I knew Joan Dunayer had many fans, as I often heard her works recommended on websites, Facebook and Twitter. My “Books to Read” list is very long and, while her books were on the list, they did not make it to the top until I finally received a review copy of the subject book. As soon as I began reading her excellent work, I understood why her fans wanted everyone to read her books. Speciesism is so easy to absorb, filled with fascinating information about other animals, and so accessible to most all readers that it should be one every activist as well as every non-vegan would read at some point.

Old Speciesists, New Speciesists, and Anti-Speciesist Philosophies

Ms. Dunayer first defines the term speciesism and looks at its various manifestations. At the root is the attitude of human supremacy and the denial of the individual rights or respect for the individual beings that are not human. Old Speciesism, those who advocate for human supremacy, is separated from New Speciesism, wherein some advocates are proposing rights for only select animals, usually those more similar to humans. What Dunayer advocates, however, is much more. She is asking for moral consideration for all sentient individuals. She advocates for the invertebrates, the crustaceans, the birds, the mammals, without prejudice, and suggests that if we err, it should be on the side of inclusion rather than exclusion.

Joan Dunayer Asks for a New Paradigm for Animals

Dunayer asks for abolitionist bans, boycotts, vegan advocacy, rights advocacy and campaigns against speciesism. Speciesists often consider other animals only as categories (gorillas, birds, fish) while seeing only humans as individuals. ”To varying degrees, all animal species overlap physically and mentally. At the same time, each animal is unique.” * Anyone familiar with her other book, Animal Equality: Language and Liberation, is aware of the signifcant contribution Ms. Dunayer has made towards heightening awareness of speciesism in language.  Her background in literature, education, and psychology has made her well-suited for writing this sensitive and respectful book. Strongly recommended.

*page 12

Our local animal rights group, Animal Rights & Rescue of North Texas, is always looking for opportunities for outreach. At the same time that we were searching for our next event, it became apparent to me that there are opportunities for education all around us, if only we learn to recognize them. The week that school started back in session was a good example of how many opportunties we may miss if we are not actively looking for them.

Back to School

I take my five year old grandson to school. Before the kindergarten teacher arrives, the children are to sit in the hallway until the bell rings and she opens the door.  While waiting with my grandson, the little boy next to him raised his heel to squash a tiny bug that was crawling across the floor. My grandson, ever alert, stopped the little boy in mid-squash as I kindly admonished the potential bug-killer and suggested we escort the bug outside the double glass doors. I carefully scooped up the little guy or gal, took him/her to the other side of the doors, and completed my direct rescue for the morning.  Suddenly, all the kids were at the doors, peering at the bug. “Oh, look, he has wings!” one of the children proclaimed.  They were all engrossed in watching the small insect and every young face was pressed to the glass. I asked my grandson to return to his place on the side of the hallway to wait for the bell when he explained, “I have to protect him. He (the bug-squasher) still wants to squash him!”

The day before, as I waited for the final bell to ring, I sat with another grandparent and discussed the heat spell that has engulfed Texas for much of the summer. I mentioned the horses that were having a rough time with the heat, and he told me about the nine found dead in this part of north Texas — they had been on an automatic watering system while the owner was absent and, with no one checking on them, the well ran dry and the horses perished. I had received a call only last week about another group of horses that a woman was frantically trying to save -she feared one foal was already dead. They were tied with no shelter and no water. The only water on the place was dried over with scum and appeared to be filled with snakes. She had reportedly contacted the police but they said there was nothing they could do. (The animals were removed before our plan could be implemented.) Chatting with this other grandparent was a small opportunity to discuss the importance of respecting all forms of life and the dreadful consequences of not doing so.

Banking on Education

Only last week, as two technicians were working in my garage, one approached me after seeing the sign on my car for our rescue group. His dog had been recently killed by another, aggressive dog who was then returned to his owner. This young man was concerned the dog would kill again, and he wanted to know of an animal-friendly attorney he might contact. I was able to link him to a rescue group that maintained that information and the two workers began discussing how much they care about animals. Like many Texans, they had not yet drawn the connection between what they eat,wear and use, and that concern for others. I ran in the house and came out with some information about animal rights, wrote down the number of the referral, and talked with them for about five or ten minutes about animals and veganism.

Then, only yesterday, I opened up a bank account for ARRNT, and the account executive began asking me about the work that we do. He was interested in veganism for health reasons and was quite receptive to the information I gave, most from my personal experiences. He was hung up on one aspect of animal rights though – rats. He said he did not like rats and could not accept that they had any significance whatsoever. I asked him if he had ever spent any time with rats or been around a pet rat, and we talked about how familiarity sometimes changes our opinions of others. I promised to drop by some information about veganism and he seemed very appreciative.

Bringing Down Defenses

Last week, in preparing for the upcoming ARRNT meeting, I was discussing with a city employee the possibility of our tabling at the local Farmers Market. I had spoken to this woman last year, before our group was started, and she was quite interested, stating she would like to learn more about veganism herself. This year, however, the market is bustling, and she thought maybe we could see if Prairie Paws, our local animal shelter, might give us some  space on their table. She was alarmed at the word “advocate” and seemed to hear “activist,” which she said concerned her – they did not want any trouble. Also, she balked at our name — animal rights — wouldn’t that stir up trouble, too? I assured her that we were all about peace and only wanted to provide educational materials for those that might be interested. “I don’t know; you are against what some of our vendors are selling as they sell meat.”  True, I said, but we would be promoting the produce vendors. She agreed that many folks need to change their dietary habits, but seemed to feel our group might not be a good addition.  We are part of the community, too, I said – only last week it was announced that UNT (University of North Texas) had opened one of their cafeterias as an all-vegan cafeteria, open to the public. And Loving Hut, the international vegan chain, was opened in Arlington, a town next to our town. Things are changing, people are interested and very receptive to the information we have, I said.  She equivocated, and said she would speak to her superior, but she really was not comfortable with our group. (I admit to feeling a flash of frustration – the flesh peddlers are welcome but those providing free services are excluded because the truth must not be told?) She gave me the phone number of the new administrator at Prairie Paws and also the name and number of someone hosting a tasting event where vegan food might be welcome. I thanked her for her time and decided this was an opportunity, too – she mentioned not knowing the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian, so I will follow up with more information for her and write a letter of thanks for her time. As I mentioned earlier, familiarity sometimes brings down defenses.

I have taken to wearing a vegan button when I do not have a vegan message shirt on. The sign on my car sometimes draws people to dialogue, and I now keep literature in my car and in my purse, available to disseminate at the smallest opportunity.  While our young group lacks the funds to participate in many civic events, we can always find little opportunities that may have a larger impact. Witnessing my grandson protecting a small fellow creature, watching how the other children changed their interest (save for one) in the bug towards a positive and engaging one, was inspirational to me. That little boy was unconcerned what any of the other children thought – he was going to protect the bug. It was proof positive that education works, and for me, that is all it takes to encourage me to continue on, one opportunity at a time.

I have long been a subscriber to Will Potter’s blog, Green is the New Red. It keeps me updated on recent attacks on freedom of speech and provides a watch on the injustice that is attacking our right to nonviolent direct action. I had just finished reading Dara Lovitz’sbook, Muzzling a Movement, and had researched the Animal Enterprise Protection Act (1992), followed by the chilling Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (2006), so I knew to what depths large animal agribusinesses would stoop to protect their financial interests. Activists were being arrested for hosting websites and for chalking slogans on the sidewalk. Not only that, they were being placed in Communication Management Units (CMUs) to further isolate and penalize them for their nonviolent beliefs. And they were being labeled terrorists, a word that has long-term consequences for anyone convicted of it.

Potter weaves a fascinating tale that goes between actual terrorist attacks, such as the ten nail bombs exploded in Madrid, and the desperate acts of activists frustrated with a world in decline, including arson and targeting of individual exploiters and their families. As someone who is invested in peaceful, nonviolent activism, some of the reported efforts discussed in the book seemed sadly misguided; even some of the activists who once participated in arson now regret doing so. But supporting certain tactics, or criticizing the same, are not the main thrust of Potter’s book. His book, like his blog, reports on a shift in attitudes towards activism and freedom of speech that predates the attacks on the U.S. that took place September 11th, 2001.

In the new world Potter explores, being vegan is seen as radicalism, there is guilt by association only, free speech is labeled as terrorism; and CMUs have been developed to keep prisoners, and aspects of the prison system, under wraps. Eco-activists are seen as a threat in two areas: profits and tradition. The use of intimidation towards activists also reflects a perceived threat to the existing social paradigm that is expressed by eco-activists and animal rights advocates. Mr. Potter has done an admirable job of detailing an environment in which those who are trying to save the natural world are at odds with those who want to pillage and destroy her. A very good read.

Imagine trying to get people from all over the world together at any given time, with each living in a different time zone. Imagine trying to get people, especially animal rights activists, to agree to music, format, or even the proposed topic. Then imagine different technical problems, different audio levels, and different visions, and you may have some idea of how challenging it was to get the inaugural ARZone podcast out the door!

ARZone Promotes an Open Search for Ideas

One of the important ideas presented in the podcast was brought up by ARZone developer, Carolyn Bailey. Ms. Bailey highlighted the fact that, although we admins disagree, and often disagree passionately with one another, we still remain friends and remain respectful towards one another. That is one of the reasons I recently accepted the invitation to join the ARZone admins in their efforts. It is one of the few venues where I could voice my opinion or ask questions without concern of being shunned or banned. It was the only place I knew that openly encouraged an open exchange of ideas, rather than promoting a singular position.

The ARZone site offers a variety of options for the animal rights person. There are the live chats weekly, with invited guests, and have included such people as Gary Francione, Dan Cudahy, Ric O’Barry, Paul Watson, Colin Blakemore, Bruce Friedrich and many others. Tom Regan was recently interviewed, and responded to questions following his interviews; our first podcast related to some of Professor Regan’s comments. On occasion, rather than chats with a live guest, we have workshops that discuss AR issues. All chats are then transcribed and are available for further discussion on the site.  There are groups, blogs, and discussion topics, too.  And, there is always the opportunity for spontaneous chats if others are on the site when you are on, too.

Intersectionality and the Need for Innovation in Animal Rights

One of the twenty-first century innovations in thinking is that of intersectionality. It suggests that a multiplicity of ideas is needed in order to find the gems among them. It also speaks to the subject of collaboration and alliance politics, as we did on our first podcast. If you have yet to join the conversation, please stop by ARZone. For further information, read the blog posts done by Dr. Roger Yates, a long time animal rights activist and stellar human being, listed below.

ARZone’s first podcast

Is ARZone a Platform for Neo-Welfarists?

Wikipedia: ARZone

ARZone

As someone relatively new to the Animal Rights movement, I am always trying to absorb as much information as I can. I am fortunate to have access to a wide number of books due to my reviews, but find that some books I wish to read are not as likely to be sent my way. The local libraries are not well stocked with such literature, leaving my options for affordable sourcing rather limited. Online resources are plentiful, and with forums, podcasts, and chats, there is a lot of information free of any charge. Of course, the trick is to find valid information, because there is also a lot of misinformation out there, too.

I remember receiving something in my email last year about an interview with Dan Cudahy on a site called Animal Rights Zone, or ARZone.  This type of site was rather new to me, but I wanted to hear what Dan had to say. I knew he was part of the abolitionist movement, and frequently linked to his articles in my own blog. Following in short order were other interesting folks, including Vincent Guihan and Jo Charlebois, Gary Francione, Roger Yates,  and others with sometimes divergent perspectives.  I was able to ask questions of such noted people as Ric O’Barry of The Cove and Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson. They also profile the occasional grassroots activist, such as my good friend and technical advisor, Jordan Wyatt of Invercargill Vegan Society (and podcast Coexisting With Nonhuman Animals), an end-of-the-world one-man abolitionist incursion.  A few of the guests have been quite controversial, including those with very different viewpoints than my own, such people as Bruce Friedrich of PeTA, Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach, transhumanist David Pearce, or former vivisectionist Colin Blakemore.  Even the administrators have a wide range of views, with the shared commonality of being abolitionist vegans. Transcripts following chats are available for anyone who cares to further the dialogue and often the guests will return to answer questions, too.

The past few weeks on ARZone have been of particular note, with Tom Regan’s interview being published, and a workshop related to that interview taking place on Saturday, May 22, 2011. For any of you who know nothing of him, he is a one-time butcher who became a leading proponent of Animal Rights and has written extensively on the subject. He reports that if he could become an animal rights activist, anyone can. Of course, Tom Regan is far from your garden variety ARA, he has been one of the prominent voices in the movement for decades. His humility and quest for justice have stood the test of time. For further information, check out his interview or read the workshop transcripts on ARZone. If time permits,  read some of his many books on the subject.

Prelude – God Bless the Outcasts

Social acceptance is fluid. At one time, a Rubenesque figure was a sign of wealth and was most desirable. During the past century, thin was “in,” culminating in a model named Twiggy, all long, leggy and downright skinny, becoming an icon with rates of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders soaring. Whatever is in, whatever is out, keeps changing — which is why it is best to just be who you are and accept yourself as is. No matter the criteria, it is always difficult to be part of the outgroup – rejected, disrespected, and despised. We all know the fear of being left out, uninvited, or unselected for the team. Even those of us who were part of the ingroup during our school days could see the cost for those who were on their own.

I remember during elementary school years feeling sorry for another little girl who was a bit of a misfit at school. Her parents forced her and her sister to dress in ways that hurt her socially — she had to wear sturdy shoes with socks and was not permitted to wear the kind of outfits that the rest of us wore. I remember jokes about her even then, that she would make someone a good wife someday because her mother had taught her to sew and cook, skills that were not appreciated on the playground. Because of my family situation, I was very sensitive to her as a member of the outgroup, so I took her under my own pitiful wing.  I knew it was going to hurt my social status, but she was really very nice and very decent. We never became friends, but I tried to look out for her at school and on the playground. She seemed very grateful. It pulled all kinds of emotion out of me at a time I when was much too young to understand anything about social norms or the potential cost of being an outcast.  I knew one thing for certain, though: it was very cold outside of the accepted social group.

SPQN podcast The Secrets of Harry Potter on the characters as outcasts

This is so true. How we speak matters and the language of speciesism is all around us. Treat someone “like a dog” or work “like a horse.”  Calling a living being an “it,” rather than a someone, all of this language helps to diminish our awareness of our collective beingness, but it does nothing to diminish the inherent worth of another being in reality.  And, as this clip stated, this unwillingness to really see another can begin very early, even on the playground.

For me, school was a reprieve was the difficulties I encountered at home. At school, I was somebody. At school, I felt loved by my friends, my teachers, my classmates. I was a bit of a tomboy which the boys appreciated, and I never minded a scraped elbow or a skinned knee. I could play a musical instrument and was an ace at dodgeball and foursquare. I started a club at school and we wore bright red sashes to prove we belonged.   Two little boys raced after school to see who would buy me an ice cream. Yup, in those days I was one lucky little girl. But to be honest, it didn’t last very long. And every day at 3:30, I knew I had to head home to face what was sure to be unpleasant. I often wondered if the girl I befriended had just the opposite experience, that she looked forward to heading home the same way I looked forward to school. Maybe her ingroup started where mine ended. That is the fluidiy of social norms.

My own mother felt a great deal of social ostracism for having a single mother who was enterpreneurial and ran her own business. I think she was just ahead of her time. When I was a child, it was a source of discrimination to have a single mother, but it was much worse for my mother when she was a child. By the time I followed the family pattern and became a divorced woman, things had changed considerably and sadly, broken families were the norm. Social norms change. One thing that does not change, though, is this: it is always easier to be part of the In Crowd.

In Crowd by Dobie Gray

Lessons Learned Early: Who Is In, Who Is Out

The problems with In Crowds, though, is that they require an outgroup to exist. But until we vegans are the norm, are we part of an outgroup? Probably not, since celebrities, public figures and talk show hosts all claiming the tag of vegan, or at least Veganish or Veganist. The truth is, we are part of the In Crowd as human beings.

The other morning I was in my garage working sorting things into different categories for our Animal Rights & Rescue group’s benefit, when a woman stopped by and asked me if we were going to have any furniture for sale. I came out to her car, and we chatted for a bit.  To my surprise, she was quite interested in veganism, although she immediately discussed eating salads and never mentioned anything at all about animals or their rights. I told her we would have outreach material available the day of the sale, and sure enough, she came and discussed further what she noticed when watching Kathy Freston recently on the Oprah show. While I found the slaughterhouse shown on that show to be a sanitized view, this woman nonentheless saw the animals waiting to be slaughtered, and it got to her — the reality of what meat means grabbed her and she could not turn away.  She took a couple of handouts and I told her I would help her in any way I could. This was good intersectionality, and I was happy to see her come to the sale strictly to discuss veganism. It made me realized that there is a growing snowball, picking up all kinds of folks, that is increasing the vegan portion of the population, picking up steam and converts as it grows and grows. No matter our artificial barriers within the movement or without, the snowball is growing larger. No wonder some folks are feeling a little threatened. Change is definitely in the air.

Last December, Psychology Today published an article by Dr. Susan Whitbourne, a tribute to John Lennon, entitled “Imagine There’s No Outgroup.”  In the article, Dr. Whitbourne notes the arbitrary nature of ingroup-outgroup status. She recalls those experiments done by Jane Elliott in a classroom in Iowa, where the blue eyed kids were pitted against the brown-eyed kids. When the power dynamic shifted, the new power group became just as unfair and cruel as the prior group had been. Ms. Elliott made eradicating outgroup status her life’s work. Dr. Whitbourne, thinking only of human interconnectivity in her article, relates, ”John Lennon had the right idea when he urged us to ignore the many artificial differences we create among ourselves.”  For those of us in the Animal Rights community, this includes dropping the interspecies barriers and welcoming other beings in, too. The trouble with an In Crowd is that it means, by definition, that other beings are excluded.

The In Crowd by Mitchel Musso

Part of learning who we are is figuring out where we belong, and it starts at a very early age, which is why I took a trip down memory lane a bit. The biggest outgroup we have right now in the entire world is that of the animals.  They are hardly a minority, but they have been completely exploited, disempowered, hidden and betrayed. Even cats and dogs, the ones we consider family members, are killed by us in the millions every year. In Dr. Roger Yates article To Change the World,* he states that speciesism is ”embedded into the collective consciousness about how nonhuman animals should be treated.” Anyone who has done any outreach knows how deeply those embedded values can appear, making it a challenge to constantly run up against defensiveness, marginalization, ridicule, and other tools of keeping the animals in outcast status.

Rationalized Conformity, Irrational Speciesism

A term used by sociologist William Whyte was “rationalized conformity,” which is what happens when individuals disagree with the norm but do not challenge the group. This often leads to a group’s inability to consider alternative courses of action and keeps the group feeling invulnerable.  The in group may also hold a shared stereotype of the outcast group.  You know, we vegans are a bunch of pasty faced, underweight, longhaired types who run around in Birkenstocks making the peace sign. Well, the peace sign is good – but most Birkenstocks are not even vegan!

One of the consequences that comes with being in the In Crowd, is that the outcast group can be perceived as a threat.  “We have to stick together or THEY will destroy us!” or something along those lines can be espoused, despite the inconsistency and idiocy of such statements.  Since we vegans align with the outcast group, the animals, we often receive some of the same disdain they receive, and for much the same reasons. We are perceived as a threat to the status quo, and the status quo enables those in the majority to a sense of entitlement without any commensurate responsibility.  I knew I was bucking the system when I defended that little girl in the schoolyard, but I have no regrets about it. Besides, any social stigma was short lived. I think about her now that I have done this podcast, and imagine she has had a good life, with solid family support and two concerned parents. At least, I hope she has, because what she experienced in the school yard was unkind and unfair and I probably didn’t do as much as I could have to change things. Luckily, social norms change. We are here to see that they do. So, whenever you get down, or feel like the burden of being in an outgroup is too difficult, remember It is the animals that are the outcasts; and remember that social norms change. Today’s outcast is often tomorrow’s leader, today’s leader is frequently tomorrow’s social outcast.  Things change.  And we must see that they do.

Right now there is no way to give comfort to any of those animals, to let them know that there are those of us that see them, who care about what they are feeling and want so badly to liberate them. We cannot stop it, yet we must. Luckily, social norms change and every vegan out there is helping make it happen. We must. The animals are waiting.

God Help The Outcasts by Bette Midler

*On Human-Nonhuman Relations

Keep on Driving by Justin McRoberts

Years ago, I worked in the field of traffic engineering as a technical support person. I did technical editing, designed all graphics on AutoCad for traffic studies, and logged the geometrics of intersections. What this meant was that I donned one of those orange vests with reflectors on them, took my wheel measuring tool, and marched in the middle of busy intersections in downtown Los Angeles. I would log the existing structure of the intersection – what type of traffic control it had, whether a stop sign, a four way signal, or something more complex that allowed for left turns only or whatever it might have been, the number of lanes, the left-turn or u-turn lanes and so on. This data was then taken back to the office and added to my library of graphics for use in traffic studies. For me, the challenge was to get the information without getting rundown by a fast moving vehicle.

Intersections in Animal Advocacy

Lately, I have been experiencing a dejá vu feeling about intersections. It is easy to feel like a fast moving vehicle is approaching from some unknown sector of the animal rights movement, before I can gather enough data to do any good. I’m learning to look in all directions before I move forward. Yes, the significance of intersections has been on my mind quite a bit.  Think about what happens in an intersection — cars that are moving in opposite directions suddenly meet for a brief period of time, stopped in a civilized fashion so that all may move more effectively on their own designated paths.  Suddenly, one vehicle headed north and one vehicle headed south share this brief time-out, locked into a common purpose of getting through the intersection without killing anyone heading east or west.  Sometimes, we have a green light, and breeze right through that shared intersection without even a thought to it; at other times we drum our fingers in impatiences as we are forced to yield to the traffic whipping through the intersection from side streets.  Each vehicle contains living beings with usually some singular purpose pushing them in a given direction: going to work, shopping, heading to the gym, picking up the kids, or maybe even driving to another intersection to measure the width of the streets.  We don’t usually think about one another when approaching intersections, so focused are we on our individual task and personal mandate.

A similar thing happens in animal rights activism.  Some of us are headed to a protest about an individual issue such as a protest against puppy mills or rodeos.  Others are moving towards a vegan sampling event, trying to educate and entice people  towards a vegan life.  For some of us, animal rights is a full-time and well-paid position, such as the administrators of large animal organizations like PETA or the Humane Society.  For others, it is a challenging role we pick up on the weekends, some of us bravely heading to the center of town to talk to people about the world of animals and why things need to change, or wearing an “Ask Me Why I Am Vegan” tee shirt, or handling out flyers after a concert. Some of us only enter that intersection via our keyboards or headphones, but we are traveling the same streets nonetheless.

Intersecting With Other Animal-Conscious People

Given this heightened awareness of the metaphor of intersectionality, it has seemed important to realize where I might be meeting other animal-conscious people in an intersection. This has become even more apparent due to the formation of a local group that includes both vegan and non-vegan members, with the caveat that all meetups will be only vegan in nature. During the formation of the group, I began developing collaborations with other rescue and animal-oriented groups in the general area.  One of the women  I talked to about our development of a Speaker’s Bureau mentioned that many people in the animal rescue community are not vegan or vegetarian and do not make the connection.  Here are people with a shared interest – the concern for animals – who are heading in another direction and may miss the vegan message entirely unless we can meet at the intersection.  The more the collaborations between our group and the other animal groups grows and develops, the more receptive the other groups may become. So far, the majority of people attending our meetups have been vegan, yet the conviviality between all of us has remained very high. Despite discussing our differences, we have been able to focus on the ways in which we share commonality.  Best of all, the health, energy, and enthusiasm of the attending vegans has done more to change hearts and minds of those in our group that are not yet vegan than we could do if we were strangers, without our shared values.

If Not For You by George Harrison

A New Look At Overlap

You have probably seen those diagrams of overlapping circles, where you diagram the people in your life regarding how much you share. A healthy marriage will have a lot of overlap but also a lot of unshared space, allowing each partner to develop their own individuality and interests which can then be shared with their partner.  Some friends may only share a single interest with us– for example, I used to have a running partner and our singular bond was a love of running. She would arrive every morning at 6:30 or so, encouraging me to be ready to brave the cold or rain and get moving on the mountain where we ran. The miles flew by more easily with the distraction of a shared conversation and over time, we got to know one another better. We really did not have much more than running in common initially, but it was a functional and positive link nonetheless, and one that grew stronger over time.

One of the organizers of a local wildlife rescue has already voiced a desire to attend one of our meetups, and I definitely want to learn more about the work they are doing.  Unlike those rescuing domesticates, the wildlife rescuers often have the added difficulty of terrifying the animals they are trying to help and endangering themselves, too. One of our members found a small, pink, very tiny body in her yard. She really had no idea who it was or where it belonged, but she investigated and ultimately saved this very tiny life. It was an abandoned baby squirrel and it survived, was returned to the wild, and still visits her occasionally today. You can see a YouTube video of this thriving squirrel on the blog.

Back to those circles: sometimes it is most difficult to maintain relationships when there is a lot of overlap, such as in a marriage. The overlap means there is a lot similar, so differences may become magnified.  We all know marriage is much more challenging than say, friendship, because of several factors. In a marriage, there is more invested, more intimacy, and more vulnerability.  So, too, in pursuits like vegan activism.  There is as much diversity among vegans as there is among most any other group, yet our expectations tend to be raised, so we can become more disappointed when the other party does not think like us in most ways. We just share the desire to stop commodifying animals, but how to get to a better world for all of us remains in question.

Change: Intersectional Thinking (Better Management podcast)

This sounds like the prefect time for creative vegan education and significant social change which may well utilize innovative techniques towards creating a new approach to living, towards compassion and respect for all beings. As a cognitive behavioral therapist, I know how difficult change can be even for those who desperately want to change. Imagine how much more difficult our task is as vegans to help others understand the need for a change they may not even want to make. But in the larger scheme of things, it is just another bump in the road.

Bump In The Road by Johnny Lang

While Mark Bittman is not a supporter of veganism by any means, he is a polished speaker who recently shared something that most animal rights folks would appreciate. He showed a picture of a beautiful black and white cow and then followed it with a graphic of an atomic bomb explosion — the mushroom shaped cloud — a good vehicle to get the attention of his audience.  Here is Mr. Bittman speaking at a TED conference – the intersection between technology, entertainment and design.

Mark Bittman on TED

Aikido Activism

Using the principle of Aikido Activism, I have attempted to use Mr. Bittman’s arguments, which are sound, to help us learn better vegan outreach, even though that was not Bittman’s purpose. He is only asking for a reduction in the consumption of animal products. It always amazes me that people who are knowledgeable about the negative impacts of animal commodifiation still cling so tenaciously to this outdated and cruel practices, trying to believe that there is such a thing as humane animal products, which is of course ridiculous. No animal who is commodified has any liberty. The humane meat myth is unfortunately one many people believe. But Bittman makes a few good points. He points out graphically the destructive capabilities of our current use of animals, he mentions the importance for human health of a plant based diet, and looks at the environmental impact of our current path. What he fails to mention, however, is the element of violence and the total immorality of exploiting and subjugating other beings and how that too has an impact. I liked his use of the beautiful gentle cow and the alignment with the violence of an atomic bomb – he has the idea of violence even though it is unstated in his presentation. Perhaps, a subconscious nod to how the violence against animals ultimately folds back upon us. He also mentions that the use of lists and statistics is mind numbing, and it is. People can feel overwhelmed when there are large numbers or overwhelming odds and mad elect to do nothing due to a sense of helplessness.

Intersectional Thinking And Positive Change

Intersectional thinking is an exciting new concept, one that has been successful in the past as well. Consider the educational gains made for generations now by Sesame Street using both entertainment and education, or the orthotic devices created when engineering and medicine collaborated. Research into psychology is also a proactive component in effective animal advocacy as we learn more about how people change and learn, too, and then help us to apply that to our own outreach.

A new era is required to meet the many demands on our planet, in order for life on this planet to even survive. We were warned decades ago by Chief Seattle that whatever we do to the animals, we do to ourselves. All things are connected. We can see this in practice today: we take the animals from their families, and our families begin to degrade. We fatten up the animals, and we suffer obesity. We stuff the poor farm animals with antibiotics and now have pernicioius infections that are resistant to all antibiotics. We unleash horrible, callous violence against animals and are ourselves forced to live on a violent, ever warring planet.

What will intersectional thinking add to the vegan movement? Here are some practical ways we can use those intersections to our advantage: hosting a vegan table at an environmental or vegetarian festival or event…..presenting a talk on animal rights and veganism at a progressive church…..collaborating with animal groups that are not yet vegan……requesting vegan options from non-vegan businesses and restaurants……collaborating on shared missions with other vegans…..listening to many ideas from many sources……brainstorming with those within other disciplines.

Promote Peace, Pause at Intersections

No matter how we approach the intersection, it is important to respect the rights of other drivers. Remember, it is going to take a multiplicity of ideas to effect the necessary change, to use creativity and compassion at this, the exact right time to do so. And it is important, as we learn, grow, and evolve, as we become better and stronger advocates, we keep on keeping on in our pursuit for justice for all beings. Remember to promote peace, keep on driving, and pause at the intersections!

Keep on Driving by Justin McRoberts

How two people with perfect eyesight gave birth to three offspring with bad vision is beyond me, but my parents did just that.  Being one of the lucky recipients of poor vision, I finally was desperate enough to do something about it. For years I had struggled with contact lenses, moving from the old hard lenses, to gas permeable, to soft lenses – yet none worked perfectly. The hard lenses were hardy and allowed the best vision, but could cause blindness if worn too long as they deprive the eye of oxygen. The gas permeable were better, but not much more comfortable. The soft lenses were preferred for comfort, but came out of focus occasionally and were subject to more fanatical cleaning regimes. All of them left my eyes burning, tired, and red.  With more and more difficulty seeing clearly, I finally decided to find out what my options were for improving my vision.

The Myopic and Hyperopic Animal Rights Activist

Having good vision is something many people take for granted – at least until the age-related farsightedness kicks in. But how we see impacts the decisions we make, the activities in which we participate, and the amount of freedom we experience.  It is one of those things that we barely notice until we no longer have it.  So, too, with animal activism — it is easy to become myopic and think the rest of the world is just like our own little corner, that others will react to the vegan message the way we did, or the way our neighbors do.  We may think the only way to legitimately help animals is to do what we have always done, using the same old handouts and the tried-and-true tactics that we developed long ago. If we are myopic, we may only see the short-term things, those things which are right around us, and have difficulty expanding our horizons — we are so used to our limited vision that we accommodate to it. This keeps us grounded, but also truncates what we might achieve. Without the larger vision, we may sell the movement short, not reach out for better ideas and tactics, and not expect too much. We may believe that the world cannot really change.

With farsightedness, hyperopia, we cannot see things nearby, but can see further away – which is why older people always have arms that are too short! The hyperopic activist may miss entirely how he is alienating the people around him, because his vision is focused on the far horizon. He has the vision so necessary for achieving the end goal, knows well the theoretical basis for that vision, and is knowledgeable on the finer points of his beliefs, but may have difficulty with the best approach to reach people and to move us towards the goal. If the hyperopic activist is not careful, he will alienate such a wide array of people that he will make it impossible to awaken the myopic to the very necessary vision he alone can see. As he tries to explain his vision to the myopic activist, he becomes frustrated, explaining what he sees that, unfortunately, the myopic person cannot possibly see for himself. He is totally unaware that he, too, has blind spots and limited vision.

Monovision: Seeing It All, Nothing Clearly

For the past few years, I adapted to monovision, because I had myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and numerous other visual disturbances. Monovision is what they call using one eye and contact lens for seeing up close and one for distance – somehow your brain learns to deal with it, but you always walk around feeling a little dizzy. You have to compromise when you have eyes as bad as mine, because there is no easy solution. During the years I had contacts, I also had driving glasses, reading glasses, and some kind of strange glasses that allowed me to see near and far but required getting your neck into a contorted position in order to do that. When you have monovision, you can see what the hyperopic activist is seeing, and you can see what the myopic activist is seeing, but you cannot see either one with the same intense devotion that either camp can see with a focused vision. Just like both kinds of activists, you have to adapt to what you have to use.

There do not appear to be many animal activists with perfect vision. Most fall into either the myopic or hyperopic categories and can really go at it with one another. Both are seeing their own realities and failing to see what the other side is seeing. The myopic activist often fails to see the horizon and what is possible, and the hyperopic activist often forgets the importance of things like collaborating, relationship building, and understanding. One activist who had perfect vision was Martin Luther King. He knew he must try to save even the souls of those in the dominant power structure who were oppressing the very people he was trying to free. “If physical death is the price that I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be more redemptive,” he said. Ultimately, he did pay that price and removed one stone from the weight of exploitation and moved it towards the weight of justice in the world. In working to end racism in the United States, he liberated people of all races. This needs to be part of the work in activism for animals, too. We need to save the blighted spirits of even those who are oppressing the animals; we need to see our work as liberating them as well as the animals.

Moving Towards a Clearer Vision

Right now I am in the middle of trying to improve my vision.  As with most things, it gets a bit worse before it gets better, which is why vision is on my mind. Just like in my activism, recent events have caused me to experience blurry vision, a lack of clarity, and some alienation from both kinds of vision correction and both kinds of activists. There is a dogmatism in both camps that is so oft-repeated that it numbs my mind. One thing, though, that both sides tend to see as critical: creative vegan education.  Some activists believe in incremental reform, others believe we need a new world order, but both agree that we need to educate people about the importance of veganism. For me, that is a starting point.

When I was younger, I refused to wear glasses; I refused! With an active lifestyle, they seemed to impose an unacceptable limit to me. Some people thought I was conceited, but I was actually quite shy–I just couldn’t see them.  I remember that today as I try to listen to what other people tell me, as I try to remember how I thought just a few years ago, and consider how to best help awaken someone or help them transition. Maybe the person I am working with in my advocacy just cannot see what I now see. Maybe they are accommodating their own limited vision. If anyone should be patient with those with poor vision, it should be someone who has lived with such limitations for years.

A Vision With Animals – Including Human Primates

With just a couple more optical procedures to go, I am expecting to have improved visual acuity very soon. Listening to more and more people in various parts of the animal rights debate, I am hoping my personal vision for advocacy will likewise be enhanced as I absorb and synthesize all the information within my reach.  At their very best, my eyes can never achieve the focus and distance vision of a bird of prey, the night vision of a cat, nor the ability to see on two sides of my head, like a horse.  I will never see all the colors available to the butterfly or bird, nor the amazing mosaic of vision available to some insects.  About the best I can try to achieve is a wider and deeper view of what has been there all along. In the animal rights movement, that means paying attention to the plight of animals and not getting distracted into politics or personalities, but listening and learning from all those who have different experiences, a different viewpoint, or are trying a new approach. It means more than focusing; it means interpreting and scanning, as well. It is an ongoing quest for a clearer vision and a deeper understanding of our world. In the world of animal activism, it means trying to understand what the horse’s world looks like, what the snake sees, what the cat can comprehend, and respecting the unique vision of each. It means respecting other humans too, even if I disagree with their vision for the future.

Whenever two people decide to live together, there are bound to be fights. The deeper the passion, the stronger the emotions that may arise during disagreements. With both people coming from different family cultures and life experiences, it would be impossible for them to agree on everything that will happen during their cohabitation. While old wounds and vulnerabilities are sure to surface, a few simple rules can help keep things more productive and less toxic. Love should never be blood sport.

The same might be said of animal activism. Passions are strong, with many people believing absolutely that their way is the only way to help animals. When this becomes too deeply ingrained, too rigid, so that other voices are tuned out and dismissed, there is no way for divergent opinions to become voices towards solution.  The path becomes more important than the arrival and anyone seen as deviating from the path becomes “the enemy” with disastrous consequences. A sure sign of this is when discussions  and blogposts degrade into sarcasm, namecalling, condescension, mimicry, ridicule, and atttacks on personal characteristics, as well as rudeness and labeling. It is not acceptable behavior, and it is not a move towards peace. Fighting and disagreeing are fine, but let’s learn to do so appropriately. You cannot start a peace movement with a sledgehammer.

Okay, you can put on your boxing gloves, but no hitting below the belt. Here are a few ideas to keep our fighting fair:

1. Stick to the issue – no deviating into sidebars or bringing up other points of contention. Make certain your points are based on a solution-focused search, not based on prior history or personal characteristics of the other person. If you are filled with seething resentment, it is time to discover why – it may have nothing to do with the current issue, and it may not be an opportune time to engage in a discussion.
2. No namecalling. This lowers the bar into emotional assault. If we want to fight for justice, we need to be fair ourselves. (We all fail at times.) This means stop with the labeling. None of us are that one-dimensional. As Kierkegaard said, “When you label me, you negate me.”
3. Stay current. No bringing up issues from the past. If you are upset with someone who seems to be promoting a campaign which you think is harmful, tell them why. But do not get into what they did that you disliked yesterday or how their stand on another topic has offended you. State your case; then let them make their own decision as to whether they agree or not. Even if they continue to support the cause you dislike, you may have planted some seeds. Let’s grow ideas, not pain.
4. Stay positive. Start out with the points with which you agree, if there are any. Commend what you can commend; this will help highlight where you diverge. Here’s an example, ‘It sounds to me like you really care or think your are caring about animals, but when you purchase items that cause animals to be imprisoned and ultimately slaughtered, it seems in conflict with those  cares.” Sometimes a specific example will help someone understand your position more than a theoretical point.
5. Be specific. Offer solutions, not complaints.  It is much more helpful to ask for something specific, rather than just complain about someone’s behavior or affiliations. “Please cap the toothpaste” is more likely to achieve behavioral change than “You disgusting excuse of a human being, you make a mess wherever you go.” Realize, though, it is the other person’s decision to make whether to change or not, not yours.
6. Remain open to possibilities.  Even great people change and grow, shifting positions as they learn more about a given issue. Allow this for others, too. We cannot spread peace if we are spreading dissension. Keep open to possibilities. Help people learn; don’t just fight with them.
7. Learn to collaborate, not sell out your values.  I used to work in a locked facility for youth ages 11 to 18 as part of the local juvenile justice system.  After entering the facility, it became apparent to me that there was a lot of tension between the facility staff and the mental health staff. I noticed that the therapists would often violate security measures, like holding the door open for someone, rather than immediately closing the doors to keep the facility secure. Likewise, the security staff had no understanding of the mandate for confidentiality and the process of the work we were actually doing to heal and empower the children. I suggested to the administration that cross-training might help ease tensions, and it did. The security staff ultimately became my best source of information once they learned I had a receptive ear. They would share things they witnessed during family visits or point me to information I might otherwise overlook that proved to be the single most positive source of information for helping in that child’s growth. Later, when I began managing forensic programs, I worked closely on multiagency collaborations with some of the same people. I learned from these experiences that it is important to be able to work with those with whom you disagree.
8. Listen, don’t just preach  - listening in an active state is just as important as talking. Maintain a balance between the two. No one wants to be assaulted with someone else’s viewpoints. If people are telling you that veganism is too hard, listen to why they feel that way.  And then share your own experiences; some of us find it difficult in relationships, or with family, or in social situations. Let that person know how you overcame those situations and why you now see it as easy. Compare and contrast the minor inconvenience or effort with what the animals go through and why in contrast, you find this small thing so easy in comparison. Then offer to help them in their process. Stay open to receiving information.
9. Respect your opponent’s potential for growth, even if you do not respect their behavior.  ”Hating” everyone with whom you disagree does not promote peace, it promotes polarization. A look around at the current political climate reflects this. If you alienate anyone, you may lose any future chance to educate them and win them to your side. Pull on your own personal evolution to realize that other people have the same potential to change and grow that you have.
10. Forgive. Remember the saying,”‘Comprendre, c’est pardoner.”  To understand, is to forgive. We all need to be forgiven and we all need to forgive others. Understanding, while difficult at times, heals. Even those who lost their entire families in genocide (Holocaust, Rwanda)* have been able to forgive those who cost them so much. I don’t know how they have been able to do it, but they have. They noticed that those unable to forgive get stuck and were unable to heal. Forgive, so you can move forward.
11. No bullying.  This means no using your position, your popularity, your power, your collective might, your friendship, your affiliations, to get what you want in a fight. No intimidation. When working with teens, people can often get into power plays, where they try to force their will on the child. In the long run, this always fails. Give the child information and allow them to make good decisions, letting them clearly see the consequences. Use the same tactic in your advocacy. Your respect for others will win more to your cause than all your truths.
12. Save the baby! - Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Often, someone may have a nugget of wisdom somewhere in their argument. Save the baby, toss out the dirty bathwater, and continue on your path, but with respect for that one thing you took away from the encounter. For example, when someone talks about the importance of making veganism inclusive, rather than exclusive, they are discussing perceptions that some people feel marginalized and excluded. That is important information and something we should all consider. It is about how people feel, not just what they believe.
13. Can control issues – People get frustrated when they try unsuccessfully to force others to their point of view. It often just alienates the other person, who rightly senses there is no openness, but rather a rigid demand for uniformity in thinking. I know I have been accused, unfairly, of all kinds of motives and poor judgment by people who were displaying pretty shabby behavior and poor judgment themselves. Make your case and give the other person room to decide how to respond. Not everyone thrives on the fine points of theoretical arguments or thinking in terms of absolutes.
14. Apologize. Accept that, at times,  you will be wrong.  We see things only through our own eyes, but the view looks differently from another’s perspective. If you are unwilling to try to see what they are seeing, you will be unable to help them see your own vista. Sharing perceptions may give birth to something positive – a collaboration, a new understanding, a new outlook. Recently, in my attempt to defend a respected colleague in animal advocacy, I thought I was being neutral — but the other person felt attacked. I apologized, because that was not my intent. It was my own failing and something I need to constantly challenge within myself. Please do so, too.
15. Say no to Snark – Snark may make you feel powerful and self-righteous, but it only spreads dissension. I have had to re-record parts of my podcasts when I decided the tone was not what I intended, or might be misconstrued. It is easy to let your anger out at those we perceive to be harming our fellowing beings, but it does not help the cause. Direct attacks on ideas are fine, but they should never be directed at an individual — even the one that generated that idea.
16. Let go – You can’t win them all, so learn to walk away. If you hold too tightly to someone, they cannot breathe; they gasp, they fight to get away from you, and may suffocate. So, too, with ideas – be open to changing daily.  What you perceive on a given Monday is subject to your experiences on Tuesday.  Wednesday, you are a different person than you were on Monday, due to new experiences, new information, new relationships.  Reassess things. Gary Francione used to work with PETA; he no longer supports that organization due to changes within the organization and changes within himself. Each of us has the right to follow our own paths on our own timeframe. If indeed you hold the truth with a Capital “T” – then your views will not change and more and more people will join you. If you fail either in what you propose, or in how you propose it, then you need to be able to respond to people’s perception of you, not just your message. People need space in which to breathe.

Advocates: Flow Like A River

There is a frailty built into fundamentalist thinking, and a dangerous one. It becomes about a rigid adherence to a belief or set of beliefs. Life is about flexilibity and change. It says in the Tao Te Ching:

Yield and overcome; bend and be straight.
Empty out and be full; wear out and be renewed.
~ verse 22, Lao Tzu

Think of one of the strongest elements – water.  Water can be gentle and beautiful, but it can also be powerful and destructive – the difference between a gentle brook and the might and power of a tsunami.  Water flows around things, but it also picks up things, moves those things within it – twigs, leaves, animals join it in is journey. The water in a river never bulldozes, but accommodates and quite often, grows in power and strength as it is joined by other tributaries and creeks. It then joins the ocean, and becomes a mere trickle in the scheme of things. Still, without the journey of the river to the ocean, the movement of water that sustains all life would not be possible.

Be like that river, depositing ideas and knowledge on the shores of other thinkers, and gather up strength in those who wish to join you. Like a river, we must think about the whole picture, not just our small place within the pattern.

17. Use Aikido Advocacy.  When I took street fighting from the local police department, they said I was the student most likely to be attacked, because I was small and appeared vulnerable.  When I then went on to take a class iin Aikido, my size was no barrier. Aikido is all about using the other person’s strength in self-defense. For example, rather than pulling back when someone grabs you by the arm, you would not fight the hold at all, but would move into that person, using their strength in a cooperative way to maintain your own position.

Change the Perception of Abolitionist Animal Activists

I know some people hearing this may perceive that I am suggesting we soften the message, but that is not what I am saying at all.  I am one person that is getting tired of being called divisive, self-righteous, and destructive and I want to do something to change those perceptions. I know those perceptions are there for a reason. There has been a bunker mentality that has kept some of us vegans behind the barriers we have created, where we feel safe, surrounded by like thinking people. We hear the excuse governments give all the time: we have to make war to keep the peace. But you cannot gain peace by lobbing grenades at your opponents.  I hope you will consider following some of these fair fighting concepts too, so our movement can truly be about peace and justice for all beings on our fragile planet. Remember it is not just about ideas, but about perceptions and how me make people feel. Fight the good fight, but please, do so fairly and spread the peace. Otherwise, people are going to be singing this same old song about us. You know what song I mean……

Music on this podcast was: Forget You by Glee; Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer; Peter Wolf’s Growing Pain, Tina Turner’s I Don’t Want to Fight Anymore, Ingrid Michaelson’s The Way I am, Jordan Sparks’ No Air, Stevie Wonder’s You Haven’t Done Nothin,’ The Beatles Martha.

Each of us takes a path in life. We usually have some idea of what our goals are, and we set out to achieve them.  For some it is a rather straight line, for others a twisted winding road, and for many it is a rocky, steep, treacherous climb. But whatever path we are on, we are always free to make a u-turn, choose a different path, and keep trying to find the best answer, the best vehicle, the best way to get where we want to go. Even philosophers (and politicians) change their views over their lifetime as they learn, encounter other ideas, and develop as human beings.

Selecting a Path Toward Healing

In grad school, we were taught a variety of different approaches towards healing a wounded soul. Person-Centered therapy supports one’s own internal wisdom by gently encouraging and affirming and emphasizing things that are said. Cognitive therapy helps reframe a person’s experience and move towards instituting healthier patterns in thinking. Family therapy looks at the social context of interactions, helping to make them more positive. Behavioral therapy challenges the dysfunctional behaviors that keep the client from experiencing a fulfilling life. Group therapy works to give the client feedback as too how they are perceived by others and to allow them to receive support and challenges from fellow clients. Adlerian, Bowenian, Object Relations: there are numerous other approaches, but all work towards the same goal: a healthier client.

Not once in grad school did we fight about which path to take. Some of us were eclectic and took elements from one theory or another; some pursued further studies, as I did, in expanding a particular theoretical approach. I was fortunate to attend post-graduate training at The Family Therapy Institute in Santa Barbara, and Art Therapy training at UCSB. At FTI, I met many other up and coming young therapists, witnessed the pros at work behind a one-way glass, and expanded my theoretical toolbox. Art therapy proved to be a way to connect with inner demons for many nonverbal clients and worked beautifully with children. I remember being interested in further psychoanalytical training at one point, but because of time and circumstance, chose another path. Life is often like that.

Paths to Healing in Animal Advocacy

Now that I am working as a vegan advocate, I find that the goal sometimes gets lost. It is almost as if the path is the thing that matters, not the destination at all. It would be like someone attacking me for being a cognitive therapist when they prefer a psychoanalytical approach, forgetting altogether about the client. The contributing factors in determining which path to take are individual, and depend upon the personal experiences and characteristics of the therapist, and the type of clients with which that therapist will ultimately work. No one gets to select which theory anyone else chooses. All we can do is learn and discuss, and let each person make their own choice.  Personally, I would prefer to fly to get to Santa Barbara these days; others might prefer to take the train or go by car. It would depend upon your timeframe, financial situation, and prior experiences. It would be your choice. Metaphorically, I would just hope we would both get to Santa Barbara at some point. (It is a beautiful city along the California Coast near my prior domicile.)

Therapy is not done to the client, it is done with the client, a path we travel together. I can recall once thinking I helped a client make a brilliant connection only to find out the client heard something completely different. One thing they all recalled, though: how it felt to travel together. This is an important point in animal advocacy, where there are widely divergent beliefs about helping animals. Some people think that if you are not on the exact same path using the exact same methods, you are somehow the enemy to the cause. I have witnessed advocates disrespecting other advocates for the type of advocacy, for their preferred way to work towards change, and even for their chosen venue. Yet it appears to be a continual evolution, rather than a button one selects, in learning how best to help effect social change of this magnitude. And it is dependent upon our individual education, experiences and outlook on life — and no one can change that for us.

Do All Paths Lead to Rome?

We were schooled in the phrase, “All Paths Lead to Rome,” meaning there are many routes to health; no one approach is the only way. I call myself an abolitionist but disagree at times with other abolitionists. I disagree with working for welfare reform that only perpetuates the institutional use of animals as things rather than recognizing them as persons, individuals with feelings and a right to life. Advocacy is not something I do to someone, it is something I do with someone, it is a journey we travel together. I cannot possibly travel my journey on anyone else’s path but my own. Like in therapy, I try to respect those with whom I am working and let time and their own internal wisdom do the rest. Part of my training was to honor the process, not just the content, of what was going on. In animal advocacy, that means how I advocate is as important as what I am advocating (or in this case, for whom). If I alienate others, the process dies on the vine.

Find your own path, but please keep moving towards the goal: that animals are sentient beings that deserve the right to their lives, the right to be our traveling companions on earth, and not our transport. Find the path that leads to peace: for the animals, for the earth, for the future.