"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” - Elie Wiesel

Hello friendlies, we know we’ve been coming hard and fast with the bulletins lately, and we truly appreciate your understanding and support. Lots going on!

This one is a little different for us but just as important as any delivery of vegan donuts or new candy bar, believe that. We just found out about some jerky types coming to town next weekend and we're trying (along with Herbivore and IDA) to get as many folks as we can together to help with an outreach event. The circus is coming to town and most otherwise compassionate and caring folks don’t know about the abuses going on. Basically, we want to let people know that those lions and elephants don’t want to jump through flaming hoops and aren’t being treated well.

We'd like to get a ton of you folks out there with us to hand out information to circus-goers. This is going to be a family friendly educational outreach event, not one of your more marchy, chanty, sign hoisting type affairs. Bring the kids! We want to show that Portland doesn’t want cruelty as entertainment and the more of us that show up to demonstrate that, the less likely the circus will be back next year.

Take a gander at these details....

WHAT AND WHERE?
The Shrine Circus, March 31st and April 1st, 2007 @ Memorial Coliseum, click here for directions.

WHEN?
Please show up at 12:30 for Saturday's first show and 5:30 for Saturday's second show, Please show up at 12:30 for Sunday's show.

WHERE TO MEET?
There should be a "music truck" kind of thing blaring circus type music. There will be people there distributing flyers and directing folks on where to go and what to do. We’ll give you everything you need for leaflets and info on how to talk to folks.

HOW LONG?
Each show lasts about 2-1/2 hours, stay as long as you can, we'll just have to feel it out as it goes.

WHAT'S GOING ON?
Well, the idea is this, basically... we're going to be hanging out in groups of 3 or 4 people, handing out info. Nothing very complicated. Some people will have signs saying something like "Free Circus Info and Coloring Books and Stickers" or something like that. And we will give people this stuff and hope they don't just throw it away.

WHAT TO BRING?
Yourself, a good attitude, some water and snacks for yourself. Maybe a camera? Maybe a video camera if you feel like documenting stuff? We'll try and get some signs together, or maybe not, but we'll have literature and stickers and stuff to give out.

WHAT ELSE?
We're trying to keep this super positive. We need to remember who we're talking to and how they'll view us. We don't want to seem to be in "confrontation" mode, more just like giving out some knowledge and engaging in some friendly discussion. We'd love to have families and kids represented. If people don't feel threatened or attacked, they're more likely to be receptive to the message. So, maybe leave the face masks and bandannas at home, ok? Maybe? Thanks.

WHY?
Well, if you don't already know, here's some links to explain why you should care about this:

Shrine Circus Fact Sheet: http://www.circuses.com/pdfs/Shrine_fact.pdf
Circus Gatti facts: http://www.circuses.com/fact-gatti.asp
More Shrine Circus info: http://www.circuses.com/feat/shrine/
And still more: http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=717&more=1

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT:
Well, first, we hope you CAN make it to at least one of these shows. It'd mean a lot to us. But if you can't, one easy thing you can do is make sure your neighborhood is free of circus posters. See one on a telephone pole? Tear it down. See one at a local business? Ask them politely if you can take it down as well as the stack of free tickets they might have available. Bring them print-outs of some of the info and tell them how sure you are that they wouldn't want to be seen as a business tied in with such obvious cruelty. Whatever works for you, but do something. Maybe even write a letter to the editor of one of our local papers? Or a letter to the Memorial Coliseum? Maybe help start a campaign to ban animal acts in Portland? Your call.

OH YEAH, WE ALMOST FORGOT:
Money raised from the Shrine Circus DOES NOT go to the Shriner's Childrens Hospital, it just goes to the local Shriners. Check the smaller print on their own site. Pretty crazy, huh?

Thanks again good buddies. We really hope to see you all out there if you can. Any questions or concerns, get in touch.

xoxo

Emiko and Chad and Dave / Food Fight!
4179 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97202
503-233-3910
www.foodfightgrocery.com