News and Events Archive
Events: Fall 2010 UpdatesYes, we’re still active! Recently, we have been waging a campaign against the University of Michigan’s Survival Flight Training course, offered by the U-M Health System. We have addressed President Coleman and the Regents, put Coleman on the spot at her State of the University Address, gotten an editorial published in the Michigan Daily opposing the use of animals in education, and staged a demo at the U-M Homecoming game pep rally.
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/daily-peta-lawsuit
http://detnews.com/article/20101028/METRO/10280373/U-M-president—School-continues-to-thrive
For National Primate Liberation Week, we organized a demo near the medical campus protesting the use of primates in invasive research.
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/activists-protest-u-ranking-10th-worst-primate-lab
We also raised money to support the Humane Society’s Missouri campaign to improve animal welfare on puppy mills. 30% of the US’s puppy mills are in Missouri.
A PETA activist recently came to campus and staged a disruption at the 2010 Net Impact Conference at the Ross School of Business. McDonald’s VP for Corporate Social Responsibility, Bob Langert, moderated a panel discussion at the conference, which was immediately disrupted when the PETA activist approached the podium and denounced the abysmal animal welfare standards of McDonald’s suppliers, calling for a boycott of McDonald’s.
http://www.mccruelty.com/
We intend to hold a bake sale next week and hold a demonstration against turkey slaughter the week of Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for more! Email martians@umich.edu for more info.
During March 22-25, PETA will be coming to the University of Michigan as part of their Liberation campaign! MARS is going to help coordinate this. Liberation is an exhibit showing how human rights violations that have occurred in the past & present are directly comparable to animal rights violations occurring today. To see the exhibit electronically, visit http://www.peta2.com/alp. To read about Liberation’s stop at Brown University, visit http://www.browndailyherald.com/animal-rights-activists-take-to-the-main-green-1.1931547. Liberation has the potential to affect hundreds of students at Michigan and will be awesome for recruiting. I hope you’ll be able to come out this semester and help coordinate PETA’s stop in Ann Arbor.
On Wednesday, November 18, MARS took a car to the Palace of Auburn Hills to join the Southeast Michigan Animal Rights Team (SMART) to protest the Ringling Brothers Circus that was happening that night!
Primate Week is here! Come join us as we protest the University of Michigan’s use of primates in research, as well as primate abuse in general. We need lots of people! Primates are an intelligent set of species, not too different from us, and they deserve better. We will be protesting on the Diag on Wednesday, October 21, from early in the morning into the afternoon. Learn more about what goes on in primate experimentation on this campus. Sign our petition to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to support HR 1326, the Great Ape Protection Act of 2009. We hope to see you there!
She’s a leading voice in the fight against animal experimentation, and now she’s got her sights set on the University of Michigan. Do you know what happens behind closed doors at our school here at Michigan?
It’s one of the most hotly-debated issues of our time: “Is it ethical to use animals for experimentation?” These is a question most of us ponder over and beat ourselves up for an answer
Come to this exciting event to hear Dr. Chandna make the case against animal testing, and watch as she exposes what happens behind closed doors in the University of Michigan labs.
People of ALL viewpoints are encouraged to attend, as much of the event will be dedicated to Q&A from the audience.
More details on the facebook group link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=132487957571&index=1
SUMMARY
What? Talk on animal testing at UofM
When? Thursday, September 24, 2009 @, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Where? Angell Hall, Auditorium B
Contact?
757-389-2022 or 951-236-0349 or College@peta2.com
In recognition of World Week for Animals in Laboratories (April 18-26), AAVS is proud to announce the release of our Take the Leap video, which urges consumers to go cruelty-free and to sign the Leaping Bunny Pledge to demonstrate their commitment to compassionate shopping.
Click Here to Watch Take the Leap Video
Take personal action by only buying products from cruelty free companies listed on the Compassionate Shopping Guide
M.A.R.S will be inactive for Summer 2009 as members from the Winter 2009 term are on break and prepare for the upcoming school year. Please feel free to continue emailing us at martians@umich.edu if you have any questions, concerns, or comments. Emails will still be read and receive responses throughout the summer. Please look for us at our first event of the Fall 2009 semester at FestiFall on Central Campus.
And to end on a positive note, Oprah exposes the cruelty behind Puppy Mills in conjunction with Animal Planet, raising more awareness than ever behind this inhumane practice.
Click here to watch.
Courtesy of Thomas:
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The video of Peter’s talk is now available in Quicktime/MPEG-4
format at http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/62022.
Other videos are available at
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/57420/browse?type=dateissued&submit_browse=By+Date.
Requests for other formats or DVDs should be sent to
the.mad.doctor.kaeding@gmail.com
The MARS Multimedia Committee is pleased to announce that after a hiatus
of 11 months, Undercover TV is back on cable channel 17. Weekly episodes
will show Fridays at 10:30 pm and Saturdays at 1:30 pm, beginning March 20th.
Undercover TV exposes the way we treat animals in various industries, such as
food, entertainment, and fashion. Many of the videos that they show
can be graphic, but they also include more sensitive material like parts of The
Witness and interviews. Your carnivorous friends will not be able to look at their plates the same way again after watching.
Hospitals in the UK are cutting meat out of their menus…. as a future health professional this makes me VERY happy!
Anyone know anyone looking to adopt a puppy? 6 black lab mix puppies were found on Saturday and need homes - all shelters contacted are out of space.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/verdadbrutal/3224714876/.
Contact susanna.macdonald@bankwithmutual.com if you are interested
Just a quick note to let all of you know about the Students For Animal
Rights at Eastern Michigan’s Movies. From the 26th to the 30th they will be
screening a different animal rights themed movie. All movies will be show at
the EMU Student Center in Room 350. For more information simply click on any
of the days below or visit the VegAnnArbor MeetUp site -
http://www.meetup.com/vegannarbor/.
Here is the schedule:
Monday 6-8 Lolita: Slave to Entertainment
http://www.slavetoentertainment.com/ http://www.slavetoentertainment.com/.
Tuesday 4:30-6:30 Behind the Mask
http://www.uncagedfilms.com/behindthemask.php. & The Witness
http://www.tribeofheart.org/wit1.htm.
Wednesday 6-8 Diet for a New America
Thursday 6-8 Earthlings http://www.earthlings.com/.
Friday 6-8 Delicatessen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delicatessen_(film).
Everything will be shown in EMU Student Center Room 350.
The meeting will take place tomorrow, Wednesday January 21st at the Ginsberg Center dining room at 6 p.m.
A friend sent this to me:
Dear Friends,
This is an important opportunity facilitated by our friends at the Farm Animal Rights Movement.
Out of more than 7,000 social reform proposals submitted to the Change.org website for presentation to the Obama Administration, the Vegan School Lunch proposal has gained 17th place! Only a couple thousand more votes are needed to place it within the top ten that will be presented to the world and to the administration at its press conference!
This round of voting ends at 5pm ET on Thursday, January 15.
Here is the simple procedure for exposing the concept of a vegan diet to hundreds of thousands of social reform activists and to the Obama administration:
- Sign up with your name and e-mail address on the Change.org website.
* Visit our vegan school lunch proposal, and click on the number to cast your vote.
* Please cast a separate vote for each e-mail address you have.
This is the direct link:
http://www.change.org/ideas/view/vegan_school_lunch_options.
Also, you can go to http://www.change.org., and after signing in, go to “ideas” (upper right) and the full address is as above.
Make sure there are underscores between the words at the end.
Thanks for all you do,
Will
Dr. Will Tuttle
willtuttle@earthlink.net
800-697-6614
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress may be seen by the way its animals are treated.” Mahatma Gandhi
Visit www.worldpeacediet.org. to find out more about The World Peace Diet and sign up for Veg Inspiration For The Day.
Visit www.willtuttle.com. for our original music and art.
Visit www.circleofcompassion.org. to participate in The Prayer Circle for Animals.
In honor of MLK day, we will NOT be having a meeting on Monday, January 19th
A member sent me this delightful video about an elephant who became best friends with a dog at the Elephant Sanctuary down in Tennessee
Our meetings will be taking place weekly on Mondays (starting the 12th) at 7 p.m. over at the Ginsberg Center (a.k.a. the Madeline Pound building) in the dining room. The address is 1024 Hill Street. Any questions please feel free to e-mail me at armijoju@umich.edu or Pranay at pranay@umich.edu. if there are any cancellations, Pranay or I will send out an announcement. It is also on the MARS Google calendar.
On Christmas eve, one of our members found a dog chained outside in Ann Arbor:
“Last night I discovered a red retriever mix who had been left chained outside an abandoned house in Ann Arbor. This morning we went back there and were able to get more information: The owner is dieing of cancer and the house is in foreclosure. The owner’s brother stops by occasionally to feed the dog, but does not do a good job. The owner would be very happy to get the dog a new home. He is a really nice dog. Energetic and likes to go for walks. I believe today the dog has been moved to a backyard as a foster home.”
Please see the following links for more info and you can help!
Links:
-A new link to a forum dedicated to Vegetarian & Vegan Celiac Disease sufferers
-An edited description of Gary Yourofsky (no longer a PETA spokesman)
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Any inquiries, complaints, questions regarding suggested or broken links/recipes/etc… can be sent to martians@umich.edu with the subject, “MARS website updates”
Hey Martians,
Meeting minutes
1) Rochester Hills deer culling demonstration this Saturday
2) Peter Young coming to speak @ UM next semester
3) MARS’s status next semester
4) Carcinogens (a.k.a. cancer-causing agents) in grilled chicken
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1) On the Diag at 2 p.m. on Saturday there will be a demonstration protesting the controversial deer culling issue that is going on in Rochester Hills, MI right now. For more info, please see http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2008/11/22/news/doc4927f48692a83551166658.txt. If anyone would be willing to join us and help pass out flyers, we are going to try to get the press to come, much in the same fashion as our primate research lab protest earlier this semester. Please feel free to e-mail me for more information if you’re interested in attending
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2) Next semester we are bringing Peter Young to speak at the University of Michigan. For those of you unfamiliar with him, according to my contact he “…is an animal rights activist that spent 2 years in prison for releasing and conspiring to release 8,000 mink from various farms throughout the Midwestern United States. He was indicted in 1997 and was a fugitive until 2005 when he was arrested for his actions. Among his charges were the attempts to convict him under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which states that any one who interrupts, in any way, the business of an “animal enterprise” can be tried as a terrorist. This even includes distributing information, educating and encouraging others to not give support to a particular company, vivisection lab, slaughterhouse etc. If you are familiar with the case of the SHAC 7, that is exactly what those activists were charged with and several are still serving prison sentences.
He served 2 years in federal prison, was released early ‘07 and is now lecturing across the country to tell his story, talk about his experiences as an activist and his experiences in prison and give some back round on what he was charged with, why and what implications that has for the future of activism.”
We are working with a group from Washington D.C., called Campus Progress, which will help fund his travel and stay in Ann Arbor. For even more info about Peter, please see the following links.
http://www.supportpeter.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuBaGc1M-Y.
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3) MARS next semester:
Due to scheduling conflicts and health issues, I will be resigning as active president of MARS, but will still field questions, concerns and help organize events. However, Pranay has graciously volunteered to be vice president in my stead. The meetings will likely be on Mondays or Wednesdays in the evening; specific times will be posted on the website as the schedule is finalized. As a result of the decreased activity of MARS, I‘m hoping that those interested in getting involved will consider working with Students for Animal Rights at Eastern Michigan University. They are wonderful and have done many amazing things, along with being regularly active with organizations like SASHA farms, the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary among others. For more information about this group, please contact Brooke Ratliff (bratlif2@emich.edu) and/or visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26403753849.
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4) One of MARS’s founding presidents, Kirstie Stoick Sullivan, has recently released a research article per the Physician’s Commitee for Responsible Medicine about grilled chicken. Check out the abstract and the results at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a902434974~db=all.
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As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns… good luck with finals, have a great holiday and check out the website frequently for updates!
Julianne
I’m sorry about all of the meeting cancellations lately; I’m trying to juggle my schedule around and it hasn’t been working in favor of the meeting roster.
Hey again Martians,
I’ll try to condense this as much as possible, in a sort of newsletter fashion.
——
1.) ANWR talk highlights
2.) Possible factory farm tour
3.) Exotic animal sanctuary donations
4.) Upcoming events
——-
1.) Hey Julianne,
Mint asked me to report about this to you “The boss” haha. So, the talk from Chad Kister was amazing and scary at the same time. Apparently, he hiked through the arctic three times and each time he saw more and more the devastating effects that oil drilling was doing to the area and animal populations there. Towards the end of his talk he encouraged us to protest, write to senators/government because he wants legislation against oil drilling on Obama’s desk on January 20th. He also reminded us that easiest way to reduce emissions was to go vegetarian.
So naturally this started a discussion, where Mint was the first to point out the
benefits of eating vegetarian and then another man who spoke up (who was really cool), spoke out against CAFOs, supporting Mint’s original thread. We were able to get his contact info after the presentation; John Klein and his email ; john@eccscm.org there is a website too; http://nocafos.org/ . He offered to give us a tour of the factory farms in Michigan, if we were interested. I think that would be a great event for MARS to do.
Some stats/facts I thought that were interesting from the talk were;
-If we keep using fossil fuels at the same rate as we do now, an estimated 2 billion people will die because of emission related problems.
-Many animals that make their life in the arctic are dwindling in their populations
because of the increased temperatures and the melting of the ice in the arctic.
Let me know if you need more information/details,
Natalie Estrada
*****
2.) I’ve contacted John Klein about possibly having MARS take a tour CAFOs a.k.a. factory
farms, in Michigan.. I will keep you all posted about what he says
*****
3.) EMU is having a food-drive for animal magic exotic animal sanctuary. If you would like to donate any of the following items, please give me a call at 231-492-4212 and we can arrange for pick-up/ drop-off times and locations. Please see below
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feeding of primates and exotics can get really expensive so
we thought doing a foodraiser would be the best thing.
Animal Magic is a no-kill shelter for exotic and illegal animals
located in Belleville. You may already know them, but they are new to
me.
http://www.iwantanimalmagic.com/Rescue.html
We are collecting animal food donations from December 1 to December
13. People can drop off that the VISION OFFICE on the Second floor of
the EMU Student Center. http://www.emich.edu/maps/
Animal Magic compliled their Xmas list and here it is:
FOOD ITEMS
Canned vegetables and fruits (corn is a favorite of almost everything!)
Granola Bars/Fruit Bars (Our Lemurs, bush babies and kinkajous love these)
Nuts of any kind
Rabbit pellets (for tortoise bedding and porcupine & cavy food)
Alfalfa (Rabbits, Patagonian cavies, Chinchillas, pot-bellied pigs)
Dry pasta
Dry cereal (Cheerios, Bite-Sized Shredded Wheat, Fruit Loops, Corn
Pops- our primates go “ape” over these!)
Bird seed (large hook-bill, small hook-bill, dove)
Sweet potatoes (wallabies, two-toed sloths, prehensile tailed
porcupines, giant African crested porcupines, woodchuck, African Rock
Hyrax, Hairy armadillo)
Idaho, Russett or Michigan potatoes (giant African crested porcupines,
Patagonian cavies, pot-bellied pigs)
Carrots
Apples
Leafy Greens
Whole wheat bread (wallabies)
Any other kinds of bread (all the rodents, raccoons, opossums, birds, etc.)
NON-FOOD ITEMS
Blankets
Paper towels (we go through a ton!)
Wet wipes
Garbage bags. 30 & 33 gallon. The strongest ones.
Steel wool soap pads
Bird toys for large hookbills (Amazons, Macaws & Cockatoos)
********
4.) Some upcoming events:
-Students for Animal Rights at EMU is having
a vegan potluck this Sunday, Nov 23, at 4pm.
The location is Cornell Courts (EMU Student
Housing), Building F, Apt. 100. Cournell Courts
is on Meyhew, off of Oakwood, just north of
Washtenaw, on the EMU Main Campus.
Call 313-485-7011 if you get lost.
-‘Earthlings’ I am in the process of scheduling the DANA auditorium after Thanksgiving for a showing
-Possible volunteering at SASHA/GLRS or the Humane Society of Huron Valley (carpool)
-We will also be bringing Peter Young, an animal rights activist convicted for freeing animals from fur farms, to speak next semester
Here’s some info about him:
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuBaGc1M-Y.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Daniel_Young.
Check out the following petition! Thanks to JulieAnn)
—-
hey I have a petition running on care2 that is going to be sent to president elect obama, congress and the usda once it is full of signatures. Please sign it and have anyone in your group who wants to see an alterative method for meat eaters to eat meat and not raise and slaughter living animals for it. Here is also the link for the non profit organization I am trying to get funding for. and also the link to the petition.
thanks
Julie Ann
link to the petition
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/federal-funding-for-cultured-in-vitro-meat.
link to New Harvest research
http://www.new-harvest.org/faq.htm.
Please check out the letter below someone sent me and if you’d like to help betta fish, please sign the petition link
******
I am a former resident of Michigan where I first began shopping at Meijer retail stores. Now I live in central Illinois where Meijer also has stores, and I still enjoy shopping there for the prices. However, I was disheartened during my very first visit to a brand new Meijer store that just opened near my home. Meijer is selling betta fish in tiny enclosures, like many other large retail stores. I already disapprove of this practice which blatantly goes against what betta experts recommend for their care. But when I saw that the fish at the NEW store were being sold out of plastic beverage cups with barely a cup of water per fish, I was especially disgusted. I have informed Meijer that I won’t be shopping at their stores until change occurs. Additionally, I have started a petition asking Meijer to stop selling bettas and thus set a standard of animal-friendly policies for other large retailers. I hope to eventually take this to a broader level and deal with this problem in nationwide stores such as WalMart as well.
As an animal-rights organization in a state where Meijer has stores, I thought MARS may be willing to pass on information regarding the petition. The petition can be found at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/MeijerBettas.
The meeting is canceled next week (Tuesday the 18th); instead there is a free 7:30 p.m. lecture going on over at Matthei Botanical Gardens entitled, “Journey Through the Arctic: An Odyssey Through an Imperiled Landscape.” It’s sponsored by the Sierra Club. The speaker is Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign coordinator Chad Kister. We’ll be carpooling over there, so please e-mail armijoju@umich.edu if you’re interested in going
***
The video of Kim Stallwood’s talk, “Making Animal Protection a Mainstream
Political Issue,” is now available in MPEG4/Quicktime format at
http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/61194.
and
The following videos will be aired on CTN (Comcast cable channel
17 in Ann Arbor).
Earthlings
Sunday, 11/23/08 at 10:00pm
Tuesday, 11/25 at 11:00pm
Saturday, 11/29 at 7:00pm
Sunday, 11/30 at 3:00pm
An Evening with Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary (his talk at EMU)
Wednesday, 12/3/08 at 8:00pm
Saturday, 12/6 at 5:00pm
Sunday, 12/7 at 10:00pm
Tuesday, 12/9 at 3:00pm
Bruce Friedrich of PeTA: “Factory Farming & You”
Thursday, 12/11/08 at 10:05pm
Sunday, 12/14 at 3:00pm
Thursday, 12/18 at 10:05pm
Saturday, 12/20 at 10:05pm
This is Bruce’s talk at UofM in which he outlines the reasons for being
a veg/an.
“45 Days: The Life & Death of a Broiler Chicken”
Sunday, 12/7/08 at 2:45pm
Monday, 12/8 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, 12/10 at 4:45pm
Friday, 12/12 at 8:00pm
Saturday, 12/13 at 4:30pm
Sunday, 12/14 at 2:45pm
Wednesday, 12/17 at 4:45pm & 8:30pm
Friday, 12/19 at 11:15am
Saturday, 12/20 at 9:20pm
This is the expose of factory chicken farming that Joe Espinosa of
Vegan Outreach showed us this semester at UofM.
***
A great article about a dogfighting case in Lansing (thanks Brittany!)
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20081009/NEWS01/810090342.
***
In-vitro meat!
http://www.new-harvest.org/default.php.
***
New VEGAN Restaurant! (Thanks Heather!)
FYI: There is a new vegan restaurant that opened in Northville. I called the owner, and she said they could use some support. I thought I’d let you know in case anybody is hungry! If you know of any ARA orgs locally (Vegan MeetUp groups, etc.), please feel free to forward this to them. Also, feel free to forward this to any dog/cat orgs too; maybe plant some seeds. SFAR, MARS, SMART, or ADAPTT members might be interested in promoting the restaurant to MI vegan and animal rescue groups to get the ball rolling for this new vegan restaurant.
Red Pepper Deli
116 W. Main Street
Northville, MI
734-945-6244
***
For those vegans who are athletic…
The thread about Ann Arbor is here:
http://www.veganfitness.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16331&highlight=.
Dear animal lovers around the world!
We are a registered German charitable non-profit organization named “Docs 4 Dogs”, and we are currently running a campaign for the closure of all animal camps in Bulgaria.
Despite the Bulgarian animal protection act having come into force in January 2008, stray dogs are still being abused, slain and poisoned. The former isolators (death camps) are now called “animal shelters”. A report on our website gives you an idea about the appalling situation of those poor animals:
We need your help to urge the politicians who could prevent these cruelties to close down the death camps for stray animals in Bulgaria. Right now we are focusing on the isolator in Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city, were two animal keepers slayed 14 stray dogs with iron bars on February 8, 2008. If you have a website, blog or mailing list, please publish the following link were people can sign our protest against the massacre of stray animals in Bulgaria:
http://protest.docs4dogs.org/.
The Docs 4 Dogs website can be found here:
Best regards,
Matthias Hofmann
Docs 4 Dogs
The next one will be on 11/18
Julianne
Our Primate Week demonstration was a success despite the rain; we got in the Ann Arbor News as well as the front page of the Michigan Daily. The assistant opinion editor from the Daily has also asked me to write a viewpoint piece on what is happening over at the University of Michigan labs, which will likely be published next week
Michigan Daily is hardcopy newspaper only
I want to thank everyone who made the demonstration a success! And now that we have attention, we need to keep on it. Change is near all for those poor rhesus monkeys in the lab
Julianne
The video of Gene Baur’s talk at EMU is now available in MPEG4/Quicktime
format at http://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/61164.
DVDs are available on request (the.mad.doctor.kaeding@gmail.com).
Check out the following report:
Please see the bio below about our speaker Joe Espinosa, who will come to the University of Michigan to speak on October 6th at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium in the DANA (School of Natural Resources building):
Here’s a little background info about Joe (adapted from
http://www.veganoutreach.org/enewsletter/espinosa.html.):
Joe Espinosa, a tireless voice for those who have none, has been awarded the 2008 Henry Spira Grassroots Animal Activist Award. Since Vegan Outreach launched its Adopt a College program, where activists offer booklets directly to students, Joe has consistently been one of the organization’s top leafleters. For years, he’s arranged the schedule of his full-time job as a social worker at a methadone clinic in Chicago, so that he can get a full day leafleting- sometimes starting as early as 2 a.m. A dedicated animal rights
activist, he spends much of his free time working with other activists, new and old, to pursue thoughtful, constructive activism, and has helped many of them reach new levels of efficacy.
In Joe’s words, his talk will be about the following. Flyers will be soon to follow:
“It will be an overview of farmed animal suffering designed to move meat eaters to reduce their consumption and consider becoming vegetarian or
vegan, and also will advise those already concerned about farmed animal suffering on effective activism. I will cover the other areas of animal suffering as well; those used in experiments, those used in clothing, and those used in entertainment”
Thanks to everyone who came out; we had some great discussion! Here’s the run down of the meeting:
-Discussed the 400+ signatures obtained in preparation for Primate Week next month
-We will decide on a flyering day to blitz the campus with primate flyers
-Mint and Thomas will bring dog kennels for our primate demonstration; at the demonstration, we will have volunteers inside the kennels while others will hand out flyers with information about primate research in general, as well as lab specific reports about what’s happening at the University of Michigan. We are going to contact the Michigan Daily as well as the Ann Arbor News to see how much press coverage we can get. We will also be collecting even more signatures so that at the end of it all, we can show UM President Mary Sue Coleman that students do NOT find it acceptable to waste 13 million dollars of taxpayers’ money on invalid and cruel experiments.
The reports from SAEN can be found here:
SAEN: University of Michigan primate research.
****
-We are having a carpool to see Gene Baur at EMU this Saturday. We are meeting at 5:30 p.m. on E. University between East Quad and Ross School of Business
++**Friday, September 26th at 3 p.m., I will be flyering/chalking for Gene Baur. If anyone would like to join me, I will be on the steps of the Michigan Union. Feel free to bring tape and/or chalk
*****
-Joe Espinosa (from Vegan Outreach) is scheduled to come speak on October 6th (more information to come)
*****
We are going to try and collaborate with the environmental groups on campus to help get the battery cage free egg initiative off the ground again; Gabriel Benitez has been elusive and unresponsive to our requests for facts and figures regarding egg consumption at the University
****
-GREAT LAKES RABBIT SANCTUARY! Yay! On October 11th, MARS and SFAR from EMU are going to go to the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary to help them beautify for their open house the following day (and play with rabbits!). Please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty… we will be meeting at 10 a.m. in front of the Michigan Union
****
Can we do a work day at SASHA farms on Saturday, October, 25th also with SFAR from EMU?
****
Thanks to Farah for the following:
“For those of you who don’t know, Wayne Pacelle will be on Ellen this Friday to talk about Prop 2. Her promo for the day is below in text and I’ve included the link. If you follow the link, you’ll find lots of comments about HSUS and Prop 2. At first, they were all negative (older comments are at the bottom), but we’ve started sending in positive ones.”
Ellen DeGeneres: Prop 2.
****
Updates to the MARS recommended reading as well!
The Witness. will be showing on Comcast channel 17 in Ann Arbor
at these times:
Sunday, 10/5/08 at 3:00pm.
Thursday, 10/9 at 10:10pm
Saturday, 10/11 at 7:00pm
Sunday, 10/12 at 10:30pm
Friday, 10/17 at 8:00pm
Just wanted to update everybody about MARS and Primate Week (Oct. 11th-19th).
Yesterday, some PETA2 staffers as well as myself and one other MARS member collected nearly 300 student signatures (and planted awareness for possibly thousands) condemning the cruel and unnecessary cocaine/alcohol experiments that are happening over at the University of Michigan Medical School. As per now, the plan to boost awareness of this issue is as follows:
1.) Garner student support through petitions before and during Primate Week
2.) Post these flyers around campus:
Primate flyer 1.
Primate flyer 2.
3.) Decide on a date to do a Diag demonstration with volunteers taking turns being inside a wire dog cage while others hand out information/hold out signs about primate testing in general as well as specific information about what’s happening at our school
4.) Contact the Michigan Daily and Ann Arbor News before our demonstration to see if we can get on the front page
For the reports about what’s happening at U of M, please see the following links:
USDA Reports. (begins on page 35 of the document)
Also if you have trouble seeing any of the links/documents, let me know and I can send them to you via e-mail
“The multimedia committee is pleased to announce that Gary Yourofsky’s
talk from last semester will be aired on Comcast channel 17 in Ann Arbor.
Hear Gary admit to being an international terrorist and proudly say
“I love meat” in his captivating and inspirational speech on factory farms, animal
suffering, and easy steps we can all take to help. His talk will be on at these times:
Sunday, 9/28/08 at 3:00pm.
Wednesday, 10/1 at Noon
Thursday, 10/2 at 10:35pm
Saturday, 10/4 at 6:30pm
Wednesday, 10/8 at 9:00pm
Grab some popcorn and a few friends and try to catch one of the airings - you won’t be disappointed”
At our first meeting of the semester, we discussed taking part in some direct activism, such as going to the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary and lending a helping hand… the date we were thinking about going was October 11th (a day when Students For Animal Rights @ Eastern Michigan University would be going as well). Below is a link to their website for more information about this little slice of bunny heaven
Please see link for more information about this awesome opportunity!
Thanks to Mint for this article from The Guardian: the world’s most read english newspaper
Hello Martians!
As the days of summer wind down, I just wanted to give you all a handy tool to help keep track of upcoming MARS meetings and events (as well as other ones; Google calendar is a lifesaver!) Please check back often for updated times, dates and details. See you all soon!
Now is this great or what?
*****
Dear Friend,
I would like to provide the Michigan Animal Rights Society with an opportunity to participate in a cause that has the potential to end the vast majority of animal suffering and address some of the most critical environmental issues we face today.
The cause I am referring to concerns the research and development of hydroponic or “in vitro” meat as an ethical and responsible alternative to animal flesh for human consumption. Similar in concept to soil-free hydroponic vegetable cultivation, hydroponic meat is grown without the body of the animal.
Currently, there are no funded hydroponic meat research and development programs in the United States. To address this issue, I’ve entered a project titled “Hydroponic Meat for a Sustainable Planet Earth” in the American Express members project contest.
Hydroponic Meat Research Project.
Projects are eligible for $100K to $1.5M in funding. I have selected New-harvest.org as the recipient organization in the event that this project is awarded funding.
If you would like to show your support, there are several ways:
1. nominate this project
2. post a comment on the site
3. Provide this notice to others who would be interested in supporting this idea.
Projects may be nominated by the community through the 31st of August.
The success of this project depends upon funding, and funding will only be possible with the collective support of the compassionate community.
Though you and I may choose to live vegetarian lifestyles, in actuality, overall meat consumption in the United States and in developing countries (e.g. China) is on the rise. According to a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report, this trend is anticipated to continue into the future. Hydroponic meat produced and marketed economically at a commercial scale for public consumption possesses the potential to undermine the demand for traditional meat as an equivalent commodity in a capitalist economy, regardless of the values of the consumer. If realized, hydroponic meat will be the most realistic and effective approach to ending the majority of animal suffering and restoring our environment.
Please join me and show your support for this project. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to write and I will be happy to respond.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Nick Genovese
P.S. The renowned primatologist, environmentalist and vegetarian Jane Goodall is on the AmEx members project Advisory Panel responsible for advancing the top 25 community supported projects to the final voting rounds. With her insight and your participation, I am confident that we will have a chance to profoundly change the future.
For more information on hydroponic (in vitro) meat:
A thoughtful article examining the vegan/honey dilemma… thanks to our treasurer Andy for finding this.
MARS has its very own Facebook group! Please join and invite your friends too!
Spain has recently passed revolutionary animal rights laws, declaring that apes will now have the same rights as human beings! Please see article link below, or google ‘spain animal rights’… This is a great step in the right direction!
The MARS officers are hard at work trying to build a great repertoire for Fall 2008 semester… stay tuned!
Author Dr. Will Tuttle is coming to Ann Arbor to speak at UM! Dr. Tuttle will present the main ideas in his groundbreaking and provocative new book, “The World Peace Diet.” It is the first book to make explicit the invisible connections between our meals and our broad range of problems-psychological, social, and spiritual, as well as health and environmental. Dr. Tuttle offers powerful ways we can all experience healing and peace and contribute to a positive transformation of human consciousness.
With a doctorate in education from the University of California at Berkley, Dr. Will Tuttle has been an avid peace advocate, animal rights activist and vegan for nearly three decades. The extremely accomplished co-founder of the Worldwide Prayer Circle for Animals, he is also on the board of advisors of EarthSave, a frequent presenter at the annual Animal Rights Conference and Vegetarian Summerfest, as well as an accomplished musician. Dr. Tuttle has given hundreds of seminars and lectures to various organizations and universities around the country. We are extremely excited about him coming to Michigan!
***************************************************************
EVENT INFO
***************************************************************
DATE: Tuesday September 25th, 2007
TIME: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (approx.)
LOCATION: Rm. 1040, School of Natural Resources
& Environment (Dana Building)
The Dana Buidling is located at:
440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1041
Visit Dr. Tuttle’s Website at: http://www.willtuttle.com/schedule.htm
Below are some reviews of “The World Peace Diet” :
“A profoundly insightful and important book, The World Peace Diet is sure to be a catalyst and powerful tool in the evolution of human consciousness.”
-Satya Magazine
“The World Peace Diet is one of the most provocative books I’ve ever read. I felt challenged and stimulated by its profound insights, and called to question ever more deeply what Will Tuttle calls “the taboo against knowing who you eat.” This is a deep book, aglow with insights that penetrate and expose the complacency of a culture that has strayed painfully far from compassion.”
-John Robbins, author, Diet For A New America and The Food Revolution
“I am grateful for this powerful and cogent book. It has stretched my thinking (and heart) about animals, compassion, and our society and will probably be catalytic in furthering my personal growth.”
-John Mackey, Founder and C.E.O., Whole Foods, Inc
Bruce Friedrich’s Feb. 7, 2006 lecture at UM, “Factory Farming and You,” will air on Community Television Network, Ann Arbor cable channel 17, several times in May. For those who weren’t able to attend his talk in person, this is a great opportunity to hear his compelling message. Program your VCR and share it with your friends!
Thursday, May 4, 10:00 pm
Sunday, May 7, 10:00 pm
Wednesday, May 10, 9:00 pm
Thursday, May 11, 10:30 pm
Howard Lyman (The Mad Cowboy) will speak at two events on Thursday.
Public Policies for Sustainable Agriculture
Thurs., April 6, 2006
12:00-1:00 pm
Dana 2026 (School of Natural Resources & Environment, 2nd floor)
***
Eating the Earth, One Bite at a Time
Thurs., April 6, 2006
7:30 pm
Michigan Union — Kuenzel Room (1st floor)
FREE and open to the public.
Mr. Lyman is a fourth generation cattle rancher turned vegan activist. His comment on her show prompted Oprah to stop eating hamburgers, and they were both sued under a Texas food disparagement law. He is also the author of Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat, and No More Bull!
After the talk, copies of his books will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information: www.madcowboy.com
Co-sponsored by Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning, Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, and Michigan Animal Rights Society.
Bruce Friedrich, PETA’s Director of Vegan Campaigns, will speak on
Factory Farming and You: how factory farming is destroying our ecosystem, harming our health, and abusing animals (and what you can do about it)
Tues. Feb. 7, 2006
7:30 pm
Michigan Union—Pendleton Room
During the annual seal hunt on the ice floes off the Atlantic coast of Canada, 330,000 seals this year alone —mostly babies only weeks old — will be brutally clubbed into submission and skinned, many while still alive and gazing up in agony at their sadistic assailants.
We have the opportunity to do the animal rights movement and the cause of compassion proud. Let’s have a spectacular showing at a demonstration in downtown Detroit to protest the annual Canadian seal slaughter. Make plans to attend, and forward this information on to any contacts who might also be interested. Together, we can make a difference.
Date: April 9th
Time: Noon - 2:00 pm
Location: Meet in front of the Old Mariners Church outside the entrance/exit to the Detroit-Canada Tunnel
Contact: darryl_braun@yahoo.com about the demonstration
Contact martians@umich.edu if you need / can provide transportation.
learn more about the seal hunt at www.harpseals.org
Thanks for making the open lecture a success!
The KFC demo went well! See a picture here: KFC Pic
Thanks for coming to our Soy Delicious party, despite the weather! Feel free to e-mail martians@umich.edu if you want some coupons or literature about veganism / problems with dairy.
The turnout was great and the Michigan Daily covered the event! Read their article here: Daily article
Read a letter to the editor about the talk here: (3rd letter down)
Daily letter
Thanks to everyone who helped make this event successful. If you missed the talk and would like to borrow an unprofessional videotape, e-mail martians@umich.edu
The annual Walk for Farm Animals is taking place in Ann Arbor on Sunday, Sept. 19! This walk-a-thon raises much-needed funds for Farm Sanctuary - a national, non-profit animal protection organization devoted to animals used in food production. To learn more about their programs, visit Farm Sanctuary
Please contact Martians@umich.edu if you are interested in joining the Michigan Animal Rights Society on this walk!
Details:
Sunday, September 19
Registration 12:00
Walk 12:30
Location:
Hudson Mills Metropark
Attractions:
14th Annual Ann Arbor Walk!
Daily pass ($4.00) or annual pass required for entry into park
Vegan cookout after walk - bring your own drink and vegan dish to pass.
Registration and additional info available at:
Walk For Farm Animals
The Animal Care Network is in need of volunteers for their team in Inkster. They assist low-income families with their outdoor dogs. They provide doghouses, food, and collars, and also untangle chains, provide straw in the winter, and ointment for raw fly-bitten ears in the summer. Animal Care Network also strives to convince as many people as possible to spay/neuter their pets through their low-cost program.
The Animal Care Network is in need volunteers. If you need to fulfill service hours, they would love to have them join you. (They go into Inkster on Saturdays.)
If you’d like more information, please email Lori at asha1378 (at) aol (dot) com, or call her at 734 495 9063.
April 17, 2004, 3 pm, Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary,
Augusta Twp., FREE; 717-8545, rabbitbloom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Work with rescued rabbits and learn the volunteer ropes at the sanctuary, including animal care, barn cleaning, feeding, and other chores. Waterproof work gloves and sturdy footwear recommended. Volunteers must be 16 or older, and all volunteers must sign a liability release form.
Please call 734-717-8545 or e-mail rabbitbloom (at) yahoo (dot) com to reserve a space and get directions. Information about the sanctuary and printable liability release forms may be found at www.rabbitsanctuary.org.
Michigan Animal Rights Society will be hosting animal rights activist Gary Yourofsky on Tuesday, March 16.
Native Detroiter Gary Yourofsky gives compelling arguments for the adoption of a vegan lifestyle by examining historical trends and modern agribusiness. He is passionate, yet down-to-earth, and is willing to field questions or challenges. He will be at 1300 Chemistry Building at 7PM on March 16, 2004.
As always, please send us an email at martians@umich.edu if you would like to be on the mailing list.
MARS will be hosting a screening of the movie Peaceable Kingdom!
Venue:
Wednesday Feb. 18
7:00PM
Vandenburg Room, Michigan League
From the Peaceable Kingdom page at Tribe of Heart :
At a time when the public is more concerned than ever about the health and environmental problems associated with large-scale factory farming, Peaceable Kingdom explores another angle of this unfolding story: the interconnected life journeys of farm animals, former farmers, and animal rescuers struggling against an out of control industrial system.
Original Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Eric R. Goldberg
Phone: [omitted for web]
Email: [omitted for web]
http://umich.edu/~humanity/
Michigan Animal Rights Society to Host Free Screening of Peaceable Kingdom
Ann Arbor, MI — February 16, 2004 — Michigan Animal Rights Society (MARS) will be presenting a screening of the new film, Peaceable Kingdom, from award-winning directors Jenny Stein and James LaVeck. Peaceable Kingdom explores the interconnected life journeys of animals, former farmers, and animal rescuers struggling against an out of control industrial system.
Breaking generations of silence in the farm community, Peaceable Kingdom weaves together themes of respect, forgiveness, commitment, and healing, offering a vision of a more peaceful world that is well within our reach.
The screening will be held at 7:00PM on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004. The film will be shown in the Vandenburg Room of the Michigan League, located at 911 North University. Following the movie, a brief optional discussion will take place. There will also be a raffle for two gift certificates to a local restaurant. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
For information:
http://astrogibs.com/mars/archives/events/peaceable_kingdom.html
Contact: [omitted for web]
Phone: [omitted for web]
Whole Foods Market to Create Humane Farming Standards
CEO Mackey Decides to go Vegan
John Mackey, Whole Foods Market CEO, stated that “Viva! was instrumental in helping Whole Foods Market leadership come to understand the importance and necessity of making changes to animal production methods—changes that both eliminate cruelty and neglect, but also that will allow animals to do the things they would like to be doing. In addition to Whole Foods Market’s corporate commitment to raise the bar, my research on animal welfare issues while in dialogue with Ms. Ornelas, convinced me to personally become a vegan. I believe a vegan lifestyle is the most animal compassionate lifestyle possible.”
Check out this Lekkner contest for a creative way to raise money for SASHA Farm. Email martians@umich.edu if you would like more details.
This Friday, February 6, there will be a U-M Philosophy Department Tanner Lecture on Human Values. The lecture will be given by Harvard University philosophy professor Christine Korsgaard. Rackham Amphitheater (3rd floor). Free. 764-6285. See Upcoming.org for details (and other events in your area).
Helping Animals 101 is a two-day conference packed with information and advice for people who want to turn their compassion for animals into action. Whether you’re new to the animal protection movement or have been active for decades, this conference is for you!
Join PETA in Motor City when we convene at the Hilton Northfield for an exciting weekend of seminars, training, networking, and great food. This newly renovated property has offered a special guest room rate of just $65 per night for conference participants. Call 1-800-445-8667 and ask for the Helping Animals 101 rate today! Parking at the Hilton Northfield is complementary.
Michigan Animal Rights Society will be hosting animal rights philosopher Tom Regan and activist Gary Yourofsky.
Tom Regan will be coming on March 31, from 7-9PM in the Michgan League Ballroom. His presentation will relate to his book, Empty Cages: Facing the Challenge of Animal Rights.
Native Detroiter Gary Yourofsky gives compelling arguments for the adoption of a vegan lifestyle by examining historical trends and modern agribusiness. He is passionate, yet down-to-earth, and is willing to field questions or challenges. He will be at 1300 Chemistry Building at 7PM on March 16, 2004.
As always, please send us an email at martians@umich.edu if you would like to be on the mailing list.
This just in from PETA :
On December 26, 2003, two Menominee police officers came to the assistance of a citizen who no longer wanted her potentially aggressive cat. Upon consulting with their sergeant, and rather than exploring humane options available to them, the officers threw the animal—now helplessly confined to her carrier—into a nearby river to drown.
The alleged attack not only flies in the face of American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) guidelines, which unconditionally condemn drowning as a method of killing, but was an explicit violation of Michigan’s anti-cruelty statute.
Go to the alert page to take action and write the city prosecutor and deputy police chief of Menominee.
MARS has a new campaign for Winter 2004: Vegan Options for Students. This campaign entails compiling a database of local restaurants’ compliance with vegan and vegetarian dietary guidelines, increasing the amount of vegan food on the residence hall menus, and providing window decals or stickers for establishments that are veg-friendly.
Our next meeting is next Thursday, January 30. Be at the Crofoot Room of the Michigan Union at 7:00pm to take part. Hope to see you there!
We were recently alerted to this site via an email. This woman’s cat, Boxer, was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend. At the bottom of the web page, there are links to write to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Please write to Wayne County and urge them to prosecute Mr. Nulph to the full extent of the law.
MARS will have a table at this year’s Winterfest. We will be in the Michigan Union from 4:00-8:00pm tomorrow, Tuesday, January 13. Come by for free literature and information.
We will also be having a mass meeting this Thursday, January 15, at 7:00pm in the Michigan Union Crofoot Room.
Hope to see you there!
The Detroit steer has been saved! SASHA farms will be getting him some
time this week, hopefully. Please read the Detroit Free Press article for full details.
The effort isn’t over, however. SASHA Farm could still use help funding the costs of moving the animal and setting up a shelter for him. SASHA Farm can be reached at P.O. Box 222, Manchester 48158 or www.sashafarm.org.
Thanks to everyone who called the slaughterhouse and politely pleaded for
his life. This no doubt helped the negotiations immensely.
This Tuesday, Jefferson, a beef steer intended for slaughter, made a bold escape from a Detroit slaughterhouse. Please take some time to write or call the slaughterhouse and urge them to give the animal up to SASHA Farm sanctuary. Details from the PETA action alert:
On Tuesday, December 2, a steer made a daring escape from a slaughterhouse in Detroit, Michigan. The 1,800-pound animal ran through busy city streets, shocking passersby, in a desperate fight for his life. He was eventually quarantined in a vacant lot and tranquilized by a veterinarian. The steer is now being held at a farm while the slaughterhouse decides his fate.
A Michigan animal sanctuary, SASHA Farm, has offered the steer a home. We want the slaughterhouse to relinquish custody of the steer to the sanctuary. The local community has rallied behind the steer, and many are raising money in hopes of buying him, but we’ve asked the slaughterhouse to give him to SASHA Farm for free. We don’t think the slaughterhouse deserves a dime.
Please call slaughterhouse officials to ask them to do the right thing by giving the steer to SASHA Farm:
Nazam Saad
Al Badr Slaughter House
313-567-6003
313-567-6000
Check out this forum thread if you want to carpool to Fur Free Friday. The less fossil fuels burned to get to the event, the better!
Our next meeting will be after Thanksgiving: Thursday, December 4, at 7 pm in the Michigan Union Welker Room.
MARS will be on the Diag from 11-4 on Monday, Nov. 20, 2003. We will have information about factory farmed turkeys, alternative Thanksgiving recipes, literature, and constructive ways in which you can avoid unnecessary cruelty this holiday season.
Next Friday, Nov. 28, is Fur Free Friday! As a participant in this national event, the south-east Michigan animal rights group S.C.A.N. will be having an anti-fur demonstration at Neiman Marcus in Troy, MI. For details about the protest, see the S.C.A.N. events page or email martians@umich.edu if you’re interested in participating.
Every year, nearly 28 million animals are farmed world-wide for use in fur trim, coats, and accessories. Whether trapped in cruel leg-hold traps in the wilderness or raised in the nightmarish confines of a “fur farm,” the fate is the same for all of these poor creatures: anal electrocution, live gassing, or broken necks. Because these procedures are prone to flaw, many are left alive and conscious when they are skinned for their fur.
Please, choose not to wear fur this winter. There are many stylish and cruelty-free synthetics available. For more information and alternatives, see FurIsDead.com.
We will be having a bake sale Thursday, Nov. 13, 2003 from 11am-4pm in Angell Hall. The sale will be outside of the Angell Hall auditoriums. We will have all sorts of vegan goodies, including brownies, cookies, oat-clusters, and chocolate cake! Stop by for a yummy treat!
MARS will be hosting national animal rights speaker Gary Yourofsky Nov. 5, 2003. He will be speaking at 7pm in the Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union. [map]