Hello dear readers! I know I have been absent for too long. I have been working on several projects including my new blog www.andarcotidiano.com
Check it out and leave me a comment! You will find my most recent work there. Hope you enjoy it!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
"I am Mexican and I celebrate it"
“I am Mexican, and I celebrate it”.
There is enough negative coverage about Mexico in the news. The headlines about killings, drug violence and travel warnings make the pages of American newspapers every day. However, when it comes to telling the good news about Mexico and Mexicans sometimes it is hard to hear about it.
This is really good news.
Last year Mexico celebrated the bicentennial, the anniversary of the 200 years of Independence from Spain. This year the fiesta continues but the heart of the 201 anniversary is not just history, but those who are currently writing it.
“Soy mexicano y lo celebro” (I am Mexican and I celebrate it) is the theme of this year’s celebrations in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Mexican consulate in Dallas rolled out a plan this week that will not only rejoice Mexican culture, but also Mexicans and their contributions in the United States.
The General Consul of Mexico in Dallas, Ambassador Juan Carlos Cue-Vega, said that it is not only important to celebrate Mexican traditions, but also to celebrate Mexican pride. He thinks it is necessary to improve the image that many people in the United States have of Mexicans. “We want to get rid of this image of the typical Mexican who is always late, we want people to know the typical Mexican who is always making an effort, the typical Mexican who cares about their family and about their job”, added Cue-Vega.
The consulate will develop an agenda to promote Mexican culture, values and pride. It will mainly include Mexican talent, and will make an effort to promote participation of young Mexican and Mexican-American talent. The big celebrations will take place on September 15th in Fort Worth and September 16th in Dallas. “We hope that this campaign will make Mexicans feel better about themselves; improving their self-esteem and having that feeling of pride can translate into positive contributions to their communities, said Cue-Vega.
There is enough negative coverage about Mexico in the news. The headlines about killings, drug violence and travel warnings make the pages of American newspapers every day. However, when it comes to telling the good news about Mexico and Mexicans sometimes it is hard to hear about it.
This is really good news.
Last year Mexico celebrated the bicentennial, the anniversary of the 200 years of Independence from Spain. This year the fiesta continues but the heart of the 201 anniversary is not just history, but those who are currently writing it.
“Soy mexicano y lo celebro” (I am Mexican and I celebrate it) is the theme of this year’s celebrations in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Mexican consulate in Dallas rolled out a plan this week that will not only rejoice Mexican culture, but also Mexicans and their contributions in the United States.
The General Consul of Mexico in Dallas, Ambassador Juan Carlos Cue-Vega, said that it is not only important to celebrate Mexican traditions, but also to celebrate Mexican pride. He thinks it is necessary to improve the image that many people in the United States have of Mexicans. “We want to get rid of this image of the typical Mexican who is always late, we want people to know the typical Mexican who is always making an effort, the typical Mexican who cares about their family and about their job”, added Cue-Vega.
The consulate will develop an agenda to promote Mexican culture, values and pride. It will mainly include Mexican talent, and will make an effort to promote participation of young Mexican and Mexican-American talent. The big celebrations will take place on September 15th in Fort Worth and September 16th in Dallas. “We hope that this campaign will make Mexicans feel better about themselves; improving their self-esteem and having that feeling of pride can translate into positive contributions to their communities, said Cue-Vega.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Teen mom caught on camera suffocating her baby.
Watch the video in Spanish
Watch the video in English
It was day two of her daughter’s trial, Amy Scott sat alone in the courtroom as the 12 members of the jury came back with a verdict. The judge warned her: “Mrs. Scott I want to remind you that you are not allowed to have any reaction, either of disappointment or celebration”. Amy nodded her head in agreement. Her daughter Shantaniqua Scott, dressed on a bright pink shirt, sat immobile on the defendant’s chair as the judge proceeded to read the verdict. “We, the jury, find the defendant Shantaniqua Scott guilty”, read the judge.
Mrs. Scott covered her mouth trying to contain her emotions. The sadness on her face was immense; she had already lost her only grandson and I could see it in her eyes how she had already started to mourn the loss of her only daughter. 18 year old Shantaniqua could face life in prison for two charges of suffocating her four month old baby to the point that he stopped breathing.
On day one of the trial prosecutors showed the jury evidence of the abuse. The baby had been hospitalized with “breathing problems”; doctors suspected he was being abused so they placed him in a room equipped with a hidden camera.
The images captured are difficult to watch and hard to believe: Shantaniqua Scott, then 17 years old, is recorded two times trying to suffocate her own baby. First she tried using a blanket and then she used her hand. For one minute and fourteen seconds she covered the baby’s mouth and nose while the infant kicked and moved his hands fighting for his life. While she suffocated him she had her other arm and head rested on the crib and stared at the baby with a bored demeanor. When the baby went limp Shantaniqua walked away from the crib and pretended to be checking her phone, then doctors stormed in the room to resuscitate the lifeless four month old. Prior to being hospitalized, investigators said, the teen mother had already tried to suffocate the baby in three other occasions.
I asked Mrs. Scott, what could have driven your daughter to try to kill the baby, your own grandson? She had no idea; she still could not believe that it had happened. “That is not how she was brought up, her father was not around but I raised her to be respectful”, Mrs. Scott said. She argued that her daughter was a good person but that she knew that the jury couldn’t see that, they couldn’t see past the video, she thought.
On day 3 of the trial I came back to the courtroom, this time Mrs. Scott was not there. The only family member of the defendant in the room was her grandfather. Shantaniqua was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The judge told her that every day she spends in jail she should be grateful because her son didn’t die; if that had been the case Shantaniqua would be facing life in prison.
The baby is now a healthy one year old boy and lives with a foster family.
Watch the video in English
It was day two of her daughter’s trial, Amy Scott sat alone in the courtroom as the 12 members of the jury came back with a verdict. The judge warned her: “Mrs. Scott I want to remind you that you are not allowed to have any reaction, either of disappointment or celebration”. Amy nodded her head in agreement. Her daughter Shantaniqua Scott, dressed on a bright pink shirt, sat immobile on the defendant’s chair as the judge proceeded to read the verdict. “We, the jury, find the defendant Shantaniqua Scott guilty”, read the judge.
Mrs. Scott covered her mouth trying to contain her emotions. The sadness on her face was immense; she had already lost her only grandson and I could see it in her eyes how she had already started to mourn the loss of her only daughter. 18 year old Shantaniqua could face life in prison for two charges of suffocating her four month old baby to the point that he stopped breathing.
On day one of the trial prosecutors showed the jury evidence of the abuse. The baby had been hospitalized with “breathing problems”; doctors suspected he was being abused so they placed him in a room equipped with a hidden camera.
The images captured are difficult to watch and hard to believe: Shantaniqua Scott, then 17 years old, is recorded two times trying to suffocate her own baby. First she tried using a blanket and then she used her hand. For one minute and fourteen seconds she covered the baby’s mouth and nose while the infant kicked and moved his hands fighting for his life. While she suffocated him she had her other arm and head rested on the crib and stared at the baby with a bored demeanor. When the baby went limp Shantaniqua walked away from the crib and pretended to be checking her phone, then doctors stormed in the room to resuscitate the lifeless four month old. Prior to being hospitalized, investigators said, the teen mother had already tried to suffocate the baby in three other occasions.
I asked Mrs. Scott, what could have driven your daughter to try to kill the baby, your own grandson? She had no idea; she still could not believe that it had happened. “That is not how she was brought up, her father was not around but I raised her to be respectful”, Mrs. Scott said. She argued that her daughter was a good person but that she knew that the jury couldn’t see that, they couldn’t see past the video, she thought.
On day 3 of the trial I came back to the courtroom, this time Mrs. Scott was not there. The only family member of the defendant in the room was her grandfather. Shantaniqua was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The judge told her that every day she spends in jail she should be grateful because her son didn’t die; if that had been the case Shantaniqua would be facing life in prison.
The baby is now a healthy one year old boy and lives with a foster family.
Monday, May 16, 2011
The beauty and the beast of being a backpack journalist.
Scroll down for video samples.
Before and after pictures on PhotoPeach
It is a trend that it is not going away; new technologies are transforming not only the way that we can get the news, but also the way that we gather the news. This change is very tangible in television newsrooms where one man band reporters are becoming more popular.
Just recently I was asked to leave the news producer desk to work as a backpack journalist. The idea of going back on the field was very exciting; it brought back good memories of the time that I had spent working as a reporter. But it also made me feel vulnerable; I lacked experience using the camera, I didn’t know my way around Dallas-Fort Worth, and I really didn’t have many contacts to reach out to when working on stories.
A few months have passed now and I feel glad that I took up on the challenge; it has been very rewarding. A lot of people have asked me, how do you do it? So I decided to write about it.
This is my take on the beauty and the beast of being a backpack reporter.
THE BEAUTY
• Rewards:
I never thought that being a one man band would be so rewarding. It is very satisfying to be able to produce a news story that that traditionally would have taken a team of two to three people to get done. I have found that the effort is really appreciated; I have received positive feedback from managers, colleagues, people that I have interviewed, and viewers.
• Discipline:
To be able to fulfill the demands of being a one man band you have to become more organized, productive, and practical. Discipline will allow you to achieve more with the resources that you have. The impact of being disciplined will go beyond the newsroom; it will also help you to be more organized and successful in your personal life.
• Value:
You are highly regarded in the newsroom because of your ability to get the job done by yourself; with more video journalists newsrooms are able to produce more content. Being able to multi task also makes you a more valuable and marketable candidate than one that is only able to report, shoot or edit.
• Technology:
Video journalists are usually provided with small video cameras and laptops. Not having to carry heavy equipment is a big advantage: it is less tiring and allows you to have more mobility.
THE BEAST
• Fear:
Getting out on the field all by your self is intimidating. During my first weeks I had nightmares about not getting good audio on my interviews, or showing up to an interview without a tape, or not having the story ready by the deadline. I was also afraid of what other reporters or photographers would think of me. Would they look down on me for being a one man band? Fortunately my fears didn’t last long; I have found that most people get impressed by your ability to get the job done all by yourself.
• Time:
As news video journalist there is always something heavy on your mind: the deadline. The race against time begins the moment you get your assignment, and it is only on you to make it happen. You have to set up interviews, drive to the location, shoot, write, edit and deliver the story on time. Getting all these tasks done on time will always be a challenge; the good news is that the more you do it, the faster you get.
• Creativity:
Sometimes working by yourself limits your ability to be creative. For instance, it is just impossible to add movement to your shots while you record a stand up. You can utilize the elements available in the background to compose more interesting shots. Also, you can add movement by walking towards the camera as you deliver your lines.
Being a video journalist is a challenging job that comes with many rewards. In my experience the key for being successful is embracing the challenge. If you believe that you can do it, you will do it.
Check out some examples of my backpack reporter stories on: www.telemundodallas.com
COSTOSO ERROR
SERIAS ACUSACIONES
SUEÑOS TRUNCADOS
QUEJAS EN APARTAMENTOS
Before and after pictures on PhotoPeach
It is a trend that it is not going away; new technologies are transforming not only the way that we can get the news, but also the way that we gather the news. This change is very tangible in television newsrooms where one man band reporters are becoming more popular.
Just recently I was asked to leave the news producer desk to work as a backpack journalist. The idea of going back on the field was very exciting; it brought back good memories of the time that I had spent working as a reporter. But it also made me feel vulnerable; I lacked experience using the camera, I didn’t know my way around Dallas-Fort Worth, and I really didn’t have many contacts to reach out to when working on stories.
A few months have passed now and I feel glad that I took up on the challenge; it has been very rewarding. A lot of people have asked me, how do you do it? So I decided to write about it.
This is my take on the beauty and the beast of being a backpack reporter.
THE BEAUTY
• Rewards:
I never thought that being a one man band would be so rewarding. It is very satisfying to be able to produce a news story that that traditionally would have taken a team of two to three people to get done. I have found that the effort is really appreciated; I have received positive feedback from managers, colleagues, people that I have interviewed, and viewers.
• Discipline:
To be able to fulfill the demands of being a one man band you have to become more organized, productive, and practical. Discipline will allow you to achieve more with the resources that you have. The impact of being disciplined will go beyond the newsroom; it will also help you to be more organized and successful in your personal life.
• Value:
You are highly regarded in the newsroom because of your ability to get the job done by yourself; with more video journalists newsrooms are able to produce more content. Being able to multi task also makes you a more valuable and marketable candidate than one that is only able to report, shoot or edit.
• Technology:
Video journalists are usually provided with small video cameras and laptops. Not having to carry heavy equipment is a big advantage: it is less tiring and allows you to have more mobility.
THE BEAST
• Fear:
Getting out on the field all by your self is intimidating. During my first weeks I had nightmares about not getting good audio on my interviews, or showing up to an interview without a tape, or not having the story ready by the deadline. I was also afraid of what other reporters or photographers would think of me. Would they look down on me for being a one man band? Fortunately my fears didn’t last long; I have found that most people get impressed by your ability to get the job done all by yourself.
• Time:
As news video journalist there is always something heavy on your mind: the deadline. The race against time begins the moment you get your assignment, and it is only on you to make it happen. You have to set up interviews, drive to the location, shoot, write, edit and deliver the story on time. Getting all these tasks done on time will always be a challenge; the good news is that the more you do it, the faster you get.
• Creativity:
Sometimes working by yourself limits your ability to be creative. For instance, it is just impossible to add movement to your shots while you record a stand up. You can utilize the elements available in the background to compose more interesting shots. Also, you can add movement by walking towards the camera as you deliver your lines.
Being a video journalist is a challenging job that comes with many rewards. In my experience the key for being successful is embracing the challenge. If you believe that you can do it, you will do it.
Check out some examples of my backpack reporter stories on: www.telemundodallas.com
COSTOSO ERROR
SERIAS ACUSACIONES
SUEÑOS TRUNCADOS
QUEJAS EN APARTAMENTOS
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Drug related violence south of the border is not only a Mexican problem.
Mexican hit man trial on PhotoPeach
It was early in the morning of Sunday April 20th, 2009 when a convoy of four vehicles arrived to the Mexican restaurant Morelia, in the Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff. The restaurant was closed but the owner, Santos Lozano Jr. traveling with the convoy, was going to open it for his hungry group of friends. Suddenly, a pick-up truck with two individuals aboard approached them and, with assault rifles in hand, started shooting at the convoy. The group then returned fire and soon after Dallas police and paramedics where on the scene of the firefight.
At the scene laid dead a man identified as Antonio Aviles Sanchez. He was under investigation in Dallas for his connection with local members of the La Familia Michoacana cartel. Some other members of his convoy were also hurt. Police followed a trail of blood and were able to track down Jose Arrez Rangel, one of the assailants, who had been shot on the foot. Rangel was arrested but his partner got away. According to witnesses the attackers were dressed in black, had masks over their heads and were heavily armed.
When I heard about the shooting there was no doubt in my mind, this was the result of a battle between members of Mexican drug cartels. The circumstances of the incident were too similar to the shootings that occur every day in Mexico between members of rival gangs. Moreover, the shooting took place outside a Mexican restaurant named after the capital city of the state of Michoacán, home of the La Familia Michoacana cartel. Could this be just a coincidence? Was this shooting in fact evidence that the violence tied to the Mexican drug war had infiltrated into Texas?
Juan Carlos Sanchez, a Dallas criminal defense Lawyer familiar with the case, has no reservations about this incident. He believes it is an example of how the violence associated with Mexican drug cartels has penetrated the United States. “This was not a shooting between two persons that knew each other, and that had a fight that resulted in a dead. This incident, we believe, was planned out by an organization that sent out a hit man from Mexico to carry out the crime in Dallas”, the lawyer said.
Investigators determined that Rangel, an alleged member of the Zetas cartel, entered the country illegally three days prior to the shooting with the intent of terminating Antonio Aviles Sanchez. Rangel was accused of murder. During his trial last week Rangel insisted that he had had nothing to do with the shooting. He said that he came to the US looking for work, and that he had just happened to be walking in the neighborhood when he was struck by a stray bullet. However, prosecutors for the state of Texas insisted; Rangel came here to kill.
On May 6th, 2011 Jose Arrez Rangel was sentenced to life in prison, a very harsh punishment said Lawyer Juan Carlos Sanchez. “Usually the average punishment for murder is 25 years behind bars. But I believe that the jury chose the maximum punishment considering that Rangel came all the way from Mexico to carry out the killing”, Sanchez added.
Currently police are investigating a few more incidents in the Dallas area that they believe have ties to the Mexican drug cartels.
It was early in the morning of Sunday April 20th, 2009 when a convoy of four vehicles arrived to the Mexican restaurant Morelia, in the Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff. The restaurant was closed but the owner, Santos Lozano Jr. traveling with the convoy, was going to open it for his hungry group of friends. Suddenly, a pick-up truck with two individuals aboard approached them and, with assault rifles in hand, started shooting at the convoy. The group then returned fire and soon after Dallas police and paramedics where on the scene of the firefight.
At the scene laid dead a man identified as Antonio Aviles Sanchez. He was under investigation in Dallas for his connection with local members of the La Familia Michoacana cartel. Some other members of his convoy were also hurt. Police followed a trail of blood and were able to track down Jose Arrez Rangel, one of the assailants, who had been shot on the foot. Rangel was arrested but his partner got away. According to witnesses the attackers were dressed in black, had masks over their heads and were heavily armed.
When I heard about the shooting there was no doubt in my mind, this was the result of a battle between members of Mexican drug cartels. The circumstances of the incident were too similar to the shootings that occur every day in Mexico between members of rival gangs. Moreover, the shooting took place outside a Mexican restaurant named after the capital city of the state of Michoacán, home of the La Familia Michoacana cartel. Could this be just a coincidence? Was this shooting in fact evidence that the violence tied to the Mexican drug war had infiltrated into Texas?
Juan Carlos Sanchez, a Dallas criminal defense Lawyer familiar with the case, has no reservations about this incident. He believes it is an example of how the violence associated with Mexican drug cartels has penetrated the United States. “This was not a shooting between two persons that knew each other, and that had a fight that resulted in a dead. This incident, we believe, was planned out by an organization that sent out a hit man from Mexico to carry out the crime in Dallas”, the lawyer said.
Investigators determined that Rangel, an alleged member of the Zetas cartel, entered the country illegally three days prior to the shooting with the intent of terminating Antonio Aviles Sanchez. Rangel was accused of murder. During his trial last week Rangel insisted that he had had nothing to do with the shooting. He said that he came to the US looking for work, and that he had just happened to be walking in the neighborhood when he was struck by a stray bullet. However, prosecutors for the state of Texas insisted; Rangel came here to kill.
On May 6th, 2011 Jose Arrez Rangel was sentenced to life in prison, a very harsh punishment said Lawyer Juan Carlos Sanchez. “Usually the average punishment for murder is 25 years behind bars. But I believe that the jury chose the maximum punishment considering that Rangel came all the way from Mexico to carry out the killing”, Sanchez added.
Currently police are investigating a few more incidents in the Dallas area that they believe have ties to the Mexican drug cartels.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
“My autistic son is being discriminated at school”, says the mother of a Dallas ISD student.
Note: “Ana’s” real name is not being used to protect the identity of her son.
Looking at pictures of her baby boy, Ana remembers having the feeling that he was not like the other kids. “He did not like to play with his toys, he would only arrange them”, Ana said. Eight years have passed and her suspicions have been confirmed. Her son is autistic and has also been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Dealing with his condition has been harder, Ana says, because at John W. Carpenter Elementary in Dallas her son does not receive the special education that he needs. At the beginning of the school year she told the principal and her son’s teacher that he had special needs. In January she received the results of new exams conducted by Children’s Medical Center and by the Mental Retardation Association of Dallas County that confirmed his condition. It is May now and her son is still waiting for the school to set him up to receive special education.
“My son has been discriminated, he is not treated equally. He cries a lot and no body cares about comforting him or helping him to express himself”, Ana said. One day Ana remembers the school principal telling her “your son is not autistic, he is just lazy, and you are being manipulated by him”. Shocked by the principal comments Ana insisted that her son was suffering to what Ana said the principal responded: “Your son is not suffering, he doesn’t have feelings”.
Every day Ana is consumed by the anguish of wondering how is her son doing at school, a place where kids are supposed to feel safe. She told me that one day she noticed a bruise on her son’s arm. When he was able to tell her how he got it he said that his teacher had been rough on him. Ana confronted the teacher who admitted grabbing him by the arm because he was throwing a fit.
“Hearing about Ana’s situation is shameful” said Perla Najera Alvarez, spokesperson for the Autism Society in Dallas. “It is very ignorant to say that the boy does not have feelings, we all have feelings”, she added. Najera also has an autistic boy, five year old Victor, and she said they also struggled to get the Dallas ISD to provide the special education he needs. Najera said the school process to get kids tested and set up for special education is very long and complicated. She was able to navigate it after seeking help from other parents with special needs kids at Dallas ISD. “The school is being negligent. Teachers don’t have enough training or supervision to deal with special needs students”, Najera said.
To improve this situation, Najera said, it is necessary that the district invests more resources on training not only teachers, but principals, nurses, counselors and all the school personnel that has to be in contact with special education kids.
I contacted the Dallas ISD to inquire about Ana’s situation. They said that due to privacy policies they couldn’t comment on the case. All they could tell me was that they were aware of the situation and had started the process of testing the boy.
Erika Cavazos can also relate to Ana’s situation, her son Jesus Emmanuel is autistic and attends Dallas ISD. When he was diagnosed the doctor told her that he would never be able to speak or take care of his basic needs. Since then Erika has done everything in her power to make sure her son receives the attention, therapy and special education necessary to get him to be as normal as possible. However, she said, dealing with Dallas ISD has been a big challenge. “Special education is the weakness of the Dallas ISD, it is a bureaucratic process that has taken a physical and emotional toll on me and my son”, said Cavazos. Jesus Emmanuel is now 8 years old; he attends a regular classroom and receives special education. He can also speak both English and Spanish.
Erika and Perla recommend that parents reach out for help. Two years ago they created Manos, a support group for Hispanic families with special needs kids. They get together every month to share experiences, information, and to organize fun activities for their families. Right now there are about thirty moms in the group including Ana, who just joined.
There are only a few weeks left in the 2010-2011 school year, while Ana finds comfort in Manos she is still waiting for the Dallas ISD to set up a special education plan for her son.
If you would like to get in touch with Manos send me an E-mail!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Undercover investigation reveals disturbing evidence of animal abuse.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVICED. THIS VIDEO IS VERY DISTURBING.
This is one of the most disturbing stories that I have covered. It was revealed to the public on April 20th, 2011. The video was recorded during an undercover investigation by the animal advocacy group Mercy for Animals (MFA) at E6 Cattle Co, a cattle company located in the small town of Hart, in Castro County, Texas.
According to MFA for two weeks during March they documented how calves were being tortured to death. The video shows workers bashing calves in their heads with hammers and pickaxes. The calves were also being pulled by the ears during transportation; they were kicked, had opened wounds and did not receive medical attention. There is also video of a worker kicking a dying calf and stepping on its neck.
As I was watching this video it was hard for me to believe that people are capable of treating animals in such a cruel way. Most shocking of all was the response that I got from Kirt Espenson, the owner of E6 Cattle Co, when I called the company requesting comment on the alleged abuse. He said: “We take full responsibility of what happened here. All of the employees involved in the mistreatment of the animals have been terminated”. He blamed the abuse seen on the video on lack of training. He said that due to the snow and ice storms of February they were shorthanded and needed to get new people who were not trained for euthanizing the cows. He added that the company had been audited in the past and that they had gotten favorable certifications from three independent parties. Finally Espenson said, “I will do everything in my power to make sure this does not happen again”.
After I talked to him I had a gut feeling that something didn’t make sense. Espenson sounded very remorseful and admitted immediately full responsibility for the workers’ behavior on the video. Still, it was hard for me to believe that he had not known of the abuse until it was revealed by the undercover investigation. Later that day at a press conference in Dallas, members of MFA presented the video to the media. Eddie Garza, Texas campaign coordinator for MFA, said that on the video the owner himself is seen telling workers that some of the abused calves were still not dead.
MFA has turned the results of their undercover investigation to Castro County authorities. They are asking for the owner to face charges and that E6 cattle be shut down. Unfortunately, said Garza, this is not an isolated incident. MFA has done about a dozen undercover investigations around the country, all of them found evidence of animal abuse.
If you watch the video, I would like to know what you think.
No Mercy - Calf Farm Cruelty Exposed from Mercy For Animals on Vimeo.
This is one of the most disturbing stories that I have covered. It was revealed to the public on April 20th, 2011. The video was recorded during an undercover investigation by the animal advocacy group Mercy for Animals (MFA) at E6 Cattle Co, a cattle company located in the small town of Hart, in Castro County, Texas.
According to MFA for two weeks during March they documented how calves were being tortured to death. The video shows workers bashing calves in their heads with hammers and pickaxes. The calves were also being pulled by the ears during transportation; they were kicked, had opened wounds and did not receive medical attention. There is also video of a worker kicking a dying calf and stepping on its neck.
As I was watching this video it was hard for me to believe that people are capable of treating animals in such a cruel way. Most shocking of all was the response that I got from Kirt Espenson, the owner of E6 Cattle Co, when I called the company requesting comment on the alleged abuse. He said: “We take full responsibility of what happened here. All of the employees involved in the mistreatment of the animals have been terminated”. He blamed the abuse seen on the video on lack of training. He said that due to the snow and ice storms of February they were shorthanded and needed to get new people who were not trained for euthanizing the cows. He added that the company had been audited in the past and that they had gotten favorable certifications from three independent parties. Finally Espenson said, “I will do everything in my power to make sure this does not happen again”.
After I talked to him I had a gut feeling that something didn’t make sense. Espenson sounded very remorseful and admitted immediately full responsibility for the workers’ behavior on the video. Still, it was hard for me to believe that he had not known of the abuse until it was revealed by the undercover investigation. Later that day at a press conference in Dallas, members of MFA presented the video to the media. Eddie Garza, Texas campaign coordinator for MFA, said that on the video the owner himself is seen telling workers that some of the abused calves were still not dead.
MFA has turned the results of their undercover investigation to Castro County authorities. They are asking for the owner to face charges and that E6 cattle be shut down. Unfortunately, said Garza, this is not an isolated incident. MFA has done about a dozen undercover investigations around the country, all of them found evidence of animal abuse.
If you watch the video, I would like to know what you think.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)