Jersey Journal: The real problem is US
I had a great conversation with one of the reporters at the Jersey Journal last night. He told me that they had planned 5 different articles about the shelter in the next day’s paper. I walked away feeling that maybe all of us who had put in our time and energy and emotion to shine some light on this nightmare would finally be heard.
I was wrong.
The reaction to the people trying to change things at Liberty Humane has been the same as it is pretty much everywhere. There were some Tea Party guys there last night. Really nice people. They took the time to come out and support us.
It dawned on me that we were characterized in the same way as those people. We are “activists.” The Jersey City Police sent 13 officers (yes 13) out to the protest because they are afraid it was going to turn violent. To their credit, most of the cops were great. I am filing a complaint against one of them, but that’s another story.
We are violent. We are crazy. We do not represent the mainstream. Same thing they say about the Tea Party, or anyone who dares to question the status quo.
The Jersey Journal calls us “No kill animal activists.” Yeah, that’s what we are. We are just people. Ordinary people who go to work, raise our families, pay our taxes. The difference is that we believe an injustice is being done at Liberty Humane, and dogs and cats are being slaughtered when they shouldn’t be. We have proof. The Jersey Journal isn’t interested.
Friends that were there last night…are YOU surprised to find that you are a No-Kill activist this morning? Welcome.
And I am A New York no-kill activist. You know, an out of state meddler.
And you, the no-kill advocates are crazy and violent and unable to think for yourselves. You are threatening to do violence to people on my order. Hanussak said his phone has been ringing in the middle of the night since a New York-based animal sanctuary, Pets Alive, posted his home number on its website.
Get it? Cause and effect. And remember, we are an out-of-state organization meddling in Jersey City affairs.
Before I get to the point of this blog, let me repeat the same thing I repeated to two “journalists” at the Jersey Journal and for some reason it didn’t get published:
We, of course, don’t condone violence against animals or people. These are people who are on the board of a public charity. They have taken a stand that is morally reprehensible, and then hid from the public, not affording them an opportunity to voice their opinion. Calling them is really one of the few ways people have of expressing their anger and frustration.
The other thing I find amazing is that all of the phone numbers we allegedly “published” can be easily found in Internet search engines. Does the Jersey Journal think I have a master database of animal killers with contact information? Sadly, my hard drive isn’t big enough to hold all of them.
So then I go to the comments section of this journalistic masterpiece and find two comments:
1. It looks like this guy (me) has eaten plenty of animals.
2. Why don’t we just give all the animals to a Chinese restaurant?
So there’s the readership of the Jersey Journal checking in.
But back to the “journalists.” Rather than reporting the facts, telling the public what we’re asking for (both of which were provided in spades), the Jersey Journal, led by Melissa Hayes, seek to label us.
Labeling is done for one reason…to divide. And that’s what Melissa and the Jersey Journal seek to do.
Next week when we call for everyone to meet together to try to iron this out and put together a plan to save the shelter and the animals, let’s see how we get labeled.
Someone last night told me that “none of us expect much from the Jersey Journal.” They have had years to report what’s going on here and they have failed miserably. I felt a glimmer of hope that the message would get across. Unfortunately I was wrong.
Someone posted a Gandi quote on Facebook that I wanted to share here:
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
Speaking of Gandi, thank you all for being the change you want to see in the world.
Filed in Uncategorized by Admnistrator on Sep 03, 2010. There are 7 Comments
September 4th, 2010 at 5:45 am
The first time a reporter called me an activist, it felt weird. I’d never thought of myself that way before.
I really don’t care about labels one way or the other…. whether it’s animal activist, animal advocate, animal lover, animal rights, animal welfare…. doesn’t really matter to me. The only thing I care about is stopping the killing.
Ignore the stupidity and naysayers. Do whatever it takes to stop the killing. That’s all that matters.
September 4th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
First of all, if you think a newspaper’s job is to tell the whole story, that’s your problem right there. A newspaper’s job is TO SELL NEWSPAPERS.
Second, whenever New Yorkers get involved in something like this here in Jersey, it is usually not welcomed. New Yorkers spend their entire lives poking fun and putting Jersey down. It always seems insignificant to the “high and mighty” New Yorkers, but we don’t like you. If NJ sucks so bad, why are you always here?! We don’t want you here. Get out.
Third, instead of spending money on gas, tolls, and/or train/ferry fares, and whatever else, why don’t you collect money to help the Humane Society, or find people to adopt some animals who aren’t residing in YOUR shelters? Wouldn’t that make more sense than creating a frenzy for board members who have held their positions for all of a few weeks or a month? Or is it that any press is good press for your cause? I think the latter is more applicable in this case.
The bottom line here is that if you aren’t going to directly help the situation, don’t get involved at all. You should focus your time on telling your fellow NY drivers to stay out of the left lane unless passing someone, and to move the hell over when we are tailgating you, because it means that you are driving too slow to be in the left lane. This would help prevent road rage and might actually accomplish something good, unlike what you are trying to do now. Now THAT would be helpful. Thinking that the local Jersey paper would help out a bunch of New Yorkers looking for press as the “good guys” was a bad idea when all you really ended up doing was stirring up a few crazies to send threats of violence to people. New York has plenty of problems to focus on, maybe you should start at home.
September 4th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Joe…are you here to try to jam every cliche in the world into one posting? Yeah…they’re here to sell newspapers. That’s too funny. I am laughing too hard to even debate you.
Why are we in Jersey? Because 30 of you asked us to be. Because you can’t handle a freaking animal shelter. You’ve screwed it up and made it worse for a decade. Your fellow New Jerseyians asked for a helping hand.
Get out? Wow…how profound. Are you the shining example of what New Jersey has to offer?
My friend…I’ll write the plan that will save your shelter, I’ll help get it implemented and I’ll help you raise the money…all while you act like an ungrateful @sshole who manages to prove all the New Jersey sterotypes at the same time.
Yeah…we’re looking for press. I need your little pissant newspaper to get press. With people like you looking out for the animals it’s no wonder so many have died.
BTW…I’m from Connecticut and I drive fast.
Why don’t you take a nice warm glass of shut the hell up and let the professionals fix the problem.
And I’ve already written all about you. You’re just another cretin who is trying to make this about anything but the miserable failure you have caused. Read my blog “Understanding the Other Side” for more info. If you can read.
September 4th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
I don’t understand the [lack of] mentality of people like Joe.
He wants you to donate money to LHS so they can kill more animals?
This has been a fascinating learning experience.
If you want pdfs of any of the facebook comments let me know.
September 4th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
To Joe…..
The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.
Winston Churchill
September 5th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
This discussion is very disturbing. Many years ago,I volunteered at LAS when Niki was the director. She faced an extremely difficult situation and worked tirelessly to help the animals who ended up at LAS. This is an inner city shelter. It is not a nice place despite the efforts of staff and volunteers but it is a haven for many badly abused and unwanted animals. Many areas in Jersey City are very rough; there is a lot of animal abuse. Niki faced difficult situations every day and dealt with the ignorance of the general public regarding animal issues as simple as neuter/spay and general care, dog fighting, and apathy just to mention a few. I remember distinctly how many dogs she saved by working tirelessly with rescue organizations, how nicely she treated the volunteers and staff not to mention the animals. I knew she had to make some very hard life/death decisions that I would not/could not want to make but I never doubted for a second that she did not love and have compassion for the animals. Niki initiated some very valuable programs for the community at large in Jersey City and treated people who I’m sure she loathed, when they surrendered their animals, with respect even trying to educate them about options they might have to keep their animals. From what I’ve seen over the years, animal sheltering is very heartbreaking. At times it can be rewarding, but I believe it is extremely difficult and it burned me out as a volunteer. Pets Alive is a fantastic organization but it is a very different organization than LAS is or can currently be. My heart just aches for the lives of many of the animals that end up at LAS or any shelter that does not have the resources to be extended stay or no-kill. For many animals, their stay at LAS is the best and kindest life they have ever known. Even the Bergen County Animal Shelter puts dogs down and has had a very difficult history regarding euthanasia until the latest vet/director took over. And I’m sure she still has to make very hard decisions herself. I may be speaking out of turn since I don’t know what transpired when LAS tried to go no-kill and I’m not sure of what has been happening recently after reading this blog. My recollection of Niki, Diana Jeffries and those that had worked so hard and tirelessly to try and make LAS a humane animal shelter is not that of cold-hearted killers but of caring, dedicated and intelligent people who are trying to alleviate the pain and suffering of many animals and deal with the very real problem of animal overpopulation. Until we have many more Best Friends shelters available for animals in this country, everyone neuters/spays their animals, and people stop buying from puppy mills and back yard breeders and stop regarding animals as things to be discarded when they require effort, attention and expense, I’m afraid life and death decisions will have to be made. I’m glad I’m not the one who has to make them.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Hey Joe,
What’s that smell?