Doll Stanley of In Defense of Animals speaking at AR2012
This year’s Animal Rights National Conference is fast approaching and we’re gearing up for some exciting speakers and sessions! As always, we would to thank our sponsors for helping us make it all possible. Attendees will have the chance to hear speakers from these generous Silver Sponsors: Alley Cat Allies, In Defense of Animals, International Primate Protection League, and Mercy for Animals.
Summertime will soon be here and that means vacation time for a lot of us. Time to unwind and relax. No one wants to be stressed out over a vacation and they shouldn’t have to be. However, us vegans know that our diet can sometimes be a challenge, especially when traveling. Cole Millen, avid traveler and foodie, knows too well the difficulties eating vegan while on the road; that’s why he came up with a few simple tips to make mealtime a cinch while on vacation.
Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate and warmly recall all the love mothers provide and all the lessons they teach. We treasure every moment we have with our mothers and we appreciate them being there for us. The love of a mother isn’t just limited to humans either; animals across species rely heavily on their mothers for protection and affection. Farmed animals feel that same natural desire to rear their children…unfortunately, the food industry has no interest in allowing the mother/child bond to grow.
Few animals have motherly instincts as strong as cows do, yet the dairy industry is unapologetic in restraining those instincts. Within 48 hours of birth, male calves are dragged away from the embrace of their mothers and are either slaughtered or placed in a veal crate where they will spend the entirety of their short lives. Naturally, this leads to severe distress for both mom and son, as cows are intelligent beings that thrive on family bonding. The mother cow (and any daughters she may have) will spend her entire life being subjected to artificial insemination for milk that is supposed to be for their young, but instead is placed in grocery stores all over the country.
Pigs don’t have it any easier. Although sows are usually able to at least nurse their babies for a short time, they are forced to do so in a farrowing crate; a crate that does not allow basic movements such as standing up or turning around. While the mother lays immobile in her crate, she’s forced to view cruel acts committed on her children including castration and tail docking without anesthesia and even worse, death by very unethical means such as being thrown against a concrete floor. Ultimately, after a mere two weeks, the piglets are taken away from their mother to begin fattening for slaughter, never to feel their mother’s love again.
We sometimes hear the term “mother hen” as a common idiom, a testament to how protective hens can be over their children. In the egg industry though, the idea of hens protecting their children is an illusion; they never even get to meet their babies. Male chicks born in the industry are of no use no profit, so they are either ground up alive or thrown out like garbage in huge plastic bags where they suffocate to death. As for the female chicks, they are destined to a life similar to their mother. Caged hens are crammed five to seven birds into wire mesh cages stacked one on top of another. The hens live in physical and psychological misery, unable to turn stretch, flap their wings, or preen their entire lives. The birds are forced to stand on a sloping wire-mesh floor, which cuts and deforms their sensitive feet, while the wire-mesh walls rub off their feathers and bruise their skin… and for the sake of egg production.
This Mother’s Day, let’s truly honor all mothers by making simple changes to our diet. By opting to purchase products that are not the result of an inherently cruel system, we’ll be making a statement: we believe in the bond between a mother and child is strong, and it should be respected.
To find out more about changing your diet this Mother’s Day, check out LiveVegan.org.
Over 400 activists joined us outside of the Farmer John slaughterhouse this past Saturday to expose the cruel abuse that goes on inside of the Vernon, California meat processing facility. Those who have ever driven by the plant know too well the foul stench that hangs in the air and the building’s hypocritical murals that depict happy pigs enjoying sunshine and playing in green pastures. There are no happy pigs behind the walls of Farmer John – only dead pigs – Farmer John slaughters 6,000 pigs a day, making it the largest slaughterhouse on the west coast.
The demonstration began with a funeral procession, which included a prop coffin. The march was lead by actors and activists, Elaine Hendrix and Michael Fairman. With so many dedicated activists joining us, it didn’t take long to encircle the entire facility. The mood was somber and many were moved to tears, but a positive feeling of hope radiated from the compassionate crowd. A moment of silence was observed to remember those who have fallen to the greed of animal agribusiness.
During the event, FARM staff and around 90 other activists crossed the street and Occupied McDonald’s. Some held hands, circling the outside of the property, while others, including Elaine Hendrix and Michael Fairman, took over the restaurant, impeding business for a short time.
For three hours, activists from all other the country stood together as one, to speak up for the pigs of Farmer John and for every animal who is trapped within the food industry. Some folks held signs, some chanted, some even took over McDonald’s, but everyone was there to see an end to the needless slaughter of billions of animals.
We would like to thank each and every one of you who came out and joined us, and to all of those who spread the word online. Thank you to Elaine Hendrix, Michael Fairman and Simone Reyes for supporting us. Thank you to the local news stations (KTLA, Univision 34, LA Times) for providing coverage of the event, and to the police department for ensuring everyone’s safety. To see images from the Farmer John demonstration, please visit our Facebook page.
These are the four stages of nonviolent activism, and right now, the animal rights movement has reached the third stage – the fight. Society is done ignoring us…they no longer can. They’ve had enough fun mocking us, though you still have a few carnivorous comedians (you know who I mean). And so now, the movement has reached a turning point…a chance to make history and win this battle for the animals, the planet and the people.
Another Earth Day has gone by and once again, our results have made a lasting impact! Dozens of activists from all over the country distributed thousands of handouts to local events while our online efforts were just as strong, using all avenues possible to share the vegan message far and wide.
We revamped our Green Your Diet handout which received great acclaim from our activists. While the handout is certainly attractive, the content is what helped change diets. With very convincing information about the correlation between animal agriculture and climate change, there is no doubt our handout made people question if they are making the right dietary choice for the planet.
When we hear the words “Earth Day,” we think “green” – we think about how our actions affect the planet and those around us. We think of what we can do in our own lives to act more greenly.
Most think of recycling, updating light bulbs, using less electricity and water, walking or biking more often as some of the easiest ways to green their footprint. However, most folks don’t realize that the easiest and most important way to protect the environment starts with the first meal of the day. Continue reading »
For over 40 years, Earth Day has encouraged people all over the world to both promote and engage in practices that benefit the planet. As we get closer to April 22nd, many will propose solutions to delay climate change, such as convincing the public to drive hybrid cars or introduce recycling bins into their neighborhoods. While these suggestions are all sound, there is one solution that is often ignored but is actually the easiest to apply: a change of diet.
A UCLA student reacts in horror as she witnesses the cruel practices of standard animal farming.
After a productive month making our way through college campuses in TX, AZ and NV, we finally reached the west coast…bringing with it a much needed streak of sun filled days and huge viewer turnout.
Our first stop was San Diego, where we visited UCSD and SDSU, both of which yielded impressive viewer turn outs thanks in part to local student groups. PEACE at UCSD came out in full force with a vegan bake sale each day resulting in many viewers using their earned dollar to purchase a delicious treat — proving that veganism doesn’t mean sacrificing anything.
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FARM Urges San Diego School District to Adopt Meatless Mondays
Executive Director and California native, Michael Weber wrote a letter to the San Diego Unified School District urging its board members to adopt a Meatless Mondays program. In a city where nearly 28% of children are overweight or obese, Michael says, “Now is the time for community leaders to speak out about proper diet and healthy habits. And this public health initiative, begun by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is a great start.”
Being overweight or obese increases a person’s risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and many cancers. The economic costs associated with obesity and physical inactivity in California are estimated at $41.2 billion. The state (and the country) is at a turning point in the battle with chronic disease, and we have a choice…we either take steps to improve our overall health or we continue down the current path of disease and premature death.
In his letter, Michael also points out the devastating environmental impacts animal agriculture has on the planet and the inherent cruelty and suffering that comes with raising animals for food. According to the United Nations, reducing the amount of animal products we eat is one of the simplest ways to lower our carbon footprint, since animal agriculture is “responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport[tation].” Not to mention, that raising billions of animals for food to produce massive quantities of meat, dairy, and eggs has taken a major toll on the animals themselves. Standard industry practices include intensive confinement, mutilations without painkillers, and a horrific slaughter – practices that shock nearly every- one who views them.
Michael says bringing one meat-free day a week to school students is “an easy, effective way for our children to start the week off right.” With an abundance of readily available vegetarian and vegan options, the number of schools and colleges that have successfully adopted similar programs is steadily increasing. And for those looking to eliminate all animal products from their diet, FARM offers 100% vegan recipes through our Meatout Mondays program and additional vegan resources through our Live Vegan website.
FARM applauds the San Diego Unified School District for considering implementing such a life-saving program, and we hope they take Michael’s recommendation into account.