On Loving Animals...

This is today's big news. It is all over the newspapers. Different animal rights organizations have made their respective announcements. Many people, particularly animal right advocates are celebrating.  No reason to celebrate, sorry If you believe that Ringling can commit an act that benefits their enslaved animals, any animal for that matter, I have a tall building on 34th Street to sell you. Altruism is not the motivating factor, but their profits. Why three years from now? If they have the money to keep the elephants for three more years, they certainly have the money to release them to sanctuaries NOW. It's a ploy to lull AR groups into a state of complacency, and e ase up on the pressure.  I don't think that will happen. The AR groups will persists simply because elephants are not the only enslaved animals in circuses. All of them have to be sent home for us to truly celebrate a victory. As for now, Ringling will tread water and watch if their image will recov...

The battle rages on over Mali , the lone elephant at the Manila Zoo. In 1977, she was taken there as a a goodwill gift from Sri Lanka to Imelda Marcos. She was still a child back then. Yes, I refer to animals like they were humans. It is never "it," but always a he or she. Surely, a mind-shift whose time has come. When we relegate animals to a form of "it," we open the door to all sorts of abuse and liberties upon them. "It" makes them subhuman. What an incredible thought---something lower than a human. Below is my response to an editorial  that appeared in a local newspaper in Manila. The writer, obviously, supports the Stay Mali movement as opposed to the Free Mali movement. The former favors extending captivity while the latter favors freedom. We want Mali transferred to a sanctuary in Thailand where she can socialize with other elephants and live in an environment that may not be perfect but closer to reality. She has not been with another elephant...