| From: | Deb (76.103.43.171) | |
| Republicans and Animal Rights = Oxymoron | ||
| September 18, 2008 at 8:36 pm PST | ||
It is as mind boggling to me when people (such as Scully) are avid Republicans and claim to be animal rights activists as it is when gay people vote Republican. To me, these pairings are oxymorons.
Republicans strongly favor 'less government' and deregulation. They appoint industry reps on their advisory boards, which is like having foxes guard the proverbial hen houses. They have a clear history of supporting massive factory farms (CAFO's) which, as Vegsource readers well know, confine millions of 'livestock' animals in unspeakably cruel conditions. The Bush administration has not only gutted the funding for CAFO inspectors but they have actively halted the prosecution of CAFO offenders as the piece below demonstrates.
How can Scully possibly reconcile these two philosophies--Republican and Animal Rights? (Disclaimer: I have not read 'Dominion.')
Early 2002: EPA Official Resigns over Livestock Industry Influence
Michele Merkel, a staff attorney in the EPA’s enforcement division whose specialty is in the area of factory farming, resigns because of the [Bush] administration’s reluctance to enforce federal regulatory laws and because she believes the livestock industry has too much influence on EPA oversight of factory farms. (Shogren 6/3/2002; Martin 5/16/2004; Grist Magazine 5/24/2004) “Once the Bush team came in, I was not allowed to pursue any further air lawsuits against CAFOs [concentrated animal feeding operations],” she tells Muckraker. “We got political cover to continue what was underway, but I was told that new efforts were off-limits. It wasn’t just coming from my EPA superiors, it was coming from the White House.” (Grist Magazine 5/24/2004) “Ultimately what drove me out of the agency was the anti-enforcement philosophy of the current administration,” Merkel tells the Los Angeles Times. (Shogren 6/3/2002)
Reply To This Post Return to Posts Index VegSource Home
