"Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind"
by Erica Davis

As a person who in the past was very much involved in issues regarding our environment and
animal rights, I was shocked to see that it took a t.v. program to re-open my eyes to the terrible
injustices going on that don't always make the evening news.

My case in point, a program called "Worlds Most Amazing Videos," which aired a piece of video
from Spain of a woman being gored by a bull in their annual festival. The ironic part being that the
woman, Vicki Moore, was at the festival to record and document the abuse of the bulls for her
animal rights organization, FAACE (Fighting Against Animal Cruelty in Europe), based in
England. 

The footage of the goring was obviously frightening, but the true horror came in the following
clips showing the abuse to the bulls by the festival goers. They were set on fire, run through with
swords, stabbed and left to bleed to death, had explosives thrown at them, and much worse. I
couldn't believe my eyes. I immediately got on the Internet to find out more on this woman who
had been run through, her organization and how to help stop this abuse to the bulls.

I received several responses from all over the world. I was also directed to another organization,
SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness), run by a man in Chicago named Steve Hindi.
He is currently waging a campaign against Pepsi Co. for their advertisements in the Mexican
Bullrings. His website itself, www.Pepsibloodbath.com, as well as the website for FAACE,
www.southport.uk.com/faace/, is a truckload of information, all of which won't make your
average newspaper article. Although aware of the killing of the bulls in traditional bullfights, I was
shamefully in the dark about what else went on, as I'm sure the majority of the public is.

Unfortunately, it took a shock video show to shock me into learning of this and thank goodness
they aired the footage they did. Otherwise, how else can these smaller organizations such as
SHARK and FAACE  get the public's attention needed to make a difference? Although the
program did show the footage of the bulls abuse, it was only because the woman had been gored,
not because the actual abuse prompted this "Worlds Most Amazing Video."

Animal abuse and animal rights organizations are not just about puppy mills and cock fighting.
Nor are they all huge organizations with hundreds of volunteers. They're also small, individual
organizations which focus on local areas or singular causes. These organizations need just as
much support as some of the larger ones we are more familiar with, such as The Sierra Club and
World Wildlife Fund. 

While the smaller organizations battle on, and they accomplish small miracles we the public are
generally not aware of, it is up to us individuals to seek out information on these issues instead of
simply relying on newspapers and evening news to report it to us, because sadly enough it usually
takes a mob of people getting arrested, or someone being injured or killed in protest that gets the
press, and until that happens it is another case of, out of sight out of mind.

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