Here’s an exerpt of HSLF President Mike Markarian’s blog entry dated 9/22/08:
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has been a solid supporter of animal protection at both the state and federal levels. As an Illinois state senator, he backed at least a dozen animal protection laws, including those to strengthen the penalties for animal cruelty, to help animal shelters, to promote spaying and neutering, and to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. In the U.S. Senate, he has consistently co-sponsored multiple bills to combat animal fighting and horse slaughter, and has supported efforts to increase funding for adequate enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and federal laws to combat animal fighting and puppy mills.
In his response to the HSLF questionnaire, he pledged support for nearly every animal protection bill currently pending in Congress, and said he will work with executive agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to make their policies more humane. He wrote of the important role animals play in our lives, as companions in our homes, as wildlife in their own environments, and as service animals working with law enforcement and assisting persons with disabilities. He also commented on the broader links between animal cruelty and violence in society.
(emphasis mine)
I have many thoughts swimming in my head over this issue, but no words to express them so far…What is your take on this?
Vegans of Color 
His comment was this:
“I think how we treat our animals reflects how we treat each other”
source:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004128467_appoliticalplayoftheday16.html
Far from pro-animal rights, but he’s way, way, way better than McCain and Palin.
Also, Obama has gone on record regarding the AETA where he said:
“I do not want people to think that the threat from these organizations [ALF and ELF] is equivalent to other crimes faced by Americans every day. According to the FBI, there were over 7400 hate crimes committed in 2003 – half of which racially motivated. More directly relevant to this committee, the FBI reports 450 pending environmental crimes cases involving worker endangerment or threats to public health or the environment.”
source:
http://www.nocompromise.org/issues/27senatehearings.html
He takes photos eating hot dogs and chicken wings but a lot of people I love eat hot dogs and chickens so, okay. I guess I can live with this endorsement. I mean, Obama vs Palin is not even close. The woman would take glee in killing puppies (and she already loves killing wolf pups). If he gets into the White House (please, please, please), hopefully the dog he promised to get his daughters will be from a shelter or rescue organization (I remember signing an online petition urging him to do that).
Yeah, I think when it comes to animal rights, there isn’t a politician that is 100% perfect (save Dennis Kucinich, whom I really liked for president btw). Yet I believe Obama would seriously address animal rights concerns. Let’s see what happens…
maybe he will become vegan while he is in office? We’ll all write letters.
maybe he will become vegan while he is in office? We’ll all write letters.
Convert Obama to a vegan? YES WE CAN!!! *runs* lol
I think it’s relevant to point out that HSUS (as well as other animal “protection” corporations) also commended Wolfgang Puck for his “historic animal welfare” reforms (e.g. – not using calves that are kept in individual veal crates!). With that in mind I’m thinking, “So f-ing what?” if they endorse Obama (another animal exploiter).
I suppose it all depends on what your definition of “protection” is. Apparently to HSUS and Obama (and 99% of people on this planet) that definition includes slavery, rape, torture, and murder of other animals.
If you click the link to the “Humane Scorecard” and look therein at the “protection measures” it’s easy to see that these measures do little except reinforce the “thingness” and property status of animals and also reinforce the idea that some forms of animal exploitation are acceptable (raising and killing them for food and clothing, imprisoning them in zoos, circuses, research facilities, etc.) and other forms, many engaged in by POCs or the “lower class”, are not acceptable (animal fighting, etc.). The latter are classified as felonies while torturing animals just as badly (or worse) in socially “acceptable” ways is totally legal (and encouraged), especially if it is done “humanely”. Animals still will not be *protected* from being imprisoned, raped, tortured, and brutally slaughtered at all under these “protection measures”. Therefore, the term “animal protection” is meaningless.
HSUS and Obama will do nothing to help bring an end to institutionalized animal exploitation. They will, however, make people feel more comfortable about exploiting other animals as long as it’s a socially acceptable practice that is not engaged in mainly by poor people or POCs and as long as it’s a “humane” form of rape, torture, and murder.
I wonder if Obama is such an animal lover is he going to give any money to any of the rescue organizations that are trying to save so many homeless animals for several reasons such as foreclosures and the cost of living so many people are abandoning their pets and livestock.. Is Obama giving money to anyone in that situation that needs it?
I’m seriously considering dropping my support of HSUS, b/c I don’t think that nonprofits should be endorsing anyone, particularly not someone like Obama.
Roland,
Just curious…What do you mean “someone like” Obama? Is there something about him that turns you off in particular?
Roland (comment 6),
The Humane Society Legislative Fund (www.hslf.org) endorsed the Obama-Biden ticket, not the Humane Society of the United States (www.hsus.org). Contributions to HSLF are not tax-exempt, because they do lobbying and political work. The two organizations are separate.
“The important point is that I am very mindful of the fact that sportsmen in America may have gone hunting with their fathers, their grandfathers, their mothers, their grandmothers, and that this is part of a tradition and a way of life that has to be preserved. And there’s nothing that I will do as president of the United States that will in any way encroach on the ability of sportsmen to continue that tradition” Obama
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it” Albert Einstein
That is some messed up logic Mr. President! Incest and other forms of abuse have been passed down over the ages as well … from their fathers, their grandfathers, their mothers, their grandmothers. And your point is?
Just because a practice is tradition and a “way of life” has nothing to do with whether the crimes should be preserved over time or not. What does matter is that they stop today.
“I think that having a head of the Department of Interior who doesn’t understand hunting and fishing would be a problem” Obama
“I think that having a head of the Department of Interior who doesn’t understand how wrong and unethical hunting and fishing really is, would be a huge problem. Even more problematic would be a President who didn’t understand the great value of life and the pursuit of happiness” Warwak
So much for real change.
Are the things that matter the most improved by your “promise and hope” of great change, or are they in reality just empty words? The song remains the same.
http://thomaspainescorner.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/are-the-things-that-matter-most-better-with-your-promise-and-hope-of-great-change/
the humane society is evil, they do exactly what thoughtcriminal says they do. they should be brought down
THE HSUS IS A FRAUD. THEY DO NOT OWN A SINGLE ANIMAL SHELTER, NOR DO THEY SPEND ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO RESCUE ANIMALS. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME AS YOUR LOCAL HUMANE SOCIETY, DONT BE CONFUSEDTHEY TAKE YOUR MONEY AND SPEND IT ON TV AND POLITICS