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City councilman and mayoral hopeful Tony Avella held a press conference today at City Hall to spotlight a pending council resolution urging the New York State Senate to outlaw force-feeding ducks and geese to produce foie gras. A bill to ban the practice is languishing in Albany, and Avella hopes his largely symbolic gesture will push it forward.
Yesterday Avella told the Village Voice that though there are only two foie gras farms in New York State, he feels legislation is necessary to stop the force-feeding, which artificially enlarges the animals’ livers and causes other maladies. The proposed state law would not ban foie gras, just the force-feeding, which at least one foie gras farmer in Spain has proven unnecessary by feeding his animals naturally.
Michael Ginor of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, assured the Sun that “there is nothing harmful, painful, or inhumane about the production of foie gras.” For another perspective, here’s a link to some photos ducks and geese at a foie gras farm obtained by The Humane Society, who joined Avella with other animal rights activists at City Hall today.
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wWe make Foie Gras out of geeks? Better ditch my thick rim glasses.
Perhaps you might also post links to every day factory chicken farming. Way worse than foie gras farming.
Perhaps he should propose something important - like banning Sheldon Silver.
it could actually make a grown man cry. ive seen video of what they do and it utterly horrible and torturous. NOTHING HUMANE ABOUT IT OR THE PEOPLE WHO EAT IT.
I will make money with a new product called faux gras made of tofu. I hope the PETA/vegan idiots will eat it up.
What about gestation crates?
With all the pressing problems of the city and state, this is all they can come up with?
Sure force-feeding animals is wrong, but still there are surely better things for members of legislative bodies to work on.
Mmmmm. pan-seared and topped with a pomegranate demi-glaze over a bed of frissee.
Seems Ant'ny is the head of the "Italian American Caucus" of the city council. Sorry Ant'ny, no more prosciutto or veal cutlet Parmagian for you. Likely another term-limit attention whore looking for face time. FREE THE ANCHOVIES! How about pushing for something significant, like re-opening the steps of City Hall to the citizens, like it belongs, not just have it as a "Good Morning New York" media pulpit. And yes, Ant'ny I have video of how wine is made. They actually STOMP the poor grapes. My E-Meter can hear them scream.
Those who would cry at the force feeding are obviously not grown men. Wimps, I say. Sissies. Carrot killers. Do you realize that vegetables have feelings and they have souls? And what is the harvest if not a massacre--a pogrom?
What's with all these gastro-censors. No one ever said being a carnivore is a pretty process. Frankly in a free state if people want to eat something, they should be allowed. Regulate and monitor the industry, but gastro-censorship is unacceptable.
With all the pressing problems of the city and state, this is all they can come up with?
Exactly. We can't afford to air condition our schools, but let's worry about how comfortably ducks live before they are slaughtered.
Not to say that there isn't a place for this kind of legislation, but seriously... this is just an easy way for a councilman who wants to run for mayor to get some free camera time.
Where's Anthony Weiner? No doubt other relatively unimportant but headline generating issues will be addressed by these politicians in the months to come.
We can't afford to air condition our schools, but let's worry about how comfortably ducks live before they are slaughtered.
So can I infer that you want A/C in every school and in every class room?
Yeah, that makes more sense than an animal cruelty bill.
/sarcasm
I don't think foie gras production is always inhumane. Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, humans do terrible things to animals or other humans in order to turn a larger profit. This isn't unique to the foie gras industry, it's present in probably every farm animal production circuit. But we still produce eggs, chicken meat, beef and pork. Somehow, we see past that.
Just because a set of people do something inhumanely doesn't mean that everyone does it inhumanely. Punish the farmers who keep disgusting living conditions for their animals and keep them poorly, but don't punish us for enjoying the delicious liver of an overfed goose.
I have killed and eaten animals before (in my hayseed youth). It is a skill lost on most. If for some reason our food supply is interrupted by something crazy like a fuel crisis, most of you would stave. Nearly all animal slaughter is life sustaining inhumanity.
More government intervention... Exactly what we need. :sarcasm:
How can a government official single out one case of animal for food farming out of so many other instances of massive industrial cruelty? What about chicken (as someone said before), or beef? I bet Foie Gras production is nowhere near as large as chicken, beef, or pork production.
I have a feeling this guy's crusade is a special interest platform he's pushing because his girlfriend is an animal lover.
Poster Eoin MacNeill, well said. Poster Bottomless Chips, you're an idiot.
Oooh, Ooooh, I want to be State Comissioner for "massive industrial cruelty". Good benefits, probably get a state car with flashing lights & an Orange EZPass. Also get one of those cool parking plaques, "Official Business". Maybe junkets to Vegas, Jerusalem, Paris, to serve on committees to better learn the industrial cruelty of other nations? I think maybe Ant'ny is an "Animal Lover" (if you know waht I mean).
Sarcasm omitted.
Poster Bottomless Chips, you're an idiot
If you read my past comments, you'll know I'm one of the most fiscally conservative commenters here. So don't confuse my comment for advocating the waste of time on this.
To go further in-depth, I'm a vegetarian, but believe that animals are property. They're traded in Chicago as commodities, sold in malls, and flushed down toilets. What you do with your property on your own property is never a matter of the states' unless it presents a clear and present danger to other citizens. So, short answer, no I don't support this legislation.
I was more turned off about the A/C comment. It's hot for like 2 school days a year; that hardly justifies millions of dollars to install air conditioners then the additional energy costs.
So, short answer, no I don't support this legislation.
That said, he is a councilman. Like any elected official, they need to listen to their constituents. On his level, the demands of his constituents tend to be more frivolous. So while I don't support it, I can understand why he might have pushed this.
OK "Chips", I gotcha. Well said on both points. Apologies.
To keep on topic, I also think that from a media standpoint this is the kind of baited story that is meant to distract from more important matters much like the human interest drivel that they intersperse on the evening news along with all the murders and war nonsense. "Bush called for continued spending for the war today...but on to our next story, it's about puppies!"
let the rich have their foie gras but let me punt kick their dog once in a while.
Why not ban fat people instead? Those geese look healthy next to those slow moving lardies.