Dog Fighting in Green Bay

Well actually in Allouez. Which is the village where I live.

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=7127683

I know I have ranted about this in the past, but there was a woman on the news tonight discussing the case. She said something like: 'It is a horrible thing to do to those dogs and it's a sin'. Do not quote me on this because, I am not sure exactly what she said, but I know the word sin was lodged in there.

Any one know where I am going with this? Any one? Bueller?

I know I did it for years and years and years. I compartmentalized animals. There were animals I ate and animals that were companions (although, I called them pets back then). I don't know when it became so clear to me, but now I am almost unable to understand how a person can eat one animal and love another.

I honestly have no idea where this post is going. On one hand, I think it is great that people are starting to see that animal abuse is real. I am impressed that the stories are starting to get some coverage locally. Micheal Vick isn't an aberration. Dog fighting is real and is probably happening some where in your community.

On the other hand, well, see above. Compartmentalizing, eat one-love the other. I think you get it.

Maybe I am looking for progress too fast. Maybe it has to start some where and dog fighting is where it will start for some. I ask that when you look into the eyes of your dog, cat, bird, ferret, or what ever companion you have, imagine them all alone in a veal crate with no room to move. Imagine them in line watching others like them being slaughtered. Imagine them being bred over and over again and just used as commodity.

A much ado about Amazon.com

As many already know, since February of this past year, the Humane Society of the United States has been "demanding" that Amazon.com remove books relating to dog and cock (roosters you pervert) fighting. A simple web search yields many results.

Various Links

Seattlepi.com (Feb 2007)
HSUS (Feb 2007)
Petitions Online (this is a site enabling folks to sign petitions online)
The Inquirer.net (not like the tabloid) (July 2006)

Assuming that by reading this you know that I am a vegan, it seems pretty obvious that I am going to talk all of you into boycotting amazon.com, signing a petition and bad mouthing them all over town.

Right?

Nope, its not that simple.

**I need again to make something very clear. I do not advocate dog or cock fighting**

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This scenario may seem pretty cut and dry, but it isn't. There are a number of problems with this.

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First off, Amazon.com is a private business. No one has to buy books from Amazon. No one has to buy anything from Amazon. If you don't like what they are selling, the answer is simple. Don't shop there. There are a number of books that many people would probably find offensive.

• I could purchase The Anarchists Cookbook. If I am not mistaken, this teaches you how to get high and make bombs out of house hold items.
• There is a wide selection of books on the KKK.
• This book talks about 9/11 and gives alternate theories on what really happened.
• A number of fiction and non-fiction books cover abortion.
• And finally, there are plenty on homosexuality.

Now, I have not read all of the books or suggestions above. Some of them I have no desire to read. I don't give a shit about the history of the KKK. Point is, Amazon.com has the right to sell what ever they want as along as it is not breaking the law. So they can't sell drugs (damn, I was looking for a good hook-up). I am pretty sure they couldn't ship weapons. I think you get the picture.

If Amazon was hosting dog fighting or cock fighting. That would be a whole different story. They are distributing information. Shit, if laws like this went so far, they could take away my blog.

The other big problem that I have with the argument that the HSUS is making, is that it is covering up a much bigger issue. If the HSUS is really an animal rights organization (which it's not), it would not only be after dog fighting, cock fighting and animal abuse, but it would be asking people to go vegan and explaining the effects of factory farming. It would take a stance against things like free-range and cage free. In short, it would grow some big, hairy balls (or ovaries for that matter).

HSUS will state that Amazon is not a proponent for free speech. They have pulled books of their shelves numerous times in the past. Again, that is their choice.

I believe that this case is completely out of line. Again, no one has to shop at Amazon.com. You have a choice. If you don't like what they stand for then don't shop there. Think about it before you jump on the "Down With Amazon" wagon. What if they took all blogs away? What if we weren't allowed to peacefully protest? What if I wasn't able to hand out vegan literature?

Use your brains. If you believe in free speech, you believe in it. That's the way it works. You can't decide who has freedom of speech and who doesn't. We all do.

Beautiful, isn't it?