Thank you Kamala Harris!
Dear friends,
This is super good news. Another good turn of events that the law helps to protect what needs to be protected. I really find this encouraging. I wish more state and federal governments will pass laws to protect animals. I am so happy to hear this and I will send a note and gift to California Attorney General Kamala Harris for her compassion in this issue. Let’s send our good wishes and appreciations to Attorney General Kamala Harris! She is a good human being!
Tsem Rinpoche
State to appeal overturning of foie gras ban
Foie gras is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened, mostly by force-feeding corn with a feeding tube.
Michael Columbo of San Francisco looks over the menu of One Market Restaurant with PETA activist Olivia Rasquiza during a protest against the overturned California ban of foie gras outside of One Market Restaurant in San Francisco on Thursday.
PETA activist Annie Linton hands out information pamphlets during a protest against the overturned California ban of foie gras outside of One Market Restaurant in San Francisco on Thursday.
By Kurtis Alexander Updated 5:44 pm, Wednesday, February 4, 2015
California Attorney General Kamala Harris came to the defense of a statewide ban on foie gras sales Wednesday, serving notice that the state will appeal a federal court ruling striking down the ban.
Harris’ office declined to comment on the move, but the appeal had been widely expected after U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson in Los Angeles ruled last month that the state prohibition on the fatty liver dish, made from force-fed ducks and geese, encroached upon the regulatory authority of the federal government.
Lawmakers passed the groundbreaking ban in 2004, arguing that foie gras production is inhumane. The law, which outlaws the force-feeding of poultry for the purpose of enlarging their livers and selling them, took effect eight years later and dealt a blow to California’s culinary scene.
Animal rights groups praised Wednesday’s move, which sends the case to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. “California has the right to ban the sale of such a cruel and inhumane product,” said Paul Shapiro of the Humane Society of the United States.
Two attorneys who represented foie gras farmers in Canada and New York who joined in challenging the law said in a statement, “We’re very confident that the district court’s judgment will be upheld on appeal. … California does not have the right to ban wholesome, USDA-approved poultry products, whether it’s foie gras or fried chicken.”
The Jan. 7 decision to overturn the state prohibition was based on the argument that California had overstepped its authority under the federal Poultry Products Inspections Act. The law dictates the terms for sale and distribution of birds, and puts federal regulators in charge of most aspects of the trade. The January ruling applied only to the sale of foie gras, and production in California remains prohibited.
Since the January ruling, many California restaurants have put foie gras back on the menu. Several spots offered celebratory meals the week after the ban was overturned.
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/State-appeals-overturning-of-foie-gras-ban-6063159.php#photo-7360035
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Foie gras is an expensive food product and is made up of duck or goose liver and is consider a luxury dish and is served at Christmas.It is produced by force feeding the goose or duck.
The force feeding procedure involves pumping more food.A cruel method just for their own comsumption.This can be incredibly stressful for the animals, their throats was damaged due to the heavy handed use of the apparatus.
Kamala Harris a California Attorney General was against of the sale of foie gras production as it is inhumane.Good news a law was passed then to protect the animals.In Europe and few other countries prohibited the production of foie gras and many more to follow.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post.
Dear Rinpoche,
This is certainly good news. This fatty liver dish is just another monstrosity trend that humans created out of sheer selfishness. Ducks and geese are being forced fed with a tube down their throat for them to reach a medical condition where their liver will be full of fats. Imagine the torture those poor animals have to go through so that we can have a tiny little sick liver that we call gourmet.
WIth the ban being imposed on the dish, ducks and geese will be saved from a horrible life of being forced fed. Awareness on animal abuse will be raised and people will start to question the real process of obtaining the fatty liver. With a state imposing the ban, another state will soon follow. This is very good news.
Humbly,
Chris
Yes Chris, this is really good news indeed! Can you imagine people saying that suffering tastes delicious? Actually, it’s not that much different to customers who patronise restaurants and choose the live seafood that they want the chef to cook for them. The idea that the fresher the better, because the terror of the animal leeches into the flesh is actually quite gross to listen to.
All of this pain in the name of satisfying something as fickle as our taste buds 🙁
Going against the food industry and food lobby is no easy feat, the food industry in the US makes billions of dollars each year and they donate to political parties and politicians. So in the spirit of separation of powers practiced by the US, it is so good to hear that certain Justices cannot be bought and they will do what they think it right and humane.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for posting such good news. Nice to know that people in the government are making smart and healthy choices for the betterment of the public, even if the people might not like it.
I think that it was a good call for Kamala Harris to ban the liver dish. One reason being that to prepare the products, many geese ad ducks would have to suffer immensely. The other reason would be that the dish is mostly fat, thus unhealthy if consumed on a regular basis. Therefore, I believe Kamala harris did the right choice in banning the dish in California. May other great choices be made in the future. 🙂
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.
I get so happy when I hear about people that try to help and save animals and I get more happy when I hear that more animals are going to live and less animals die under the cruel acts of humans and the cruel meat industry and how it kills animals for food and to have slight satisfaction on the tongue. I am so happy that this dish especially after learning about its extra cruelty that it will be reduced and the poor animals will not suffer that poop death.
We should all go vegetarian because lets face it, we will HATE and HURT so much if we were them and they hurt behind the walls of those horrid slaughter houses. They are killed in all sorts of ways without care and with so much pain. I cannot imagine the pain, so many different ways and so much pain in so many numbers. I hope that this is a step to make the world more vegetarian because if people ban that food because of how cruel it is to the animals that are killed, maybe they will realize how cruel every way of killing is and then they will start to ban meat. Thats the dream world, a world where people see and a peaceful world without pain and killing.
With more and more people care about animals and animals’ welfare, mrs and more population within French or worldwide would oppose to consuming of foie gras and force-feeding of geese and ducks.
I read this survey said about …”Almost fifty per cent of respondents to an opinion poll run for animal rights group, L214, said they opposed the force-feeding of geese and ducks to produce foie gras…” (http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2014/12/opposition-grows-amongst-french-to-gavage-production-of-foie-gras.html)
Here’s video on the “production” of foie gras: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1c3_1235925855&comments=1&selected_view_mode=desktop
Another clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI88BY8VdwQ (with multi language subtitles)
To be ignorance and take our food unconsciously is doe not make you a lucky person but creating much sufferings to another person or being without knowing.
It is wonderful to hear about the work that Kamala Harris is doing in order to put a stop to the producing and selling of Foie Gras in California.
When people like Kamala use their occupations to make a difference in the community, society or even to their respective country, it shows that these people are doing their jobs not just for the paycheque they will receive every at the beginning of every month but also to do their part to make the world a better place.
Even though this ban (when in effect) will only apply to the California state of the United States, It sets the pace for the other states in the U.S as well as the rest of the world to have some compassion for the ducks and geese that have to put up with the tremendous amount of pain and suffering for the sake of our enjoyment.
Thank you Rinpoche fro sharing this wonderful news!
It is very good and kind of Kamala Harris to support the stance against animal cruelty. The pain and sufferings that these ducks and geese had to go through to please our taste buds is beyond comprehension. How would we feel if we are force fed through a tube constantly and knowing we will be killed for others pleasure?
Thank you, Kamala Harris for standing up against Federal ruling to strike down the ban.
Oh boy, that lawyer used the word “wholesome” to describe foie gras! What a lowlife way to make a living! I would rather be homeless begging than make money from wrong livelihood, which is what selling meat is, according to Lord Buddha.
Yuck. Then the restaurants offered celebratory foie gras meals to celebrate that they could force-feed then slaughter ducks and geese once more… Take just a second to think what they are celebrating. It SCREAMS me me me me me me me me me, NOBODY ELSE MATTERS. IM A NIHILIST AND NOTHING HAPPENS when I die except blackness anyway. Yum!
Quote : “Two attorneys who represented foie gras farmers in Canada and New York who joined in challenging the law said in a statement, “We’re very confident that the district court’s judgment will be upheld on appeal. … California does not have the right to ban wholesome, USDA-approved poultry products, whether it’s foie gras or fried chicken.”
It is such an irony that the above attorneys used the word “wholesome” to describe foie gras and fried chicken. “Wholesome” can mean “conducive to or characterized by moral well-being”. Farming foie gras and chicken and then killing them for food consumption is certainly not a moral act ! In fact they should also ban eating chicken !
Great to have leaders like Kamala Harris !!
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing the ban on foie gras sale in California.It is great to know that there are people out there who take up the challenge to defend those who are weak regardless of their form.Keep up the effort Ms Kamala Harris.
We should respect all form of life as they do have the sense to feel pain and their rights to live that is free from torture .Which ultimately end up as an unnecessary appetizer for a so call fine dining restaurant.
The so called high priced valued on the foie gras came from the amount of effort made to torture the poor goose in order to create an painfully enlarge liver for human to savour.This form of food should have high content of cholesterol and not even healthy for human consumption…..So why defend a cause that is not healthy to be consumed in the first place..
Foie Gras is so unnecessary to add more pain to the animal when they are alive. Killing an animal for their flesh is bad enough as it is!
It is indeed great news to have Kamala Harris, the California State Attorney General take the stand against animal cruelty. She is a rare gem to dare take action for a good cause. May more and more take stand against cruelty for human enjoyment.
I’ve have never liked foie gras when I was still eating meat. Now that I have seen how the ducks and geese are forced fed to fattened liver, it disgusts me even more. Imagine you being fed through a tube directly into your stomach all the time, until you are bloated and your liver gets inflated and swollen. If you do not want that to happen to you, then why should the ducks and geese suffer? Thank you Attorney General for standing up against Federal ruling of striking down the ban.
This is just great news that Kamala Harris is standing up for animal rights. It is just so heart warming that there is another person that is standing up for animal rights.
Few people are willing to do this, and yet a attorney is openly speaking for this cause and helping to promote and fight for legal actions to be taken. Although the law did not pass through, but it is just great to know that there is someone that cares out there as well.
Hopefully, people would see the cruelty of fattening animal products within short periods of time just for the consumption and craving of humans. What would we feel when the role is reversed? I just wonder if people would be still acting the same way.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this good news. Is great to know someone out there who care about the animals because a lot of human being do not even care about them is very rare to hear people who are so kind rejoice for Kamala.
This is such good news! Torturing animals to satisfy our palates is very inhumane. We have come to an age where social awareness and sensitivity is crucial for the betterment of our future generations. With consistent awareness campaigns, we can learn about the benefits of operating from kindness.
JP
Well done to Kamala for defending the ones who can’t defend themselves. Shame that a developed nation like USA approves of this treacherous method inflicted on the ducks and geese. It’s very inhumane and I don’t understand why humans are attracted to eat artificial ”food”. It’s the same thing with sugar and caffeine and potato chips. Anyway these animals deserve better and Harris should fight harder, so should peta!
Nice for Kamala Harris to support the stance against animal cruelty, but sad to see that California still sells Foie Gras though they don’t produce it there.
Not many people will stand up for Animal Rights. People who do, you know that they have a kind heart, because the suffering of others, especially animals who have no voice, matters to them. They fight for justice, without expecting anything in return. They are heroes/heroines, just like Kamala Harris, who use her lovely position for real benefit.
Dear Rinpoche,
It is so good to hear there are so many good human human beings around the world and always a happy news to hear such act in support for rights of animals.
Thank you
This is such great news! Thank you Kamala Hariss!
I am always so happy to hear good news about animal related affairs 🙂 it really brings a smile to my face, and i feel motivated to do more for the animals around me.
This will surely reduce the number of ducks and geese that suffer. When people force them with foods to make them fat, it is truly terrible. The more i think about it, the more sorry i feel for the animals of the world who are being fattened. I mean, can you imagine being full after a meal then someone comes along and forces you to eat more and more, horrible. And the worst part, you cannot do anything about it. You cannot cal for help, you cannot have a say, all you get is suffering. That is how these animals feel when they are being fattened for our selfish needs. Humans put them through so much pain just so we can enjoy one simple meal. How cruel. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing with us this wonderful news. I hope that more countries do the same with the ban. May this news inspire many to help more and more animals.