PETA's Alleged Fish Sculpture w/ Eureka CA Mayor Kim Bergel 2023

The mayor of Eureka City, Kim Burgell, was interviewed by Donnie Creekmore from Lost Coast Populist News and Opinion about a letter from PETA requesting the removal of an old-style fisherman statue and its replacement with a colorful sculpture made from reclaimed fishing gear. Kim agreed to the interview to listen to everyone's perspectives. They discussed the controversy surrounding the platform and the bad press it has received. Kim felt safe during the interview and clarified that she does eat meat but does not eat fish often. She mentioned that the Harbor District holds the power to remove the statue. Kim was not very familiar with PETA before receiving the letter and did not agree with labeling individuals. She discussed the value of the local zoo and disagreed with PETA's characterization of zoos. Kim also disagreed with PETA's style of activism, preferring respectful dialogue. She did not see similarities between PETA activists and the removal of statues by BLM. In her response All right, this is Donny Creek Moore with Lost Coast Populous News and Opinion. I'm here with Kim Burgell, the mayor of Eureka City, to talk about the letter that she was sent by PETA concerning the removal of the old-style fisherman statue to replace it with the really colorful sculpture that was presented in the letters that they sent made from reclaimed fishing gear. So yeah, I'm here with Kim. Kim, thanks for taking this interview with us. Sure, thanks for having me. Absolutely, absolutely. So Kim, this is our first interview together, and I hope it's the first of many. Now, I know both myself and Ash Peter, who is working this interview as an engineer, have had our disagreements with Eureka City Council in the past. And despite our disagreements appearing to outweigh our common ground, what compelled you to take this interview with Lost Coast Populous? I think it's important to listen to everyone and to be able to have conversations with anyone. And so if I'm going to have an interview with the news, I'm going to have an interview with people that ask me. That's awesome. That's awesome. And just for the record, I want our listeners and the audience to know that when I reached out to Kim Burgell on the phone number listed on the official website, she actually picked it up and wasn't aware that it was me. I thought that was pretty impressive. I was not expecting it. I was expecting an answering machine or something similar, you know. So the Lost Coast Populous has no doubt had what many marketers would consider a tough start from a branding standpoint. From very early on, our competition has vilified our platform as hateful and dangerous. Even more, the Humble Board of Supervisors predicated their second anti-hate resolution on a bogus petition signature that was left on our site. Given all of the bad press we've suffered, do you feel safe sitting with me for this interview? Of course I feel safe with you or I wouldn't be here. I'm making fun. Yeah, I know. I'm making fun because a lot of people act like I'm not a safe person to be around. I did, however, bring the city manager with me. So thank you for being here. That was for clarification. Thank you, Miles, for joining us. Actually, we really appreciate it. So I just want to say that both Ash and I read your letter. We both think that you did a masterful job of replying. You know, not only did you, you know, set the record kind of straight exactly the way things are here in Humble County and kind of our long history of fishing being part of the community, but you also did it in a way where there's no real way for them to have too much blowback towards you the way I see it, you know. So Peter sends you a letter asking you to take down the Old Spout Fisherman statue and replace it with a colorful sculpture of a fish made from recovered fishing gear. What was your initial reaction? Well, at first I was shocked because I didn't receive an email from them. And so I actually heard about this through the Lost Coast Outpost and their post. And so I emailed and talked to people in the city and realized that it actually was real and that it was a joke at first. Wow. That's interesting. Okay. That wasn't reported before. I just didn't know that. So I sent you a copy of the audio from our interview with Peter. Did you give that a listen? And if so, can you speak to your reaction? I didn't have time. I was at school. So I figured we didn't give you much time for this interview. And it's like 25 minutes of audio. If you don't mind revealing this personal information, that's totally fine. But we are curious if you eat meat. Really? Yes. Yes, I do. You do. I just say it every time. Me too. Okay. And then do you like fish occasionally? No. I don't like fish too much either, but I'll eat it if it's the only thing that's served. So we both agree there. In your response to Peter, it was made clear that you don't have the authority to remove the existing statue. And you also made it very clear that you would not approve of its removal, if you even had the authority. Who holds the power in this situation? So I believe that would be the Harbor District. I'm not certain about that. And I don't believe that they've reached out to them, as far as I know. I saw someone yesterday, and I'd asked them, and they hadn't heard from them. Interesting. I don't know if you answered my second question there, my follow-up. So PETA is a very popular name. Having been subject to countless debates, media coverage, criticism, and praise, mostly due to their activism, how familiar are you with PETA? I am not too familiar. My daughter was a member when she was, you know, in elementary school. But, yeah, not too much. And I know Pamela Sue Anderson was their person for a while. Right. So prior to PETA sending you this letter, and prior to the conversations you and I had leading up to this interview, were you previously aware of the terminology human supremacist or speciesism? No. Okay. And do you think it is fair for PETA to brand folks like me as a human supremacist, simply due to my eating a diet that consists largely of meat products? I think we, as individuals, get offended way too easy, honestly. And I feel like, you know, you have to take offense, and I don't want to pick that offense up. So, you know, you have to live and let live, to a degree. Well done. Yeah, I agree. Okay. In PETA's featured post titled, What is Speciesism?, they put forth the following definition. Quote, a misguided belief that one species is more important than the other. And leaving animal derived food off our plates by going vegan is also fundamental. And PETA has plenty of resources to help, including our free vegan starter kit. When we start to view other species as fellow living beings and individuals, we won't want to exploit them for their skin, fur, down, or wool. So we'll choose animal free clothing, as well as entertaining ourselves in humane ways, instead of patronizing circuses or roadside zoos. Given the speciesism as humans seeing themselves as superior to animals, when a bear, lion, tiger, or shark mauls a human to pieces, would you agree with me that these animals are expressing their own form of speciesism? You know, I just, I'm really not a fan of labels like that. So I'd really rather not even address that. I like it. I like that. It's a good answer. And then considering the work that went into the Sequoia Zoo, and the value that it clearly brings to Eureka and the broader Humboldt community, do you feel their characterization of zoos is inappropriate? I think that there was a time when it wasn't. But you know, I think that that has really changed over the years. And you can certainly see that in our zoo. A lot of our zoo has to do with restoration and education and a lot of local animals so that, you know, we can really bring people in to understand our region, which is wonderful about them. And now they've even extended that into the trees, into the canopies of the trees, so we can even see like what that looks like. So, you know, I would say that there may be truth to what they're saying, but I think it doesn't fit our zoo. I would say no, it does not fit our zoo here locally. I so agree. Okay, so PETA has been known for its, let's say, innovative activism, throwing blood on folks wearing fur clothing, lying down like corpses in fur clothing for publicity stunts. Topless PETA activists have painted their bodies with slogans. Also, they've been caught filling leather goods at department stores with fake rotting guts of dead animals. How do you feel about their style of activism? Well, I, it's not the way that I would handle things for sure. And that is true with a lot of things in PETA. Actually, when you brought that up, it reminded me of public comments sometimes, to be honest. So, but what I would say is no, I really, I appreciate a respectful dialogue in a meeting. I don't think that, or respectful dialogue with individuals. I don't think that throwing guts on somebody or even calling people names is a healthy and productive way to work together. Okay. In the summer of 2018, we saw Black Lives Matter and Antifa protests get wildly out of control. The hallmark of this activism was the destruction and removal of statues. You know, although PETA's proposal is not coming at you from the long end of a violent protest, do you nonetheless see similarities in ideology between PETA activists and BLM in the past who sought to remove statues of historical value based on their political and philosophical beliefs? To be honest with you, it's not something that I take a lot of time to think about. Fair enough. Yeah. Okay. In your letter to PETA, you wrote, quote, firstly, I would like to express our appreciation for your organization's commitment to animal welfare and your advocacy for the ethical treatment of animals. It's essential to engage in conversations that promote the humane treatment of all living beings and foster a greater understanding of their well-being. You later wrote, the memorial is also not a city of Eureka asset and the city does not have the authority to remove or change the statue. However, even if the city had the jurisdiction of the statue, I, as mayor, who represent the residents of Eureka, would not want to proceed with the proposal to replace the Fisherman's Memorial statue. We understand and respect PETA's concerns about the ethical treatment of fish, but it is important to note that the Fisherman's Memorial does not promote cruelty or harm to fish or any other species. Instead, it serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by our local fishermen and the importance of responsible fishing practices. You went on to welcome the opportunity allowing them to donate the statue without strings attached. Have they accepted your counteroffer? So, I just got an email from them and we will be discussing that later. So, news of a lemon, right? Not of a lemon today, but more to be revealed. More to be revealed. Okay, cool. Well, good follow-up. All right. Considering the high probability PETA would likely consider both of us a pack of heartless animal murdering human supremacists for loving a good steak, are you concerned at all that they might retaliate with similar antics they've applied elsewhere? My hope would be no. Yeah. I think, you know, as long as we have honest respectful communication and, you know, attempt to work together, I don't think that we're going to have that issue. But it's not out of the question, I suppose. Right. In my interview with PETA, I encouraged them to place the fantastic fish sculpture next to the existing statue as a conversation starter. The PETA representatives seemed more keen on other locations with better traffic now that the removal of the original statue is seemingly off the table. Doesn't that seem a bit opportunistic for them to ask for different spots when they were previously intent on the existing statue's removal in that spot? I don't see how that... No, I don't think so. I think that they just want to be able to have a place to express themselves here in Eureka. Okay. And then in PETA's original letter, Ingrid Newkirk wrote, quote, we hope you'll take this opportunity to get ahead of history by removing the fisherman statue, which glorifies the cruel and environmentally deadly fishing industry. We'd be happy to donate a new sculpture to replace it, perhaps a fish made from discarded fishing gear, as shown here. The word here linked to a photo of the sculpture, which I've shown below, because Ingrid used the word perhaps, and as shown here, we are curious if they even had a finished sculpture at the moment to donate, or if their initial letter was just a dialectic trap posing a false dilemma, one that you masterfully unraveled in a way that we are pretty sure they did not perceive. Did you pick up on this deceptive element, and did that play into your reply, or were you unaware of this, and in your genuine authenticity, reply as we've read, was just so happened to play against PETA's wishes? Yeah, so I would say that whatever they're doing is what they're doing. The reason that I would make that decision is that I've lived here my whole life. The statue was dedicated in 1981, at which time I was in the Salvation Army Band. I was a young kid, and I played at the dedication, so it's important to me. I also know family members of people, and people that have been lost at sea, and to have that beautiful monument there for people to just know and be able to go to, I think is really important, as well as the dedication of the fishermen's lives, all that time that they spent, and I do want to say that I support our fishermen 100%, and you know, it's not an easy profession, I wouldn't guess, but I really appreciate the tenacity that it takes, and their willingness to continue to do this, even with all of these things happening, that kind of, all these barriers that they're kind of coming up against. Excellent. You know, it sounds to me that basically you just, like as authentic as you just spilled it out right now, it's you were just speaking from the heart in your letter, which is really interesting, because you eventually, you effectively unraveled what was, in my opinion, a dialectic trap, because I don't think that they actually have a statue. I don't think they actually have a sculpture. I think the entire letter was just a letter written to you to leverage you to see if you would remove the statue that was there, and then they would have to come up with, you know, their actual sculpture, because the sculpture that's in the picture was a sculpture that was actually already exists somewhere, it was previously donated for a different cause, and so that's what I thought was a fascinating thing, where it seems to me that they're kind of a little bit disingenuous, and not really philanthropic. Philanthropic. Philanthropic, yeah, thank you so much. They weren't very philanthropic with their original intent. Yeah, and again, I would say one more time that what they're doing really is what they're doing. Yeah. You know, we're going to preserve the statue, because it's important to our community, it's important to our fishermen, it's important to the kids of the people that were lost. I mean, there's just so many things that that thing represents, and I'll tell you, off and on, it's not really my favorite piece of art sometimes, you know, but it's beautiful in what it represents. Excellent. Well, I don't have any more questions for you. I don't know if you want to say anything, or if you have any statements that you'd like to throw out there, your social media, or anything like that. Sure. So you can find me at Kim Burgell Eureka Mayer on Facebook. Kim Burgell Eureka Mayer on Instagram. You can always reach me at 707-616-2178. And, you know, I schedule meetings. I have a day job as well. So if you want to meet with me, we can certainly schedule that. Well, thank you so much, Kim. It's been a pleasure. I really appreciate you taking this interview with us. I think that's going to really help the community kind of better understand the depth of this whole situation with the, you know, with the wacky story of a fish statue and a fisherman's statue. Like a lot of people were just like, what is this about? So I think this is going to really help and make them really kind of understand where you come from in your letter and your reply. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. Cheers. All right. Thanks a lot. You're welcome.