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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Will you all just quite fighting at the dinner
table and eat what's served?!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Grateful that oysters aren't considered sentient
beings, --T</FONT></DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=starbliss@gmail.com href="mailto:starbliss@gmail.com">Ted Moffett</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com
href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">Donovan Arnold</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> ; <A
title=megan@meganpru.com href="mailto:megan@meganpru.com">Megan Prusynski</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, August 27, 2006 11:36
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Intelligence of
Pigs: Pigs As Pets Or Food?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Donovan et. al.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There have been periods I have avoided eating pig meat, when I still ate
chicken or fish, based on the scientific fact that pigs are rather intelligent
animals. Not that I justify cruelty or mistreatment of animals of lower
intelligence. After all, pain may not be a perception that requires high
intelligence to experience, nor "person hood" either (just had to sneak that
in given the abortion debate is back on Vision2020). </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I know this may sound laugable to many because pigs are thought of as
such, well, dirty and "piggy" animals, and we call people "pigs" when we mean
to be mean. Too bad for the real pigs, who are smart animals. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Donovan has an important point about pigs and intelligence regarding
how we treat them as food animals.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>However, his implication that Megan should focus instead on opposing
abuse of pigs served as food in Moscow, seems an attempt to de-legitimize her
focus on foie gras. No one can take on every cause! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If we think it reasonable to give more humane treatment to animals
of higher intelligence (many regard harming primates and dolphins to be far
worse than harming a cow or a chicken due to the scientific basis that
dolphins and primates are much higher in intelligence) based on these
qualities, then pigs are "mistreated" as a food animal in a manner
that seems to indicate their intelligence is not given proper
respect. We don't serve dog or cat at restaurants. Why? Pigs
are very bit as deserving of respect for their emotional and
intellectual faculties as dogs or cats are, and if not, it is only an
irrational emotional attachment (or maybe it's the cuddly fur, which pigs do
not possess. or the unique behavior patterns of dogs and cats that fit human
needs) to some animals as "pets" that justifies humane treatment of dogs and
cats while pigs are treated terribly: </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="http://extension.oregonstate.edu/oap/story.php?S_No=138&storyType=oap&cmd=pf"
target=_blank>http://extension.oregonstate.edu/oap/story.php?S_No=138&storyType=oap&cmd=pf
</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As a bioethicist, Croney teaches and conducts research focusing on the
ethical treatment of animals. She came to OSU in 2001, a few years after
completing her groundbreaking dissertation research on the cognitive capacity
of pigs. </DIV>
<DIV>
<P>"This research was unique in that the subjects of the study were a common
farm animal," said Croney. "Up to that time, the subjects of these kinds of
studies were usually non-human primates or monkeys." </P>
<P>Croney's research examined the problem-solving abilities of pigs. She
demonstrated that pigs could learn tasks that required them to use computers
and joysticks to identify specific onscreen targets. </P>
<P>"As a result of the study I gained a new appreciation for the intelligence
of pigs," she said. "They were able to learn tasks that dogs and even some
very young children could not do." </P>
<P>The study launched Croney's career in behavior research using agricultural
production animals. </P>
<P>"Up to the time of the study, almost no one in this country was studying
farm animal cognition and mentality and the impact of these characteristics on
animal well-being," Croney said. "What we learn about the intelligence of
animals ought to help us understand what really matters to them, as opposed to
what we think should matter, in regard to their quality of life." </P>
<P>------------------------ </P>
<P>More on the intelligence of pigs from a pro-vegan site:</P>
<P><A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenlivespigs_experts.asp"
target=_blank>http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenlivespigs_experts.asp</A></P>
<P>-------------------------</P>
<P>Ted Moffett</P></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 8/25/06, <B class=gmail_sendername>Donovan
Arnold</B> <<A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com"
target=_blank>donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com </A>> wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<DIV>Maybe the Newspaper and/or Megan has misunderstood what Mr. Foucachon
said. I bet that is the case. <BR><BR>My question is why Megan would protest
the mistreatment of birds when pigs are mistreated and served everywhere in
Moscow. Sounds to me like they are just making things up to protest about
because the restaurant is connect to NSA. <BR><BR>Best,<BR><BR>_DJA</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><BR></SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
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