One of my favorite quotes is by Gandhi—“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” You can switch out ‘animals’ for any vulnerable population, really. You are a people’s champ and a champ for animals, too. When you were in the assembly, you were a champ for wildlife and farm animals, I believe. These animals receive the least protection from abuse given their violent uses by society, and are most of need for a champ in our legislature. At present, it seems the deck is particularly stacked against wildlife in the New Jersey legislature with the current Senate president, and even the Governor’s office to an extent, which is incredibly disappointing given the majority party.

Do you have any updates on where the leghold trap ban legislation is? There was a recent incident of two teenagers in Lacy Township, NJ that really illustrated how cruel these traps—that have been made legal through administrative back-channels by NJ DEP—are for the animals caught, and equally important, how this type of legalized and state-promoted cruelty can foster the decrease in empathy towards others—human or otherwise—that seems to becoming frighteningly widespread in our country these days. I appreciate your thoughtful and nuanced posts and work. You make great connections, and I think Gandhi also spoke of topics that helped connect seemingly unrelated issues in a way that enlightened many and promoted the progress that peace and empathy bring to a world where most people would want to live.

Thank you for your work, this post and for all you do on behalf of animals.