To Cull or Not to Cull...
To cull or
not to cull. The answer depends on the nation, and its religious/moral view of
animals. In the USA, culls are initiated and regulated by the US Department of
Agriculture, Wildlife Services. They are completely legal. The USDA has the
authority to grant a license to cull virtually any species, or animal
population. Culls are often approved based on exaggerated and inaccurate
information that the animals to be culled are a public nuisance, are a dubious
threat to health or pose a potential hazard to a human enterprise. With
dominion, where mankind reigns supreme over animalkind, humans are rarely held
accountable for their actions. The first option is to kill all the prairie dogs,
without evaluating human responsibility or culpability. In India, The Wildlife
Protection Act prohibits culls of entire populations of animals. It does not
shift the blame for human corruption and profiteering onto helpless animals. The
more enlightened view of Indian protective legislation may be attributed to the
religious model of ahimsa, which grants equal compassion to ALL living beings.
There is an understanding that man and animals co-exist with each other in a
delicate balance, where mutual cooperation, not domination, is beneficial to
all.
Culls in the USA
In the USA any
animal may be culled. The USDA will grant a license to cull any population of
animal, deemed necessary, by irrational and exaggerated fears. This killing of
large numbers of animals is justified by the necessity clause of the Semitic
religious concept of dominion. Dominion grants man god-like authority to kill
and control animals. When individuals with an angry lynch mob mentality are
bothered by a particular animal, a cull is declared.
Culls are a profit
generating solution for a wide range of problems. Those who do the killing are
paid to destroy animals who do not represent a threat and did not create the
problem. In keeping with the mandate of dominion, the USDA has claimed its
biblical right as the supreme judge and executioner over wildlife. Culls are
initiated when a local jurisdiction has decided the wildlife in its midst is
just too 'annoying', by individuals well versed in the cruel doctrine of
dominion. Even the humble prairie dog is not free from the wrath of Wildlife
Services.
First Kill All the Prairie Dogs:
It is
difficult to imagine a more harmless creature than the prairie dog. They live
peacefully in social colonies and harm no other creature, yet under the realm of
dominion, they are a dreaded menace:
"Last month, high winds whipped top
soil from the Fossil Creek Wetlands Natural Area in Fort Collins across an
adjacent highway, creating a scene that looked like something out of the dust
bowl of the 1930s. Now, Fort Collins officials say, they are going to have to
kill prairie dogs on four of the city's 40 natural areas - or open spaces - in
an effort to restore grasslands that will prevent the severe erosion." Denver
Post
the dreaded enemy:
Using the human biased logic
of dominion, Fort Collins, Colorado officials have determined that prairie dogs
have caused the problem, while ignoring the reality that the dust bowls of the
1930's were not caused by prairie dogs and are to some extent a natural
phenomenon. Funds will be paid to rid the area of the alleged menace and destroy
these gentle, timid creatures who harm no one. If not an entirely natural event,
it is most likely man who created the problem, by raising cattle for slaughter
and profit, who consume much of the ground cover...With dominion a man made
problem based on the cruelty of raising cattle for human consumption is blamed
on the defenseless prairie dog:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_11689469?source=bb
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/prairie_dog,_black-tailed.php?lb_v=7
an un-natural balance:
"The erosion has been so
bad that according to city guidelines the prairie dogs must be removed and
grassland restoration undertaken to promote the long-term viability of the
habitat, said Bachand. The four sites affected are Prairie Dog Meadow Natural
Area, Colina Mariposa Natural Area, Hazaleus Natural Area, and Fossil Creek
Wetlands Natural Area. Bachand said that slightly less than 200 acres occupied
by the prairie dogs will be fumigated: Colina Mariposa occupies 206 acres; the
prairie dogs occupy 116 of those acres, and slightly less than 20 acres will be
fumigated. Hazaleus is 163 acres; the prairie dog colony occupies 83 acres, and
all the prairie dogs in the 83 acres will be killed. Prairie Dog Meadow has 84
acres; the prairie dogs occupy 33 acres, and 26 acres of those will be
fumigated. Fossil Creek Wetlands is 220 acres; the prairie dogs occupy 94 acres,
and prairie dogs in 70 of the acres will be killed. "It is important to be clear
that we are trying to strike a balance between ensuring that there is a healthy
grassland on these sites by not removing all the prairie dogs," Denver Post
It would seem that removing the inhabitants of an ecosystem would destroy,
rather promote the long tern viability of that habitat. Logic aside, with
dominion, a scapegoat must be found and so the peaceful, gentle prairie dog
becomes the cause of a man made problem, resulting from human cruelty and greed.
To further rationalize the slaughter of innocent prairie dogs, the claim is made
that killing all the prairie dogs is an effort to establish natural balance. In
dominion double speak, natural balance of an environment translates into freedom
for the cattlemen to have enough grasslands to feed the herds they will
slaughter.
With the language of dominion animals are not killed, they
are mere rubbish to be disposed of, rather than sentient beings capable of
suffering: "...the method of disposing of the prairie dogs is by dropping a
toxic pellet into the burrows. When the pellets come in contact with the
moisture in the burrows, they produce a gas that is toxic" Denver Post
In
India The Wildlife Protection act prohibits culls of entire populations of
animals. It does not shift the blame for human corruption and profiteering onto
helpless animals. The more enlightened view of Indian protective legislation may
be attributed to the religious model of ahimsa, which grants equal compassion to
ALL living beings. There is an understanding that man and animals co-exist with
each other in a delicate balance, where mutual cooperation, not domination, is
beneficial to all:
The Great Goose Massacre:
The goose is another animal that has become a favored target in the USA and
UK. Based on irrational claims from animal phobic citizens that geese pose a
risk to human health, despite a lack of evidence, numerous culls have been
carried out, Wildlife Services has granted permits to round-up and kill goose
populations throughout the USA. The hit men designated to carry out the
biblically righteous massacres, keeping with methods of terrorism: the killers
arrive in the dark of night, during the season when geese are nesting and most
vulnerable. Hiding their deeds from the public is essential, as they are afraid
to face the disapproval of those whose moral understanding of compassion exceeds
the cruel dictates of dominion and understand that Geese too have a right to
live on this earth. Negative publicity is to be avoided at all costs...so that
the killing may go on and be reimbursed.
the massacres:
http://ourcompass.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/three-very-quick-actions-to-protest-the-upcoming-murder-of-250000-innocent-geese-and-their-babies/
Madison, Wisconsin: officials get federal OK to kill up to 350 geese in
city parks
The geese to be removed from Madison parks will be herded by
foot or by kayak into temporary corrals, then placed in crates for transport off
site, said Carol Bannerman, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture Wildlife Services, whose employees will do the work.
The
adult geese will be taken to a licensed meat processor, where they will be
killed and made into goose burgers for donation to area food pantries, she said.
USDA staff euthanize the juvenile geese, or goslings, which are donated to
wildlife sanctuaries or animal education facilities for feed for other animals,
she said. The permit issued the city allows up to 350 Canada geese to be
captured and killed, a number that includes adult and juvenile geese combined,
according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
Bannerman said
USDA Wildlife Services euthanized 24,000 geese in fiscal year 2009, the most
recent data available.
Read more:
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/article_e62ee3a0-9e8b-11e0-ac6e-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1QJD80eFv
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York
Then, on the
night of July 4th (how ironic!), the police surrounded the park, and the
USDA-hired goon squad came in and stuffed over 300 geese, mothers, babies, and
fathers, into CO2 gas chambers, where they met an agonizing and excruciating
death. The next morning revealed the extent of the massacre: not any graceful
goose or gosling left alive in the park. They had been genocided. Norman
Guberman for Goose Watch: "For the Love of the Geese in Prospect Park"
protectourgeese@gmail.com
Desite heroic efforts by dedicated activists to protect geese from culling,
culls have continued around the country, as there is no law in place to prevent
them. When animal protection is based on dominion, animals are not protected.
They are vulnerable to the dictates of inhumane policies, enforced by the law of
the land and the bible.
The UK
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/birdlovers-angered-by-goose-cull-1425542.html
"MORE than 150 geese that had been offered a home by Paul McCartney were
killed over the weekend in a secret cull by a local authority, writes Marianne
Macdonald. The clearance of 156 Canada geese from Battersea Park, south London,
was carried out by Wandsworth Borough Council, which said the birds' excrement
poisoned fish. But the slaughter has angered wildlife campaigners, who fear
similar culls are planned for Hyde Park and St James's Park. Anita Brown, a
spokeswoman for Bird Aid, said: 'The parks are partly for wildlife to live and
develop, not to be slaughtered.' Wandsworth had been given an EC grant to help
protect wildlife and she would be protesting to Brussels." The Independent
No matter that geese have been defecating for tens of thousands of years
without risk, the logic of dominion must find an excuse to kill as well as a
culprit. It is man with his many toxic chemicals that undoubtedly poisons the
fish, but in the dominion hierarchy man is free of blame to do as he pleases
with other animals. As usual, the terrorists of dominion came in the night to
avoid scrutiny.
The Blackbird Problem
Though
there have been no cases of disease born illnesses attributed to blackbirds,
they remain a health hazard because they are alleged to interfere with the greed
and cruelty of allowable slaughter of dominion. In the language of dominion
blackbirds are a health hazard because the defecate and eat grain given to
cattle who will be slaughtered for profit. Blackbirds have been defecating for
tens of thousands of years without poisoning fish, as is alleged by the USDA. If
this has resulted in poisoning fish, it is likely due to the fact that ranchers
are poisoning blackbirds. .Due to the allegedly grave danger posed by blackbirds
4,000,000 were poisoned to death with approval by the USDA, granting ranchers
the right to kill any bird populations that are a 'problem'.
http://morallowground.com/2011/01/20/bye-bye-blackbird-usda-admits-responsibility-for-mass-bird-death-4000000-birds-killed-in-09/
Bye Bye Blackbird: USDA Admits Responsibility for Mass Bird
Death; 4,000,000 Birds Killed in �09
20th January 2011
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) had admitted
responsibility for the poisoning of thousands of birds, many of which were found
dead on the ground and frozen in trees in Yankton, South Dakota on Monday.
According to Truthout, the USDA�s Wildlife Services Program works with farmers
to cull birds which often eat large quantities of agricultural feed and defecate
on livestock and farm equipment. There�s even a name for this little-known
government bird control program: Bye Bye Blackbird. In 2009 alone, the USDA
killed more than 4,000,000 red-winged blackbirds, starlings, cowbirds and
grackles. Pesticides are the weapon of choice; an avian poison called DRC-1339
was used in the Yankton case. Up to 5,000 birds were sprayed in neighboring
Nebraska and somehow managed to make it to South Dakota before dying. The USDA
stresses that this incident is in no way related to the mass bird deaths that
have made headlines this year, most notably in Arkansas and Louisiana.
"Under the Bye Bye Blackbird program, farmers are allowed to kill any
blackbirds, grackles and starlings deemed to be a health risk or damaging to the
economy. Farmers often hire private contractors to do the dirty work. �Every
winter, there�s massive and purposeful kills of these blackbirds,� Greg Butcher,
director of bird conservation at the National Audubon Society told Truthout.
Carol Bannerman, a spokeswoman for USDA Wildlife Services, dismisses the obvious
animal cruelty implications of such killings. �It�s not that we have anything
against starlings, but our charge is to help protect agriculture� and protect
property and human health or safety,� she said. �And the fact is, in a lot of
rural settings, people say, �It�s just birds, what�s the problem?��
It�s
�just birds�� including some endangered ones. Ornithologists believe the mass
killings may be reducing the number of the rare rusty blackbird, which roosts
with more common varieties of blackbirds. With private contract killers not
required to keep tabs of how many birds they kill, the rusty blackbird could be
in serious danger."
Some TV news programs reported mysterious deaths of
thousands of blackbirds dropping from the sky, stating there was no known cause.
There is no mystery. The blackbirds were killed by dominion. With dominion at
the helm, there is no recognition of a natural balance or that all creatures in
a given habitat are there for a purpose to serve and complement each others
needs. Only human need is considered. There is no recognition that the
blackbirds inhabited the land long before man did. Nor is there any and also
have a right to exist.
Wild Horse Round-ups
http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/news_briefs.html
"November 28, 2006 � Thousands more horses to be rounded up in 2007
"November 28, 2006 � Thousands more horses to be rounded up in 2007 The Bureau
of Land Management has issued its 2007 Round-Up Schedule. Close to 7,000 horse
and burros will be captured, further threatening the genetic viability of our
wild herds. The absolute minimum estimated cost of these round-ups and annual
containment of the captured horses exceeds 15 million of our tax-dollars.
Of immediate concern is the plan to zero out horses and burros from yet more
Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in Southern Nevada, leaving less than 100 horses on
over 1 million acres. After this latest round, BLM will have zeroed out horses
from 6 out of 9 HMAs in the area. A total of 4 HMAs will also have lost their
entire burro populations. Cold Creek near Las Vegas is of particular interest,
as it was the site of a mystery helicopter round-up last summer. About 200
horses are feared gone, yet BLM denies any horses were taken. Officials have
failed to investigate the matter, despite repeated pleas by concerned residents
who witnessed most of this beloved herd being hauled away to an uncertain fate."
Wild Horse Preservation
February 21 - BLM and National Cattlemen's
Beef Association partner to dispose of wild horses
In what could be
its most absurd and cynical move yet, the Bureau of Land Management is
partnering with the National Cattlemen�s Beef Association, the American Sheep
Industry and the Association of National Grasslands (represented by the Public
Lands Council), in a campaign that promotes the purchase of wild horses and
burros by public lands ranchers.
The very people who lobby tirelessly to
remove wild horses from our public lands at taxpayers� expense are now urged to
purchase these same horses at bargain basement prices. Ranchers did not want to
share their public land allotments with these horses in the first place; do we
really think they are now going to let them graze these same allotments out of
the goodness of their hearts? Who better than the National Cattlemen�s Beef
Association to funnel wild horses to slaughter? In fact, it is interesting that
this announcement should come on the heels of the USDA's decision to allow horse
slaughter to continue despite Congress overwhelmingly passing an amendment
banning such practice for one fiscal year; the horse slaughter ban was
vehemently opposed by the National Cattlemen�s Beef Association.
How
sinister! The horses and burros are to be rounded up, then sold for slaughter.
In the language of dominion, land management and stewardship of the wild horse
and burro population easily translates into slaughter. The horses and burros who
have inhabited this land for thousands of years have become yet another source
of income for greedy ranchers, who are not content with the billions they take
in from cattle slaughter. The legal round-up will solve two problems for the
ranchers: rid them of a perceived nuisance that the the rightful inhabitants of
this land are eating grass which could be used by the animals they will
slaughter, then increase profit by sending the horses to slaughter. There is no
limit to the ingenuity of those well versed in the meaning of man's dominion
over the animals...There is no understanding that the horses they will slaughter
do not exist to benefit man, but to live in harmony with nature.
Other Animals Culled/USA
culling bambi
Deer are
regularly culled with the excuse that thinning the herd produces healthier
animals, who can then be hunted down by those who seek the thrill of the kill.
This can all be done legally as the USDA has specified dates for open hunting
seasons. The hunting seasons gets longer as the profits from killing deer
increases. The morality of killing innocent animals is never challenged by
government officials, as it is allowed by dominion.
never cry
wolf
When an intelligent and sociable animal such as the wolf
competes with humans by killing an occasional cow or sheep destined for
slaughter dominion justifies eliminating some/all wolves. This benefits, not
only ranchers, but the Idaho Fish and Game Department with increased income from
hunting licenses. Though wolves are generally admired and respected in movies
such as 'Never Cry Wolf'. With the dual message of dominion: compassion
alongside of sanctified abuse, it is possible to revere and respect an animal,
then cull that same animal. There is no contradiction.
"Speak
Out Against Idaho's Disgraceful Wolf Bloodbath
When Congress
passed a federal budget rider that delisted Western gray wolves from Endangered
Species Act protections, it opened the floodgates to wholesale slaughter.
Idaho�s proposed 2011 Wolf Hunting Season is a statewide bloodbath, with killing
permitted both "in and out of hunting season," the Idaho Fish and Game
Department promises. Now that "management" of Western gray wolves rests with
state agencies, it seems that no plan is too violent or greedy." Kinship Circle
While the particular instance of a wolf cull in Idaho is addressed by this
alert, there are no laws in place to ban such wanton destruction of wildlife.
With dominion the abuse/slaughter of entire communities of animals is allowed in
one instance, but may be banned in another. There is no sound foundation for
universal compassion. The culling of animals falls within the biblical mandate
of proper stewardship: the managing of ones resources. The definition of
management within the context of dominion, of animals as human property, is the
underlying cause for all culls carried out in the name of human convenience and
greed.
Given the proper human centric justification any animal may
become the target of a legally licensed cull, egged on by cruelty, greed and
dominion: man's right to inspire dread and fear over the animal kingdom:
'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you shall
rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything
that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; into your hand they
are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as
I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.' Old Testament
No Culls In India
In India no animal is culled, as this
is prohibited by the Wildlife Protection ACT of India, which is based on the
more compassionate religious view which considers the lives of animals and
humans as equally precious. The religious value of ahimsa states that violence
to ALL living beings is gratuitous and is unjustifiable.
Religion Matters: Monkeys in India
It really does make a
difference when religion teaches compassion...Monkeys live among humans in
India. They are very mischievous, often stealing food and destroying property. A
couple of monkeys broke into Parliament, rummaging through desks for food. They
were not harmed. The Indians banned their export abroad, so they would not be
harmed in laboratories... There is enough darkness in the world...we do not need
religion to promote any more cruelty and violence...Almost every animal fares
better in India, than in the USA. They do not have wildlife culls.
an Indian coconut vendor sharing with a nearby monkey (click to enlarge).
Though materially poor, the humble coconut vendor, pictured
above, has greater spiritual awareness than the mighty religious leaders who
piously endorse dominion. Animals activists should look to the light, not follow
religious leaders and cruel traditions into the darkness...
In India The
Wildlife Protection act prohibits culls of entire populations of animals. It
does not shift the blame for human corruption and profiteering onto helpless
animals. The more enlightened view of Indian protective legislation may be
attributed to the religious model of ahimsa, which grants equal compassion to
ALL living beings. There is an understanding that man and animals co-exist with
each other in a delicate balance, where mutual cooperation, not domination, is
beneficial to all:
"In Judaism, one who is unnecessarily cruel to animals
cannot be regarded as a righteous individual." Prof Richard Schwartz
Implied: He who is of necessity cruel to animals can be regarded as a righteous
individual.
ALL three of the Semitic religions endorse disingenuous
compassion for animals based on human need, not the sanctity of animal lives.
It is necessary to BOYCOTT religions that sanctify righteous cruelty!
