Quoting Allan Revich [EMAIL PROTECTED]:
Here in Toronto any form of kitty art has become taboo. People in the arts
community were a bit put off after an art student produced an animal
rights film that involved documenting a real kitten being tortured and
skinned alive. The courts failed to find artistic merit in the film.
Hellö,
just now checking my mail and I'm using an unusual keyboard (to me)
at a cafe in Köln, so sorry if this doesn't quite scan correctly.
I received a response from the ASPCA concerning the ''kitty hoax'' ---
I'm reprinting it belöw for all to see
Dear Friend of Animals,
Thank you for contacting the ASPCA â Americaâs first humane society â
regarding the Bonsai Kitten website.
The Bonsai Kitten website has generated a lot of feedback from concerned
individuals in the animal welfare community. The ASPCA shares your anger
and concern about this site. While the Internet has made a positive
contribution to our society, it has also resulted in the rapid expansion
of publicity for individuals who promote animal abuse. The ASPCA as well
as other major humane organizations across the U.S. have attempted to
discourage the promoters of this Web site from their activity. Our Humane
Law Enforcement Department, as well as other law enforcement agencies, is
aware of the Bonsai Kitten site and has determined that it is a hoax site
operated by an MIT student in Massachusetts, (not in New York, as had been
stated on the website). Moreover, thanks to the active participation of
web users such as yourselves, the website has been forced to shut down and
move a number of times before finding its present host.
In the United States, individuals have the constitutional right to freedom
of speech; therefore, they may discuss and advocate for animal abuse on
the Internet and in other public forums as long as they donât practice
what they preach. As such, the matter becomes the responsibility of the
particular Internet service providers (âISPsâ). Unfortunately, what can
happen is that service providers, such as Bonsai Kittenâs www.rotten.com,
can refuse to remove the site on freedom of speech grounds. Since
contacting the website directly has only increased the creatorsâ resolve
to maintain the site, and the new host is unwilling to remove it, we
recommend that concerned citizens NOT contact the person running this site
or any other Bonsai Kitten related sites. It is clear that the
individuals responsible for this site are enjoying the attention. The
best thing that we can do is ignore the website creators and complain to
the host websiteâs advertisers.
We appreciate your effort in contacting us, and would like to give you
some general information on how to fight against this and any other
similar sites that you may encounter. (Unfortunately, new ones appear
every day!)
A 1999 federal law bans the knowing creation, sale or possession of
depictions of animal cruelty, with the intention of placing the depiction
into interstate or foreign commerce for commercial gain. The new law
covers any visual or auditory depiction of intentionally maiming,
mutilating, torturing, wounding or killing a live animal. If the conduct
in the depiction is illegal under federal law, or state law in the state
where the creation, sale or possession takes place, then this new law will
apply. The place where the actual animal cruelty took place is not
significant under this statute. Anyone convicted of the interstate or
foreign sale of these depictions of animal cruelty can be faced with a
fine, or up to a five year prison sentence. An exception is made for
depictions with religious, political, scientific, educational,
journalistic, historical or artistic value.
If you have concrete information that an individual is engaged in the
creation, sale or possession (with intent to sell) of these depictions of
cruelty, and you know which city this person lives in, the most effective
response is utilizing traditional measures. While the ASPCA is a national
organization in many respects, our powers to enforce animal cruelty laws
are limited by law to the State of New York; however, we are concerned
with addressing acts of animal cruelty and neglect wherever they occur. In
situations where acts of animal cruelty occur outside the State of New
York, we would urge you to contact any or all of the following
organizations and advise them of the situation:
1) your local society for the prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA)
and/or humane society (which may have the power to enforce animal cruelty
laws in the area);
2) your local law enforcement officials;
3) your local city/county health department (because abuse of animals
often involves unsafe or unsanitary conditions for humans);
4) your federal, state and local taxing authorities (because operations
involving cruelty to animals often operate without filing or paying
taxes);
5) The Internet
