A very strange way of entertaining people on Independence Day is being planned in Bel Air, Maryland:

“Each year, frogs and turtles are taken from their natural habitats and cruelly subjected to “Frog Jumping” and “Turtle Derby” games at Bel Air Independence Day. They are surrounded by screaming crowds, roughly handled, and relentlessly goaded into making their way across a dry, dusty slab of concrete. This chaotic ordeal would obviously be terrifying for both frogs and turtles, who view humans as predators, and it is potentially harmful as well. Frogs can have respiratory problems since they breathe through their skin and therefore must remain clean and moist—one local conservationist even stated that “a lot of frogs get injured in the jump.” And because of their slow metabolism, turtles can take weeks or even months to heal from injuries. Your voice is needed!

Please urge the Bel Air Independence Day Committee to cancel these cruel events permanently and replace them with activities that don’t involve live animals. And please forward this alert widely!

Don Stewart, President and Chair
Bel Air Independence Day Committee
Info@BelAirLions.org

Michael Blum, Vice President and CEO
Bel Air Independence Day Committee
michaelblum@martinoblum.com”

Here is an example letter:

Dear Bel Air Independence Day Organizers,