"Die! Pigeon! Die" A New "Humor" book May 2005

From: Clearfield, Johanna (IT)
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 11:53 AM
To: 'corrie_pikul@newyorkmag.com'
Cc: 'nyletters@nymagazine.com'
Subject: "Die pigeon Die!"

The article's link http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/11968/index.html

Corrie,

I wondered if you noticed the eery resemblance between the photo of the tortured pigeon and those of other torture victims; most recently the victims of Abu Gharib -- not to mention the grisly photos that show up in post rape and kidnap cases. Corpses with duct tape over their eyes or other strange objects defiling their bodies. I am presuming you are aware of the multiple studies which have detailed the link between those who commit violent crimes against humans also having a history of committing these crimes against animals.

That really should be a no-brainer.

In addition, I personally am furious over the group-think division of animals divided into two categories: those who deserve to be respected and protected (cute, fuzzy, preferably on a leash) and those who do not (flying, free, crawilng free or sold for consumption).

None of us are free or safe as long as any living thing -- human or not -- can be so viciously (and hilariously?) destroyed.

Sincerely,

Johanna Clearfield (out of the closet pigeon - lover)
Director, Urban Wildlife Coalition - NYC
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urban_wildlife_coalition_NYC


*********************************************************************************
"pidgekin"
Date: Mon May 9, 2005 8:41 pm
Subject: Torture book about pigeons is subject of NY Mag article pigeoncentral
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The A. V. Jones book that details and promotes torturing pigeons has
gotten the publicity many of us were afraid to bring to it if we had
written letters. Others of us - especially Zelda Penzel - did write.
Zelda did a great job.

The book is sold in humor sections. It's called Canceled Flight: 101
Tried and True Pigeon Killin' Methods by A.V. Jones.

What does it advocate? Ask yourself first if anyone ever kills a
pigeon without torturing it. Common, everyday methods: cage traps with
no water or food left on a roof. Poison of any type. Odd, but a small
scale slaughterhouse sounds a little kinder.

But the Jones book, which tries to pass as harmless to keep us off
their backs, says to roast pigeons on a spit, put kerosene on them on
a grill, cut them in half - that's more than enough. The NY Mag
article hides the hideous killing methods, as to speak of power abuse
is a taboo usually enforced in human society.

People who advocate torture are guilty of many tortures.

It's our turn. Please write letters.

Al
Pigeon People


The book's description at the distributor's site
http://www.powerhousebooks.com/throckmorton/canceledflight.html

See the link to the article below. If you write to New York Magazine,
this is the address: nyletters@newyorkmag.com

The distributor: Powerhouse Books.
ph@powerhousebooks.com

The publisher: http://throckmortonpress.com
This site seems to be a dummy, but NY Mag says the publisher is Joel
Barnard. If anyone finds contact info, please send it to me.

Al Streit
Forward from Pigeon People

--- In PijnPeople@yahoogroups.com, "pidgekin" wrote:
The article's link is
http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/
11968/index.html or
http://tinyurl.com/92hz2

Text

Intelligencer
Die, Pigeon, Die!
A new how-to book for bringing down those rats in the sky.

By Corrie Pikul

Pigeons are certainly a nuisance, but do they really deserve to die—
even facetiously? Joel Barnard, a 34-year-old advertising copywriter,
seems to think so. In fact, he decided to publish a book about how
best to kill them, called Canceled Flight.

The result: a collection of illustrations, paintings, and photographs
that depict 101 ways to kill pigeons, along with recipes for doing so
(like "The Aboriginal Assassination: 20–30 blowgun darts, 1 blowgun,
some poison").

Although Barnard recruited various artists and designers to contribute
to it, including Dalek and Ryan McGinness, it was, he says, actually
edited by one A. V. Jones, whom he describes as president of People
for the Unethical Treatment of Pigeons—but who probably doesn't exist.

Bird lovers are not amused. Zelda Penzel, president of People for
Ending Animal Cruelty and Exploitation (PEACE), says she's exchanged
e-mails with the book's distributor, powerHouse, and Barnes & Noble
executives, noting that such joke books "only serve to reinforce
disrespect and ultimately `justifiable' violence towards the hated
object."

But she doesn't care to give Barnard the satisfaction of a fight. In
fact, after powerHouse asked if it could quote her in a press release,
Penzel decided she didn't want to talk about the book anymore at all.
"This pigeon is dead in the water," she says. "Activists have better
things to do with their time."


Zelda wrote some good letters. She's right in there with us. What she
said was hardly repeated in the article. Later, she wondered if she
was giving the book too much publicity - just as most of us have.

It's now time for all of us to counteract what lots of people are
reading, to say in our own way how we feel and what we believe about
pigeons - all of which is based on facts. Publicity is the only way to
reach people. It's worth time standing in a bookstore looking through
the book. It's not what New York Mag wants us to believe but a lot
worse.

I'm writing a letter tonight. Please send yours in your own words. It
would be best if we write to other media besides New York Magazine and
post to other groups.

Pigeon People has a purpose: to show people pigeons are harmless,
sweet, part of our lives. To prevent harm to them. To protect as many
pigeons as we can affect at once. We're rescuers and rehabbers
supplementing the help we give to one bird at a time in order to help
as many as we can.

People who find a hurt mourning dove pick it up, take it in, and call
a rehabber. People who find a hurt pigeon will call and say 'Of course
i couldn't touch it' and leave it out on the sidewalk. Doves are doves
- same diseases. Actually, all birds transmit about the same diseases
to people: almost none.

Al
--- End forwarded message ---

For people who don't know a lot about pigeons:

This article claims 'pigeons are certainly a nuisance,' and you might
agree. Search out the facts (we'll help you). What's really a problem
about pigeons? They temporarily discolor buildings. There's only one
good way to keep pigeons off of buildings - the most harmless,
nonlethal ways.