Health Care "Way Forward"

This article from USA Today informed me that President Obama will, sometime next week, introduce a "way forward" for health care.

The "big question," the article wonders, is whether he will "support congressional reconciliation."



My prediction is that the answer will be yes. Why the President hasn't just come out and said so outright, I have no idea. Clearly, he's determined to have the bill find its way to his desk one way or another; the country's health care system is in dire need of reform. He has put in a strong effort to make this law a bipartisan product, opening up the floor for Republican input and hosting the health care summit last Thursday.

However, the Republicans have been putting up an organized, united effort to stop the bill from passage (while at the same time trying to avoid the "obstructionist" label). If this bill is going to become law, it seems that the Republicans will not be able to have the level of involvement that the President had hoped.

The Democrats have been forced into a corner, and will need to use reconciliation in order to proceed forward with legislation.

Current Animal Rights Legislation

The past two articles I read were somewhat outdated, so it was gratifying to read this one, published January 8 of this year, which had up-to-date information about laws regarding animal rights.

Generally, the article discusses the expansion of the animal rights movement in the past two decades through new laws and programs. Pets are now considered family members in many cases, more schools are offering courses in animal law, and there is growing concern and activism for conditions on farms (which, by the way, make our food less healthy for us in addition to being cruel to the animals).

New laws were passed in 2009 regarding animal welfare. For example, Nevada became the final state to ban the possession and training of dogs for fighting, and California became the first to ban tail docking in dairy cows. I was happy to see that, according to this graph, California is one of the "top 5 states" in terms of animal protection laws:


However, there has been considerable pressure to loosen regulation from farmers and those involved in scientific research. Animal testing, researchers argue, is vital to breakthroughs that help humans (see graphic below). Should we sacrifice our own needs in order to protect the animals?



In other words, there seems to be an interesting line between human and animal rights...we must, to some extent, exchange one for the other. Even those with the best intentions must consider the interests of each side of the debate here.

Public Opinion on Animal Rights

I thought the following graph was fairly interesting:


You'll notice that in most cases, people appear to side in favor of giving animals certain rights, although it often "depends on the circumstances."

The people who thought laws protecting animals from inhumane treatment go too far and those who disagree that an animal's right to live free of suffering is just as important as that of a person were in the clear minority. However, I thought it was interesting that, despite these general trends toward protecting animals, many eat meat, poultry, or fish regularly, and nearly half are in favor of hunting animals for sport.

According to this survey, people generally seem to draw the line of "mistreatment of animals" at eating them and hunting them for sport.

Animal Trafficking

This article details the animal trafficking industry, focusing mostly on importing animals from Latin America to Europe.

The industry is huge in Europe, generating profits of approximately 500 million dollars annually. Massimiliano Rocco, director of Traffic International in Italy, is quoted in the article: "There is enormous demand for wild species in Europe...Italy loves and cares for birds, and has always been involved in that trade, as have Spain, Netherlands and Belgium." Since I now work with birds that people have lost or are no longer able to take care of, I know that, in some cases, circumstances change. Someone who thinks that buying an exotic bird now would be a great idea may end up giving it away or abandoning it in a few months or years. Separating an animal (illegally) from its native habitat seems too great a price to pay for a pet.


The smugglers often mix shipments of legal and illegal animals to confuse authorities, or use other techniques to hide them. The journey is brutal, and 30 to 60 percent of the animals die during transportation. The punishment for committing such a crime varies wildly between countries, from six months to six years.

The article was published in 2003, so I hope efforts have been made since then to enforce current animal trafficking laws, or perhaps enact new ones

Violence in Super Bowl Commercials

What ARE we exposing our kids to these days?

SPCA Offers Valentine's Weekend Adoption Event

If you are also concerned about domestic animals, or were perhaps thinking of adopting one from a shelter, this weekend is a good time to do it.

The SPCA for Monterey County is having an adoption event from Friday to Monday, where they drastically lower costs of adopting a dog, cat, or rabbit. If you feel that you would be able to provide a loving home for one (or more) of these animals, I recommend taking advantage of this opportunity.



See their website for more information or other ways you can help.

Community Service Update

After making a few phone calls, I've finally figured out what I'll officially be doing for community service. I'll be working with Avian Rescue Corporation (ARC) in Concord, which "provides care and rehabilitation [for lost or abandoned domestic birds] until ARC can find them a new and caring home."



I plan to meet with someone there later this week to get to know the facility and organization, and set up a schedule.

The Dangers of Soft Drinks

This article discusses a study in which consumption of soft drinks may be linked to pancreatic cancer. I'm a bit dubious about the legitimacy of the study, thanks to a couple of quotes in the study.

"Sugar may be to blame but people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other poor health habits, said Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota, who led the study," the article states. And later, Susan Mayne of the Yale Cancer Center says, "...the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it is a causal association or not."

So, only a small number of cases were studied, and the findings of that study may be caused by third factors, such as little exercise and an unhealthy diet in general. However, I still think the link between lots of sugar and problems with the pancreas makes sense, because the pancreas would be getting worked overtime to make enough insulin to process all that sugar.

This is the same issue that has been linked to modern-day spikes in early onset diabetes. So I think it's great that first lady Michelle Obama is launching a campaign to combat childhood obesity, entitled Let's Move. The reality is that many kids don't have the education, finances, or resources to make healthy choices, and her program will make it easier for them to do so.


It's no news to most of us that soft drinks aren't beneficial to one's health. Yet, our nation has some of the unhealthiest eating habits in the world. It's time to begin taking care of ourselves in the most basic ways-- by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

Costa Rica Elects First Female President

Last night, the people of Costa Rica elected former vice president Laura Chinchilla as the country's first female president in a landslide victory (she gained 47% of the vote) over her two opponents.

She plans to greatly increase spending on security, believing that drug trafficking problems in the surrounding area are to blame for Costa Rica's rising crime rate. This sounds like a noble plan, especially given the reality of drug trafficking in surrounding countries. However, a rising crime rate is probably partially due to a simple increase in population size. The increase in spending in security will only help if that money is directed in the right places.

She is also a "social conservative who opposes abortion and gay marriage," a stance with which I disagree. However, the article mentioned nothing about drastic changes in these topics, so maybe that won't be so much of an issue.

I think it's great that a woman was able to be elected as president-- it shows how open-minded people in Central America are beginning to be. However, I hope she is able to act as more than a poster girl for women in politics and actually take the country in a positive direction.