PETA Makes Bid to Preserve Lighthouse
Will Turn the Cleveland East Ledge Light into Fish Empathy Headquarters
The Cleveland East Ledge Light is located in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, and is named for president Grover Cleveland. President Cleveland frequented the area to fish during his time in the White House. It was the last lighthouse commissioned in New England, and it's purpose was to guide shipping traffic into the Cape Cod Canal. The lighthouse is currently closed to the public.
PETA's proposed renovations of the lighthouse include a vegan cafe serving faux fish sticks and other mock seafoods. A 300-square-foot Fish Empathy Quilt illustrating the importance of compassion to fish will be displayed. PETA volunteers created the 100 square quilt to pay tribute to countless fish that are being caught for food and sport each year. Interactive educational displays will be installed to teach the public about fish biology, intelligence and the pain that's caused by fishing.
In their letter to the GSA, Matt Prescott, Manager of Vegan Campaigns, states the goal of the Fish Empathy Project is to increase "society's respect and compassion for sea animals". PETA believes the Cleveland East Ledge Light is the ideal location for this project's headquarters given all the years the 50-foot lighthouse protected the public at sea.
PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich compares harming fish, of which many species are highly intelligent and social, to the abuse of cats and dogs. Some examples of fish intelligence include displays of affection and evidence of grief at the death of a companion. The world's leading marine biologist, Dr. Sylvia Earle, has spoken against fishing and in favor of the group's efforts, as has Dr. Donald Broom, a scientific advisor for the British government.
Matt Prescott's letter quotes Dr. Earle: "I wouldn't deliberately eat a grouper any more than I'd eat a cocker spaniel. They're so good-natured, so curious. You know, fish are sensitive, they have personalities, they hurt when they're wounded." As well as Dr. Bloom in pointing out that "the pain system in fish is virtually the same as in birds and mammals."
The GSA will consider requests of suitable applicants to take ownership of the lighthouse until September 5.
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6 Comments
Post a CommentVida, it may only cost $1, but the renovations on these lights run near to a million dollars. And the insurance alone (liability and property) can run $25,000 or more per year. If they can even find it. So yeah, Millie. Your money is being spent on lighthouses.
Lighthouse-News.com
Hey Vida,
Do you Wonder what extreme measures PETA will use to train dolphins to eat vegetable fish instead of the Dolphin's daily 30-pound diet of real fish, anchovies, cephalopods, herring, Sardines, and squid or will dolphins be exempt from their Vegan campaign?
Lighthouses were never contstructed to be a Vegetarian crusade against a traditional well-balanced diet.
Furthermore, the federal government is giving them to eligble non-profit organizations that will preserve and
maintain them per their legal guidelines not PETA's guidelines.
Brilliant! It only surprises me that, in the 21st century, more of us aren't aware of how billions of animals suffer terribly for nothing more than a palate preference.
Millie: The government is giving the lighthouses away. PETA isn't buying it.
oh, so this is where our donations go to? not helping the animals, but trying to buy lighthouses? think of all the animals that could be saved with that money!
PETA really needs to get a grip on itself. It has applied for 4 or 5 lighthouses, with the exact same letter, just changing the name of the lighthouse. And each one, according to their letters is "perfect."
They have no clue on the intent of the law, which states the lighthouses are to be historically preserved (believe me, if they're on the National Register of Historic Places, you have to abide to very strict rules), NO commercial activity at all (which means NO cafe serving faux fish sticks), and of course, to educate people about the LIGHTHOUSE, not fish.
I can just see the confrontations they'll be having with local fishermen.
What's even more amazing is I was told by Matt Prescott that they plan on running a server at their lighthouse, should they get one, irrespective if it's onshore or offshore (they've applied for 3 offshore lights). And where does this electricity come from? The electric eels?
They will not get a lighthouse, and in fact, I have even quit publishing thei
Interesting. Great reporting. :-)