Then attend an open council meeting to become familiar with how they function. The country with the largest number and highest percentage of vegetarians is India. PETA believes that animals have rights and deserve to have their best interests taken into consideration, regardless of whether they are useful to humans. Kean, Hilda. Seems that if a bill costs a dollar, or puts another law on the books, the Republicans will almost invariably vote NO. It may take more than one legislative session to see results. Many elections are won or lost by just a few percentage points. Thanks for this piece and while I agree with much of it, I'm on the fence about supporting campaigns that advocate for ending things like gestation crates and caged egg-laying hens. Thank you for this important and well written article. I have always wondered why it it is that we can't get any closer to a goal so many of us seem to share. Press Officer Robin Webb", "Gretchen Wyler: In Memorial to an Actress Who Wasn't Pretending About Her Love of Animals", "Bullies, Ads, and Being Vegan. more than 7 years ago. "Drakoules [ne Lambe; other married name Lewis], Alice Marie (c. 18501933), humanitarian and campaigner for animal welfare". BoredPanda staff. Last year, a grant-funded study was approved for a scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to subject baby monkeys to stressors that frighten them to the point that when they are euthanized after the study, their brains show changes indicative of the beginnings of anxiety disorders and depression. That politicians occasionally put political ambition before their duty to represent the will of their constituents is no surprise. 3 Avoid Animal Entertainment. Progressives are traditionally more willing than conservatives to challenge commerce in order to protect those being victimized by it, but that protection is mostly prescribed for humans. It is grossly inefficient to grow crops to feed animals and then eat their flesh and eggs and drink their milk when we can, instead, grow food for humans to eat. The official companion handbook to the Live Earth Concerts noted that refusing meat is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. This is proven by countless studies, including the U.N. report revealing that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gasses than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes and ships in the world combined. Very good insight into the social justice movement for animals, which seems like it is on the cusp of creating big change. As one who works in farm animal rescue, I've seen horrendous conditions on farms of all caliber and levels. The world now agrees that CLIMATE CHANGE is not only real, it's a life- and planet-threatening issue demanding immediate action. They were distancing our movement from both the crowd at the event and from those watching later in the media. The vote margin was 53 to 13 in the assembly and 32 to 1 in the senate. Ryder, Richard. That doesn't mean there is no place for animal rights in politics. Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors, Gale, 2001. But one can care about African people and African animals, just as in this country one can work on wage equality while also campaigning to get sows out of crates. 1) Check out Vegan Hacktivists, and apply as a volunteer! In the past, they have also given money to Republicans such as Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman. It is largely the strength of lobbies and the money they provide to our politicians to keep the status quo that keeps animals enslaved. This planet has been polluted because of these money driven organisations (plastic and manure pollution of the ocean's and rivers - breeding of farm animals for meat & dairy) What more must the World Health Organisation and other scientists and doctors do to get the attention of politicians and governance to put laws into place that will phase out these FAT-FARMERS who have made their living through exploitation of animals and people through consumption of animal products? They believe that many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interestssuch as in avoiding sufferingshould be afforded the same consideration as similar interests of human beings. As the late Molly Ivins wryly noted, "All anyone needs to enjoy the state legislature is a strong stomach and a complete insensitivity to the needs of the people." Lori Sullens And if there are no pro-animal items on the agenda, you can help change that, too. "Moving Toward Coexistence: An Interview with Alice Walker,". Earth doesn't have time to waste. (707) 795-2533 |info@aldf.org Sometimes you dont get the law you want passed, or even introduced, on your first try. . Thank you for covering this topic with this thought provoking article. Lori Woods The dark side is where animals are treated as no more than cogs in a machine, factory farmed, people value human intelligence with no value placed on empathy, more of the world's oxygen producing forests are lost to livestock grazing, and obesity rates soar while our life spans are shortened due to unhealthy diets. I hope that more articles are written that expose the atrocities inflicted upon animals. Civilization may well have been built upon the backs of animals, but we no longer have any excuses whatsoever to continue to treat them as non-thinking machines here only for our 'benefit.' States that afforded stronger protections for LGBT rights and enacted more extensive hate-crime statutes tended to have significantly more animal-friendly laws. Why? Political parties are expected to bring the much-anticipated animal rights law to Parliament after over a decade of efforts by animal rights activists and animal lovers Rights are not given, they are taken. "How Austria Achieved a Historic Breakthrough for Animals," in Peter Singer (ed). 134 Harv. Animal Welfare Party Announces Six Candidates Contesting 2019 General Election November 14, 2019 AWP Councillor Jane Smith Retains Alsager Seat beating Labour and Conservatives May 4, 2019 Animal Rights Movement in European Parliament likely to be Tripled April 4, 2019 But we must be willing to persistently ask more compassionate candidates about their stances on animal issues, making it clear that we may choose among them accordingly. Can we please be real about this? For purposes of subsections (2), (3), and (4), the term "service animal" is limited to a dog or miniature horse. Steve Oka They work towards stopping cruelty against animals. "Ten Points for Activists" in Singer, Peter (ed.). Some of the awareness the film raised has been extrapolated, with people realizing that marine shows are just circuses in the water, and that circus animals suffer similarly on land. The Humane Society of the United States has published its "Humane Scorecard," a booklet that indicates how politicians stand on "animal-rights" issues. Though the U.S. [1], The animal rights movement emerged in the 19th century, focused largely on opposition to vivisection, and in the 1960s the modern movement sprang up in England around the Hunt Saboteurs Association. Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas often supports animal rights causes except, of course, those pertaining to cattle, a major business in Kansas. To capture the varying levels of protection each U.S. state has afforded to disadvantaged and excluded human populations, we used the LGBT policy tally provided by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and the Anti-Defamation Leagues (ADL) hate crime statute data. Recognizing that (1) humane treatment of animals is a human value that can only be fulfilled when nonhuman animals have basic legal & constitutional rights starting with personal and ecological sovereignty, (2) inhumane treatment of animals causes and exacerbates the big problems besetting human beings today, (3) the industry-government-media You can give animals that voice! Karen O'Connell The result is not only the on-going suffering of billions of animals each day, but also the ensuing degradation of our environment brought on by the meat industry, including a significant contribution to climate change, and in the field of research, the continuation of antiquated methods of testing, in the face of the development of more progressive methods which not only do not use animals, but also result in more accurate results. Karen Dawn's article is both brilliant and timely. 2022. I'd like to echo the many comments here that applaud Karen Dawn for her well-reasoned article. David Balmer, Political Director at the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and former member of Colorado State Senate, resigned to become the political director of state campaigns for the Humane Society . Many politicians accept lobbyist money to propose bills that are not in the best interest of our country. more than 7 years ago. Women remain more likely to. Lifelong vegetarian, vegan since 1994, advocate for animal rights, devoted animal lover, bassist and founding member of the rock band, Doctor of veterinary medicine, founder of Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights, Singer-songwriter, first rock star of the Middle East, United Nations delegate, animal rights activist, animal welfare supporter, Actor, businessman, animal rights activist, Primatologist, conservationist, advocate for mountain gorillas, Primate researcher known for his work with, Distinguished Professor of Law and Nicholas deB. That means no meat or dairy, of course; but . more than 7 years ago. The baby monkeys will still be subjected to terrifying stress for a year and then killed so that their brains can be examined. These traits include political ideology, wealth, religious beliefs, and gender. Karen Dawn is one of the most eloquent & best writers of animal rights/welfare issues. The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) The animals' future depends on it. Cavalieri, Paola and Singer, Peter (eds). This advocacy toolkit will walk you through the basics of how to lobby for pro-animal legislation. It's not easy to cover the complexity of animal protection in a human-centric world, but the author draws in many aspects of the issue. Democrats in both the House and the Senate scored higher than Republicans, with seven Democratic senators getting a 100+ rating and 22 congressmen getting the same high marks. In every one of those 35 years there would be 25-30 legislators earning an "A" grade--all Democrats. Create a Facebook page and a stand-alone website dedicated to information about your issue, and to building support in the community. It's high time that animal head-hunters power to shoot and kill which ever way they like (because the laws protect them) be cut off at the knees so that shameful oversights like the "Cecil-Lion" shooting and other like issues not be repeated again. Including I hope Homo sapiens. At the core of animal rights is autonomy, which is another way of saying choice. So each sow spends virtually her entire life in one form of crate or another, with as much room to move as a pair of loafers in a shoebox. more than 7 years ago. Yet each one of these billions represents an animal who is consciously aware, feels pain and suffering, and experiences emotions. The influence of well funded Animal Rights (AR) lobbyists becomes more apparent with each bill introduced by career politicians including Tx Gov. 53% of democrats view animal testing as morally acceptable. Strive to be well informed about the issue so that you come across as credible and knowledgeable. Hilary Spreiter Thank you for this very informative article. The Humane Society of the United States has published its Humane Scorecard, a booklet that indicates how politicians stand on animal-rights issues. Voters in California on Tuesday passed a ballot measure mandating more space for certain farm animals and banning the confinement of egg-laying hens in cages. Buddhism unreservedly embraces all living beings in its ethical cosmology without discrimination on grounds of species, race, or creed. In July, an American trophy hunter lured a black-maned lion named Cecil out of a national park in Zimbabwe and killed him. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing we set back the progress of humanity." Thank you for posting the article Making Animal Protection a Political Issue, written by Karen Dawn. But in a veto message to the senate, Brown explained that he was returning a whole group of bills because they would create new crimes during a period in which Californias criminal code has grown to more than 5,000 separate provisions, while the states jail and prison population has exploded. Here are the top 8 animal rights groups that have been actively advocating the Animal Welfare Act since its inception 14 years ago. You cannot get popular support without the street activists, like me, raising the public morality and so they will start demanding laws. Bardot later turned to animal rights activism. WRONG! Alongside this important movement, compassionate people are working to ensure that non-human animals are not left behind. more than 7 years ago. more than 7 years ago, Sad that so few animal advocates are involved in the legislative process. Gloria One small correction should be made , African Lions are listed as "threatened" not endangered. Senator Robert Smith of New Hampshire was a founder of the Congressional Friends of Animals. I saw pictures of activists holding up photos of pigs in gestation crates and was pleased that Christie was getting pressure for having flouted the will of his constituents, by vetoing the gestation crate bill. "Butchers' Knives into Pruning Hooks: Civil Disobedience for Animals," in Peter Singer (ed.). ~ Rachel Carson. Establish rapport with legislators support staff early on they are often more accessible than the legislators and can provide good information. Cecil, who was being studied by conservationists, struck a chord with the public. more than 7 years ago. On the issue of gestation crates, animal advocates have common ground with the vast majority of the public. It is just plain common sense that if you truly believe in justice, you cannot treat animals unjustly simply because they are unable to defend themselves and because they are different. Leave a packet of information that contains a clear, concise summary of your proposal. It's not just opposition to wanton killing of wildlife; it's not just opposition to killing magnificent individuals of a species (Cecil, biggest buck, etc.) Animal rights organization PETA has donated money to a variety of candidates over the years. Women were much more likely than men to support them. Support for animal research is down somewhat since 2009, when 52% of adults favored and 43% opposed the use of animals in scientific research. The plan aims to reduce Idaho's wolf population by 60%, primarily by . Actress Olivia Munn is an outspoken advocate for animal rights. Conservatives know that protecting animals can mean interfering with business.

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