Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates speaks at West Hollywood City Council for banning fur

[Skithis]

True hunters are consorvationist. We have contributed more money to wildlife than all the animal rights groups combined. There is a reason the state DNR encourages predator hunting and that is to have a happier and more healthy population of living animals. Are you suggesting we manage the wildlife and COMPLETELY waste the animal? Or should we let the population go uncontrolled to the point that disease and famin takes its natural course?

[Xboxlivemgear]

I don't see why people use fur, synthetics provide way more insulation now. Anyways, I just thought of this watching this video, are you vegetarian?

[MaryCummins]

@Xboxlivemgear I'm Vegan. I don't eat or use any animal products at all. It's true that we don't need fur. We don't like in the cave man days.

[Xboxlivemgear]

@MaryCummins

Yeah, hopefully the use of fur and other cruel practices on animals will be illegal within a few years. I kinda doubt it due to current culture, but still. It'd be nice.

[Skithis]

@MaryCummins

I think its great you rescue animals. I love animals but I also hunt and eat them. Search "coyote attack" or "coyote problem" and then think about the problems which may occur when you release a coyote into the wild that is familiar with urban areas or humans.

[MaryCummins]

@GilaTomster Thanks, GilaTomster. I really don't understand why it's not okay to skin a dog but you can skin a coyote. They are both canines capable of feeling pain and suffering. We don't even need fur.

[visualvirtue]

How about giving speaking lessons on the side? Most all the loser "occupiers" should take note!

[CatpurrRobertaBobbi]

I have missed your videos but I see you have been busy. :) I have read and have seen videos about China and the Coon Dogs. As well as cat and dog fur being sold as rabbit and "fake fur" in high end stores. Rich folk in dog fur trimmed coats. Sick and sad.

[gato8013]

stupid libral

[RodentPrincess]

I have friends who refuse to eat duck, lamb, rabbit because they are "cute" whereas they will stuff their faces with cow and pig flesh with no qualms. I don't believe an animal should be treated more humanely because they are deemed "cute."

[petlovergirll]

Great job! I'm so glad it passed!!

[verity9000]

Good for you, Mary, and Thank You.

[uknichu]

Thank you Mary Cummins and all animal lovers!

[stojiny]

BRAVO Mary Cummins and THANK YOU !

[07lechatnoir]

Absolutely fabulous Mary...THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO!!!!!

[lithead]

Impossible to tell that you were exhausted. You were fluent, emotive, and informative, with clear diction and a strong case. Excellent presentation!

Do you see any chance that de-scented skunks might eventually become standard housepets? As a person who had at least two pet raccoons (a la "Rascal;"), I know that they are delightful creatures when young adolescents, but can turn unpredictably destructive when they become fully mature. But your skunk sounds delightful!

[MaryCummins]

@lithead Domestic skunks are legal pets in some states. They make good pets.

[RAMBOzBLADE]

couldn't agree with you more, well done keep it up!

[Porcelanesa]

Good job!

[gilliangirl1]

Yay Mary Cummins! Thank you for all the wonderful work you do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ppatches24]

i have a raccoon and i would shoot someone in there knees if there ever thought about having a raccoon tail as an " Accessory " I LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING!!

[Sasukelegend5]

I'll be partial here. If you kill an animal for it's meat, don't let the fur go to waste... But don't go killing just for fur or sport... That is just wrong...

[MaryCummins]

@Sasukelegend5 That's the thing. People don't eat raccoon, fox, coyote, bobcat meat. They kill the animal for the fur only.

[Sasukelegend5]

@MaryCummins My point exactly. It would be a completely different story if they ate the meat.

[Skithis]

@MaryCummins Your right, we dont eat them. But I eat rabbit, deer, and squirrels All of which have populations directly related to the above animals. These animals have no predator, meaning there population is only controlled by disease and starvation in the winter. If you hippies would put down your iphone and get out in the outdoors, you'd understand that.

[cherielovemakeup]

@Skithis so you are saying that everybody else that doesn't eat said animals should still enjoy wearing their fur? This isn't about stopping your deer hunting, it's about not killing innocent animals solely for their fur. If you rednecks had better hobbies than killing animals then perhaps this video wouldn't offend you so much. See I can use names too!!! xoxoxo

[Skithis]

@cherielovemakeup

Fur is a byproduct of the harvest, sort of a respect paid to the animal. The ethical and conscientious hunting of coyotes and other preditors is to stop things like this from happening. Things like this happen from overpopulation. When theres not enough food to go around,they have to eat. I that there are too many unethical hunters out there. I believe we can fix this with knowledge and education. search "coyote attack" or "coyote problem" and you will see.

[cherielovemakeup]

@Skithis The fur industry could care less about the overpopulation of wild animals. They slaughter animals solely for their fur and for no other reason. Leather could be argued as being a byproduct, even though half of the profit that the meat industry depends on is from the leather industry. There is no respect to an animal when it is electrocuted in the genitals and skinned alive solely for their fur.

[Skithis]

@cherielovemakeup

Oops, the "things like this" comments were in reference to a video i was going to post but on further thought I didn't.

[martenfisher1]

Little bit o clappin goin on there!

[ozmoroid]

Well said. Way to stand up our fellow animals.

[metamorphicmuse]

That was AWESOME! GO MARY GO! Woot! Woot! RAWR!

[richardmann184]

Good speech. To bad ppl don't feel as passionate about starving children.

[gilliangirl1]

@richardmann184 People like you really irritate me. There ARE many MANY organizations that advocate passionately for starving children. I belong to one of them. I am a social worker. I ALSO work with animal advocacy. Why do you consider these two activities mutually exclusive???? There are people helping starving children, and there are people helping animals. By the way, what are you doing to make the world a better place, rather than bitching on YouTube????

[lithead]

@richardmann184 Many, many people do. However, this particular hearing concerned a law regarding wild animals. Are you angry at the general lack of awareness of childhood hunger that you perceive, or at the fact that West Hollywood is spending time on animal cruelty, or that Ms Cummins posted this video, or just being generally negative?

You can search for "starving children" or "childhood hunger" here on YouTube. You'll find a great deal of consciousness-raising videos. It's about compassion.

[richardmann184]

@lithead Yes, "angry at the general lack of awareness of childhood hunger that you perceive..."

[nathanimalable]

Very well done!!

[MaryCummins]

Thanks, everyone. I finally spoke after 1:00 am. I was so exhausted I could barely get my words together. I was there for seven hours waiting to speak. We were all falling asleep waiting to speak. Everyone else went out to celebrate afterwards but I was too tired. Some people were even crying they were so happy that it passed. We tried this ten years ago but it wasn't the right time so we failed. Now is finally the time :-D

[SmileyGarrish]

@MaryCummins Great job. You are so cool. There is so much good kind energy flowing it is beautiful. Sometimes the time spent was well spent. Thanks for staying up.

[bouncingbunnies101]

WOOHOOOO!!! Go Mary!! WOW~ :)

[vivalabeavaaa]

WOOO!! I heard about the ban today in the morning, so happy it went through!

[iShrimpEater]

holy crap :O YOU GO MARY XD Speak your words :DDDDD

[Drewha696]

I wish I could "like" this more than once! That was well said.