Take The Initiative

I believe it is a very urgent need for us to have transportation service between Mill Creek and Town Center Cape Elizabeth. I have worked in Cape Elizabeth for 6 yrs now and have struggled to get back and forth to work a lot. I have hitchhiked and walked anywhere from 2 miles to as much as 4 miles when the bus doesn't run. I believe the town would benefit from the revenue as well as it would provide an opportunity for more employment growth as more people could get here. It costs me about 50 dollars or more a week on ride share or cab to get to work when i could be spending half or less of that in shuttle fare. I believe a shuttle would also help those without regular vehicle access to do their grocery shopping without having to spend money on ride share or cab fare. This is money being taken away from the cape economy.

Current Maine Law: "Trafficking" leading to death" with less than 4year sentence. We need to hold accountable all dealers who give the deadly dose of a drug. They must be charged with "Drug Induced Homicide". Their choice to sell an illegal drug that kills another is homicide. There should be no question.

We need to honor every Maine loved one lost to this 20-plus year long DRUG EPIDEMIC by doing things differently.

There are increasingly more children growing up without parents, grandparents grieving the loss of their children along with raising their grandchildren, more babies born drug affected/ drug addicted, long term effects of drug affected children. FAMILIES ARE SHATTERED because of this epidemic! Take these killers off the streets for GOOD so they can't go back out and kill MORE.

Hire MORE police to fully investigate these killings!

WE ALL MUST TAKE THE OATH AS FAMILIES:

Don't use drugs:

"NOT EVEN ONCE!"

Learn from Lexi Foundation

Protect essential wintering habitat for eiders and Barrow's Goldeneye at Blue Hill Falls. For details go see full proposal here.

I was born in West Tremont, Maine where my father used his small business to support my family. My entire family lives in West Tremont and we have lived here for 3 generations and like my father before me, my son is using our land to start a campground, Acadia Wilderness Lodge to continue to support his family.

There are people who have moved to Tremont who are attempting to tell us that we can no longer do what the ordinances allow us to do with our land. We can't have a small business, we can't make a living for our family. This is not how America works.

Acadia Wilderness Lodge, a campground that will be developed on my family land, is an environmentally friendly campground that will use all solar energy to protect the environment. Our campground will allow my grandchildren to move back home to Maine so that I can see them grow up. We are a small, family business and no one should be able to tell us that we can't start a business.

We are creating walking and biking paths that the kids in the community can use. The traffic on Kellytown Rd and Tremont Rd goes so fast it's not safe to let my grandkids walk and ride their bikes. Kids in our communities can ride their bikes through the trails we create safe. We are also creating a Santa's Village on the campground for the kids of our town at Christmas time. Our schools and community need new businesses and tax dollars to help bring us locals better community facilities. The other small businesses, lobstermen, and shops in our community who make a living off of tourist would also benefit from our campground. Who would object to this? And why?

Please sign this petition to help support our small business and the freedom to be able to start a small business in my hometown, Tremont, Maine.

We, the undersigned, represent families in Maine with school-aged children and grandchildren, and the concerned citizens of the state of Maine who support the reopening of Maine schools to full-time in-person instruction as soon as possible and no later than September 2021.

When outlining recently revised Indicators for School Decision-making, the CDC states, “K-12 schools should be the last settings to close after all other mitigation measures in the community have been employed, and the first to reopen when they can do so safely. This implies that schools should be prioritized for reopening and remaining open for in-person instruction over nonessential businesses and activities.”

Furthermore, the CDC states, “Decisions should be guided by information on school-specific factors such as mitigation strategies implemented, local needs, stakeholder input, the number of cases among students, teachers, and staff, and school experience with safely reopening. A decision to remain open should involve considerations for further strengthening mitigation strategies and continuing to monitor case incidence and test positivity to reassess decisions.”

Yet, one year after schools were shut down across the state of Maine for full-time in-person instruction, nonessential businesses and activities across the state have benefited from loosening restrictions while many Maine schools remain operating in the same hybrid structures they adopted at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

According to the The Community Profile Report (CPR) generated by the Data Strategy and Execution Workgroup in the Joint Coordination Cell, under the White House COVID-19 Team, the state of Maine is outperforming almost all 50 states in every single category, indicating that the state and its citizens have been effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19 over the past twelve months.

Effective immediately: The U. S. Department of Human and Health Services (HHS) will be giving away $650 million in grants to schools to help with testing efforts of their students and faculty.

We believe the time has come for Maine to support President’s Biden’s goal of reopening schools for full-time, in-person instruction. The Maine DOE must revise the second of its six existing requirements for safely reopening schools, which currently states:

Physical Distancing and Facilities - Adults must maintain 6 feet of distance from others to the extent possible. Maintaining 3 feet of distance is acceptable between and among students when combined with the other measures outlined in this list of safety requirements. 6 feet of physical distancing is required for students while eating breakfast and lunch, as students will be unable to wear masks at that time. A “medical isolation room” (separate from the nurse’s office) must be designated for students/staff who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms during the school day. Adequate ventilation is required for classrooms, with schools having flexibility in implementation such as using properly working ventilation systems or outdoor air exchange using fans in open windows or doors. Groups in any one area, room, or classroom must not exceed the Governor’s gathering size limits.

As more information becomes available, the Maine DOE has revised its third requirement multiple times. There is now enough data available to demonstrate Maine’s effective curbing of the spread of COVID-19 to support a crucial revision of the second requirement to the following:

Physical Distancing and Facilities - Maintaining 3 feet of distance is acceptable between and among students and staff when combined with the other measures outlined in this list of safety requirements. 6 feet of physical distancing is recommended for students while eating breakfast and lunch, as students will be unable to wear masks at that time. A “medical isolation room” (separate from the nurse’s office) must be designated for students/staff who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms during the school day. Adequate ventilation is required for classrooms, with schools having flexibility in implementation such as using properly working ventilation systems or outdoor air exchange using fans in open windows or doors. Groups in any one area, room, or classroom must not exceed the Governor’s gathering size limits.

Online instruction cannot replace classroom experiences. Even the best classes via virtual platforms cannot develop social skills and grow friendships. Even the most resilient of teachers cannot continue to be expected to operate under the demands of the hybrid model for a prolonged period of time.

We implore Governor Janet Mills and the Maine Department of Education to revise the physical distancing requirement currently outlined by the Maine DOE so that more Maine schools can safely reopen full-time, especially for the 2021-2022 school year. It’s time to do the right thing.

The wind farm they want to put up off the gulf of maine, is on spawning grounds of cod pollock herring mackerel monk fish and lobster. Ground fishermen and lobstermen will loose their rights to the bottom as well as it will be destroying coral reefs and 20 years of spawning closures and rolling closures to save the fish. Dolphins will go hungry seagulls will starve. They want to set cement carpets over the cable on the ledge bottom we’re they can’t blast through to dig 2 meters deep, they will be dumping over millions of homes of sea creatures for what? The state of maine can’t loose these grounds, The energy company’s don’t care about the damage being done to the fishes habitat their going to drop cement Matt’s over the ledge to cover the electromagnet cable inwitch the fish and lobster HATE, and theirs science to prove it. Rhode Island is a disaster because of the wind mills and still using their generators. These four boats are my family’s boats that have made 75 percent of our living in the area they want to ruin for ever to fishing. Not only is it ruining homes but it will ruin many fishermen’s lively hood. Sense I was 4 years old this is all I wanted to do was be a fishermen. If this goes through it’ll forever change my family and friends lives negatively.

In the past week, Avian Haven has admitted four lead-poisoned Bald Eagles, including this immature bird, rescued in Oakland yesterday. The caller said the eagle had been on the ground since the night before. Terry went, and was able to pick up the eagle without a struggle.

The young eagle was very thin and weak. We gave him fluids and started chelation therapy immediately to remove the lead from his blood stream. He is alive this morning, and standing, but still very weak.

The other three eagles were adults – none survived:
BAEA 21-68, captured in Gray on January 20. Blood lead level was very high, and we started treatment immediately, but by the next morning he was already in respiratory distress.

BAEA 21-76, captured on the ice, Maranacook Lake, Winthrop, on January 23. Blood lead level was high, and the eagle was spinning in circles, a sign of neurological damage. We started treatment, but by the next morning it was evident the eagle was too far gone to continue.

BAEA 21-78, captured in Sweden, also on January 23. Blood lead level was high, the eagle was already in advanced respiratory distress on intake, and did not survive the day.

These animals, as well as many others, injest the lead from gut piles containing lead shot fragments. There are alternatives to lead shot available to hunters.

We want the great state of Maine to listen to the needs of children, speaking on behalf of them by their parents, by lifting the mask mandates in schools.

Children are proven to be at a minimal risk of contracting serious symptoms of covid-19 and thrive better in situations where they can read facial queues and expressions.

If the mask mandates can be lifted for the general public (and they have been for the state of Maine) then they should be lifted for our children in their schools as well!

Please sign and then let your thoughts be known to the Maine Department of Education and your local representative:

https://www.maine.gov/doe/form/contact-us

https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/ListAlpha



Thank you!

Balloons can liven up a party, graduation, or birthday. However, helium filled mylar balloons are released into the sky by the thousands every day. They go up and get tangled into power lines, causing power outages and even fires due to their metallic coating. Utility companies such as SDGE in San Diego have recorded over 500 outages in the last 5 years, and plead with their customers to not release balloons!

After release, these mylar balloons continue on their way to the ocean, deserts, forests, and mountains. In the ocean, they kill thousands of marine wildlife, such as sea turtles, who mistake the colorful balloons for edible food which end up blocking their digestive tracts, starving them slowly to death (including so called biodegradable balloons). Thousands of mylar balloons also float several hundred miles east and end up in the remote desert posing threats to desert tortoises and other wildlife. I find these balloons and their strings and ribbons littering and tangled up in cacti and other plants in pristine areas of desert on a daily basis. Surfers find these balloons littering the beaches and oceans daily. Hikers find them in the mountains. The balloons over time break down into harmful microplastics.

These "lighter than air" balloons use Helium, a finite resource which has important applications in science and medical equipment, and is not a renewable.

This does not have to be this way. Air filled balloons on sticks or other alternatives can do the same job of making events more festive without floating up into power lines or into the desert and ocean.

Please sign this petition if you are in favor of a helium filled mylar balloon ban!

Pickleball is the fastest growing senior sport with over 50 players just in our San Diego District 6 neighboring areas. We don’t have any designated courts and we aren’t allowed to use temporary sidewalk chalk for public tennis courts at the Recreation Centers. We constantly are having to rechalk neighborhood tennis courts which don’t have bathroom facilities. Plus we accommodate 16-24 pickleball players on one tennis court in a 3 hour period whereas 2 tennis players take up the entire court and they are far and few between. I’m not sure why we can’t share public tennis courts at our local Recreation Centers but this issue needs to be addressed immediately.

We ask that we be allowed to have tennis courts properly lined by the city Recreation Centers which are close to bathrooms as soon as possible. Also please consider the request for dedicated pickleball courts in the very near future to accommodate the thousands of players most of which are seniors but an ever growing population of all ages. Not to mention they are starting to teach pickleball in public schools.

Please sign this petition so that we can be heard and our issues hopefully can get resolved as soon as possible.

To Chair Wil Weston:

Countless times San Diego State University has allowed faculty members to harm students by racist remarks and lack of action.

Enough is enough.

Yesterday it was revealed via video that professor Robert Jordan (also known as Bob Jordan) from the school of film and theater made comments that created a hostile learning environment for Blacks and other students of color.

Professor Jordan is among a number of faculty at SDSU, eg. Angelo Corlett, who routinely creates an environment that fosters white supremacy in the classroom. We demand that the university senate hold faculty accountable to the diversity, equity, and inclusion principles that they profess.

LINK TO VIDEO VIA TWITTER

Here is Dean Peggy Shannon’s email:

[email protected]


There needs to be more accountability. Please email the university senate to express your concerns:

[email protected]

University Senate Website

Black’s Beach is a two-mile stretch of coastline located in La Jolla, San Diego. Enjoyed by residents, students, and tourists alike, it is also home to a diverse ecosystem of animals and plants. An abundant reef system near the shoreline makes it a popular spot for fishing.

While surrounding beaches near La Jolla limit fishing activities, Black’s Beach offers unrestricted access. The city of San Diego does not account for this and provides no methods of disposal or recycling appropriate for fishing waste. This leads to hazardous materials, such as fishing line often being left behind.

Fishing line poses the greatest threat to the entirety of the beach's environment for four reasons:

It is ugly (Aesthetic Impact)
The breathtaking views of Black's Beach are polluted by dirty fishing line washed ashore.

It kills wildlife (Animal Impact)
Birds, fish, and seals are at great risk of entanglement leading to amputated limbs, strangulation, and ultimately death.

It gets in waterways (Economic Impact)
Fishing line in the ocean can travel up and down the coast of California where it becomes entangled in boat propellers, risking boaters’ safety and requiring expensive repairs.

It becomes part of the food chain (Health Impact)
Fishing line that is consumed by San Diego sea life will retain chemical properties that remain in the food chain as microplastics and pose future health risks for all consumers-including us.

To address this the UCSD Associated Students Triton Lobby Corps is proposing to the city council a plan to install microfilament fishing line recycling bins at the entrances to Black's Beach.

It is a low cost easily installable solution
The waste disposal sites we propose are composed of five main pieces – a 6 inch PVC pipe, a PVC elbow, a PVC female threaded adapter, a PVC threaded plug, and adhesive. These materials are can be found in any average department store and cost around $40-50. The proper signage to indicate that it is for fishing line only will cost $20. The total cost will come around to $60-$70. This is a low cost project with benefits that can not otherwise be obtained. The materials disposed of in the bins can be picked up by outside organizations such as Berkley Fishing Co. to properly recycle the lines and turn them into other fishing gear.

It is a proven success throughout California
Previous projects that have employed this method of fishing line recycling have seen positive results, so much so that monofilament fishing line recycling stations are promoted by the California Department of Boating and Waterways. There are even monofilament fishline recycling bins already in use in San Diego!

Fishing line is made of monofilament plastics meaning that it stays in the environment for up to 600 years as it does not biodegrade. In order to keep it off the animals, out of our stomachs, and away from the coastline it requires the city's immediate action in guaranteeing this safe disposal option.

(If you would like access to the detailed policy proposal email [email protected])

The San Diego Sheriff’s Department has recently seized an AR180 and intends so destroy it. The AR180 has been out of production for 30 years and we cannot allow this valuable piece of history to be destroyed.

hello !

San Diego zoo has a terrible mistreatment of their animals ESPECIALLY THE ANIMALS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO LIVE IN COLD ENVIRONMENTS.


if you look at videos from the San Diego zoo the animals might look happy but lots of them are actually in distress or in pain, I'm specifically talking about polar bears they are supposed to live in at least -29°f normally but in San Diego in the winter it's 60° F which is obviously way too hot for them. they could literally die from this and the San Diego zoo has shown no remorse and has shown no signs of them wanting to make change and actually take care of the animals.


lots of these animals seem to be in distress and seem anxious and aggravated, some animals like these were just bread or bought which is not okay and they should be released back into the wild whether I supposed to be, these animals should be released or if not that their environment should be changed drastically because at this point the San Diego zoo is basically just killing them slowly.


please send this petition and please share it these animals really need our help and they are in so much pain they need to be saved!


thank you for reading this and thank you for signing

The students of the University of San Diego (USD) demand that USD holds rapists and perpetrators of sexual assault accountable. The University of San Diego decided that Jane Doe’s* rapist would be allowed back onto campus after just a one semester suspension, forcing her to transfer schools to protect her own physical and mental safety. The school not only decided that the rapist’s presence at this school takes precedence over the survivor’s, but that the reckless destruction of Jane Doe’s very sense of self matters so little. Jane Doe’s story is not unique at this institution; USD repeatedly protects perpetrators while shaming and abandoning survivors.


By allowing rapists back on campus, USD is putting all students and members of the campus community in danger. This is unacceptable. Hundreds of students expressed their opinions in the comment section of @uofsandiego on Instagram, but instead of listening to the worried, and disgusted words of students, you silenced voices by turning off the comments on Instagram posts.


This case is not unique, but serves as an example of USD’s continued lack of support to survivors. Why should Jane Doe* be forced to transfer when her abuser is welcomed to stay? The University of San Diego must acknowledge its internal issues as well as the students' demands to hold perpetrators accountable. USD has shown its lack of empathy or care to support survivors by letting students guilty of assault to walk our campus.


Furthermore, we demand that the FSL office holds members accountable for their actions, especially after there was no action taken for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, within the past year, had two members found guilty of sexual assault. The leadership of this chapter has done nothing to educate their members, or respond to these convictions. Because of this, Beta Theta Pi should be removed from campus immediately. Members of FSL found guilty of committing sexual assault should be removed from their organization, and the campus community. Beta Theta Pi’s and FSL’s lack of response to their involvement in perpetuating issues of sexual assault on campus is disturbing.


We will not tolerate the university supporting and continuing rape culture any further.



*Jane Doe’s identity is hidden for privacy reasons

San Diego is a terrific city with a great name. However, the origin of the name is very confusing. Currently the city is named for St. Didacus of Alcalá (aka Diego de San Nicolás). The city should keep the name, but change it's patron Saint and the Saint for which it got it's name to Saint Juan Diego. Not only does this make more sense, St. Juan Diego is a more well known Saint with a better story.

Most importantly, by changing the Saint for which the city aquired its name, we will make sure that Lino Rulli the Catholic Guy was not wrong when on the April 30th, 2021 edition of SiriusXM's the Catholic Guy Show when he claimed that the city of San Diego was named after St. Juan Diego. Lino not being wrong is of the utmost importance, not just to San Diego, but to SiriusXM, the Catholic Church, and all of humanity.

Costco is such a fun place to visit with all their samples, furniture, books and more! I used to go to Costco to get discounts on movies, shop for clothes, and eat. Costco is affordable and wonderful for a large family.

A New York Times article published in February this year revealed the sickening truth to why chickens at Costco are so cheap. The living conditions of these birds are absolutely horrific. The New York Times article states that “if humans grew at the same rate as these chickens, a 2-month-old baby would weigh 660 pounds.” As you can imagine, this causes immense pain for the chickens and many health problems. They are also packed in dark, wet, filthy sheds and many die from their horrible living conditions.

Sadly, Costco does not seem in any hurry to make things right. I called one of Costco’s executives who rather rudely told me that Costco isn’t doing anything wrong and that I need to get my facts straight. When I pointed out the video that the New York Times had released, he interrupted me to say that I need to educate myself better on where I get my information. This was very disheartening to hear.

What can be done?

Costco can adopt what is called the Better Chicken Commitment, a comprehensive welfare policy that would alleviate the immense suffering Costco’s chickens currently endure. It’s a policy that over 200 other leading food companies in the US have adopted.

The way chickens are treated is unacceptable. Please help me urge Costco to stop this horrible treatment of animals by signing and sharing this petition.

The San Diego zoo is home to several beautiful polar bears. These beautiful bears named Chinook, Kalluk, and Tatqiq are not in the environment many of us imagine Polar bears to desire. Instead of a very large winter wonderland, they are trapped in an enclosure that is extremely dirty and cramped. 3 full grown polar bears that can reach 990 pounds should not be held in a cage at all.

On top of the mistreatment when it comes to habitat, San Diego was 70 degrees Fahrenheit today, in the middle of February. This specific species typically lives in -20°F weather in places much like the Arctic. One cold pool in their enclosure does not make up for a 90° difference in temperatures that are present in two destinations on opposite ends of the world. This weather is not suitable for these animals. After hearing the devastating news of the harsh living conditions they are facing I researched and found hundreds of zoos just like this one that do not meet the requirements to house Polar bears.

There is much more action to be taken when it comes to zoos and their generosity towards their animals but i believe Chinook, Kalluk, and Tatqiq are a great place to start. Please help in this journey to find these majestic Polar bears a better life. Thank you so much. And please remember that these are living creatures, they are not just display items.

Americans are struggling during this economic crisis. The importance and power of stimulus checks is clear: the more money that goes directly into the pockets of people, the more it gets spent in local and national economies. Recurring stimulus checks is how we recover from this crisis. A recent study from Stockton has shown us the more recovery cash people receive, the healthier and more productive they become.


And more than a dozen Senators agree! On Tuesday, Senators Wyden, Sanders, Warren, Booker, Brown, Gillibrand and other Senate Leaders, sent an open letter to President Biden, asking his administration to include recurring cash payments to people as one of the economic stabilizers in his Recovery Legislation. Here’s a link to the open letter.


I think our leaders must GO BIG and GO BOLD right now. Senator Wyden, Sanders and colleagues are doing just that. Help me make their work more powerful. Help make sure cash to people is the priority of our president. Join me in this petition.


Show your support for these BOLD Senators. Show your support for recurring stimulus checks to the people.

Sign the petition to Biden. Add your name to the letter.

Dear President Biden,

As we work together to get much-needed relief to American families, we appreciate your strong support for direct payments and enhanced unemployment insurance for the millions of families affected by this public health and economic crisis.

We urge you to include recurring direct payments and automatic unemployment insurance extensions tied to economic conditions in your Build Back Better long-term economic plan. This crisis is far from over, and families deserve certainty that they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Families should not be at the mercy of constantly-shifting legislative timelines and ad hoc solutions.

There are several reasons to prioritize both recurring payments and enhanced unemployment insurance. First, these two forms of payments are effective together. Unemployment insurance has replaced lost income for millions who have lost their jobs. But millions of others do not qualify for unemployment insurance after seeing their hours reduced, switching to lower-paying jobs, or temporarily leaving the workforce to care for family members during the pandemic. Direct payments are crucial for supporting struggling families who aren’t reached by unemployment insurance. An Urban Institute study suggests that a single direct payment of $1,200 combined with an extension of enhanced unemployment insurance and other assistance could keep 12 million people out of poverty, and adding a second direct payment could keep an additional 6.3 million people above the poverty line.

Second, data shows that direct payments and enhanced unemployment insurance are among the most effective forms of relief available. Not only do these payments help keep families out of poverty, but they act as economic stimulus by increasing spending and supporting jobs. When the CARES Act relief checks ran out, poverty rose, and many families saw spiraling debt. Automatic stabilizers will give families certainty that more relief is coming, allowing them to make the best decisions about how to spend their relief payments as they receive them. Families shouldn’t have to worry about whether they’ll have enough money to pay for essentials in the months ahead as the country continues to fight a global pandemic. Almost six in ten people say the $1,400 payments set to be included in the rescue package will last them less than three months.

Third, recurring direct payments have wide support from both the general public and economic experts. Polling shows 65 percent of Americans support recurring cash payments “for the duration of the pandemic.” This includes support from 54 percent of Republicans and 60 percent of independents. Economists support the idea too. More than 150 economists recently wrote an open letter supporting automatic stabilizers as part of a strong recovery and warning against repeating the mistakes of the Great Recession, when an insufficient response led to unnecessary suffering, particularly among low-income workers.

As you have said, now is the time for boldness. As you prepare your Build Back Better plan for long-term economic recovery, know that we are ready to work with you in support of recurring direct checks and extended unemployment insurance benefits to support Americans who are still struggling during the pandemic.

Thank you for your attention to this!

President Biden: Please add the heinous South Korean dog meat trade to your meeting agenda with President Moon Jae-In.

President Biden is hosting South Korean President Moon at the White House on May 21, 2021. Please sign the petition asking President Biden to honor his humanity and love for dogs by urging President Moon to finally crack down on his country’s unspeakably cruel and illegal dog meat trade.

Please click to send email to the President Biden. https://www.whitehouse.gov/get-involved/write-or-call/

To learn more and take action: https://koreandogs.org/biden-moon/

Petition: http://chng.it/RWjMYspz

Dear President Biden,

I write to you today ahead of your meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-In later this month. I know you will have pressing geopolitical and trade issues to discuss around China and North Korea.

However, as a dog lover and advocate, I urge you to raise with President Moon what is a profound moral issue: the plight of the millions of dogs in South Korea who are savagely butchered each year for their meat. They are raised in wire cages and never feel a kind touch before they are blowtorched or bludgeoned to death.

South Korea has an Animal Protection Act, and the slaughter of dogs for consumption stands in direct violation of its Articles 8 and 10. Included in these same Articles is a prohibition against electrocuting dogs, routinely practiced among the thousands of dog butchers across the country. In addition, its Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act states that dogs are officially recognized and classified as “animals” that are “prohibited from being slaughtered and distributed as food for human consumption."

It is tragically evident that South Korea's Animal Protection Act goes unenforced.

The United States is a nation that cares deeply about animals, especially its companion animals, and, as such, must be a global leader by taking a stand against such barbarity.

As Australian moral philosopher Peter Singer has said, "If it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it."

Please use the power of your office to advocate for the dogs in South Korea. President Moon must be held accountable for the daily horrors faced by dogs trapped on the thousands of dog meat farms across his country. Unlike President Moon and Korean corporations Samsung, LG, Hyundai and Kia who turn a blind eye to this widespread depravity, I trust your humanity and compassion -- which include a profound love and respect for the best friend humankind has ever known -- will not permit you to.

I look forward to your reply.

With respect and my best wishes,