Re: the meeting with the
Mount Vernon city council yesterday concerning traveling animal acts:
Well, I took time off my job, prepared seven large
information folders for seven city council people including USDA reports,
newspaper clippings, lists of elephant and tiger rampages, dragged tons of
circus/rodeo equipment in the rain to the meeting on Sept. 8 - only to be
told that four of the seven councilmembers weren't coming in and due to that
no 'business' per se would be conducted.
Our speeches were given, however, and some discussion
did ensue. My deepest thanks to Dennis Hanratty of WESPAC Foundation, who
spoke eloquently of being an ethical vegetarian who is aware of the problems
surrounding traveling animal acts...who said Mount Vernon, known as the
'city of homes,' shouldn't only be for people, but should include the
animals.
Afterward one councilperson said an ordinance doesn't
apply, as there is no 'place' for circuses and rodeos, and that they had
'plans' for Memorial Field, site of the last rodeo. Then the new council
President, William Randolph, said he hadn't seen a rodeo since "Gene Autry"
days - at which point we got a little surprise blessing: a Mount Vernon
resident who was present for another issue, spoke irately from the audience
- "Two years ago! They had one right here in Mount Vernon! It was
disgusting, we couldn't walk near it!"
And after the meeting, William Randolph told me in
private that he thinks they can be put something in writing. We will, of
course, be following up in the next few weeks. Please continue to contact
Mount Vernon Legislators if you haven't already (a very brief history: Two
years ago Mt Vernon issued a statement disavowing rodeos, but they wouldn't
include circuses, even though they had no plans of bringing one in):
President William Randolph:
[email protected]
Councilmember Loretta Hollinger: [email protected]
Mayor Ernest Davis:
[email protected]
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