Ask Redford Union High School to Bench Cruel Donkey Basketball
Karen Lyons Kalmenson
BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA
“Donkey basketball” games are loud, chaotic, and utterly bizarre events during which docile animals are pulled, shoved, screamed at, whipped, and forced to support riders who are too heavy for them to carry comfortably. Used again and again, the donkeys are lugged from place to place for months on end in small, poorly ventilated vehicles, with no consideration for their welfare, safety, or happiness. Equines who are systemically subjected to such stressors can develop unpredictable temperaments, putting riders and bystanders at risk. There has been a record of injuries, including a case in which an injured participant successfully sued a school for more than $110,000 in damages. Sadly, Redford Union High School in Redford, Michigan, has now scheduled a “donkey basketball” game for March 1. Your voice is needed!
Please politely urge Redford Union School District administrators to cancel this cruel event and replace it with a safer, more humane alternative. And please forward this alert widely!
WHOM TO CONTACT
Email block:
stonemr@redfordu.k12.mi.us ; nachmaj@redfordu.k12.mi.us ; humitzm@redfordu.k12.mi.us
Individual:
Ron Stoneman, Superintendent
Redford Union School District
stonemr@redfordu.k12.mi.us
Judy Nachman, Principal
Redford Union High School
nachmaj@redfordu.k12.mi.us
Michael Humitz, Assistant Principal
Redford Union High School
humitzm@redfordu.k12.mi.us
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Superintendent Stoneman, Principal Nachman, and Assistant Principal Humitz:
It is my understanding that Redford Union High School is planning to participate in “donkey baseball” as a fundraising event. While fundraising can certainly be an admirable endeavor, I am shocked at the disrespect and cruelty inflicted on donkeys in pursuit of such. Donkey baseball is inherently cruel, subjecting donkeys to unnatural environments and pain in exploitative situations; examples include being shoved, yelled at, whipped, and forced to travel for months at a time with little mobility or fresh air. Forcing donkeys to endure this is completely unjustified, and the Animal Welfare Act affords no protections to them.
Indeed, “donkey basketball” games are barbaric events during which docile animals are used again and again: the donkeys are lugged from place to place for months on end in small, poorly ventilated vehicles, with no consideration for their welfare, safety, or happiness. Equines who are systemically subjected to such stressors can develop unpredictable temperaments, putting riders and bystanders at risk. There has been a record of injuries, including a case in which an injured participant successfully sued a school for more than $110,000 in damages.
Animals are sentient creatures, capable of love, pain, thought, and suffering, and when you support the exploitation of these donkeys, you only promote indifference and establish that you are unsympathetic to animal concerns. Furthermore, when you actively engage in this type of abuse in front of children, you are indeed promoting animal abuse and disrespect, which invariably lead to human abuse and disrespect. Please discontinue plans for this activity and use an alternative fundraising event in which all can participate in a cruelty-free manner.
Thank you for your attention and consideration to this urgent appeal.
NAME
a fundraising event,
using cruelty as
a venue???
we are donkeys,
tormenting us should
not be on your event
plan menu.
we do not enjoy sports,
being pulled or tormented,
the message you are sending,
is evil and demented!!!
Karen Lyons Kalmenson
Do not judge us
We are not you
We do what donkey
Were born to do
We are not stubborn
we do not like being
used
we are not tools of man
to be beaten or abused
if you want us to help you
be kind with your request
we will gladly oblige
if you do your best ♥
Karen Lyons Kalmenson
Our Compass 
you need to fix the sample letter. where it says “While fundraising can certainly be an admiral endeavor,” what you meant to say is ADMIRABLE.
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:26:42 +0000 To: methylisocyanate@hotmail.com
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Thank you so much for catching that; I goofed on that, and changed it to admirable. Thank you!
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a fundraising event,
using cruelty as
a venue???
we are donkeys,
tormenting us should
not be on your event
plan menu.
we do not enjoy sports,
being pulled or tormented,
the message you are sending,
is evil and demented!!!
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HI KAREN,, I AM WITH YOU ALL THE WAY IT IS DISGUSTING, SHOULD BE CANCELLED & ALL EVENTS INVOLVING ANY CRUELTY OR MISTREATMENT TO ANY ANIMALS BANNED.. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP NOW PLEASE:: WHAT A WAY TO TRY TO EDUCATE CHILDREN TO RESPECT & BE KIND TO ANIMALS.. DONKEYS DO NOT DESERVE THIS !
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Do not judge us
We are not you
We do what donkey
Were born to do
We are not stubborn
we do not like being
used
we are not tools of man
to be beaten or abused
if you want us to help you
be kind with your request
we will gladly oblige
if you do your best ♥
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.149996415031409.29469.104800036217714&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=253178741379842&set=a.149996415031409.29469.104800036217714&type=3&theater
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I agree, thanks, Shireen.
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Thank you so much, Karen, posted. 🙂
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HAVE SENT E-MAILS. WHAT A COMPLETE CRAZY HORRIBLE THING TO DO WITH DONKEYS. SPORTS IS WHEN YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE NOT WHEN YOURE MADE TO. DONKEYS ARE NOT FOR THE AMUSEMENT OF ANY SPORTING EVENTS. CRAZY CRUEL PEOPLE
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Cruel is absolutely correct, thanks, Linda.
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Looks more like torture. Is this part of SERIAL KILLER 101?
Some sporting events are cruel even to willing human participants. Do we want more pain and suffering in this world.
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So many are completely immune to the suffering of others. I agree, thanks, Marcias.
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disgusting and shameful emails sent thanks Stacey and Karen fantastic poem as usual
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Thank you!
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thank you florence!!! donkeys are so maligned, misunderstood and mistreated 😦
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Sent emails to all 3. Do we know the name of the local newspaper?
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Thank you for your help, Lesley. No local paper was listed.
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If you visit here: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/ and enter the zip code 48240 you’ll get a list of local papers, thanks, Lesley.
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This is sad and really pathetic. Who gets joy out of making an animal suffer.There are a million other things they could be doing besideds mistreating these poor donkeys. PLEASE put an end to this immediately.
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Hi, Dana, I agree.
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Barbaric, horrible meaningless, totally uneeded cruely!! WTF are you teaching children!!?? You should all be ashamed of yourselves :((((
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I agree, thanks, Vanessa.
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This needs to stop it’s evil what an exsample are they setting 4 these children animal abuse is so wrong it needs. 2 stop.
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Thank you, Melanie, I agree.
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Animal abuse not funny or clever!!
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No, it absolutely is not, thanks, Charlotte.
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As a school you should be teaching kindness not cruelty. Please do not allow these disgusting game of the gentle animals to take place.
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I hope they listen to reason and compassion, thanks, Melissa.
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could you add a link to google + for sharing… alot of AR people there, too!
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This is going to make look like a total idiot, but what should I do? I am so confused.
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How can you carry out such an ignorant act and teach the kids to be ignorant right with you? This is where we should be teaching our kids compassion,love,respect ! Respect life!! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Get your heads out of your asses and stop this nonsense!
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I agree, thank you.
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I have sent my point of view across. What the hell is wrong with these people?! Shame on them! 😦
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And this is a school!! What are they trying to teach these kids!!! stop it NOW!!!
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Stop the cruelty. How dare you treat these beautiful animals in such a way. Shame on you !
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Sent the emails and used the poem from Karen Lyons Kalmenson in it as well, I am sure you don’t mind!
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Donkey basketball is inhumane and torture. Please stop this outdated and cruel activity.
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This practice is barbaric!! I cannot believe that an academic institution in the most powerful country in the world is allowing something like this to happen. You should be ashamed !
I just hope that you see how the rest of the world views this practice, and ultimately your academy and your country.
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“Mankind’s true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals.” – Milan Kundera
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Please dont use any animals in this way, so cruel, thoughtless, shameful of human beings, immoral, barbaric, and if there is an afterlife you will feel all the pain and fear you inflict on these beautiful and sensitive souls!
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Since donkeys are not protected under the Animal Welfare Act, the spectacle is completely legal and unfortunately, being promoted among impressionable young people. The use of donkey basketball as a fundraiser sends a message to students that it is ok to use and abuse animals for their own entertainment. Not only do the games put students in physical danger, but it promotes a sense of self importance and cruelty.
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I need your help. I have created a petition for my school to Ban this cruel fundraiser also. Here is the link. We have so far 578 signatures. Please, spread the word and sign this important petition. Please post a sensitive comment also if you could. Thank you for caring for animal.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/203/750/451/ban-donkey-basket-ball-event-from-lake-schools-in-milbury-ohio/
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Thank you for taking the initiative to ban this in your school, Virginia, I greatly appreciate your hard work. I have published your petition in the hopes that you can get some more signatures. Thank YOU for caring. 🙂 The post is here: https://our-compass.org/2013/05/15/ban-donkey-basket-ball-event-from-lake-schools-in-millbury-ohio/
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