Thanksgiving. 2009. Not for Some Animals.

It's going to be the day to give thanks very soon, but not for some beings. Their slaughter, unfortunately, is a requisite for many families in America, turning the hapless turkey into the centerpiece of their thanks-giving. I remember as late as the 1970s when some of my friends and acquaintances frowned at my idea of doing a Thanksgiving dinner without the turkey. I wasn't into animal welfare yet at that time. True to my iconoclastic nature, I just thought that the tradition was to give thanks, and not the turkey on the table. So, my family had many Thanksgiving dinners/lunches without the turkey while my so-called friends accused me on trashing a cherished tradition and setting a bad example and a terrible precedent for my then young son. Well, if one is comfortable with a tradition and it fits well into his/her personal philosophy, then so be it and be happy with it. However, there are no limits on tradition and new traditions are born all the time.

As for those Thanksgiving dinners of the past, my family opted to served some Filipino dishes at home, sometimes partaking in a Japanese buffet or some Italian cuisine minus the yams, the cranberry sauce, and the bird. All these done in the spirit of giving thanks for the good life we have enjoyed so far. Let there be no one to accuse me of being a lesser American because I chose to give thanks in a non-traditional way. America culture is ever-changing because her demographics are ever-changing. Diversity is our strength, and not our liability. Since I became an animal rights proponent, it has become even clearer how absurd some traditions are...

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Three Members of the Philippine Shooting Team and the Killing of Protected Philippine Wildlife

When a member of the animal or plant kingdom goes extinct, there will be no second chances. Evolution will simply not repeat itself. There are reportedly eighty bird species that are unique to the Philippines and many of them have already made it to the endangered list. And we, to a great extent, have indiscrimate hunting to thank for it. In spite of two national laws protecting Philippine animals, the carnage continues unabated. The killings could occur as arbitrarily as guys getting together for macho time, or as a result of a well-planned hunting trip involving speed boats, bird callers, and camouflaged outfits. Either way, the outcome is the same. Philippine wildlife, our natural treasures, inches closer to a state of irreparable vacancy. Not too long ago, we learned about the Bacolod Air Rifle Club (BARC) whose unbridled killing of Philippine birds and ducks became the subject of an online petition calling for immediate government intervention. My post on that most disturbing c...

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Ringling Bros. Elephant Acts to be Abolished. Nothing to be Excited About. March 2014.

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...

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