Banksy: Exit Through The Gift Shop

Banksy feels his own pain at the horrors and stupidity of culture; he satirizes it very well. The elephant's however, it appears he doesn't feel so much. I would much sooner paint my self, humiliate my self, or subject myself to a disorienting, cruel, excessively hot car ride in an extremely cramped space the way he did that beautiful and highly sentient creature. Banksy is a genuine talent, but sadly he is also a cowardly, speciesist abuser. Banksy served himself with that prank, at the expense of a far more innocent one's pain. I could care less if Jude Law and Angelina Jolie saw this opening, or whatever else came of it. Animals have suffered enough for human conquest; this one suffered for Banksy's own conquest of the art world.

This is how Barnum & Bailey, with their bullhooks and brutal abuse of infant elephants, show their own unfeeling brutality in the name of profit and success. Don't kid yourself. This guy's stunt was much the same. Banksy doesn't seem to understand this animal is a feeling being not a prop: as much or more than himself. If the artist wanted to paint an elephant to make this rather banal and obvious metaphor, he should have done it in a much more ethical and considerate way, especially regarding the transport of that poor creature. In doing what he did, he betrayed his own purported principles and cheapened his own work.

Animal activist is a misnomer; sometimes I think there is no such thing. There are only those who recognize and feel the pain of other sentient creatures who's capacity for love, connection, fear, loneliness and pain is at least equal to our own, and those who don't. Those who get it can't help but speak out and take action. Any sane person would. Banksy and his associates appear ignorant not only of the love and emotion but the exquisite social structures, communication and self-expression demonstrated by elephants which, ironically, includes artwork and painting. Banksy served himself with that stunt, at the expense of a truly innocent being to who's suffering he seems quite indifferent. I hope he will have the courage one day to apologize and make amends.

I was amazed at the Bansky piece depicting the Vietnamese napalm victim: guided into this Orwellian hell by Ronald McDonald in one hand and Mickey Mouse in the other. I could not agree with Banksy more about the true story behind empire; the thin veil between industry, fast food, tobacco, corporate plundering and fascism, petrochemicals and full out war profiteering. I also loved his stunt with the Guantanamo victim at Disneyland. I think these are brave and highly resonant works of art. I will forever support an artist who can do work in which an image, without a single word or explanation, brings this point home so brilliantly. All I’m saying here is, those of us who understand these realities don’t have a blank check in our personal lives. I’m saying the things we do, count. My hope is that in the future, if they’re going to transport elephants for one of his stunts, Banksy and his crew will consider that creature’s feelings, too.

America's Trophy Hunters: Salute!

I would just like to take a moment this season to salute America's trophy hunters. You sleep in a warm bed, get up and drive your warm, powerful truck to the woods, sit in a tree stand and then use your high powered weapon to shoot a fragile, beautiful, innocent creature just trying to stay alive in its own habitat. You do all this just to hang something on your wall back home. What a courageous heart you must have! I salute your prowess.

Just a quick note: I don't want to leave out all the other brave hunters around the world who murder elephants, rhinos, and other beautiful, innocent creatures of a fragile ecosystem just for their own vanity. Amazing! I hope God has a special place reserved for you.

British Petroleum: Serial Rapists

I hope all citizens, legislators, and feeling thinking people on this Earth will hold BP responsible for their Gulf oil spill and their vicious, deceptive, cruel and cowardly attempt to avoid THEIR OWN RESPONSIBILITY on this heartbreaking issue. If the US Justice Department has anything to do with justice, they will take action now make this happen. BP won't do it on their own. FUCK YOU, British Petroleum. Morally, you calibrate below the level of serial rapist.

Fuck You Ringling Bros Circus

Fuck you, Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey circus for your shocking, cowardly, vicious treatment of beautiful, noble, gentle animals like this elephant, one of many who endure a lifetime of abuse at the hands of your pathetic cowardice and profiteering. I pray for a world in which people wake up to this reality, and realize the last thing they would ever want to do is expose their children to the results of this kind of moral atrocity. Please boycott this atrocious organization and their shocking abuse, and speak out to your friends, family and legislators. They don't tell you what's really going on, my friends. This circus is a lie. I call on all feeling people to end this horror.

Marcus Silva

I discovered this guy today, and he gives me hope. I am not a pacifist. It's just that our policies put soldiers in harm's way and asks them to commit atrocities for the profit and power motives of a tiny minority of sick and deformed individuals. The invasion of Iraq was one of the most horrifying crimes in history, the senseless pain and loss for the Iraqi people incalculable, as well as for the well meaning and sincere individuals in our armed forces who's sincerity gets co-opted by the war criminals who put them there. Thank you Marcus, for your courage and integrity.

"My name is Marcus Silva. I'm a US Army veteran of the Iraq war. After 2 deployments, I decided to leave the military once I discovered the reality of U.S. foreign policy and my role as an occupier of a sovereign nation. I was led to believe that I was liberating the iraqi people, that I was fighting for my country. But instead I was lied to and sent to steal a nations wealth at the command of corporations and central banks. The people of iraq were never our enemy, they were just doing what anyone would do if an occupying army came into their country. Now knowing the truth, I refuse participation in Individual Ready Reserve, I refuse to every be used as a pawn for foreign policy. I reject U.S. imperialism, and so can you. Our Lives, Our Rights! www.OurLivesOurRights.org

Challenger: The Political Perversion of a Beautiful Animal

"Named in honor of the lost space shuttle crew, "Challenger" has performed free-flights during the USA's National Anthem at hundreds of events coast to coast—raising substantial public awareness for the Bald Eagle protection cause. He is the first Bald Eagle in American history trained to free-fly during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. He has helped educate millions of people about the need to protect the USA's National Bird."

He is a beautiful animal. I am so sorry to see him co opted into the pathetic, cancerous disease of jingoistic propaganda. Patriotism is a lower aspect of human nature, an "Our team is the greatest!" perspective that, though it seems harmless enough at neighborhood ball games, has horrific results when blown out into world affairs, economic policies, multinational corporations, and most useless, ugly and destructive of all: military conquest and aggression. This is thinly disguised as "spreading freedom". The footage in your video of former president George W. Bush says more than you intended about the atrocity of military conquest, global hegemony and war profiteering in the guise of "freedom". Perhaps you could use Challenger to "raise awareness" about the horrifying destruction and pain caused for wild birds like him as well as whole ecosystems and entire species around the world by rampant US corporate profiteering and petrochemical war for profit military industries? That might actually do Challenger some justice.

You say you are raising awareness for the bald eagle? What a sad comedy. I fully appreciate your initiative to rescue Challenger and give him a good life, and the hard work this entails. I have worked with and for animals all my life, and gotten my hands dirty doing it many times. I've scraped the ground of wolves' cages, helped care for wild cats, exotic birds, climbed a fence in the hot sun to help build a new bear habitat, and rescued local wildlife injured by domestic animals. If Challenger could talk, I believe he would tell you how pathetic your video is. You do Challenger and his cause no service with this tasteless piece of blatant propaganda.



Tristan Luke

Supreme court on downed factory farm animals

The US Supreme Court has shown its cowardice, narrow mindedness and stupidity on many occassions as it panders to big business in the guise of thin legal interpretations; I am truly saddened to see it on this one. The FDA has also failed, as well as a system that encourages the most horrifying and shocking cruelty in the name of cost cutting and profit, right across the board. Fuck the pitifully short sighted, numb morons and cowards in the US Supreme Court who overturned this ban and the abject sociopaths who lobbied for it; and thank you to the state of California for your worthwhile efforts in the first place.

I agree with the thoughtful commentators who remind us that the power rests with you: don't buy this cruelty laden, toxic meat. It is hardly even food. If you're going to eat meat, You will feel much better if you find ethically and sustainably sourced meat products, and are diligent verifying it. I personally gave up all beef and pork products and eat a highly nutritious and most delicious ever diet, and have never felt more alive and energized. Unfortunately, this sensitizes me even more to the horrible suffering of these poor creatures. A nation and a culture is judged by how it treats the least among them. Those who do not have a voice. I wish many blessings for the poor souls who suffer for this sad, cowardly and inhumane decision. Ultimately, the power rests with the people. We are what we eat.