Jennifer wrote:
>Yes, please show your outrage over the Provo incident, but then take up
>the banner closer to home and show your outrage over the horrible deaths
>that happen on a daily basis.
I agree that prevention is always better than dealing with a crisis. I also
applaud all those (and there are many on this list!) who work very hard on
an ongoing basis to educate people and change laws concerning ferrets. I
believe that long term change is preferable to short term action.
However, emergencies happen, and they also provide opportunities to educate
people. I personally think it is important to let the prosecutors and
others know that what happened to Bandit and Kimberly is unacceptable
behavior and must be treated seriously. Violence against one innocent
animal is violence against all animals; a hate crime against one person is
a crime against humanity. I think it's very important to take a stand,
especially since Utah tends to be a conservative state.
Again, please write letters of support for Bandit and his mom, Kimberly
Marsh, to the Prosecuting Attorneys' office in Provo:
Provo City Prosecutors' Office
P.O. Box 1849
Provo, UT 84603
Email messages for Kimberly can be sent c/o Catherine at
<[log in to unmask]>
You might want to put "For Kimberly" in the subject line. Courtney in the
prosecutor's office has also said she will forward letters to Kimberly
Marsh at the above P.O. address. Be sure to write "Attention: Courtney"
and "Please forward to Kimberly Marsh" on the envelope.
Right now, the two thugs are being charged with cruelty to animals. Please
ask the city prosecutors' office to treat it as a hate crime as well as
cruelty to animals. This does not minimize cruelty to animals; it just
makes it even more serious. Please be respectful when you write--these are
the people who will be prosecuting the case--we need them on our side.
Some people feel that, unfortunately, Utah is not too interested in pursuing
hate crimes, so here is another thought. The Olympics are being held in
Utah in 2002. According to Catherine and other Utah people, right now Utah
is VERY concerned about its public image. You may want to express your
concern about Utah hosting diverse people from around the world, and how
they will treat hate crimes against ANYONE. It is irrelevant whether this
person is gay/lesbian, or if she had been Jewish, Afr-Amer, Native American,
etc. How will Utah deal with people who commit brutal crimes against
someone they perceive as different from themselves? Utah will be
representing the entire U.S., etc.
Thanks very much to Catherine for providing names of Utah papers, and for
continuing to update us. Here are some addresses for letters to the editor:
Salt Lake Tribune
Tribune Public Forum
143 South Main
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Salt Lake City Weekly [fyi--more of an underground paper]
60 West 400 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Daily Herald [fyi--the crime took place in Provo]
PO Box 717
Provo, UT 84603
<[log in to unmask]>
Deseret News [fyi--this is a Mormon-published paper, and yes that is
Deseret, not Desert]
P.O. Box 1257
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
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If you have any other suggestions, please let us know. Let's keep this
issue alive, and make sure it is taken very seriously. We will not forget
Bandit and Kimberly.
Thank you!
Ronnie DiComo in Mass.
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Ralphie, Harry, Prince Charming, Merlin, Roxanne, Petunia, Epcot and
Clover's mom
[Posted in FML issue 2404]
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