Animal Welfare / Rights
17/08/2015 21:15
Condemning those who also work to ease suffering in the here and now as if they were the enemy represents the triumph of ideology over compassion and common sense. If we cannot end suffering within the lifetimes of those who suffer, we have a moral obligation to ease it as much as we are able. Animals suffering and dying on factory farms need a strategy that will make a real difference in their lives in the shortest time possible. They need a two-pronged approach that combines vegan/abolitionist advocacy with campaigns for reform. One size doesn't fit all, and it is this combination of tactics that holds the most promise for the most wretched of humanity's victims, now and for future generations. ~ Norm Phelps (m)
Makes sense to me.
But before I continue....YES I AM VEGAN, so NO, I don't agree with Animal experimentation, slaughter, or any form of abuse including exploitation in entertainment. I have participated in direct action in my younger days, I have volunteered at rescue's, I have fund raised for local animal charities. Much of my life has revolved around Animal Rights but with the horrendous scope of cruelty in this world I DO believe there is room for ALL ANIMAL ACTIVISTS.
In an ideal world, we could explain Animal Rights to all humanity and the abuse would stop! But this is FAR from being an ideal world and we can not end all suffering. Not in our lifetime and certainly not theirs.
So what do we do? Tell those suffering animals "Sorry, tough shit guys. We can't make your life any easier until we get your full rights approved, therefore you just have to suffer. A "Hands off, unless we can heal the whole" approach?
I can't do that as long as I know I can help in some way. Why should I deny the few I can help the benefit of rescue or comfort, just because my act doesn't cure the entire problem? I wouldn't leave 100 people to suffer and die because I couldn't save them all. I would save as many as possible, then and there, and keep fighting for those I had to leave behind.
The word WELFARE has been given such a bad rap. Why can't an Animal Rights Activist care about Animal Welfare? There are those who would have you believe that if you care about Animal Welfare you can't possibly care about their rights....WRONG!!!!
I am a firm believer in "action to end, not just action to ease" NOTE: I say NOT JUST action to ease! How can it possibly be wrong to do something that will ease their suffering in the here and now; with the goal of ultimately ending all their suffering permanently?
Try putting yourself in their paws/hooves/claws/scales for just a moment...
Scenerio: You have no choice in the matter, you will die in some type of slaughterhouse...
But first you will have a few years of life in which you will either - have a short life of hell (live in a room with no sunlight, ever, or be tortured, or caged, or forced into a position where you can never move)... or would you prefer to spend that short life as pain free as possible?
Helping those we can NOW while continuing the fight for an end to ALL forms of cruelty will not dilute working towards the ultimate goal of global veganism in any way... UNLESS YOU ALLOW IT TO.
Animal Welfare, Animal Rights, Animal Advocate, Animal Lover...FFS this isn't Star Trek where we have to decide whether we are a Trekkie or a Trekker, this is billions of animals suffering and dying needlessly at the hands of humans.
Many have taken to Social Media to share their brand of activism. Amusingly many advocating a virtually "No Action" stance even call themselves "Activists". Can you sit at a computer and be an activist?? Well, jumping on Social Media and clicking "like" or sharing pictures of abused, suffering animals and bleating on and on about how terrible it is... (to your already vegan friends)... is not "activism"
Now wait - calm down.... I do this too (even the bleating bit :) allow me continue....
Yes, I admit I too click "like" and "share" (probably more than I should) but this is not activism this is SUPPORT - it's a form of therapy. Those of us who are vegan and involved in Animal Activism will know that it is a lonely world because most people just don't get it. We are surrounded by a mostly non animal rights / non vegan society and we need that "vent" space and the support of our like-minded friends around the world. Social Media also offers to ability to share information about companion animals in search of homes and I'm sure you've seen the phrase "crossposting saves lives" this is a form of activism but it is still not getting out there and physically doing something.
I once read somewhere "The animal rights movement doesn't need more supporters, it needs more soldiers" I'm not saying go and break into the nearest vivesection lab - although if you are so inclined... I wouldn't stop you, (been involved and proud to say... shut a small lab down forever)! What I am trying to point out is that there are numerous ways to help... not everyone can be out there on the front lines, there are different levels of activism, something for everyone... whether it's handing out pamphlets on veganism to educate the public, physically rescuing doomed animals, protesting a cull, a hunt, fighting a specific cause or other atrocity, etc., etc. But those of us who can physically get out there need to do so. Remember that expression... "Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer" in this case "Two hands helping could do more than a thousand clicks or good intentions"
Then there are those who would speak against ALF - But seriously... Is rescuing animals from certain torture and pain wrong? Governments, in their infinite ignorance, have classified it terrorism.TERRORISM?! Exactly WHO is doing the terrorising here?? ... is it those who inflict the torture, or those who try to rescue them from it? Saving lives or even economic sabotage to save lives, is NOT terrorism! Sure the definition of what constitutes terrorism differs from country to country but in a nutshell... ALF is NOT a terrorist organization, in fact ALF is not an organization, it's ACTION.
With that said I will also add that violence does NOT beget violence and in fact it is often only violence that can end a situation gone mad. Wars don't end because one side doesn't fight back. Most wars end after an aggressive response to stop an attacking force. The "peaceful spokesperson" is so often backed by underground groups who do "what needs to be done" in order for peace and/or freedom to prevail. Eg: Nelson Mandela / Martin Luther King / Malcom X / Ghandi etc. So take the rose colored spectacles off. The world is ugly and there is always a heavy toll of lives.
There are those in the Animal Rights world who are totally against what they term "Single Issue Campaigns" with utterly ridiculous arguments like "Fighting the fur industry is Speciesm because you are only fighting for some animals and what about the leather industry". So WTF do they think fighting against slaughter and factory farms is all about - that is where the leather industry comes from. I no longer have patience with anyone with such attitudes; I see them only as using this stand as an excuse for "slacktivism"
For example: What is so wrong about keeping a check on the way humans behave in the workplace?
day care centres have CCTV
hospitals have CCTV
most retirement homes have CCTV
many offices have CCTV
buses have CCTV
even public streets have CCTV
Why shouldn't slaughterhouses be directed to have CCTV? Why is there special treatment for those who do one of the most violent jobs on earth? Why shouldn't they be kept in check? So don't even try to justify being against a single issue campaign, ALL animals, in ALL cruelty situations need our help.
Unfortunately there is no secret, hidden Animal Rights Army, hundreds of thousands of people strong, about to march out together to physically stop ALL forms of animal cruelty. Single issue campaigns are all most of us are able to dedicate our time and effort. Most of us are ordinary people with normal jobs. Some of us are vegan, some of us (sadly) are not. Some of us rescue, some of us transport, some protest, some hand out pamphlets, some of us educate, some of us participate in direct action...etc. As for the different causes... they are endless.
Animal Cruelty in all its forms will not end in our lifetime, if indeed it ever ends as long as there are humans on this planet . Human slavery is alive and well, child abuse is thriving, racism is rampant, sexual slavery, sexism, religious persecutions... all continue, whether legal or not!
Sadly, there is enough animal abuse and cruelty across the world that no single group can ever hope to defeat it all. That is why ALL animal groups are so desperately needed to do whatever they can.
So... Animal rights/welfare/advocates/etc, call yourself wtf you like, you're a human and your species is destroying the planet and the animals. If you can help animals in any way, DO IT!
If you're going to stand on the sidelines arguing semantics...
Get out of the way and let the real activists help the animals.
Stop the politicking and do something... NOW!
Just my opinion...