Defender Radio is on the air! Check out the link below and have a listen to me being interviewed by Michael Howie, an award winning journalist.  My interview begins at 24:50m.  Though I encourage you to listen to all of the interviews.  One of my heroes is there as well, Jo-Anne McArthur!




http://www.furbearerdefenders.com/blogs/defender-radio/383-episode-101-defender-radio

Ontario wants to teach us how to kill!

Jasmine Polsinelli

Our Ontario government thinks it's ok for youth ages 12-16 to use traps to kill our wildlife.  Below is a letter I sent to my MPP, Mr. Ouellette and Minister of Natural Resources David Orazietti.  I am still waiting for their reply.  Please write David Ouellette to let him know we don't want to learn how to kill.    

Hello,

My name is Jasmine Polsinelli, and I am 11 years old. I am writing to you to express my disappointment with the newly introduced youth trapping program in Ontario. As a young person, I do not understand why the Ontario government is trying to teach young people like me how to kill another animal, and that killing is okay. Even at my age I understand how valuable and precious life is. Why try to teach young people otherwise?   
Trapping is inhumane and causes a great deal of suffering to the animal. But putting a trap in the hands of a young person, and allowing them to take the life of a living creature is simply wrong, and outdated. We see so much violence in the world. Do you really think we need a program that teaches us further disrespect for the living? It doesn't matter what you want to call it, "conservation", "heritage", "hobby" - I would never even think about trapping and skinning an innocent animal.
I think I speak for the majority of young people in Ontario when I say: we want to learn how to live, not how to make others die. I am asking the Ontario government to reconsider their support for this program, and instead involve youth in a non-violent program that teaches us to respect and preserve our wilderness.

Sincerely, 

Jasmine Polsinelli

My petition to Dani Reiss of Canada Goose. http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/mr-dani-reiss-ceo-of-canada-goose-meet-with-11-year-old-jasmine-to-discuss-alternatives-to-coyote-fur
To find out more about trapping go here- http://furbearerdefenders.com/fur/trapping/about-trapping
To find out how we can co-exist with coyotes go here- http://www.coyotewatchcanada.com
To write David Ouellette email- dorazietti.mpp@liberal.ola.org 
To find your MPP go here- http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_current.do