Think About This When Pondering Whether The World Has Tipped Left Off Axis, Or Not?

 

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Reindeer Rights Group Sues Bush and Ag. Sec. Mike Johanns For Animal Abuse for Allowing Inhumane Slaughter

Reindeer, buffalo and a Marin County farm animal protection group sued President Bush and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns Friday in federal court in San Francisco for allegedly allowing inhumane slaughter. 

The lawsuit filed on the last court day before Christmas charges the Agriculture Department with failing to apply a federal humane slaughter law to the commercial killing of reindeer, buffalo and certain other animals for meat.

The plaintiffs listed in the lawsuit are reindeer, American bison and the Humane Farming Association, a farm animal protection group based in San Rafael.

A spokesperson for the Agriculture Department could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit contends the federal Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958 requires humane slaughter techniques for all livestock. But the plaintiffs allege the Agriculture Department enforces the law by requiring slaughter inspections only for certain types of animals, including cattle, calves, pigs, sheep and horses.

The suit alleges the agency offers optional slaughter inspection for a fee, but does not require scrutiny, for the commercial slaughter of other animals including reindeer, bison, antelope, North American elk, ostrich and rabbit.

It claims that those animals "are commonly slaughtered in a manner which is intensely painful and otherwise inhumane."

The lawsuit alleges that the uninspected killing of reindeer, bison and other animals could cause Humane Farming Association members to suffer contamination-related illnesses and also affect them emotionally.

"These members heartily endorse the national policy embodied in the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and suffer various levels of distress simply because they know of the rampant mistreatment of unprotected animals at the time of slaughter," the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring Bush and Johanns to revise regulations to extend the humane slaughter requirements of the law to the currently unprotected species.

'At the close of Dec. 2005,  2,180 members of the U.S. Miltary had been killed in Iraq, since the start of the war.  That same month a reindeer "rights" group sued the Commander in Chief of the United States of America for "abuse, for allowing the inhumane slaughter of animals"  To quote Forrest Gump, "that's all I have to say about that................."

Here are the name's of those who died in December, while the reindeer "rights" group was filing their lawsuit for "inhumane slaughter of animals" if any of those member's of the human race(that may be an assumption on my part) are interested:'

Dec. 31: Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Bishop, 31, Williamstown, Ky.; died in Siniyah when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Army Spc. Marcelino Corniel, 23, La Puente, Calif., killed in Baghdad by a mortar attack; Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Fullerton, Calif.

Dec. 30: Army Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Christopher Dostie, 32, Lewiston, Maine, killed near Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded; Army's D Company 2nd-502nd Infantary Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Pvt. Jonathan Pfender, 22, Evansville, Ind., killed in Beiji, when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; Army's 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Staff Sgt. Ayman Taha, 31, Vienna, Va.; died in Balad when he was preparing a munitions cache for demolition and the cache exploded; 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Dec. 29: Army Pfc. George Lutz, 25, Virginia Beach; killed by small arms fire in Fallujah; 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, 4th Psychological Operations Group, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

• Army Spc. Prince Teewia, 27, Durham, N.C.; killed in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Dec. 28: Army Spc. Aaron Forbes, 24, Oak Island, N.C.; killed in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Dec. 27: Army Pvt. Joshua Morberg, 20, Sparks, Nev.; killed in Baghdad with Lance Sage when an explosive detonated near theirvehicle; 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

• Army Spc. Lance Sage, 26, Hempstead, N.Y.; killed in Baghdad with Joshua Morberg when an explosive detonated near their vehicle; 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Dec. 26: Army Spc. Dane Carver, 20, Freeport, Mich.; died Monday in Khalidiyah, when his vehicle came under attack by small arms fire; National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Saginaw, Mich.

• Army Sgt. Dominic Coles, 25, Jesup, Ga.; died in Baghdad when his vehicle came under attack by a rocket-propelled grenade; 5th Engineer Battalion, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

• Army Chief Warrant Officer Isaias Santos, 28, Ancon, Panama; killed in Baghdad with Richard Salter in a helicopter accident; 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

• Army Chief Warrant Officer Richard Salter, 44, Cypress, Texas; killed with Isaias Santos in Baghdad in a helicopter accident; 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Dec. 25: Army Spc. Sergio Gudino, 22, Pomona, Calif., died in Baghdad, when an explosive detonated near his tank; 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

• Army Spc. Anthony Cardinal, 20, Muskegon, Mich.; died in Baghdad, when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Dec. 24: Army Master Sgt. Joseph Andres, Jr., 34, Seven Hills, Ohio; died after an attack by enemy forces in Baqubah; U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

• Army Sgt. Myla Maravillosa, 24, Wahiawa, Hawaii; died after a rocket-propelled grenade attack near Hawijah; Army Reserve's 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Dec. 23: Army Sgt. Regina Reali, 25, Fresno, Calif.; killed with Cheyenne Willey in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near their vehicle; Army Reserve's 351st Civil Affairs Command, Mountain View, Calif.

• Army Spc. Cheyenne Willey, 36, Fremont, Calif.; killed in Baghdad with Regina Reali when an explosive detonated near their vehicle; Army Reserve's 351st Civil Affairs Command, Mountain View, Calif.

Dec. 22: Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Britt, 24, Wheeler, Texas; killed in Baghdad when an explosive detonated; 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Spc. William Lopez-Feliciano, 33, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico; killed Thursday in Baghdad when an explosive detonated; 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Dec. 20: Army 1st Lt. Michael Cleary, 24, Dallas, Pa., and Spc. Richard Naputi, 24, Talofofo, Guam; died in Taji with Richard Naputi when an explosive detonated near their vehicle; 1st Battalion 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

• Army Spc. Richard Junior Naputi, 24, Talofofo, Guam; died in Taji with Michael Cleary when an explosive detonated near their vehicle; 1st Battalion 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Dec. 19: Army Staff Sgt. Johnnie Mason, 32, Rio Vista, Texas; died Monday in Mahmudiyah when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; assigned to the 717th Ordnance Company, 184th Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group (Explosive Ordnance Detachment), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Dec. 18: Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel Tapia, 20, San Benito, Texas; died from small-arms fire in Ramadi; 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms,Calif.

Dec. 16: Marine Cpl. Adam Fales, 21, Cullman, Ala.; died from a non-hostile gunshot wound in Fallujah; Combat Service Support Detachment-21, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.

Dec. 15: Army Sgt. Timothy Boyce, 29, North Salt Lake, Utah; died at Landstuhl (Germany) Regional Medical Center of a non-combat related cause; Maintenance Troop, Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

• Army Spc. Joseph Lucas, 23, Augusta, Ga.; died in Balad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Dec. 14: Marine Staff Sgt. Kenneth Pospisil, 35, Andover, Minn.; killed by an explosive near Ramadi; 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

• Marine Cpl. Michael Presley, 21, Batesville, Miss.; died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany of wounds from a car bombing Dec. 12 in Fallujah; 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Dec. 13: Army Spc. Lex Nelson, 21, Salt Lake City; died in Tikrit when he fell from a guard tower; 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Four Army soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle northwest of Baghdad; Army's 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade, Fort Riley, Kan.

• Spc. Peter Navarro, 20, Wildwood, Mo.

• Staff Sgt. Michael Zyla, 32, Elgin, Ore.

• Sgt. Brian Karim, 22, Talcott, W. Va.

• Spc. James Kesinger, 32, Pharr, Texas.

Dec. 12: Army Spc. Jared Kubasak, 25, Rocky Mount, Va.; died in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

• Army Staff Sgt. Curtis Mitchell, 28, Evansville, Ind.; killed when an explosive detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad; 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Dec. 11: Army Staff Sgt. Keith Bennett, 32, Holtwood, Pa.; died in a suicide blast; Army National Guard's 28th Military Police Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Johnstown, Pa.

• Army Sgt. 1st Class James Moudy, 37; Newark, Del., died in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near his vehicle; 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Dec. 10: Army Sgt. Julia Atkins, 22, Bossier City, La., died in Baghdad when an explosive detonated near her vehicle; 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

• Army Sgt. Kenith Casica, 32, Virginia Beach; killed by small-arms fire in Baghdad; 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Sgt. Clarence Floyd, Jr., 28, Newark, N.J.; died when his unit came under attack in Taji; 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Staff Sgt. Travis Nelson, 41, Anniston, Ala.; killed by small-arms fire in Baghdad; 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Dec. 9: Army Sgt. Adrian Orosco, 26, Corcoran, Calif.; killed in a suicide car bombing in Baghdad; 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif.

Dec. 8: Army Sgt. Spencer Akers, 35, Traverse City, Mich.; died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio of injuries received when an explosive detonated near his vehicle in Habaniyah on Nov. 21; Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Saginaw, Mich.

Army Staff Sgt. Milton Rivera-Vargas, 55, Boqueron, Puerto Rico; died of heart attack in Kalsu; Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.

• Army 1st Lt. Kevin Smith, 28, Brandon, Fla.; died when an explosive detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad; 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Dec. 7: Marine Cpl. Joseph Bier, 22, Centralia, Wash.; killed by an explosive in Ramadi, Iraq; 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

• Army Sgt. Michael Taylor, 23, Hockley, Texas; died when an explosive detonated near his truck in Balad; 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery, 214th Field Artillery Brigade, III Corps Artillery, Fort Sill, Okla.

Dec. 6: Army Cpl. Jimmy Shelton, 21, Lehigh Acres, Fla.; died in a mortar attack in Beiji; 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Pfc. Thomas Siekert, 20, Lovelock, Nev.; died from non-hostile injuries in Beiji; 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

• Army Spc. Brian Wright, 19, Keensburg Ill.; died when his vehicle hit a mine in Ramadi; Army National Guard's 135th Engineer Company, Lawrenceville, Ill.

Dec. 4: Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard Schild, 40, Tabor, S.D.; died from a roadside explosive in Baghdad; National Guard's 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, Yankton, S.D.

• Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Cuka, 27, Yankton, S.D.; died from a roadside explosive in Baghdad; National Guard's 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, Yankton, S.D.

Dec. 2: Three Army soldiers were killed in a vehicle accident at Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq; National Guard's 148th Forward Support Battalion, 48th Brigade Combat Team, Forsyth, Ga.

• Staff Sgt. Philip Travis, 41, Snellville, Ga.

• Sgt. Philip Dodson, Jr., 42, Forsyth, Ga.

• Spc. Marcus Futrell, 20, Macon, Ga.

Dec. 1: 10 Marines were killed by an explosive in Fallujah; 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

• Staff Sgt. Daniel Clay, 27, Pensacola, Fla.

• Lance Cpl. John Holmason, 20, Surprise, Ariz.

• Lance Cpl. David Huhn, 24, Portland, Mich.

• Lance Cpl. Adam Kaiser, 19, Naperville, Ill.

• Lance Cpl. Robert Martinez, 20, Splendora, Texas.

• Cpl. Anthony McElveen, 20, Little Falls, Minn.

• Lance Cpl. Scott Modeen, 24, Hennepin, Minn.

• Lance Cpl. Andrew Patten, 19, Byron, Ill.

• Sgt. Andy Stevens, 29, Tomah, Wis.

• Lance Cpl. Craig Watson, 21, Union City, Mich.

The British military reported 98 deaths; Italy, 27; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 17; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Slovakia, three; Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia one death each.