Letter to the Press
To be published by
the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Dear Editor,
The Missouri Legislature
is expected to pass some form of the "Animal Research and Production
Facilities Act" which among other things would criminalize the act
of photographing or videotaping animal facilities without "express
written consent." Proponents of the bill are once again playing the
"terrorism" card to protect animal producers from exposé's
that serve the interests of the general public. Missouri's notorious "puppy
mills" are frequently investigated by the media and photographs or
video footage are crucial to their efforts of reporting living conditions
these helpless animals are forced to endure.
State and Federal inspectors
may be authorized to photograph noncompliant items discovered during inspections,
however, their photographs would be permanently sealed and exempt from
disclosure under Missouri's Sunshine Law. This is contrary to the principals
of our free society and again only serves to protect a select few. The
Missouri Legislature is poised to add another veil of secrecy to an already
tainted and obscure industry.
Pet industry leaders consistently complain that they are treated unfairly
by the media and animal protection organizations. They argue that the
horrible conditions disclosed by the media and animal advocacy organizations
are not typical of their industry. Why then are they striving to hide
their industry under such false and ridiculous pretenses? Could
it be that they realize that the general public would be sickened by their
"factory farms" for puppies? Is the "Show Me" state
ashamed of what we might see? Evidently!
Respectfully,
Marshall G. Smith
Director of Investigations
In Defense of Animals
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