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Thanksgiving irks animal activists

LINCOLN, Neb. - Thanksgiving can mean a variety of things: for some students, it's a time to protest animal rights; for grocery stores, it's a time to stock turkeys.

Either way you look at it, the center of attention around this time of year is that feathered, gobbling bird.

Jason Nord, a member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Students for Animal Rights, doesn't want people to buy a traditional Thanksgiving turkey.

Nord has been a vegan, which is a person who doesn't eat animal products, for the last year and a half, and he was a vegetarian for a year before that.

"I urge people to not buy turkeys or any meat but to go vegetarian," said Nord, a UNL senior and philosophy and English major.

He started his eating habits because of the suffering animals go through, he said. "I don't understand why the suffering of an animal is less important than the suffering of a human," Nord said.

A majority of turkeys are raised on factory farms where they are mistreated, Nord said. He objected to what he called cruelty in turkey raising.

Turkeys are raised to abnormal sizes so they can't support their own weight, making it impossible for them to stand up, Nord said.

Turkeys are then killed by being hung upside down and having their necks slashed, which is painful, Nord said.

Steve Maxon, the general manager of operation at the Nebraska Turkey Growers Cooperation, said he does not agree with Nord's views.

The turkeys are killed between the ages of 14 to 20 weeks and have a healthy weight, Maxon said.

Turkeys have plenty of room to roam on the farms, Maxon said.

"The turkeys have approximately 3 square feet per bird," Maxon said. "So they have plenty of room to move around."

Longhorns, Aggies unite on University of Texas campus

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Unwilling to walk away from the place where an unprecedented event had just taken place, Longhorns and Aggies stood together at the Unity Gathering on the University of Texas campus Monday night. They were distinguishable only by an extended Gig 'em thumb or Hook 'em horns.

"Tonight we stand unified-unified in our grief, unified in our love of tradition, unified in our commitment to restore light to a darkened Texas," Milam Newby said.

As Newby, president of the student chapter of the Texas Exes Association and a UT senior government major, spoke these words to thousands upon thousands of students, friends and alumni of Texas A&M and UT, a new friendship and appreciation was formed between the two schools who have a deep rivalry such a deep love of a "spirit that can ne'er be told."

The mourners stood, not as Longhorns or Aggies, but together as Texans to memorialize the fallen Aggies in the Nov.18 Bonfire tragedy, and to celebrate the new relationship between the two schools.

Newby, said the schools came together Thursday night in mutual respect and understanding.

"What began as our desire to join with Texas A&M in the lighting of one candle has grown into an evening of lighting thousands," he said. "What began as a desire for Longhorns to show love and support for Aggies has grown into an outpouring of love and support from all Texans."

Don Evans, chair of the University of Texas Board of Regents, said the Aggies are not alone in their sorrow.

"The eyes of Texas are upon you, and our hearts are with you," Evans said. "God bless the family of Texas A&M University."

Protests continue over expulsions in Decatur

DECATUR, Ill. - During the past few weeks, the nation has learned about the Decatur school board's decision to expel six high school students for a fight that happened at a Sept. 17 Eisenhower/MacArthur football game.

National coverage from Chicago to Tokyo has had people talking about Decatur, Ill. During the past few weeks, several marches and rallies have occurred, but not all have been led by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

On Nov. 14, Jackson led Decatur and non-community residents down the streets of Decatur in the "Save the Dream: Leave No Child Behind" march.

An estimated 2,000 supporters marched from the Franklin Street overpass to Grand Avenue and westward, concluding the march at MacArthur High School.

When all the participants were present, Jackson spoke his famous words while the crowd repeated them.

"I am somebody. Red, yellow, brown, black or white, we're all precious in God's sight. Everybody is somebody. Stop the Violence. Save the Children," Jackson said.

On the other side of Decatur, an estimated 150 people gathered at Nelson Park for a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) rally. Dozens of police and state patrol officers and Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms members were present.

"We are here to protest against Jackson. The blacks keep complaining that they're underprivileged [or] stuck in the ghetto with no opportunity to get out. Instead of these minorities complaining and demanding more and more, they should get down on their knees every morning and thank the white people for everything we have given them," an unidentified Grand Wizard of the KKK said.

The KKK also presented 10 points that it said should be considered regarding the expulsion of the high school students.

Most people in the crowd voiced support for the KKK, while some others stated that they were there strictly to listen.

Decatur resident Nancy Waterman vocalized her disapproval of the KKK. She held three signs, one of which read, ,"Hey, KKK! Open your small minds before you open your big mouths."

As the KKK began to speak, Waterman shouted, "Take off your masks, you cowards. If these are your friends, show your face to them."

Anthony Chapple, the only African-American at the rally and a Decatur resident, said that he attended the rally to hear what the KKK had to say.

"I wanted to see the Klan. I have never seen them before. This would be a historic opportunity. I can see the white sheets and see what they are all about," Chapple said.

A few blocks away from Jackson's march was the "Stop the Violence" march, organized by city councilwoman Betsy Stockard. Participants wore blue ribbons to signify their support for the school board. As people drove by, they honked their horns to show their support.

On Nov. 21, members of the World Church of the Creator (WCOTC), led by the Rev. Matt Hale, held a rally at Nelson Park.

"I am glad to be here in Decatur today to stand before you as your brother in this cause to protect our own people, to love our own kind and to quit apologizing for being in the white race," Hale said.

Hale spoke about Creativity, the religion of the WCOTC, which he described as a "racial religion" that strives to advance the "white race." He also spoke about Jackson's presence in Decatur.

"We have said no more, to the intimidation from the likes of Jesse Jackson. We have said no more, to the equivalistic [sic] nonsense that we are somehow all the same," Hale stated.