|
 |
 |
|
Rosemary Harris, in
her role as "Aunt May" in a scene from Spider-Man 2, with Tobey
Maguire as Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man.
(Zade Rosenthal) |
"I love this sweet
sow on the Wright family farm. She is one of the fortunate few sows
permitted to breathe fresh air and walk with the earth beneath her
feet and the sun shining on her back."
(Marlene Halverson/AWI) |
"With Great Power, Comes Great
Responsibility"
--Uncle Ben to Peter Parker in
Spider-Man
With the June 30 release of Spider-Man 2,
the Animal Welfare Institute proudly recognizes actor Rosemary
Harris-Peter Parker's "Aunt May" - for her deep commitment to relieving
the suffering of animals confined on factory farms. Ms. Harris, a Broadway
legend and winner of a Tony, an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for her work
on stage, television and in film, was a close friend of AWI's founding
President, Christine Stevens, and her husband, former AWI Treasurer, Roger
Stevens. A Broadway producer and Kennedy Center Chairman, Roger produced a
number of the plays in which Ms. Harris starred. Recently, Ms. Harris and
her husband, North Carolina author John Ehle, accompanied AWI staff to
several farms raising pigs according to AWI's pig husbandry standards,
which she strongly supports. She expressed her appreciation to the farmers
for their willingness to raise pigs in ways that permit them to live more
natural lives. Speaking in a video that AWI prepared for the Waterkeeper
Summit on Sustainable Agriculture held in New Bern, North Carolina, Ms.
Harris eloquently expressed her concerns for the welfare of one of the
most severely and widely abused of all animals-breeding sows:
"What concerns me and moves me more
than anything is the plight of the animals in these factory
farms....Particularly, the predicament of the sows who are incarcerated
in their crates for the duration of their pathetic lives. After all,
they are mothers and not production units and machines. Please pause and
think about the animals who are causing, through no fault of their own,
the horrendous environmental problems that we are suffering now. Insist
on products from animals raised on animal-friendly family farms. Not
only for the sake of the animals but because all our troubles are rooted
in the way that we raise the animals now-denied the light of day and the
basic needs of movement and motherhood."
AWI is delighted to acknowledge such a
distinguished and compassionate actor.
|
You Can
Make a Difference |
|
As a consumer you have great power.
Please heed Ms. Harris' plea: be a conscientious buyer. If you
purchase animal products, choose those of family farmers who raise
animals with respect. For example, Niman Ranch (www.nimanranch.com)
requires that farmers, from whom it buys pigs, adhere to AWI's
husbandry protocols from breeding to market. |
|
