Don’t get me wrong: Trump’s a disaster for nonhuman fauna as well as human ones. We’re likely to see federal humane regulations (what few there are) unenforced, wildlife protections rolled back, more subsidies for Big Ag (including the Bundy “rancher” crowd), and all kinds of other disappointments.
And don’t get me started on his trophy-hunting kids.
But voters–even GOP ones, by the way–continue to show that they are strongly pro-fauna:
Massachusetts voters passed Prop 3 by a landslide! To remind you, it outlaws horrific intensive confinements (chicken battery cages, veal pens, pig gestation crates) in MA, and also prevents sales of products derived from animals raised in those cages (by out-of-state farmers).
Oregonians passed a ballot measure to stop intrastate trafficking of rhino horns and ivory.
Oklahoma (!) voters defeated a pernicious “right to farm” measure that sought to change the constitution to ban regulation of animal agriculture.
Californians voted to uphold Proposition 67, the state ban on plastic bags. Good on a lot of levels, including that it will help save some aquatic critters’ lives.
Most of the candidates endorsed by the Humane Society Legislative Fund won!
One piece of bad news was the defeat of Montana Proposition I-177, which would have banned odious trapping on state lands. (Traps kill savagely, and every year a few dogs and cats get caught in one.)
But, for the most part, a good election for the animals! Thanks to any Juicers who contributed to these (mostly) victories, and please share your fauna-related news and views in the comments.
Edit: Let’s also make this an Open Thread.
Big Ole Hound
But it will soon be alright to waterboard humans and reduce their right to healthcare.
Diana
Something I haven’t seen discussed so much yet is the possibility of war in Southeast Asia. China’s bent on expansion in the South China sea, and between Trump being Putin’s Poodle and his coming trade war with China, things could get really ugly fast.
And there’s going to be no foreign policy expertise in a Trump administration. Secretaries of State Clinton and Kerry kept us out of a lot of trouble. We may soon find out just how much.
JPL
@Big Ole Hound: Sen Cotton already stated on CNN, that waterboarding isn’t torture.
Hal
My brain keeps resetting every couple of hours. I go from I can’t believe that happened to thinking I’m settled and accepting to going back to holy fuck, this really happened!! I was listening to Sam Seder Majority Report today and he was talking about how this was expected to be his post Hillary election podcast. He had no plans to discuss President Trump, just what President elect HRC was going to do.
Now I just can’t get over this sense of dread about what’s coming. It’s like watching a movie were the main villains are about to unleash their plot as the to be continued pops up on screen.
Hillary Rettig
@Hal: a good description of the kind of shock I think a lot of us feel.
Betsy
OT: Want to thank Anne Laurie for the Leonard Cohen song links. I played both of them while I fixed my morning coffee and it was nice to enjoy the music and the ideas, and to feel connected to other BJers. I appreciate it, AL!
WereBear
@Big Ole Hound: Look, being humane to animals doesn’t mean we can’t be humane to people.
Sheesh. Some of us can walk and chew gum.
Aleta
On election day, this positive thing happened for one rooster. My friend told me he suddenly showed with her horses. She asked around and found he had escaped from a slaughter house. (Where locals take their flocks.) She asked the place to let her pay for and keep him; they said “Our policy is: he’s yours already.”
So Rodney the rooster, who seems to love horses and currently distrusts humans with his entire being, is being fed well and residing in the barn on a farm of mostly rescued animals.
Hillary Rettig
@Aleta: Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story! Best to Rodney and all his new friends.
WereBear
If anyone could send some good kitty karma our way, we have a crisis looming for our beloved Reverend Jim, the Maine Coon mix rescue kitty:
Reverend Jim and the Anniversary
He’s had digestive issues since we rescued him from utter starvation, and I worry that this damaged some organs, which now, at age nine, are starting to marginalize.
Vet is coming to the house tomorrow to discuss serious medication, and we’ll see.
md S Oregon
I’m living in a state of shock in S Oregon. I did my part. I am still in the denial stage. All of my immediate family ( son, DIL, daughter and grandson, sister and mother) are still loving each other under very trying circumstances. I ended up in the office of a pastor crying my eyes out. On his business card he had a quote from Deepak Chopra…”All great changes are preceded by chaos”. I’m hanging my hope that I and my family and the world survive and live to see what great changes are coming.
imonlylurking
@Diana: Turkey is what I am watching. Erdogan is Putin’s buddy and I think they both want Turkey out of NATO.
Capri
True to form, Indiana’s “Right to hunt” bill passed with flying colors. The fact that it was opposed by humane societies was a big reason a lot of people voted for it.
Aleta
@WereBear: Sending live love to the revered Reverend Jim.
shortribs
Just a short thank you for this post. Too much bad news and (understandable) wallowing in misery so glad to read some good news for a change.
qwerty42
@JPL: Sen Cotton already stated on CNN, that waterboarding isn’t torture.
Having that a*hole put on trial for war crimes would be incredibly satisfying. But, never gonna happen. At least he cannot run in 2020. I think.