seen, the people arrested are NOT charged with ANYTHING.  I have seen at LEAST five arrests of this kind myself, with my own two eyes.  It's appalling to me that the police are allowed to continually harass and arrest people without charging them with anything, only as a method to "shut them up."

Interestingly enough, not only were the arrests illegal on free-speech grounds, but ALSO, one particular cop that always seems to appear at our protests and harass us (often-times by swinging his night-stick as he is walking up--CLEAR intimidation and harassment), also keeps arresting people who ask for his name and badge number...By the way folks, this is information that he is LEGALLY REQUIRED TO GIVE!  Let me repeat...When an officer is asked for their name and badge number, they are LEGALLY REQUIRED TO GIVE IT!  He arrested an activist tonight simply for asking for his name and badge number, which we have on video.  This man was arrested for nothing more than requesting to know who this officer was.  OBVIOUSLY if these officers were on the up-and-up, they wouldn't refuse so blatantly to give their information.  Another glaring indictment of their true intentions.  This is also the second time I have personally seen this same officer do that very thing: Arrest an activist merely for requesting this jerk's name and badge number.  The first time was a few weeks ago at Brighton's.  That particular time, after the activist asked for the name/badge number, he was thrown into a wall and arrested.  We still do not have his name and badge number; however we do CLEARLY have his face on camera, committing this illegal offense.  Also, we have him clearly on camera as he is tearing up some of our protesting posters and signs, and flatly refusing to give them to someone else in our group who was not placed under arrest.  It's CLEAR that these officers care nothing about the law...they are merely trying to intimidate people whom they don't agree with.  

Whether you care about foie gras, or animal issues in general (which I freely admit that I think you should), you still need to WAKE UP PEOPLE AND REALIZE that cops are out there abusing their power, and they will do it to ANY activists that they don't agree with.  This is, first and foremost, a FREE SPEECH issue...and don't think that it will stop with us, because it won't.  Activists have the legal right to peacefully protest, and this is why lawsuits are often won against police who continually insist on falsely arresting people.  If it happens to us, don't even think that it couldn't just as easily happen to someone else.  Shame on the cops in Baltimore for abusing their power this way, and shame on them for not enforcing the laws fairly.  Just because they don't like us or what we stand for, it does NOT give them the right to illegally arrest us, over and over again, nor does it give them the right to wantonly mistreat us.  If anyone wants further details about what we were doing/why we were there, or further details about exactly what happened at the arrest, please contact me directly and I will let you know.