BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law

Subject: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: Amos
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:27 AM

Congress Acts to Protect Animal Privacy

By Peter Gray Washingtonword

Washington, May 13, 2002 Reacting to concerns that animals in captivity do not have a legal right to privacy, Rep. Harold Wolfe (D- CA) today introduced the Animal Privacy Entitlement (APE) Act of 2002. The legislation would provide animals in zoos, circuses and theme parks with new privacy protections.

In a statement, Congressman Wolfe said, Over 50 bills have been introduced in the 107th Congress to protect human privacy, but none to protect animal privacy. This is unfair, undemocratic, and discriminatory. My bill would extend to animals basic fair information practices that limit the collection, disclosure and uses of health and other personal data on animals. I expect many animal lovers and privacy advocates in Congress will co-sponsor my bill.

Among the most controversial provisions of the APE Act, video surveillance of the dating, mating and other personal activities of captive animals would be prohibited. The Act also allows class-action lawsuits to be brought on behalf of captive animals against zoos and other public animal habitats that violate, or permit the public to violate, animal privacy.

Animal rights activists, privacy advocates, and trial lawyers joined forces to support the legislation. Speaking on behalf of the group, Polly Finch, Executive Director of The Center for Animal Democracy, said that the bill represents an important step forward to ensure privacy parity for animals. Since an animal is not capable of bringing a private right of action against an abuser of its privacy, legal representatives of animals should be permitted to file class-actions on their behalf , she added.

On May 6, 2002, the Washington Post reported that the National Zoo refused to release a deceased giraffe s medical records on grounds that it would violate the animal s right to privacy. However, courts have ruled that animals do not have a legal right to privacy. The APE Act would remedy this legal deficiency.

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:20 PM

This is a joke right?

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: Charcloth
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:40 PM

I hope so!

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: Lepus Rex
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:45 PM

Hey, my cat looks VERY annoyed if you disturb him while he's in the litter box, or eating his own vomit. Don't allow the voiceless animals to suffer like that! Non-human animal privacy NOW!

---Lepus Rex

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: RichM
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:46 PM

Yeah it's a joke; humans aren't socially advanced enough to consider doing this....

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: artbrooks
Date: 14 May 02 - 01:46 PM

There is no listing for a Rep. Harold Wolfe at www.house.gov and no pending bill anything like this.

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 May 02 - 02:09 PM

I only asked because it really wouldn't surprise me if this WAS an issue somewhere in the American government...

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: CapriUni
Date: 14 May 02 - 02:28 PM

"Harold Wolfe" is the clue that this is a joke. His nickname would be Harry (hairy) Wolfe. Also, the line about animals' lack of privacy being "undemocratic" Since non-humans don't vote in elections, I doubt a congressman would be raising much fuss about them.

(though if they *did* vote, I doubt we'd have Dubya as a president...)

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: gnu
Date: 14 May 02 - 02:43 PM

I'll vote to ban zoos which do not provide for animal mental health. When I walk by an animal pacing back and forth in small enclosure I literally tear up and feel physically ill. I refuse to visit our local zoo. I always thought that if I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, I'd make a midnight run to loose as many as possible... just so they could taste freedom for at least a wee bit.

And, I'd definitely vote to ban the unbelievable cruelty of having live animals on display in grocery stores, such as those lobster tanks. That's just plain sick.

Mind you, I love a good feed of lobster and I am an avid hunter (those guys you see on TNN with the tree stands and scoped rifles are not hunters).

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 14 May 02 - 02:58 PM

"I'd make a midnight run to loose as many as possible..."

Kinda like the anti-fur, animal rights idiots a few years ago who raidied a fur farm, and let all the minx out? After a matter of days most of the Minx were easily found...

BECAUSE THEY HAD EITHER STARVED TO DEATH OR BEEN KILLED BY LOCAL PREDITORS!

At least when the fur farm killed them, it was as painless as possible...

And well, I've talked to lobster... they never mentioned hating the tanks...

Wear fur, eat meat, and don't be ashamed... cause if the roles were reversed, WE'D be the ones on the plates with our pelts on racks...

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: Amos
Date: 14 May 02 - 02:58 PM

It is a joke -- sorry I didn't make that explicit but I figgered it was clear with an act called APE-- the worry is this is the kind of humor that can become reality in the blink of an eye these days!!

a

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: gnu
Date: 14 May 02 - 03:19 PM

I know, I know... but it still makes me sick.

You talked to lobsters ? You should give some smoke to that lad on the "other" thrad who never got stoned.

Wear fur ? Well, I don't eat fur bearers, and man made clothing is better than fur, so I disagree.

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 14 May 02 - 03:30 PM

This reminds me of a conversation my daughter had with friends about how "disgusting" traveling in a balloon or small boat would be, having to watch other people go to the bathroom, etc.

My dauthter argued that it's a learned response - we're taught we shouldn't watch humans defecate or copulate, but it's perfectly OK to watch animals do it.

I must admit, I hadn't thought of it that way before.

Subject: RE: BS: Animal Rights to Privacy To Become Law
From: GUEST,Just Amy
Date: 14 May 02 - 04:21 PM

ROFLMAO