Veganacious

Archive for the ‘Advocacy’ Category

We share an estimated 98.7% of the DNA with our brethren, the chimps and bonobos.  These highly intelligent, sensitive social animals are our closest cousins in the tree of life.  But what a difference that 1.3% makes in respect and viability.  So many chimps end up as inappropriate pets, in the entertainment industry, or in the medical labs. If they are lucky, they might have a few years in a sanctuary, but that is still a confined life and not the one they were designed to live.  Even those who live in the wild have dismal odds of surviving for long without capture or murder. They face diminishing habitat, callous disrespect, and an uncertain future. Because of our choices as humans, so do we.

The Animals Are More Like Us Than We Knew

Declining numbers and habitat are both taking their toll. What is it about that 1.3% of DNA that allows humans the hubris of thinking we are so divine? It is certainly not our capacity for compassion or sensitivity – no sensitive, compassionate creature could wreak the havoc we wreak on one another and on the animals each and every day. Unable to appreciate diversity, we begin to challenge and destroy everything that doesn’t look like us, act like us, or respond like us. In the end, there is nothing left because of our short-sightedness and fear of The Other. Genocide, war, deforestation, animal agriculture, racism, sexism, are all part of this legacy of uniformity. It is deadly.

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As a young teenager, I used to surf the coast of Southern California. My vision was poor, so I learned to feel the currents of water beneath me. When there was a light drawing back, it meant a swell was coming and I needed to get paddling. If I delayed, I would miss the ride, and if I was too fast, I would have the wave crash down on me and would wipe out. Lately, I have been feeling a shift in the currents beneath me once again, only this time I do not plan to miss it.

PETA’s Failed Policies

There have been rumblings on the vegan blogosphere about some of the latest new lows reached by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  Their pie-in-the-face disrespect to a person in authority seems contraindicated when requesting more respect for other beings.  It is assaultive and inappropriate behavior not becoming adults with serious intentions. Then there is the full frontal nudity of a young woman in their State of the Union Undress (deliberately not linked here) – disrespectful not only to women but also to our elected leaders. Even Ingrid Newkirk’s response (A pragmatic fight for animal rights) to Victor Schonfeld’s article, Five fatal flaws of animal rights activism, in which she defends “silly antics” as being part of animal rights activism misses the mark by a mile.  While Ms. Newkirk may be well-intentioned, her behavior is the same old tired tactics that have been failing to do anything but increase the PETA budget and gain some press for many years.  At every turn, Ms. Newkirk sells out the animals and any chance to show respect for their lives, whether it is by cooperating with fast food enterprises that kill animals for food and profit, or partnering with corporations by buying stock in animal exploitation schemes. Ms. Newkirk never draws a line in the sand, never acts as if she believes what she says that animals are not ours to use; she uses and exploits them freely to draw attention and financial support to her organization while they remain in a living hell. I have noticed lately that when an outrageous behavior occurs in the news, such as the recent intrusion into Senator Mary Landrieus’ office by men dressed as phone company repairmen, the allusion on a recent MSNBC news discussion was to liken them to “PETA protesters.” Meanwhile, only 7 animals were saved in PETA’s “shelter” in 2008, while nearly 2,000 were killed.  With millions of dollars in annual income, it seems impossible that those lives were valued, because with the will to save them, they could have. If PETA wants ethical treatment for animals, they should begin by delivering some themselves.

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Narcissism and Sociopathy

Narcissism and sociopathy share traits, including  a lack of empathy. Narcissism allows the person to detach from concern for others and allows them to focus solely on their own desires and needs.  People with these disorders are usually experts at manipulation, denial, and callous disregard for the consequences resulting from their choices and behavior.

Trademarks of Narcissistic Personality Disorder are:

1. inflated self-importance
2. deflation of importance of others
3. lack of empathy for others
4. a sense of entitlement
5. interpersonally exploitative*

As a society, we have behaved in similar fashion in our treatment of animals. Every imaginable excuse, justification and denial have already been expressed; they all represent a horrendous injustice. Read the rest of this entry »

How does one get through everyday life when it includes a continuing awareness of the abject misery to which we subject endless animals, children and humans? How do you live within your own skin when others of your species are so abjectly cruel? Over the holidays, when I was placed at a table next to a “ham,” I could not help but consider the pig that was the living being, treated so dismally, slaughtered without mercy, eaten without consideration.  I saw the beheaded bird that had been deep fried and reminded me of the burnt Americans that were seen in the film, Fahrenheit 9/11.  The same frightening disengagement from what I used to call “humanity” is in evidence in both scenarios, whether the protestors on the streets or the holiday participants. Read the rest of this entry »

I describe myself as an imperfect vegan because I have not yet reached the level of theoretical knowledge where I feel assured  my every move is the right one. I support the abolitionist movement and believe that animals deserve personhood, that a major paradigm shift needs to happen to move people away from the exploitation of animals and earth towards justice, and because non-violence is an important component of doing so. I hope to see a day where humans can respect the natural world and see themselves as part of it, not in charge of it.

As a therapist, there was a tale about a man who was walking on the beach that was told to us as interns.  The man found millions of starfish, dying, having washed up on shore. A man stood there, throwing one after another in the water.  Another man walked up and told him, “What are you doing? You cannot save them all!”  to which our man replied, “No, but I can save this one,” as he saved another life. The story was to help us avoid being overwhelmed by the need and suffering we were soon to encounter. It was also to remind us that, although we could not “save” every single client, each one was worth the effort. We would do the best we could.

I make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. I do not invest time in urging for larger cages for chickens but rather to free chickens from being commodified. I support vegan education. I also support some groups that are also imperfect but are working tirelessly to save animal habitat, increase education about the lives of animals, improve respect for animals, and educate people about veganism; some would disagree with that. No two advocates offer the same combination of perspective, energy, experience or education; that is what makes us a community. We need all of us to pull together to get this done.

Here are some of the ideas I have been learning about activism as well as the activists that keep me sane.

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First of all, I want to express my admiration for the strength and courage, not to mention the tenacity, exhibited by Jamie Leigh Jones. Miss  Jones is the young woman who was raped by KBR employees in Iraq, locked in a shipping container, drugged, and kept under armed guard so she could not leave. She is one of several young women who have been raped by government contractors in Iraq, most of whom have remained silent.  KBR has a clause that does not allow for prosecution but demands binding arbitration for their employees.  Because of the silence of the other victims, the young Ms. Jones had no idea the danger she was in when she decided to work in Iraq.  Her rape was so severe that she had to undergo reconstructive surgery.  She had to endure four years of litigation in order to bring her case to trial, and then it was only a civil trial.  She refused to remain silent despite taking on one of the biggest corporate bullies in the nation. She had to fight the injustice that kept the other young rape victims in Iraq in silence. Senator Al Franken proposed an amendment that future government contracts not be allowed to include binding arbitration in such criminal matters. Thirty senator voted against the amendment.  Here is a list of those men who voted to protect the right to rape and denies protection to the citizens of this country:

From the State of Alabama:

Jeff Sessions                     Richard Shelby

From the State of Arizona:

John Kyl                            John McCain

From the State of Georgia:

Saxby Chambliss         John Isakson

From the State of Idaho:

Mike Crapo                     James Risch

From the State of Kansas:

Sam Brownback           Pat Robertson

From the State of Kentucky:

Jim Bunning              Mitch McConnell

From the State of Louisiana:

David Vitter

From the State of Mississippi:

Thad Cochran                 Roger Wicker

From the State of Missouri:

Kit Bond

From the State of Nebraska:

Mike Johanns

From the State of Nevada:

John Ensign

From the State of New Hampshire:

Judd Gregg

From the State of North Carolina:

Richard Burr

From the State of Oklahoma:

Tom Coburn                 John Inhofe

From the State of  South Carolina:

Jim DeMint                   Lindsey Graham

From the State of  South Dakota:

John Thune

From the State of Tennessee:

Lamar Alexander              Bob Corker

From the State of Texas:

John Cornyn

From the State of Wyoming:

John Barrasso                  Mike Enzi

Those thirty senators may be smiling in the above photos, but this American citizen had tears streaming down my face when I heard Ms. Leigh’s testimony.  I was unable to prosecute the men who raped me. Ms. Leigh was unable to prosecute the men who raped her, but she did not let that stop her.  As a rape victim who has since found my voice, I applaud Ms. Jones.  I thank her for the non-profit she has started to help other women. I thank her for stopping this horrific denial of basic justice and civil rights to American citizens.  And as an American, I sincerely apologize for the above senators, all of whose conduct I find seriously flawed and deeply shameful.  You, Ms. Leigh,  deserve much better. This should have been a resounding voice for justice; instead it was a dismal squeak for corporate interests over those of the American citizen.  I wonder how any of these men would feel if it were their daughter, wife, or sister that had been so brutalized.

The above is a WALL OF SHAME. These men are Republicans for Rape.   I am voicing opposition to the lack of representation as an American woman and to the complete sell-out to blatant self-interest and corporate protectionism.