One of our writers here recently checked his email and found an open letter from PETA in it, urging his support. The letter was in response to this recent event in the Aleutian Islands. We felt obliged to pass the letter along here on the CIV blog…

Dear Sir or Madam,

On behalf of PETA and our more than 2 million members and supporters, I’d like to bring to your attention an incident that is of grave concern to us. Recently, the Kasatochi Volcano in the central Aleutian Islands of Alaska erupted unexpectedly. This thoughtless and heartless volcano managed to, as the news report put it, turn a “small green island rich with seabirds and ocean mammals into a sterile gray lump.”

We will not stand for this, and neither should you.

PETA will not stand by and watch seemingly inactive volcanoes erupt without a moments notice and kill helpless animals. In this unnecessary and violent eruption, tens of thousands of fledgling auklets and petrels perished in their rocky nests and the bird habitat of the island was completely destroyed. This situation is entirely different - and far more gut-wrenching - from the Mount Vesuvius eruption back in A.D. 79, as mainly humans were killed in that event. These are animals we are talking about here!

We are asking you to join us in boycotting the Aleutian Islands and other volcanoes across the world. Take a stand against these heartless and cowardly eruptions that are killing all varieties of animals with no concern for the animal’s well being. Think about that poor auklet, who was one day sitting on a rocky cliff and then was destroyed needlessly by that volcano. These volcanoes cannot be allowed to continue to wreak this havoc on animals across the globe.

We ask you to please join us picketing at the following volcanoes at the following times:

–9:00 a.m. on Monday, October13, on Adak Island in the Aleutians near the Kasatochi Volcano.

–12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14, at the base of Mount Ranier in Washington state.

–10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 15, at Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

–10:00 a.m. on Thursday, Ocotber 16, at Mauna Loa in Hawaii. (Note: we are picketing at two different times since this is the largest volcano on earth, where our voice can best be heard).

–2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 17, at Mount Merapi in Indonesia.

We will be handing out buttons that read, “Hell no! You can’t blow!” at each of these rallies. Please join us and show your support for these animals. And help us show these volcanoes that we will not stand for their thoughtless eruptions.

Sincerely,

Janey Walton — Assistant to the Traveling Secretary