Bea Arthur in the news 8/29/02

[jayman75]

I hope copy and paste works ok...

Bea Arthur Fights for Animals
Thu Aug 29, 1:55 PM ET

BERNARDSVILLE, N.J. (AP) - A well-known chef and foie gras producer won't attend an upcoming fund-raiser for a children's charity, partly because of complaints the charity received from actress Bea Arthur and other animal rights activists.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter from Arthur to organizers of the Dinner of Hope, demanding that Michael Ginor be dropped from the Sept. 20 event.

Ginor, who co-owns Hudson Valley Foie Gras in Ferndale, N.Y., has volunteered to stay away from the dinner, said Tim Peters, vice president of the Far Hills-based charity. Peters also said foie gras, the fattened liver of a duck or goose which many consider a delicacy, was taken off the menu.

"I really think the main point (of the event) is to serve the children who have suffered through no fault of their own, and (Ginor) wouldn't want to detract from that," Peters told the Courier News of Bridgewater for Thursday's editions.

Arthur, 76, who has appeared on Broadway and starred in the television shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls," said she was "thrilled with the results" of her letter.

Ginor, whose 100-acre farm produces about 5,000 ducks each week, could not be reached for comment. He doesn't advertise his appearances on his Web site in an effort to avoid disputes over foie gras.

Animal rights activists say foie gras producers force-feed the birds large quantities of food through a tube that is jammed down their throats several times a day. They say the extra food causes the livers to swell up to 10 times their normal size and often tears the birds' throats.

The production of foie gras has been banned in some European countries, but Ginor has said the birds have a hard, calcified esophagus, and the feeding process is not painful.


This is the link (I think) :http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...v/bea_arthur_1

[jayman75]

*bump*

[80sTrivia]

Bea has always been an outspoken woman with very strong convictions and opinions, so this isn't surprising on her part, as she's always held animal rights close to her heart, along with her Girl's co-star Betty White.