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31. HELP a Young Orca Whale Live Free 
This petition is to object to the permanent capture of a young Orca whale, named A-73 (the "A" is for her family, or pod name, and the "73" is her birth order in the pod).
A-73 was noticed a few months ago in Puget Sound, where her family does not often travel. Her pod seems to have left her behind after she was orphaned, and she is very ill with legions and dietary problems including malnutrition.
Right now this highly intelligent, social, mammal, has been seen playing with driftwood and rubbing herself against logs for hours at a time. Scientist say it's because she is lonely—imagine the loneliness she would feel if she were to spend the rest of her life in captivity, without the freedom to hunt, or swim, or play. Instead, she could be doomed to a life of circus tricks and confinement in a pen, which places her so painfully close to freedom.
The Vancouver Aquarium graciously has agreed to take the whale in for medical treatment and try as quickly as possible to re-introduce her to her pod. However, the US and Canadian governments have not developed a solid and responsible plan incase the transfer of A-73 and the proposed reunion with her family pod, who is around Vancouver from June to September, is unsuccessful. Being that the pod initially abandoned the young whale, some scientists say the chance of reintroduction could be slim.
Would the aquarium industry then be allowed to add the orca to its collection of captives?
We would like assurances from the Canadian government that that there is
absolutely no chance that this whale will end up in captivity for the rest of her
life.
This petition in particular asks:
1.) The Vancouver Aquarium to guarantee every attempt will be made at releasing A-73 to live with it's native pod;
2.) If the pod does not accept A-73, the Vancouver Aquarium should GARAUNTEE the release and further monitoring of the whale outside of captivity. The Aquarium should administer any treatment needed, outside of a sea-pen or captive enclosure;
3.) The Canadian and United States governments to create and enforce laws regarding the capture and treatment of all whales in the Canadian & U.S. waters-- including the import of wild captured animals into Canadian & U.S. aquariums.
32. Ban McDonalds- The Corporation Abuses Rights of Vegetarians
New Delhi, May 5 2001: The Shiv Sena on Saturday demanded that fast-food giant McDonalds should shut down its operations in India after it was sued in the United States over the use of animal extract.
About 60 activists of the Sena marched to the office of the Indian branch of McDonalds and
submitted a memorandum demanding closure of its outlets in the country. "Today it is a symbolic protest. We came to warn them to shut down the restaurants," Jai Bhagwan Goel, the Delhi head of the Shiv Sena told Reuters.
McDonalds reiterated that the French fries that it served in India did not contain any animal
extracts. "McDonald's India would like to assure you that French fries in India are a 100 percent vegetarian product and do not contain any beef or animal extract of whatsoever kind," the company said in an advertisement in a newspaper on Saturday.
The Press Trust of India quoted McDonalds Delhi Managing Director Vikram Bakshi as saying that all McDonald outlets were open in Delhi after taking "necessary precautions". Earlier this week a vegetarian lawyer and native Indian, Harish Bharti, filed suit against McDonalds in the United States accusing it of "secretly" lacing its French fries with beef fat.
A report on the case appeared in a leading Indian newspaper on Friday, stirring protests and attacks on the fast-food chain. "The cow is sacred to Indians. Foreign firms have made a habit of dumping things here without any regard to feelings of people," Goel said.
A group of unidentified people attacked a McDonalds outlet in Thane on Mumbai's outskirts on Friday, damaging property. A McDonalds spokesman in the United States said earlier this week the restaurant chain had never claimed to offer vegetarian food but that it gave information on ingredients in its food to anyone who sought it. However, the spokesman said that in some overseas markets McDonalds did offer fries with no animal content to conform to local cultural standards.
McDonalds has 28 outlets in India, where it began operations in 1996. The fast-food chain's staple fare in India are chicken, lamb and vegetarian burgers. (Reuters)
March 2002,
CHICAGO - (KRT) - McDonald's Corp. is close to settling lawsuits filed by several vegetarians last year who accused the burger chain of deliberately concealing the use of beef extract in its French fries.
A confidential draft of the proposed settlement offer calls for McDonald's to pay $10 million to charities that support vegetarianism, issue a public apology and form an advisory board to counsel the company on vegetarian dietary issues. Another $2.4 million would go to plaintiffs' attorneys.
The settlement would end an embarrassing episode for McDonald's over one of its most popular menu items, the skinny French fry. The agreement would cover lawsuits in five states, including Illinois, that were filed on behalf of any vegetarian who ate McDonald's fries after 1990 in the belief that they contained no meat.
That was the year the Oak Brook, Ill.-based company began saying its fries were cooked in "100 percent vegetable oil" instead of a combination of beef tallow and vegetable shortening. The change came to appease cholesterol-conscious fast-food diners.
Based on the company's marketing of the switch, the plaintiffs contend they assumed that the fries were a vegetarian product, not knowing that McDonald's continued to add a small amount of beef tallow to its fries for flavoring. McDonald's says it never made any claims about the vegetarianism of its fries, but it also did not fully disclose the use of the beef extract. In its nutrition brochures, the company described the ingredient as "natural flavor."
The plaintiffs argue that some of the chain's restaurant employees were not even aware of the beef flavoring and told them the fries were vegetarian. Three vegetarians in Seattle, including two Hindus who don't eat meat for religious reasons, were the first to file a complaint last May. Suits in California, Illinois, Texas and New Jersey followed.
Under the proposed agreement, the 12 named plaintiffs in the five pending cases would each receive $4,000.
But not all the plaintiffs are pleased with the offer. A formal settlement has yet to be filed with the court.
"Given how long the window of deception was, $10 million is a pittance," said Cherie Travis, of Downers Grove, Ill., who filed a suit in her state. "McDonald's made a lot of money telling people that the fries were vegetarian."
Travis was so unhappy she fired her attorney, Jason Shanfield of the Chicago firm Edelman, Combs & Latturner Llc, last month. Three plaintiffs in Texas also dismissed their attorney last month. Shanfield declined to comment.
McDonald's would not discuss details of the deal Wednesday. The company "has been working in good faith to resolve this matter," spokesman Walt Riker said. "It was purely unintentional, and we have been working to address this issue in a positive way." According to the draft, McDonald's does not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the agreement.
The terms call for McDonald's to donate $6 million to vegetarian organizations, $2 million to Hindu or Sikh groups, $1 million to promote children's hunger relief and another $1 million to support kosher dietary practices.
McDonald's also will publish an apology in at least six specialized publications, including Veggie Life, Hinduism Today and India Tribune. Travis said that the apology is not a big concession from McDonald's because the company posted an apology on its Web site last May for causing culinary confusion over the last decade.
She also is not happy with the advisory board because, she said, "There's nothing that bind McDonald's to any of its recommendations."
If you are against ANY hate crimes, including crimes related to race, sexual orientation, etc. Then sign this petition to STOP HATE CRIMES.
34. -=Protest Petition=- Against Higher FEES at Tulsa Park Facilities
Should the community pay for the financial mistakes of the City of Tulsa? NO!!! The City of Tulsa mismanaged its money and created an $11,000,000 shortfall...
Their solution is: Fee increases, as proposed by the Park and Recreation Department and approved by the Mayor and Park Board, for Tulsa Park Facilities including outside sports facilities, sports equipment, pools, shelters, open space, special events, community center room rentals and Special Park Facilities including the Zoo & Oxley Nature Center.
Permits for professional photographers to shoot at parks will increase $125...
NOTE: Incomprehensibly, Fees at Mohawk and Page Belcher Golf courses will be reduced.
SPECIAL NOTE: Deficit reduction should be done by cuts in spending not higher fees!
Each year, about thirty rattlesnake round-ups are held in seven states: Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. A recent year-long investigation into these events has revealed that:
Rattlesnake roundups are grossly inhumane. Snakes are driven from resting areas with toxic chemicals including gasoline, are held for weeks or months without food or water in crowded and unsanitary conditions, are roughly handled during roundups (including kicking, stomping, and whipping), are often skinned alive or have their mouths sewn shut, and are killed using methods that are inappropriate for reptiles.
36. Petition to remove Philip Ruddock, MP as immigration minister and begin a UN investigaion
Under the leadership of immigration minister Philip Ruddock, the government of Australia has turned a blind eye to all requests for a serious investigation of Australia's immigration policies and the mandatory detention of people who are legal asylum seekers under international law. These refugees are seeking legal asylum in Australia and are being held in violation of UN directives (which are the law in Australia). Conditions in detention centres must be investigated. Philip Ruddock must step down. Humans rights violations must result in trials.