Written by PETA
Imagine if you could be fired from your job just for supporting animal rights on your own time. That's what Joe Hashman believes happened to him. The vegan anti-hunting activist was sacked from his job as a gardener at the Orchard Park Garden Centre in the U.K. the day after ghastly TV chef Clarissa Dickson Wright pleaded guilty to charges of attending an illegal rabbit-hunting event. Dickson Wright was brought up on charges in part because of undercover video taken by Hashman. The owners of the garden center are known to be hunting supporters.
Hashman has filed a suit, which has now gone before the court, and a pre-hearing review has been called to determine whether his animal rights positions constitute a "philosophical belief" that's protected under the law. Here's what he had to say—judge for yourself:
"Believing in animal rights means believing in the sanctity of all life." "I believe that hunting is completely morally unacceptable." "I don't believe that there can be any justification for the horrible husbandry techniques and slaughter methods which humans employ just to feed themselves." "I am devoted to the causes arising from my philosophical belief and I will not stop fighting for animal rights."
"Believing in animal rights means believing in the sanctity of all life."
"I believe that hunting is completely morally unacceptable."
"I don't believe that there can be any justification for the horrible husbandry techniques and slaughter methods which humans employ just to feed themselves."
"I am devoted to the causes arising from my philosophical belief and I will not stop fighting for animal rights."
We're pulling for you, Joe! No one should be afraid to speak out against injustice. Animals have rights—and so do the people who defend them. To find out how to work within the law to help animals, check out PETA's activism guide.
Written by Jeff Mackey
petta can i ask a question you say eating and killing living things is morally wrong, then how can you look at yourself in a mirrior while eating a carrot by science itself a plant is considered a living thing so on that logic a veagan lifstyle is just as wrong as an omnivoric lifestyle. your not making any sense at all you tell us that killing animals is wrong so what your really telling people is that if your going on a nice hike in woods and are mald by a mountain lion that its ok for that mountain lion to kill and eat you but we as humans should be punished for defending ourselves but veagans can freely eat living plants without persecution thats sort of like the pot calling the kettle black right
Philosophical belief, yes. Religion, yes. The Kingdom of God is Vegan, Genesis 1:29. And Tom, you don't know what you are talking about. Recording a coversation or event without knowledge of both parties depends upon the "laws" of that particular principality. In the US it depends upon what state you are in. In some states it is illegal to record a conversation that both parties are not privy to, and in some states it is not illegal, like NY for instance. I am guessing that Joe knew what the laws pertaining to this matter are, or maybe not. Either way, it is not a criminal matter but a civil matter and the actions of his employer are clearly discriminatory. Go Joe and God Bless.
I agree with Tom - he was fired for sneaking in the camera. He broke the law - unless it says for only one person needs to know about the filming, which ONLY then will he have grounds to sue. Otherwise, it'll be thrown out.
I agree though - if you do things like this, do it by law, and make sure to be able to give all evidence, no editing... the whole 90 minutes if filmed and not 5 minutes shown on PETA for example.
I have always been against hunting any animal and I totally agree with the PETA post that hunters are a part of the problem, not a part of the solution. People who hunt only look for the most healthiest, strongest, animal to kill, while animals do in fact kill the weaker of their food to survive. And also, I do not agree with what firefly was saying about how we should kill cats and dogs to help control overpopulation. Spaying and neutering is the best solution for that.
Re: Peta, but what do you do when there are animals that live in an area where there are no real predators for them. you know what happends, there populations increase dramatically, soon theirs no food for all of the animals to eat. then half the animals die a slow and agonizing death of starvation. it sounds like a quick shot to the head with a gun is more cruelty free then starvation.
Thanks Peta!! Also FireFly our teeth and jaw line are nothing of that to a dog, lion, tiger as you suggest. Even our digestive organs can not digest the same way as said carnivores. Vegan all the way... to stay fit and have to admit, sexy!!
Hunters think they're smarter than Mother Nature? Well, they're not. Animal populations control themselves based on the amount of available food, whether plant or flesh. They don't need the "help" of man. It's funny how when explorers first came to Canada's east coast, there were millions of seals AND millions of cod. Now how did they manage that without our meddling? If you want to kill an animal and eat it, be honest about it. Don't pretend to be a conservationist.
re: FireFly. PETA strongly disagrees with the statement that, we must "hunt for our survival." Very few people are in the position where there are truly no food options--besides rotting animal flesh--available. There are countless vegetarian and vegan foods in your local supermarket: and most importantly, they are cruelty-free! Also, hunting does not control population in the long-run. Natural predators help keep prey species strong by killing only sick and weak individuals. Hunters, on the other hand, kill whichever animals they come across or, in many cases, whichever animals they think would look best mounted above the fireplace—often large, healthy animals who are needed to keep populations strong. Moreover, hunting creates conditions that favor accelerated reproduction: The abrupt population decline that it causes leads to less competition for food among survivors, and ultimately, a higher birth rate, thus leading once more to the very problems that hunters claim to solve. To learn more, visit www.peta.org/.../factory-farming.aspx and www.peta.org/.../why-sport-hunting-is-cruel-and-unnecessary.aspx.
He didn't get fired because of his philosophy. He got fired for sneaking a camera into an event and releasing the recording. That is a legitimate cause for termination. Sorry but I don't see where he has a legal leg to stand on.
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