Feb22
Rachel Feather's New Name
Posted at 02:52 PM | Permalink
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Comments (15)
Twenty-one-year-old Flagstaff resident Rachel Feather knows about making sacrifices—not only does she (apparently voluntarily) live in Flagstaff, but she’s recently given up her own name to help PETA make a point. Heretofore, Ms. Feather will be known as FishingHurts to friends and family, having legally changed her name as a way of starting conversations about how fish experience stress and pain just like chickens, cows, pigs, cats, and dogs, and—conveniently for us—directing people to PETA’s pro-fish website FishingHurts.com.
FishingHurts, who has been vegetarian since she was 13, calls fish the "forgotten animal" and was adamant that her name-change be used to help her finned friends, who tend to get overlooked even by people who are good enough to recognize that land animals deserve our compassion. As FH puts it, "Fish should be respected, not mutilated on hooks or dragged up from the sea. I'll remind people of that every time they say or read my name."
A big thanks to FishingHurts for making what’s honestly a really big change in her life to help draw attention to the horrific practices inherent in the industrialized slaughter of fish. Amazing stuff.
Also, to make up for my gratuitous slander of Flagstaff, Arizona, for the sake of a cheap laugh, here are three fun facts about that fine city—which is already that much more beautiful for numbering compassionate souls like FishingHurts (née Rachel Feather) amongst its citizens:
1.) Flagstaff is the birthplace of singer Michelle Branch, actor Ted Danson, and astronomer Clyde Tombaugh—who discovered the (now ex-) planet Pluto in 1930.
2.) Flagstaff has an annual rainfall of 23 inches and an annual snowfall of 110 inches.
3.) Getting back to the animal-friendly theme here, Flagstaff is home to the confusingly named New Jersey Pizza Company, which serves a delicious assortment of soy cheese pizzas to Arizona’s vegans and soy-cheese enthusiasts.
So yay, Flagstaff. And yay, Rachel FishingHurts. Keep up the great work.
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Comments
Have to admit thats pretty COOL!!
Posted by: Carla | February 22, 2008 03:40 PM
This is too funny.
Posted by: Mabel | February 22, 2008 03:43 PM
That's a really bold and powerful political statement. I'm impressed.
Posted by: Brandon Becker | February 22, 2008 03:47 PM
Mabel, it is NOT funny what happens to fish and other water animals who are killed for food! The fact that you are amused by this story is quite disturbing.
Way to go FishingHurts! (or, "The Vegetarian Formerly Known as Rachel")
Posted by: Michele | February 22, 2008 05:30 PM
That's pretty cool. :) Taking after KentuckyFriedCruelty.com, AKA Chris.
Posted by: K | February 22, 2008 06:21 PM
Rachel has a lot of courage and integrity!!!!
Posted by: Ana | February 22, 2008 06:33 PM
I like that name... it's unique and it gets the point out there.
Posted by: Erica | February 22, 2008 07:03 PM
Yeah that's pretty hardcore, good show to her... I believe in animal rights A LOT, but changing your name to Fishinghurts is pretty dedicated...
I say again good show...
Peace.
Posted by: Hitchjr | February 22, 2008 10:46 PM
i think i'll be changing my name to, "tastes like ass" very soon (my nod to 'cooking with liz' in the previous blog!!) LOL!
seriously awesome of fishinghurts, though!
Posted by: katie | February 22, 2008 11:22 PM
I admire her compassion.
Posted by: Amber Falobas | February 23, 2008 08:43 AM
thats pretty cool that she's been veg for such a long time, it must have been hard being a vegitarian teen.
Posted by: erica | February 24, 2008 12:41 PM
i have a question: who's the person sleepin on the desk :P
anyways, go fishing hurtz, thats pretty cool
Posted by: erica | February 24, 2008 12:58 PM
Very impressive. Congratulations Fishinghurts! It would really get MONUMENTAL attention if a celebrity changed even just his or her middle name, and even just for a short time. Can you imagine the level of discussion and web traffic that "Pamela GoVeg.com Anderson" and "Sir Paul GoVeg.com McCartney" would get?
Posted by: Mark | February 24, 2008 04:09 PM
go RACHEL!!! you're so rad. :-)
Posted by: Gabby Posner | February 27, 2008 09:19 AM
Good for her! She can make a statement just by signing her name.
Posted by: lynda downie | February 28, 2008 02:47 AM