Page 6 - Sonoma County Gazatte May 2017

OPINION: Homelessness: Shame & Compassion
OPINION: Who is the Animal?
By Heidi Prottas
This has been a thoughtful time for me. With another death in the homeless
By Katy Byrne
Humans are busy trying to take over other populations. It includes the
community and terrible weather, my thoughts have turned to what more
we can do to improve life for homeless folks. I saw people step in to help the gentleman that died, and the struggle they faced following his death, asking the question, could I have prevented this? Although I understand we cannot save every life, we can help. You probably help in many ways.
animal kingdom. People seem to have become even more destructive in this age. Not to bring you down, but we have to stay aware.
I also understand some people are uncomfortable with the homeless population, even frightened, and allow fear to overwhelm their compassion. Communication can be a path to compassion. Share your feelings and information with those who see the homeless as a burden. Do you have a homeless friend or family member? Have you been homeless yourself? Do
you have a friend or family member with mental health or substance abuse problems? Many of us do, yet we are ashamed to discuss these parts of our life. But when we speak out, we find others with similar life experiences. The only way we can remove the stigma of being homeless, of having mental health of substance abuse problems is to stop being ashamed of them ourselves.
Hunters are going into caves in Alaska when mother bears and cubs are asleep to kill them. Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, said the repeal of the Alaska Wildlife Management
Rule (February 2017*) would allow “the worst wildlife management practices introduced in the last century,” including shooting hibernating bears with their cubs; using airplanes to scout and shoot grizzly bears; and baiting and trapping bears with steel-jawed, leg-hold traps and wire snares.
Misfortune, loss, falling into substance abuse, struggles with mental health. These are human issues, but people without homes don’t have the luxury of coping privately. They are on display on our streets. Their pain, their mental illness, and their isolation play out daily before our eyes. How would you
With all the money we’re already losing and spending on building walls and wars couldn’t we just find a kinder way to take care of the voiceless ones?
fare in this situation? We don’t allow homeless people to congregate, which diminishes their community. Where would any of us be without our support system?
A few examples are: Pedals, the standing bear who had his own Facebook fan page was so wildly loved, but killed by an arrow in a New Jersey bow hunt.
So, what’s going on with humans? When will we have a civilization that’s
Please don’t add feeling invisible to the problems they already face. Remember the value of human dignity, the value of a warm smile. Don’t let your fear overwhelm your compassion. Keep yourself safe, absolutely, but don’t assume every man without a home is dangerous. Give what you can, a smile, a handshake, a sandwich. Talk honestly about these issues with others, especially with those who are fearful.
civil? Research shows that neglecting or abusing animals is often an indicator or predictor of other kinds of crimes. (The Link Coalition.) In other words, people who hurt animals often harm people. Children exposed to domestic violence are three times more likely to be cruel to animals and children who witness animal abuse are at a greater risk of becoming abusers. Up to 75% of domestic violence victims report that their partners threatened or killed family pets. 50% of school shooters have histories of animal cruelty. So, can we just stop it?
If there is any shame here, it’s our society’s shame in letting members of our community remain homeless. Contact 575-4494 or sctfhmls@pacbell.net
This year again, Bison were “culled,” (don’t you love this doublespeak - we wouldn’t want to say “murdered”) at Yellowstone Park. Really?
Oh, I know all the arguments: population control, “good meat,” and trophies over the fireplace. Seriously? Killing for a trophy is population control? Really? I ask, why would we cause more suffering when we might research kinder ways to “balance nature?”
Is this the world we want to pass on to our kids?
OPINION: Stop HR597 Lytton Development
So, could humans have too much anger and anxiety pent up and need to release it by pointing something at innocent beings? Seals bludgeoned year after year in slow deaths? What does this show the kids? Besides the atrocities and detective shows they see on TV?
By Eric Wee and Michael Robison, Citizens for Windsor Congressman Jeff Denham’s legislation (HR 597- Lytton Rancheria
Let’s just stop it. Instead of Nike’s old adage about tennis shoes, “Just do it,” let’s start a T-shirt rage called, “Just Stop It.”
Homelands Act of 2017- formerly Rep. Jared Huffman’s bill HR 2538) would move the 500 acres purchased by the Lytton Rancheria at the western edge of Windsor, CA into federal trust, exempting the land from local zoning and planning regulations. The land, which has no historical connection to the Lytton Rancheria, would become a sovereign nation. The plan will allow 147 homes (with 214 homes coming later) to be built, as well as a winery and 200- room resort to be developed nearby.
Not to depress those of you who care - on an up note - the NYPD offers rewards for reports of animal cruelty! And heavier penalties for animal abuse are on the horizon. The ALDF in Cotati, California is offered a 5,000 reward to find persons who hit a cat’s chest with an arrow. Now, this is exciting news.
Despite mitigation efforts by the county, the move will have a disastrous environmental impact on the land and our community: 1,500 oak trees on the property would be cut and one of the best preserved oak woodlands in the area would be destroyed. The move will develop areas outside of Windsor’s urban growth boundary, leading to developments that are incompatible with the rural nature of that land. We ask also that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) not transfer the land into federal trust and that the Windsor Town Council also pass a new resolution saying they are against the land going into federal trust.
So, what will motivate us to protect and make safe this world for people and animals? Maybe it’s some motivation that we now know we can get cancer from eating some meat. And even “cage free” birds don’t mean the egg is good. So, which is it? The chicken or the egg?
Local residents have not been given a fair hearing on this issue. Last year when a similar bill was introduced, no residents were invited to testify before the House Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs Subcommittee when they held a hearing on the bill.
A happy example is “The Black Mambas” – a group of women in Africa who joined together to become an anti-poaching unit with zero tolerance for hurting Rhino’s. “Since forming this brave community, there has been a “76% reduction in snaring and poaching within their area.” (British Guardian, 4/16).
We ask you to request that The Honorable Norma Torres, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs, invite members of the public who oppose this bill to help educate the subcommittee on how damaging this bill would be to our local community.
Our local organization: ADLF, Animal Legal Defense Organization
in Cotati, Ca. does a huge and hard job advocating for animals that are profoundly important. Please send your inquiries or donations to: info@adlf. org. There is a Change.org petition started by an Animal Legal Defense Fund contract attorney who used USDA records to go after puppy mills and save endangered species at Cricket Hollow Zoo. People can also go to their website Aldf.org/USDA where they can find more information about ongoing efforts in this case and donate to help in those efforts.
We urge government officials to not support HR 597
Stop HR 597. Do not make land next to Windsor, CA into a sovereign nation. www.change.org/p/dianne-feinstein-stop-the-government-from-
Katy Byrne, MA, MFT, is a Psychotherapist in Sonoma, CA. She is the author of “The Courage To Speak Up,” columnist for The Sun in Sonoma, editor and animals rights& protection advocate. katybyrne@aol.com
making-the-lytton-land-by-windsor-into-a-sovereign-nation
6 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 5/17
And nowadays in Spain, dog “owners” who do not pick up their dog’s poop- will be fined...or will have to do street cleaning! Human beings keep fooling around with crap, but there’s movement in more ways than one.
The bad news? The average American is responsible for the deaths of approximately 2,500 chickens over his lifetime. And now we might die from eating them. There is enormous suffering for many of these birds.
What to do? Take pictures when in doubt of possible abuse or neglect and inquire about how to help with your local animal control.