Nov 1, 2007 2:07 pm US/Central
Russell Simmons To Council: Keep Foie Gras Ban
Some Aldermen Have Made Motion To Repeal 2006 Ban
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Hip hop mogul and Phat Farm fashion creator Russell Simmons has written a letter to all 50 Chicago aldermen, asking them to keep the current ban on foie gras in place.
Simmons told the City Council: "Cruelty is wrong, regardless of whether the victim is a child, a dog or a bird. Let's come together to oppose all cruelty and injustice."
The City Council passed the ban on foie gras in April 2006, following a campaign led by Ald. Joe Moore (49th) to ban the delicacy after animal rights activists and others objected to the way geese and ducks are force-fed through a pipe to plump up their livers.
Aldermen Berny Stone (50th) and Tom Tunney (44th) have since filed a motion in the City Council to repeal the ban. The motion has not yet come up for a vote.
Since it was first passed, the ban has continually ruffled feathers in the City Council and the restaurant industry. Only one citation has been reported. Doug Sohn, owner of Hot Doug's on the Northwest Side, pleaded guilty to using foie gras in March and was fined $250.
But Mayor Richard M. Daley has called the ordinance "the silliest ever passed," and several other aldermen have tried to get it overturned.
A year ago, the Illinois Restaurant Association and Allen's New American Café filed a lawsuit attempting to overturn the ban, but the lawsuit was dismissed.
CBS 2's Bill Zwecker contributed to this report.
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