November 25, 2003

Kerry carries on Kennedy's views

Recent memorials to John Kennedy in the Tidings, especially the piece by John Darling, expressed nostalgic longing for that "golden age," but the implication that Kennedy had no effect on the politics of today is specious.

Ted Kennedy's long Senate career as the staunch defender of democratic liberalism is only the most obvious of the influences of the Kennedy years. Both Bill Clinton and John Kerry were personally influenced by John Kennedy himself. Kerry, with family ties to the clan, was even teased for his ardor. Most of the current Democratic candidates served either in the military and/or civil rights movements and decided on a career in politics very early on. Even Howard Dean, who admits to spending his Vietnam years skiing in Aspen, changed his career path from his father's DeanWitter brokerage house to medicine.

The presidential candidate most closely identified with the ideals of the Kennedy era is, of course, John Kerry. His political career began shortly after his return from Vietnam as a decorated veteran famous for his eloquent criticism before Congress of the war policies of Presidents Johnson and Nixon. In 1970 he organized the first Earth Day in Massachusetts, and has consistently earned a 100 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters for his support of environmental legislation.

As president, Kerry will understand the dangerous state of our domestic politics and will act decisively and cooperatively with our foreign allies.

President Kerry is ready to change things quickly in Washington. Let's let him do it!

Nan Trout
Ashland

Go vegan, and take your pets

People who care not only about their companion animals, but also about the animals who are killed to make pet food, will want to know that buying commercial pet food finances cruelty. (Iams is the worst. See www.iamscruelty.com). Even the premium brands are made from 4-D animals: those who are Dead, Dying, Diseased, or Disabled when they arrive at the slaughterhouse. Factory farmers, stockyards, transport companies, and slaughterhouses have no economic incentive to treat these animals humanely, because even if they are unfit for human consumption, they can still be sold as pet food.

"Trash fish," unwanted species caught in nets along with the intended victims, are also used for pet food. They suffer horrible deaths - experiencing decompression, then being crushed and asphyxiated as they're pulled from the water. And overfishing is a global environmental problem of enormous proportion.

The best alternative is to buy vegan dog or cat food. Yes, dogs and even cats can be healthy on a vegan diet. Visit www.petfoodshop.com for information. Join me in placing an order from Evolution Diet. We get a big discount if we order 500 pounds, and the Southern Oregon Animal Rights Society will get a 5 percent donation.

Ron Elterman
Ashland

Adopt a turkey before Thursday

Millions of people across our country will be counting their blessings this Thursday around a slaughtered bird that wasn't even allowed to see the sun during its bleak existence. These wonderful birds endure a short 14-18 week life plagued with cruelty.

Due to horrendous overcrowding on factory farms, the birds have their beaks and toes cut off with no anesthesia. To transport the turkeys to slaughter, workers grab them by the legs, oftentimes breaking them, and throw them into crates. The birds have no protection from the elements and many die during the transport. The list of atrocities is much to long and heartbreaking to document here.

An astounding 45 million turkeys will be consumed Thursday. Each year the president "pardons" two turkeys from death on Thanksgiving and then in an act of complete hypocrisy sits down to his meal and eats a slaughtered turkey. Instead of contributing to the suffering of a turkey this year, adopt one!

You don't even need to have a farm, just visit www.adoptaturkey.org to pick out your turkey to sponsor. I think we would all have much more to be thankful for this year if we took the less traveled road of compassion and enjoyed a wonderful vegetarian Thanksgiving around a lovely photo of our very thankful adopted turkey.

Amy Miller Bunk
Ashland