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Sullivan County is once again in the National spotlight.
No - It is not for the hopes of reviving our once thriving resort industry with Casino Gaming, nor is it for the opening of a spectacular performing arts center. Instead, it is for something which should be very disturbing to all of us.
Quietly, with little fan fare, Sullivan County has become the largest producer in the United States of Foie Gras. With such a fancy word as Foie Gras, you might wonder why everyone is so upset. In fact, what is such a sophisticated word doing in Sullivan County in the first place? Well, it might sound “hoighty toity,” and be the end result of a delicacy which is mostly consumed by the higher echelons of society, but its production represents cruelty to ducks. In fact, animal rights advocates are not going to sit back and take it anymore. They are doing everything within their power to stop the production of Foie Gras. Not only has legislation been introduced in Albany to halt its production, but The Humane Society of the United States has brought their fight to federal court. Let us not take this issue lightly, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has seen to it that Foie Gras production the way it is produced today be banned in California, Illinois and other states have also gotten into the act. Ok, Ok, what is Foie Gras you might ask, and what does it represent. Foie Gras is French for "fat liver." It is an expensive delight, which cost around $65 for a pound-and-a-half container. Farms like Hudson Valley Foie Gras, located in Ferndale, are being rightfully attacked for the way they produce the product. They are accused of force-feeding ducks to fatten their livers well beyond normal sizes. Animal Rights advocates claim the process destroys the birds' livers, causes blood toxicity, nerve damage and other conditions. They label Foie Gras an adulterated food product that should not be produced or sold in New York. It is immoral and nauseating to see how these ducks suffer so that we can pacify the pallets of the wealthy. The producers of the product can argue all they want that the ducks do not suffer and they are not being treated inhumane. But, the fact remains that the birds are force-fed a rich, fatty goop for weeks on end, making their livers swell up like big fatty balloons which are almost 10 times the normal size. They also insert a plastic tube down the bird's throat two or three times a day, using compressed air to force about a pound of food down its gullet in just a few seconds. How the producers of Foie Gras can argue that the process is not cruel is beyond my wildest imagination. They further claim that it might look like it hurts the animals, but in reality it really doesn’t. Yeah right, why don’t they try it on themselves and see how they feel? It is despicable that birds are treated in such brutal and sadistic conditions only to please patrons of high-end restaurants and gourmet shops nationwide. The downside side for us is that if the Company is forced to close it could harm the 200 people they employ in an already employment strapped Sullivan County. But, I don’t think the argument is to stop production, it is to find alternatives to the way the product is produced. What is most troubling to me is Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther’s stand on the issue. She has been quoted in saying that she is against the bill which will ban the product because it will take away jobs and will ultimately force another industry out of the country to places like France and Canada. As a well groomed politician she says is sympathetic to animal rights groups, but that she supported the industry and the source of income it brings to the area. That is the problem Mrs. Gunther, the type of employment it brings to Sullivan County. We need more than just low paying factory type jobs here. Why do we have to be viewed as the place in the United States where ducks are so poorly treated so that the pallets of a mere few can be pleased with a fancy treat? From the courts, to lobbying for the passage of legislation, to demonstrations, The Humane Society is taking their fight to all levels. They have criticized the state for awarding the Ferndale business up to $420,000 to help cover some costs of expansion. They have also claimed that records from the state Department of Environmental Conservation show that since 2001, Hudson Valley Foie Gras has repeatedly exceeded discharge limits established through its own state permit. They say those violations include illegal discharges of chlorine, fecal coliform and ammonia into the Middle Mongaup River. The bottom line is that the issue is not going to go away for us. These people are dedicated to their cause, and they will do everything within their power to stop the production of Foie Gras. California, Illinois and other states cannot be wrong. Sullivan County does not need such bad publicity at this moment in time. Any rational person will realize that the way Foie Gras is produced is atrocious. Something must be done to stop it. Poor Donald Duck! |
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