I want people to see the face of death--



[NOTE: Please listen to today's great discussion concerning the deer "culls" that are taking place all across the US. World-renowned wildlife activist and expert, Anthony Marr, led a radio conversation with Lane Ferrante, a tenacious six year veteran of the deer wars from Solon, OH and me. The show is on autoplay on Anthony's My Space page at: http://www.myspace.com/AnthonyMarr .
Also, here is the Kansas City Star's account of my visit to the JCPRD today: http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/20067

By Jason Miller
99/25/09

Having grown weary of watching members of the JCPRD board, Michael eadors, Randy Knight, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, and the rest of those responsible for the impending Shawnee Mission Park deer slaughter hide behind abstractions and sell unsuspecting compassionate people on the notion that 'culling' the deer is the ONLY option and that it will be a 'humane' process, I decided to bring a little dose of reality into their lives, and into the lives of the public.

TToday at 1:00 PM, I addressed several members of the local media in front of the Johnson County Parks administration building in Shawnee Mission Park. I had invited Michael Meadors, director of the parks department, and Randy Knight, their PR man, to come outside to view my demonstration, but they declined. As I read the letter you will see below (which I penned as if an annihilated deer had written it) I held up the severed head of a whitetail deer whom I named Victoria and whom I had acquired from a 'meat' processor. Had I not persuaded the 'meat' processor to give me the head, they told me that it would have gone into the garbage.

I then delivered Victoria's head, nestled into a woven basket, to Michael and Randy via the front desk of the parks administration office. I included a copy of Victoria's letter and a copy of Anthony Marr's viable, logical, just, and compassionate nonlethal deer management plan. A plan that they had already rejected, a plan they need to reconsider, and a plan that thousands of animal activists across the country would gladly help Johnson County implement'volunteering our time, money and efforts.

I want people to see the face of death as the 'powers that be' prepare to massacre 300 or more deer in our family suburban park. Remember, there are going to be 300 or more of these severed heads thanks to OUR tax dollars and OUR elected and appointed leaders, unless they come to their senses and do the right thing.

If they slaughter the deer, Shawnee Mission Park will become Death Park.

Here is the letter:

Randy, Michael, JCPRD board members, Lloyd Fox, and all responsible,

My name is Victoria. If you move forward with your planned slaughter, I will be the future face of Shawnee Mission Park, which would in turn come to be known as Death Park. Like my 300 kindred souls whom you are planning to slaughter, I was once a living, breathing, sentient being. I lived, breathed, felt, thought, and had a life force, just like you.

Last week, as I was minding my own business, grazing and tending to my beloved little fawn, I was cut down in the prime of my life, pierced through my heart by a razor-sharp arrow delivered by a barbaric human. He snuffed me out merely to satiate his perverse blood-lust. It was agonizing, but my deepest anguish arises from the knowledge that my fawn will die without his mother.

Had one of our defenders, Jason Miller, not acquired me from a meat processor, they would have thrown my head in the garbage. Is that an end that any civilized human being with an ounce of compassion would choose for a beautiful, graceful, innocent creature like me?

Thankfully, my demise was not in vain. I now serve as a macabre reminder of the cruel, ruthless, malevolent act you intend to commit. It's NEVER too late to do the right thing. Make your park and community a shining example of justice, logic, and compassion. Follow the nonlethal plan that our defenders are presenting to you again today. If you don't, your park, your community, your careers, and your hands will forever be stained by the gallons of blood you're preparing to spill.

Sincerely,
Victoria