Day 384- Send 'Em Off To Hawaii!

Hello all!  I recieved this email today and I wanted to pass the information on to all of my readers! I encourage you all to send a letter to Hawaii!!!

DEAR ADVOCATES - PLEASE HELP HAWAII END THE IVORY TRADE!

"Hawaii, as the 2nd largest retailer of ivory in the nation, has the chance to protect elephants from their continued massacre for the blood ivory trade! Send a polite email to EDBtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov and ask the Committee to PLEASE SUPPORT HB2183. This is a global crisis and Hawaii can take the national lead in protecting elephants!" - HSUS

We have some fantastic news to share with you, but it also came with an urgent request! Last night, the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) learned that their Hawaii bill ending ivory sales will be heard in a committee hearing this coming Tuesday (Feb 4)! That gives us all less than three days to muster as much support as possible for this important bill.

HB2183 would end the import, sale, offer to sell, or possession with intent to sell any ivory product. It will be heard by the House Committee on Economic Development & Business on Feb 4. Here is the link to the bill text: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2014/Bills/HB2183_.pdf

PLEASE email the committee and URGE the support of State Bill: HB2183. We have less than 3 days to act, the bill will be heard in committee on the 4th! Everyone can write/email. This is an International Effort!

Please copy and paste the sample letter below and email it to the following:

EDBtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

reptsuji@capitol.hawaii.gov
repward@capitol.hawaii.gov
reprhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov

...and ask to support an end of the ivory trade in Hawaii through supporting HB2183

If you have questions, please write:
march.for.elephants@gmail.com (San Francisco)
OR
elephantsdc@gmail.com (DC)

Warmly, 
March for Elephants San Francisco

~ SAMPLE LETTER BELOW ~

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Dear Sirs, 
 

Greetings! I hope this finds you well.

PLEASE SUPPORT HB2183! Ivory is (primarily) the outcome of poaching. The unmitigated and relentless poaching of African elephants. It is well established that poaching (also) sponsors terrorism. I am urging your committee to encourage enforcing an end to the trade and importation of ivory (whether raw or vanity) in and to the state of Hawaii. 

It is with great pride and much aloha that I support this effort by the HSUS to end the ivory trade in the Aloha State, unfortunately a "top" ivory market in the USA, possibly next only to New York and perhaps ahead of San Francisco.

I write on behalf of all victims, human and animal alike, of the horrific poaching crisis in Africa. Poaching sponsors terrorism, kills 35,000+ elephants each year, 100 a day and an astounding 1 every fifteen minutes; The elephant, a keystone species and Earth’s grandest terrestrial herbivore is slated for extinction in the wilds of Africa within 10 years. Amongst the human victims of poaching are the 1000+ rangers who were murdered in the line of duty in the past 10 years alone. 
 

It is also well established that the killing of critically endangered wild animals and the sale of their body parts is funding terrorism - which includes the recent Westgate mall attack and the killing of innocent human victims in Nairobi, Kenya. 

A compassionate, progressive and dynamic state, a state of by and for the people, I am confident the Aloha state will do the right thing by Earth's last elephants, the people of the continent of Africa, the people of the world and the people of Hawaii. 
 

As global citizens, as the gateway to the east, the Aloha state and the USA must take on a strong and unequivocal leadership role to end the ivory trade immediately. 

I thank you for your time and efforts and thank the HSUS for its initiative on this most critical issue. 

Be well and Mahalo nui loa.

Warmly.
Your name
Your Country etc.

Go make a difference!