Few enterprises practice more cruelty than Kentucky Fried Chicken, though the company has never been prosecuted for either its inhumane policies or its widespread torture of chickens. Now KFC has petitioned the U.S. Postal Service to issue a stamp honoring its “American entrepreneurial icon,” Harland “Colonel” Sanders.
Farm Sanctuary has written a letter to the U.S. Postal Service, asking that Sanders and KFC not be honored, and is inviting citizens to express their disapproval to the USPS.
Across the nation, people are taking steps to stop institutionalized animal abuse, especially the abuse of factory farming. Four years ago, Florida became the first state to ban industry-standard pig gestation crates (crates so narrow that the pigs cannot turn around), the city of Chicago and the state of California have banned production and sales of foie gras, and there are pending laws to ban cruel factory farm practices in Oregon, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Laws banning industry-standard battery cages for hens are bound to be introduced some time soon.
The factory farming industry and other industries that treat animals inhumanely are ready. Currently under consideration is HR 4239, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which would make it a crime punishable by imprisonment to engage in any act that causes an “animal enterprise” (factory farm, puppy mill, research facility, pet stores, circus, etc.) to lose a profit. These acts include legal activities, such as peaceful protesting and organizing media boycotts. Furthermore, it would make no difference if the animal enterprise were engaging in an obviously illegal activity. Also, there is no exemption for financial damage caused to an enterprise by the dissemination of public information.
Last year, the FBI declared that so-called eco-teorrists and animal rights anarchists were more dangerous to the country than right-wing militia groups and militant anti-choice groups. The groundwork has been laid to do anything to protect American corporations, and the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act has already passed in the U.S. Senate.
