For more details, including my response to Steven Ragland's statement to the press, see my Quote of the Week editorial of February 16.
In other related developments which some observers may find of interest, a lawsuit has been filed against Network Solutions, Inc., operators of InterNIC Registration Services for the Internet.
Meanwhile, I've been continuing to receive hundreds of messages of support, usually in response to some mention of this page on radio talk shows or publications. Hate mail, meanwhile, has been declining in proportion to the flow of messages, and is down to about two percent of the messages received.
A few examples of press coverage include articles in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, the San Jose Mercury News, and even a brief mention on Rush Limbaugh's radio show. There are now plenty of links to this page from all over the web, including from such diverse locations as Yahoo!, NetVet Cows Page, American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, and even on the home page of the Cornell Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (CSETA). I have mixed feelings about appearing on this last page. Though it is unusual for any fanatical group to openly direct the curious to information sources provided by their opponents, the context is one of complete contempt for everyone who may support animal research and agriculture. A bit ironic to see that this page is hosted at a land-grant university with a long history of support of agriculture, demonstrating again that institutions of higher learning and bizarre, irrational belief systems aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.
Speaking of Cornell (even more ironically, since it's the astronomy department that's hosting CSETA's page), I'm reading Carl Sagan's latest work, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. Sagan deplores the sorry state of science education in America today, which helps perpetuate the pseudo-science, superstitious beliefs, and all-around ignorance which so-called "animal rights" groups rely upon to gain power.
I also finally got around to reading The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. It's hard to believe that with letal, contagious viruses like Ebola on this planet, there are people who would intentionally cripple biomedical research by restricting or eliminating the use of animals.
And while I'm recommending neat "stuff" to read, both directly and tangentally related to the issues at hand, I'd also like to suggest that you check out the home page of The Margaret Thaler Singer Foundation, a new human rights organization that, among other things, seeks to educate the public about exploitative influence techniques used by cults and other extremist groups.
Mike Doughney
March 31, 1996