Guardians of the Galaxy 3!!! Plus LA Times on plant-milk gag 5/10/2023

Today I got to play hooky and go see a matinee of Guardians of the Galaxy 3. I haven't seen the second one yet, but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment and ability to follow the story. I went because I heard there was a serious animal rights message but had not expected it to be pretty much the main message of the film, which opens with baby Rocket in a vivisection laboratory. Below I will share an article about it in USA Today, to which I hope you will respond, as well as a heartening editorial in the Los Angeles Times titled, "Got free speech? Maybe not when it comes to milk."

Today's, Wednesday May 10, story in USA Today is by Brian Truitt, and is titled, "Animal scenes in ‘Guardians’ take aim at a larger purpose." (Page 21). It announces, at the top, that it contains spoilers, and I wouldn't read it if I had not seen the film yet because I sure wouldn't want to know what happens in the end. I also think it over-warns about the upsetting animal cruelty (thankfully all animals are animatronic!) but am glad to know so many people find it hard to watch - that bodes well for humanity. Compared to what we have seen happening to real animals in undercover videos it is nothing! It did not interfere with my own enjoyment of the film.

I will share here parts of the article that do not give anything away, but make it clear that the powerful message is no accident:

"What Gunn has slyly and impressively crafted is a blockbuster superhero movie that tackles, in a substantial and visceral way, real-life animal cruelty and testing. Rocket was 'created by somebody who didn't care for him at all, didn't have any of his own interests in mind,' the director told USA TODAY. 'Compassion is the answer to all your problems on this planet. And if you can have compassion for all living things, it really helps you to live a much more fulfilling life.'”

We learn in the article of PETA's response to the movie:

"On Monday, the organization celebrated the latest 'Guardians' as 'the best animal rights film of the year' for 'helping audiences see animals as individuals and suggesting that just because we can experiment on them doesn’t mean that we should,' PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement. 'Through Rocket, James Gunn has put a face, a name and a personality on the millions of vulnerable animals being cycled through laboratories as we speak.'"

The full article is best read by those who have already seen the film; those who haven't should stop right after the PETA quote above, skipping the last two paragraphs that start with the words, "Rocket's early trauma."

It is online at
https://DawnWatch-USAToday-Galaxy

USA Today is one of the world's most widely distributed newspapers so we can be pleased to read this profoundly animal friendly message in it. And we can use it to educate the letters editor, and, if any of our letters get published, educate a wide audience, while also letting those who use the letters page as a barometer of public opinion know how much these issues mean to the public. So why not jot off a few quick lines, agreeing with Gunn about "compassion for all living things" or discussing the atrocity that is animal testing, or making whatever point you wish to as you speak for animals?

The paper advises, "If you're interested in joining conversations about topics in USA TODAY, email letters@usatoday.com, comment on Facebook or use #tellusatoday on Twitter.
Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length and to conform to our editorial style and standards. Submissions of 200 words or fewer have the best chance of being published. Letters must include a name, address and phone number."

I send thanks to Teresa D'Amico for making sure we didn't miss the article.

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I also send thanks to all who wrote to the Los Angeles Times regarding their big sushi spread, as your efforts surely helped Elaine Livesey-Fassel get published. I have posted her lovely letter here.

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Angelenos received another alert, yesterday, about a heartening editorial (the editorial board's official opinion) which is titled online (where those outside of Los Angeles should respond), "Got free speech? An LAUSD student is restricted from promoting non-dairy milk."

It tells us:
" Marielle Williamson, a student at Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School, found out about the U.S. Department of Agriculture restrictions this year when she was prohibited from handing out literature at school about the disadvantages of drinking dairy milk unless she also provided information about its benefits. Williamson is a vegan and decided she’d rather not promote dairy milk. Last week, she joined a lawsuit filed by the national nonprofit advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine accusing the USDA, the Los Angeles Unified School District and school administrators of violating her free speech rights....

"Good for Williamson to challenge the long-standing rules that unfairly protect the nation’s dairy industry from competition. Williamson, 17, believes the USDA rules prioritize an industry’s profits over students’ health considering that many students are lactose-intolerant, a digestive condition that causes bloating, diarrhea, nausea and other symptoms. It affects primarily people who are Black, Latino, Native American and Asian American, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases....

"Currently, students receiving free school meals can obtain nondairy milk options by providing a doctor’s note, a requirement that can be burdensome for lower-income families. It would make more sense if students could freely have these options without having to jump through administrative hoops....

"The USDA has been helping market the dairy industry since at least 1919, when the government agency successfully launched campaigns about milk surpluses resulting from increased production of dairy products during World War I. The powerful dairy industry has fought to keep milk in schools even though consumption has gone down. In 2022, the dairy industry spent more than $7 million in lobbying efforts. For example, it lobbied for the passage of the School Milk Nutrition Act of 2021 to allow schools to offer low-fat flavored milk, according to nonprofit Open Secrets, which tracks money in politics."

You'll find the whole piece online here.

If you are out of free articles and hit a paywall, trying cutting and pasting the link into a different browser, or I can send you the full text if you want it so that you can respond.
This particular editorial, while totally on point, doesn't address the issue of animal suffering, leaving that door wide open for us.

The paper takes letters at
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/submit-letter-to-the-editor

Yours and all animals',
Karen Dawn of DawnWatch
https://DawnWatch.com