The philosophy of Animal Rights
THE PHILOSOPHY OF
ANIMAL RIGHTS
The
other animals humans eat, use in science, hunt, trap, and exploit in a
variety of ways, have a life of their own that is of importance to them
apart from their utility to us. They are not only in the world, they
are aware of it. What happens to them matters to them. Each has a life
that fares better or worse for the one whose life it is.
That
life includes a variety of biological, individual, and social needs.
The satisfaction of these needs is a source of pleasure, their
frustration or abuse, a source of pain. In these fundamental ways, the
nonhuman animals in labs and on farms, for example, are the same as
human beings. And so it is that the ethics of our dealings with them,
and with one another, must acknowledge the same fundamental moral
principles.
At
its deepest level, human ethics is based on the independent value of
the individual: The moral worth of any one human being is not to be
measured by how useful that person is in advancing the interest of
other human beings. To treat human beings in ways that do not honor
their independent value is to violate that most basic of human rights:
the right of each person to be treated with respect.
The
philosophy of animal rights demands only that logic be respected. For
any argument that plausibly explains the independent value of human
beings implies that other animals have this same value, and have it
equally. And any argument that plausibly explains the right of humans
to be treated with respect, also implies that these other animals have
this same right, and have it equally, too.
It
is true, therefore, that women do not exist to serve men, blacks to
serve whites, the poor to serve the rich, or the weak to serve the
strong. The philosophy of animal rights not only accepts these truths,
it insists upon and justifies them.
But
this philosophy goes further. By insisting upon and justifying the
independent value and rights of other animals, it gives scientifically
informed and morally impartial reasons for denying that these animals
exist to serve us.
Once
this truth is acknowledged, it is easy to understand why the philosophy
of animal rights is uncompromising in its response to each and every
injustice other animals are made to suffer.
It
is not larger, cleaner cages that justice demands in the case of
animals used in science, for example, but empty cages: not
"traditional" animal agriculture, but a complete end to all commerce in
the flesh of dead animals; not "more humane" hunting and trapping, but
the total eradication of these barbarous practices.
For
when an injustice is absolute, one must oppose it absolutely. It was
not "reformed" slavery that justice demanded, not "re- formed" child
labor, not "reformed" subjugation of women. In each of these cases,
abolition was the only moral answer. Merely to reform injustice is to
prolong injustice.
The
philosophy of animal rights demands this same answer-- abolition--in
response to the unjust exploitation of other animals. It is not the
details of unjust exploitation that must be changed. It is the unjust
exploitation itself that must be ended, whether on the farm, in the
lab, or among the wild, for example. The philosophy of animal rights
asks for nothing more, but neither will it be satisfied with anything
less.
10 Reasons FOR Animal Rights and
Their Explanation
1. The philosophy of animal rights is rational
Explanation:
It is not rational to discriminate arbitrarily. And discrimination
against nonhuman animals is arbitrary. It is wrong to treat weaker
human beings, especially those who are lacking in normal human
intelligence, as "tools" or "renewable resources" or "models" or
"commodities." It cannot be right, therefore, to treat other animals as
if they were "tools," "models and the like, if their psychology is as
rich as (or richer than) these humans. To think otherwise is irrational.
"To describe an animal as a physico-chemical
system of extreme complexity is no doubt perfectly correct, except that
it misses out on the 'animalness' of the animal."
-- E.F. Schumacher
2. The philosophy of animal rights is scientific
Explanation: The
philosophy of animal rights is respectful of our best science in
general and evolutionary biology in particular. The latter teaches
that, in Darwin's words, humans differ from many other animals "in
degree," not in kind." Questions of line drawing to one side, it is
obvious that the animals used in laboratories, raised for food, and
hunted for pleasure or trapped for profit, for example, are our
psychological kin. This is no fantasy, this is fact, proven by our best
science.
"There is no fundamental difference between humans and the higher mammals in their mental faculties"
-- Charles Darwin
3. The philosophy of animal rights is unprejudiced
Explanation:
Racists are people who think that the members of their race are
superior to the members of other races simply because the former belong
to their (the "superior") race. Sexists believe that the members of
their sex are superior to the members of the opposite sex simply
because the former belong to their (the "superior") sex. Both racism
and sexism are paradigms of unsupportable bigotry. There is no
"superior" or "inferior" sex or race. Racial and sexual differences are
biological, not moral, differences.
The
same is true of speciesism -- the view that members of the species Homo
sapiens are superior to members of every other species simply because
human beings belong to one's own (the "superior") species. For there is
no "superior" species. To think otherwise is to be no less predjudiced
than racists or sexists.
"If you can justify killing to eat meat, you can justify the conditions of the ghetto. I cannot justify either one."
-- Dick Gregory
4. The philosophy of animal rights is justice
Explanation: Justice
is the highest principle of ethics. We are not to commit or permit
injustice so that good may come, not to violate the rights of the few
so that the many might benefit. Slavery allowed this. Child labor
allowed this. Most examples of social injustice allow this. But not the
philosophy of animal rights, whose highest principle is that of
justice: No one has a right to benefit as a result of violating
another's rights, whether that "other" is a human being or some other
animal.
"The
reasons for legal intervention in favor of children apply not less
strongly to the case of those unfortunate slaves -- the (other) animals"
- John Stuart Mill
5. The philosophy of animal rights is compassionate
Explanation: A
full human life demands feelings of empathy and sympathy -- in a word,
compassion -- for the victims of injustice -- whether the victims are
humans or other animals. The philosophy of animal rights calls for, and
its acceptance fosters the growth of, the virtue of compassion. This
philosophy is, in Lincoln's words, "the way of a whole human being."
"Compassion in action may be the glorious possibility that could protect our crowded, polluted planet ..."
-- Victoria Moran
6. The philosophy of animal rights is unselfish
Explanation:
The philosophy of animal rights demands a commitment to serve those who
are weak and vulnerable -- those who, whether they are humans or other
animals, lack the ability to speak for or defend themselves, and who
are in need of protection against human greed and callousness. This
philosophy requires this commitment, not because it is in our
self-interest to give it, but because it is right to do so. This
philosophy therefore calls for, and its acceptance fosters the growth
of, unselfish service.
"We
need a moral philosophy in which the concept of love, so rarely
mentioned now by philosophers, can once again be made central."
-- Iris Murdoch
7. The philosophy of animal rights is individually fulfilling
Explanation:
All the great traditions in ethics, both secular and religious,
emphasize the importance of four things: knowledge, justice,
compassion, and autonomy. The philosophy of animal rights is no
exception. This philosophy teaches that our choices should be based on
knowledge, should be expressive of compassion and justice, and should
be freely made. It is not easy to achieve these virtues, or to control
the human inclinations toward greed and indifference. But a whole human
life is imposssible without them. The philosophy of animal rights both
calls for, and its acceptance fosters the growth of, individual self-fulfillment.
"Humaneness is not a dead external precept, but a living impulse from within; not self-sacrifice, but self-fulfillment."
-- Henry Salt
8. The philosophy of animal rights is socially progressive
Explanation: The
greatest impediment to the flourishing of human society is the
exploitation of other animals at human hands. This is true in the case
of unhealthy diets, of the habitual reliance on the "whole animal
model" in science, and of the many other forms animal exploitation
takes. And it is no less true of education and advertising, for
example, which help deaden the human psyche to the demands of reason,
impartiality, compassion, and justice. In all these ways (and more),
nations remain profoundly backward because they fail to serve the true
interests of their citizens.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated."
-- Mahatma Gandhi
9. The philosophy of animal rights is environmentally wise
Explanation: The
major cause of environmental degradation, including the greenhouse
effect, water pollution, and the loss both of arable land and top soil,
for example, can be traced to the exploitation of animals. This same
pattern exists throughout the broad range of environmental problems,
from acid rain and ocean dumping of toxic wastes, to air pollution and
the destruction of natural habitat. In all these cases, to act to
protect the affected animals (who are, after all, the first to suffer
and die from these environmental ills), is to act to protect the earth.
"Until
we establish a felt sense of kinship between our own species and those
fellow mortals who share with us the sun and shadow of life on this
agonized planet, there is no hope for other species, there is no hope
for the environment, and there is no hope for ourselves."
-- Jon Wynne-Tyson
10 Reasons AGAINST
Animal Rights and Their Replies
1. You are equating animals and humans, when, in fact, humans and animals differ greatly.
Reply: We
are not saying that humans and other animals are equal in every way.
For example, we are not saying that dogs and cats can do calculus, or
that pigs and cows enjoy poetry. What we are saying is that, like
humans, many other animals are psychological beings, with an
experiential welfare of their own. In this sense, we and they are the
same. In this sense, therefore, despite our many differences, we and
they are equal.
"All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering, the animals are our equals."
-- Peter Singer
2.
You are saying that every human and every other animal has the same
rights, which is absurd. Chickens cannot have the right to vote, nor
can pigs have a right to higher education.
Reply: We
are not saying that humans and other animals always have the same
rights. Not even all human beings have the same rights. For example,
people with serious mental disadvantages do not have a right to higher
education. What we are saying is that these and other humans share a
basic moral right with other animals -- namely, the right to be treated
with respect.
"It is the fate of every truth to be an object of ridicule when it is first acclaimed."
-- Albert Schweitzer
3. If animals have rights, then so do vegetables, which is absurd.
Reply:
Many animals are like us: they have a psychological welfare of their
own. Like us, therefore, these animals have a right to be treated with
respect. On the other hand, we have no reason, and certainly no
scientific one, to believe that carrots and tomatoes, for example,
bring a psychological presence to the world. Like all other vegetables,
carrots and tomatoes lack anything resembling a brain or central
nervous system. Because they are deficient in these respects, there is
no reason to think of vegetables as psychological beings, with the
capacity to experience pleasure and pain, for example. It is for these
reasons that one can rationally affirm rights in the case of animals
and deny them in the case of vegetables.
"The case for animal rights depends only on the need for sentiency."
-- Andrew Linzey
4. Where do you draw the line? If primates and rodents have rights, then so do slugs and amoebas, which is absurd.
Reply: It
often is not easy to know exactly where to "draw the line." For
example, we cannot say exactly how old someone must be to be old, or
how tall someone must be to be tall. However, we can say, with
certainty, that someone who is eighty-eight is old, and that another
person who is 7'1" is tall. Similarly, we cannot say exactly where to
draw the line when it comes to those animals who have a psychology. But
we can say with absolute certainty that, wherever one draws the line on
scientific grounds, primates and rodents are on one side of it (the
psychological side), whereas slugs and amoebas are on the other --
which does not mean that we may destroy them unthinkingly.
"In
the relations of humans with the animals, with the flowers, with all
the objects of creation, there is a whole great ethic scarcely seen as
yet."
-- Victor Hugo
5.
But surely there are some animals who can experience pain but lack a
unified psychological identity. Since these animals do not have a right
to be treated with respect, the philosophy of animal rights implies
that we can treat them in any way we choose.
Reply:
It is true that some animals, like shrimp and clams, may be capable of
experiencing pain yet lack most other psychological capacities. If this
is true, then they will lack some of the rights that other animals
possess. However, there can be no moral justification for causing
anyone pain, if it is unnecessary to do so. And since it is not
necessary that humans eat shrimp, clams, and similar animals, or
utilize them in other ways, there can be no moral justification for
causing them the pain that invariably accompanies such use.
"The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor 'Can they talk?' but 'Can they suffer?"
-- Jeremy Bentham
6. Animals don't respect our rights. Therefore, humans have no obligation to respect their rights either.
Reply: There
are many situations in which an individual who has rights is unable to
respect the rights of others. This is true of infants, young children,
and mentally enfeebled and deranged human beings. In their case we do
not say that it is perfectly all right to treat them disrespectfully
because they do not honor our rights. On the contrary, we recognize
that we have a duty to treat them with respect, even though they have
no duty to treat us in the same way.
What
is true of cases involving infants, children, and the other humans
mentioned, is no less true of cases involving other animals, Granted,
these animals do not have a duty to respect our rights. But this does
not erase or diminsh our obligation to respect theirs.
"The
time will come when people such as I will look upon the murder of
(other) animals as they no look upon the murder of human beings."
-- Leonardo Da Vinci
7.God gave humans dominion over other animals. This is why we can do anything to them that we wish, including eat them.
Reply:
Not all religions represent humans as having "dominion" over other
animals, and even among those that do, the notion of "dominion" should
be understood as unselfish guardianship, not selfish power. Humans are
to be as loving toward all of creation as God was in creating it. If we
loved the animals today in the way humans loved them in the Garden of
Eden, we would not eat them. Those who respect the rights of animals
are embarked on a journey back to Eden -- a journey back to a proper
love for God's creation.
"And
God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is
upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit
of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."
-- Genesis 1:29
8.Only humans have immortal souls. This gives us the right to treat the other animals as we wish.
Reply: Many
religions teach that all animals, not just humans, have immortal souls.
However, even if only humans are immortal, this would only prove that
we live forever whereas other animals do not. And this fact (if it is a
fact) would increase, not decrease, our obligation to insure that this
-- the only life other animals have -- be as long and as good as
possible.
"There
is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like
about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind
to other animals as well as humans, it is all a sham."
-- Anna Sewell
9.
If we respect the rights of animals, and do not eat or exploit them in
other ways, then what are we supposed to do with all of them? In a very
short time they will be running through our streets and homes.
Reply: Somewhere
between 4-5 billion animals are raised and slaughtered for food every
year, just in the United States. The reason for this astonishingly high
number is simple: there are consumers who eat very large amounts of
animal flesh. The supply of animals meets the demand of buyers.
When
the philosophy of animal rights triumphs, however, and people become
vegetarians, we need not fear that there will be billions of cows and
pigs grazing in the middle of our cities or in our living rooms. Once
the financial incentive for raising billions of these animals
evaporates, there simply will no be not be millions of these animals.
And the same reasoning applies in other cases -- in the case of animals
bred for research, for example. When the philosophy of animal rights
prevails, and this use of these animals cease, then the financial
incentive for breeding millions of them will cease, too.
"The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That is the essence of inhumanity"
-- George Bernard Shaw
10.
Even if other animals do have moral rights and should be protected,
there are more important things that need our attention -- world hunger
and child abuse, for example, apartheid, drugs, violence to women, and
the plight of the homeless. After we take care of these problems, then
we can worry about animals rights.
Reply:
The animal rights movement stands as part of, not apart from, the human
rights movement. The same philosophy that insists upon and defends the
rights of nonhuman animals also insists upon and defends the rights of
human beings.
At
a practical level, moreover, the choice thoughtful people face is not
between helping humans or helping other animals. One can do both.
People do not need to eat animals in order to help the homeless, for
example, any more than they need to use cosmetics that have been tested
on animals in order to help children. In fact, people who do respect
the rights of nonhuman animals, by not eating them, will be healthier,
in which case they actually will be able to help human beings even more.
"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being."
-- Abraham Lincoln
.:source:.
Posted by, I Want Changes To Happen!
Recipes For A Vegan Thanksgiving Feast
ALL Natural Vegan Body Builders (2 Cool 2 Care?)
----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: ALL Natural Vegan Body Builders (2 Cool 2 Care?)
Date: Nov 20, 2008 6:41 PM
From: Nephesh ~ Abolition, Direct Action and Veganism
From: Rodeo~A legalized abuse of animals for cowards!!
From: *Eurasian Vegan* Save our forest creatures
From: *♥♥*Garden of Vegan*♥♥ *
Date: Nov 17, 2008 5:13 PM
This recipe is adapted from Vegan Planet. Serve with the *brown gravy.
For the Seitan:
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups wheat gluten flour
¼ cup bread flour
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup tamari or other soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¼ cups water
For the stuffing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
6 ounces oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped
8 ounces cooked vegan sausage, chopped
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried ground sage
½ teaspoon dried savory
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cups finely cubed bread
½ cup water
Make the Seitan:
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the tahini, tomato paste, and tamari, stirring to blend. Stir in the oil and water and blend until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, then knead for a minute.
Place the seitan between two sheets of plastic wrap on a flat work space and stretch it out with your hands, then roll it out with a rolling pin or wine bottle until it is approximately an 11-inch square about 1/3-inch thick. Let it rest while you make the stuffing. (You can place a 9-x13-baking dish on top of it to keep it stretched.
Make the Stuffing:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the mushrooms, vegan sausage, parsley, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook 5 minutes longer, then place in a large bowl. Stir in the bread and mix well. Add as much of the water as needed to moisten the stuffing mixture. Set the stuffing aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
To Assemble:
Use your hands to spread the stuffing evenly and firmly across the surface of the seitan, allowing a 1-inch border all around. Beginning at the edge nearest you, carefully roll up the seitan around the stuffing, using the film wrap it is laying on to help you. Use your fingers to press the edges of the seitan to seal the roast. Discard the film wrap.
Place the rolled seitan, seam side down, on a lightly oiled sheet of aluminum foil and enclose it, crimping the ends to seal the roast in the foil. Carefully place the roast in a 9- x 13- baking dish. Pour in enough water to come about halfway up the sides of the pan. Carefully place in the oven and bake for 90 minutes.
Open up the foil to expose the top of the roast and bake 10 minutes longer to brown. When the surface of the roast is firm and golden brown, remove it from the oven, and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Using a serrated knife, cut the roast into 1/2-inch slices and arrange on a platter.
Serves 8
Brown Gravy
1½ cups vegetable broth
1½ tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce
½ teaspoon Gravy Master or other browning sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water
¼ cup unsweetened soy milk
In a small saucepan, combine the stock, tamari, Gravy Master (if using), thyme, and salt and pepper to taste over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the soy milk. Do not to boil. Taste to adjust the seasonings before serving.
Makes about 2 cups
Cranberry Relish
This zesty and colorful relish makes a nice change from ordinary cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, but it’s too delicious to reserve for only once a year.
One 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1/4 cup finely minced red bell pepper
1 shallot, minced
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pick through cranberries to remove any stems and place in a saucepan along with the bell pepper, shallot, sugar, marmalade, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper.
Cook over medium heat, stirring to combine, and simmer until cranberries pop and mixture thickens, about 30 minutes.
Makes about 2 cups
Roasted Sweet Potato Sticks
Use sweet potatoes, rich in beta carotene and other nutrients, to make a colorful and tasty alternative to regular French fries. I find that this is a great way to win sweet potato converts among those who don’t like the overly sweet glazed or marshmallow topped preparation so commonly used for sweet potatoes. Oven roasting them in this way brings out the natural flavor. This recipe is from The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook.
3 to 4 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet and set aside. Peel the sweet potatoes then cut them in half lengthwise. Cut each in half into 1/4-inch wide strips.
Place the sliced potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat the potato slices well and spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake until potatoes are lightly browned and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with dried cranberries, if desired.
Serves 4 to 6
***
Ginger-Dusted Pumpkin Cheezecake
A rich and elegant alternative to pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving or anytime the mood strikes. Tofu cream cheese is available in well-stocked supermarkets and natural food stores. If unavailable, use regular tofu – just be sure squeeze out the excess liquid. For a final flourish, top each slice with a dollop of vegan whipped cream.
Crust:
1 ½ cups vegan ginger snaps or graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup vegan margarine, melted
Filling:
2 (8-ounce) containers tofu cream cheese
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping:
¼ cup ground crystallized ginger
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch springform pan or coat with nonstick spray. Place the crumbs directly into the pan, add the melted margarine and toss with fork to combine. Press the crumbs evenly against the bottom and side of the pan and set aside.
Place the tofu cream cheese in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the pumpkin and process until blended. Add the sugar, rum extract, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and process until well blended. Spread the filling evenly into the prepared crust. Bake for 45 minutes, or until firm. Turn off the oven and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 15 minutes to an hour without opening the oven door.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with ground crystallized ginger. [Note: crystallized ginger may be ground in an electric spice grinder or in a high speed blender.]
Serves 6
Apple-Pumpkin Delight
by Fatfree vegan
1 pound pumpkin, cushaw, or any sweet winter squash
2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 3 large apples)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Peel the pumpkin or squash and slice it thinly into pieces about 1-inch square (the size matters less than the thinness). Peel the apples and cut into slices, a little thicker than the pumpkin.
Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch. Oil a 2-quart casserole dish. Arrange half of the pumpkin slices in the dish, and sprinkle with about 1/4 of the sugar mixture; arrange half of the apple slices over the pumpkin and sprinkle with a quarter of the sugar mixture. Repeat pumpkin and sugar and arrange the final layer of apples on top, heaping slightly in the center if necessary; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes. Use a knife to lift up some of the apples and check to see that the pumpkin slices in the middle are completely done; if not, return to the oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve warm or cold.
enjoy!!!
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..
Milk harms your body
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__________________________________
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Temporal Flux
Reposted by Temporal Flux
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Thank you Phil!
VeganFuture
Making the trasition to veganism
Date: Jan 18, 2008 2:48 PM
Making The Transition To Veganism
Many
people find the transition to veganism easy, but some people have a
hard time with it. A few make the transition overnight; for others, it
will be a gradual process spanning weeks, months, even a year or more.
Old habits are hard to break, and new habits can be hard to form. I
went vegetarian for a year in 1995 before I went vegan on July 24,
1996. The only thing to keep in mind is to get to the state of total veganism sooner rather than later.
The animals are counting on it, especially cows on dairy farms and hens
on egg farms. As I've already said on countless occasions, and on this
website, the beef and dairy industries are inextricably linked, as are
the chicken and egg industries. Dairy cows who can no longer produce
milk profitably, and hens who can no longer lay eggs, are sent
IMMEDIATELY to slaughter. And that's not even to account for their
misery while they're imprisoned, tortured, inseminated, and forced to
act as egg- and milk-producing machines. Therefore, even if you consume
no meat, there is NO way you can cause little impact when consuming
milk and eggs. Don't be fooled by claims to the contrary.
Furthermore, don't buy into the agriculture industries' self-contradicting language suggesting that their products have been "farmed humanely." Terms like "free-range," "cage-free," "grass-fed," and "organic" are only advertising scams to trick people into buying cruel, deadly products. The aforesaid labels don’t benefit the animals; they only make meat-eaters sleep better, by making them think that these murdered animals were happy and well cared for.
Start eating a variety of fruits in the morning for breakfast. Or go buy some TOFUTTI cream cheese and some bagels. All bagels at the bagel store (Panera, Bruegger’s, etc.) are vegan except for the egg, cinnamon raisin, and cheese bagels, obviously (frozen bagels at the grocery are rarely vegan). I like to eat several different berries in the morning: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. At some point during the day, I also try to eat a banana, watermelon, peach, plum or orange. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a bagel is a great way to start the day as well. PB&J works for lunch, too. For lunch, have a veggie burger instead of a hamburger. The soy meats are easy to cook. Put the same toppings on them as well. Tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts, cucumbers, pickles and mustard or ketchup or MY FAVORITE— VEGANAISE! It is soy mayo and it is OUT OF THIS WORLD! For dinner, eat some ethnic foods. Get the Aloo Gobi (cauliflower) or Aloo Palak (spinach), or Chana Masala (chick peas) at an Indian restaurant. Make sure there is NO cheese or cream, of course. Or get some falafelhummus and tabouli and fatoush at a Middle Eastern place. Eat pasta or spaghetti at an Italian restaurant. Just inquire which noodles have NO eggs in them. And of course add vegetables like broccoli or mushrooms with some garlic, too. Hit those Asian places and substitute tofu for the meat. Make sure to tell them to cook it without fish and oyster sauce. Check out the Veg-Friendly Restaurants page on this site as well. and
Sometimes it takes extra effort to care, but I am always willing to put in extra effort to make sure OTHERS don’t suffer and die for me. If the cafeteria at your school isn’t offering enough veg food, get some students together and walk into the cafeteria office and ASK for more veg food. No need to scream or yell or protest, just peacefully demand that they cater to you and your fellow vegetarians/vegans. Rice and beans are super cheap, too, and easy to cook. And so are lentils. You might sometimes have to bring to school a lunch or dinner that you made at home, thereby consuming valuable time that you might have spent studying, or partying; but consider the victim’s point of view. If YOU were destined to be imprisoned, enslaved, tortured, and finally killed, wouldn’t you pray that somebody else would make that effort so you don’t have to suffer and die?
Don’t forget about the veggie sub at Subway (order it on Italian bread). Order the bean burrito without cheese at Taco Bell, too. It is the cheapest fast-food item around, and it’s vegan. The veggie sub at Subway is also the cheapest item on their menu. If you order a cheeseless pizza at Papa John’s (their sauce and dough are vegan), it is the same price as a pizza with cheese. When eating at ethnic restaurants, you'll find that their vegan items are the same price or cheaper than the meat entrées. So there is no extra expense there.
Veganism is easy as pie once you get used to it. So keep thinking compassionately and logically about this issue and you will be vegan before you know it.
Let me just add this for clarity's sake about dealing with people who might give you a hard time with your new lifestyle. Unethical people—whether they are friends, family members, or strangers—should not be advising ethical people on how to live their lives. You need to do what you now know to be true. So don't let others bring you down. Misery loves company; those who still eat flesh are drowning in misery, and would love some company. So stay strong. The animals are counting on you to make compassionate decisions.
I do have some bad news, though. Friends and family ARE the toughest people to talk to about veganism. Naturally, this hurts the most because they are the closest to us. But there is hope. My sister, who is now vegetarian, and my father, who made the transition to total veganism, changed their lifestyles years after we stopped discussing the issue. So you never know when logic will break through.
First and foremost, you MUST learn the facts about veganism. I recommend using my website to get all the info—and all the arguments—you will need to refute the lies that people will throw your way. Start with the articles on this webpage, All About Veganism. And then you can peruse the Other Animal Rights Issues page to find info about all the other issues involving animals.
I lost every meat-eating friend I had along the way, except ONE! My best friend for the last 28 years, Darin, is still my best friend, even though he still eats meat. You will find out quickly who your REAL friends are. Darin never argues with me, and always likes to eat vegan food with me. He looks me in the eye and tells me I am right about EVERYTHING, and that he has no arguments at all. And then he honestly admits that he is just "too lazy to change." I despise that type of apathy, but at least he is being honest about why he still eats flesh, instead of using trite lies and excuses like "God says it’s okay" or "it’s healthy." Just so you know, some vegans allow others to eat meat in front of them. I choose not to. My table is always veg. I, for the record, do not condemn fellow vegans who want to let others eat flesh in front of them because they want to show them how good vegan food truly is, and make them (subliminally) feel guilty about their flesh sandwich. This will be your decision.
I do not have a magical remedy for making friends, strangers or family listen. But if you ALWAYS speak the truth, know your facts, and let your passion come out, people WILL listen. Please do NOT hide your passion, or your emotions. Passion and emotion get a bad rap, but that’s only because people respond to both, so the unethical people in our society are always trying to mock people for being passionate and emotional. Remember, Susan B. Anthony, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, and many, many others, were ALL passionate and emotional about the causes they embraced.
A website called VegFamily Magazine might offer some help with friends and family. Let me also offer this advice: Don’t drive yourself insane with people who refuse to listen. Try and try and give it your best, and give them a chance to comprehend everything, but if you see NO progress at all, then STOP banging your head against the wall with those people, and MOVE ON to someone else. I guarantee that OTHERS are thirsting for knowledge, insight, and enlightenment. Your job is to find those people, and inform them. I stopped talking about veganism with my sister and my dad YEARS before they switched because they NEVER listened (or they apparently weren’t listening), and then one day it made sense to them. So don’t think your words can’t make a difference even many years later. Plant the seed, then hope it grows.
As Gandhi once said, “Even if you are only one person, the TRUTH is still the truth.” The strongest people stand alone. And no matter how many others you convert, you HAVE made a difference by going vegetarian/vegan. You might want to memorize a few quotes (on the Other Animal Rights Issues page) from prominent vegans/vegetarians, and use these quotes to introduce your new conversations.
Make your own vegan cream, cheese, mayonnaise, white sauce,...
From: *♥♥*Garden of Vegan*♥♥ *
Date: 23 Jan 2008, 17:44
Vegan Vittles by Joanne Stepaniak
1 10.5 oz. box firm silken tofu
1 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sweetener
1/2 tsp. salt
Crumble tofu and all other ingredients into a food processor and process for several minutes, until smooth. Stored in an air-tight container, it will keep up to 5 days in the fridge. Note: This may separate upon refrigeration and may need to be remixed.
Tofu Feta Cheese
The Vegan Chef
1 lb. extra firm tofu
3/4 C. water
1/2 C. mellow miso
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
Cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise. Turn each half cut-side down on the board, cut through the outer edge of the block of tofu 3 times to yield 4 tofu cutlets from each half. This means that the block of tofu yields 8 tofu cutlets. On a large cookie sheet, place a layer of paper towels, then all of the tofu cutlets in a single layer, followed by another layer of paper towels, and finally place another large cookie sheet on top. Place several large cans or something very heavy on top of the cookie sheet and leave tofu to sit for 1 hour. This process is known as cutting tofu into cutlets and pressing. I use this technique a lot as it makes the texture of the tofu much firmer.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and set aside. After the tofu has pressed for 1 hour, cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the cubes of tofu in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Pour the marinade over the top, cover with the lid, and gently toss the tofu. Chill and allow the tofu to marinate for several hours. Shake the tofu cubes before using. The tofu feta cubes can be used in salads and sandwiches. Kept refrigerated, the tofu feta will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks.
Cilantro Tofu Cream
The Vegan Chef
1 - 12.3 oz. pkg. silken style tofu, firm
1/3 C. freshly chopped cilantro
1/3 C. soy milk
3 T. lemon juice
1 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. salt
In a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a glass bowl. Cover and chill for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Serve as a topping for soups, salads, and Mexican dishes just as you would use sour cream. Yield: 2 1/2 Cups
Tofu Mayonnaise
www.ivu.org
4 ounces silken tofu
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
salt and pepper -- to taste
Puree the tofu with 1/4 cup of water, oil, lemon juice and mustard until smooth. Add grated lemon rind and season with salt and pepper. You can add 4-6 garlic cloves, mashed with 1/2 teaspoon salt, to the mixture to make garlic mayonnaise. You can experiment with using less oil, or more tofu, according to your taste. You can also add finely chopped white onion or scallion to zip it up.
Soy Mayonnaise
www.ivu.org
1 cup soy milk
1 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt or seasoning salt
1 tsp onion powder and garlic powder (optional)
2 tbsp lemon juice (or more to taste)
Put the soy milk, oil, salt and onion powder in a blender. Process for about 1 minute then slowly fold in lemon juice to taste.
Almosen Sprinkle (a parmesan cheese substitute)
1/2 c blanched almonds
1/2 c engevita/ nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
Grind almonds to a fine powder in your coffer grinder or Vitamix, and combine in a plastic or glass container (with a tight fitting lid) with engevita/ nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Put lid on and shake vigorously until well combined. Keeps in your fridge for up to a month or more. Use it wherever you'd use parmesan or romano cheese.
Super Easy Vegan White Sauce
www.ivu.org
1 pint soy milk
5 T flour
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1/2- 1 T seasoning salt
Blend ingredients well (in blender if you wish) then bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Or make traditional white sauce using margarine instead of butter and soymilk or broth instead of milk.
Melty Nutritional Yeast "Cheese"
1 c nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 c white flour (I use sifted wholewheat or wholewheat pastry flour)
1 tsp salt
2 c water
1/4 - 1/2 c margarine (I use oil)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
2 tsp wet mustard (opt)
Mix dry ingredients in a saucepan. Gradually add water, stirring with a whisk , making a smooth paste and then thinning with the remaining water. Place on heat and stir constantly until it thickens and bubbles. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds and remove from heat. Whip in the margarine (and mustard). The sauce may get thick if it sits for a while. If so, heat it up and whip in a small amount of water.
VARIATION:
For a richer, stretchier sauce that's good on pizza, substitute for the flour 3 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp flour, whip in 1 cup oil instead of margarine, add as much as 1 cup more water at the end, as needed to make a thick, smooth, pourable sauce. Pour it on your pizza and for the last few minutes of baking, put it under the until it forms a stretchy, golden-brown speckled skin.
Rich Tofu Cream Cheese
Yield: 1 1/4 (one and a quarter) cups
Cashews contribute their sweet, buttery taste, a flavour often associated with dairy cream cheese, while tofu provides substance to this rich, tempting spread. For scrumptious vegetarian "lox and cream cheese", top with strips of roasted red peppers.
1/4 (quarter) c raw cashew pieces
3 T water
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T brown rice syrup, or 2 tsp pure maple syrup, or 1 T barley malt syrup
1 c firm regular tofu, patted dry and crumbled
3/4 (three quarters) tsp salt
scant pinch of garlic granules
Place the cashew pieces, water, lemon juice, and syrup in a blender, and process several minutes into a thick, smooth cream. Add the salt, crumbled tofu, and garlic granules, and process until very smooth. It is essential to blend the mixture for several minutes in order to pulverize the tofu and achieve a velvety smooth consistency. Chill thoroughly before serving.
Quick & Easy Homemade Gluten (Seitan)
www.ivu.org
1 cup gluten flour
1 cup water
Stir gluten flour & water together, adding more water if necessary. You want a nice thick dough. Knead to get the gluten elastic and squeeze out the excess water. (I do this right in the bowl I mixed it in, or a colander would work to drain off the water.) Break in small (1") pieces and simmer in a vegetable broth at least 1/2 hour. Note: The longer you knead and simmer the gluten, the tougher it will become, so you can pick your own texture. This recipe is a lot simpler than the "old-fashioned" way! Prep time: about 1 hour. Seitan is very versatile; delicious sauteed, baked, fried…
Tzatziki
The Vegan Chef
2 c. cucumber, peeled, deseeded, and diced
salt
1/2 c. plain soy yogurt
1/2 c. tofu sour cream
2 T. freshly chopped dill
1 T. freshly chopped mint
1 T. garlic, minced
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. white pepper
paprika for garnish
Place the cucumber in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt, and set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse cucumber, drain well, pat dry, and set aside. In a glass bowl, combine the soy yogurt, tofu sour cream, dill, mint, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and blend well. Add the cucumber and fold gently. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Sprinkle the top of the tzatziki with a little paprika before serving. Serve with assorted raw vegetables or pita bread.
Animal Welfare Natzis
From: Tierra ~Abolition, Veganism, & Direct Action
Date: Dec 17, 2007 7:48 AM
Many Nazis were brutal inhumane fiends. Many animal welfare
activists are saintly in their altruistic devotion to
animals. In the name of machine-like efficiency, the Third
Reich produced a killing machine that processed human lives
much the same way that today's modern day slaughterhouses
process millions of animals each day. Had the Nazi killing
been random and chaotic, it would never have been as
efficiently abominable. To the Nazis, compassionate mass
murder meant killing victims who did not know their final
fate until the very final moment of their lives. Was the
final act of death in Nazi slaughterhouses any different
than today's Slaughter house?
This is a most difficult column for me to write. As an
American Jew, the roots of my family tree include relatives
who were gassed and incinerated in Hitler's crematoriums.
Each day of mankind's history includes examples of the
horrors of hostilities and death. Every issue of the New
York Times contains stories of war and conflict and murder
by terror.
In 1915, the Turkish government sanctioned the slaughter of
millions of Armenians. Many people were raped, tortured,
viciously beaten for the amusement of those with the power
to commit crimes against man. In the Armenian Genocide,
murder was committed in the streets, and killers laughed and
took pleasure in their crimes.
Similar events recently took place in Serbia and Croatia,
rationalized by nationalistic policies that the world came
to know as "ethnic cleansing." Each century contains
examples of horror committed by man against man. No animal
would do the same. Nature does not allow for such aberrant
behavior.
Jews were "processed," in Nazi slaughterhouses, and the
killing was made efficient. Such slaughterhouses were
staffed by Hitler's regime with workers hired from animal
slaughterhouses. Hitler was influenced by and adapted the
assembly-line efficiency of Henry Ford's car factories.
Hitler also recognized that compassionate slaughter of Jews
would translate into an orderly and expedient final
solution.
If farm animals sensed the details of their final solution,
they would stampede long before being loaded onto trucks.
Jews were transported to trains. They were then sent to
slaughterhouses, and had no reason to believe that something
other than water would come out of shower spigots. Instead,
doors were locked and they were gassed to death. Efficient
murder.
Those analyzing the problem (To Nazis, the existence of the
Jewish race was a problem) also created their version of a
compassionate solution. Kill Jews by generating as little
fear as possible. Lead them to their final deaths calmly, so
as not to evoke fear and chaos, and to make slaughter an
efficient process.
Today, many people who are active in the animal welfare
movement act no differently than the Nazi planners. In order
to reduce the final pain of death, measures were taken to
reduce the stress of one or more of the stages before
slaughter.
Compassionate human slaughter was a crime against humanity.
Nazis in slaughterhouses showed compassion as a matter of
policy, in the name of efficiency, but their crimes were no
less horrible than the rapes and cruelty by the Turks to the
Armenians.
Compassionate animal slaughter is no less a crime than the
child who tortures a cat or dog. Each act results in death.
Treating a chicken "humanely" by giving it ten percent more
living space is no different than slicing its throat while
the bird feels pain and thrashes, resonating death squawks
in blood. Each chicken dies, and compassionate measures
merely provide efficiency in a series of stages leading to
slaughter.
Many animal welfare activists devote their lives to raising
money to promote compassionate animal slaughter laws. Many
of these same people make a very healthy living by skimming
much of that money for their needs, and calling that blood
money "salary."
Slaughterhouse workers live lives of violence, and soon
become immune to the horrors of their daily jobs.
Occasionally, these workers capture a moment. A glance from
a dying animal asking for help. A look of fear, asking "Why
are you doing this to me?" The screams of dying animals are
not thank you messages for those who devote their energies
to making life before death tolerable.
The animal welfare Nazis must look carefully in the mirror.
Those supporting compassionate slaughter should devote their
energies to "zero slaughter" campaigns.
Nazi Germany tried hard to keep secret their holocaust.
People standing along train routes knew the fate of the
Jews. The secret was not much of a secret to these people,
who participated in a nationwide effort to keep truth from
the victims.
Today's slaughterhouse secrets are kept from the public.
Animal welfare Nazis are part of the problem. Each new
compassionate slaughter law is a victory to them, allowing
for celebrations that result in more funding. The vicious
slaughter continues, and the secret photos of
slaughterhouses remain known to just a select few.
In 1996, Paul and Linda McCartney issued this joint
statement:
"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be
vegetarian."
Compassionate slaughter laws exist to keep those images of
horror secret. All people must see truth, for that is the
last chance for animals.
If the animals who were fated to die had human qualities,
such as gallantry, valor, ethics, and courage, they would
seek to get slaughter photos into the hands of all meat
eaters.
To these imaginary freedom-fighting farm animals, the animal
welfare Nazis who promote compassionate animal slaughter are
one and the same with those who clench the knives. To those
who thrust the killing weapon. To those who cut the flesh.
Animal rights Nazis stand in the way of truth and justice.
Followup
Yesterday, I was not very well versed on the debate between
animal rights welfarists and animal rights abolitionists.
Today, I have a better understanding and respect for the
issues through the work of a courageous law professor from
New Jersey, Gary Francione.
Five of Francione's comments:
"There is no animal rights movement in the United States.
There is only an animal welfare movement (PeTA and HSUS) that seeks to
promote the "humane" exploitation of animals."
"To disagree is not to be 'divisive.' I disagree with the
welfarists. I regard welfarism as ineffective and
counterproductive. I think that the empirical evidence is
absolutely clear that welfarism does not work. Despite all
of the welfarist campaigns of the last century, we are using
more animals now in more horrific ways than ever before in
human history."
"The most important form of incremental change is educating
the public about the need for abolition. We have not yet had
that, for the U.S. movement has always been embarrassed
about being 'radical.' We do not want to alienate the
'mainstream.' The problem is that the 'mainstream' is
polluted and we ought to stay far away from the mainstream."
"The 19th century reformers argued that it was better for a
slave's owner to beat his slave four times a week rather
than five...Putting a string quartet on the way to the gas
chambers -- as the Nazis did during the Holocaust -- may
make things more "humane" in some sense, but that misses the
point, doesn't it?"
"Nonhumans will continue to be exploited until there is a
revolution of the human spirit, and that will not happen
without visionaries trying to change the paradigm that has
become accustomed to and tolerant of patriarchal violence."
"Cattles think they are going back to where they came from"
Evil Temple Grandin the slaughter house designer
NotMilk.com
Veganism: The Primary Principle of the Abolitionist Move
Date: Dec 5, 2007 11:21 AM
Veganism: The Fundamental Principle of the Abolitionist Movement
Posted by: Gary L. Francione in Blog
Many animal welfare advocates claim that the rights position, which seeks the abolition of animal use, is not practical because it rejects incremental change and does not provide any guidance for what we should do now—today—to help nonhumans. These critics of the abolitionist position argue that we have no choice but to pursue more animal-welfare regulations—more attempts to make animal exploitation more “humane”—if we want to do something “practical” to help animals.
The notion that animal welfare regulations provide significant protection for animal interests is about as wrong as wrong gets. As I have discussed in my writing, because animals are property, they are only economic commodities with nothing but extrinsic or conditional value. Their interests have no inherent value. As a result, standards that require their “humane” treatment are interpreted in an economic sense and limit protection to what will provide an economic benefit to humans. Purported improvements in animal welfare do very little, if anything, to increase protection for animal interests; for the most part, they do nothing more than to make animal exploitation more economically efficient and socially acceptable. Moreover, there is no historical evidence that animal welfare regulation leads to abolition.
The welfarists are also mistaken to claim that the rights position does not provide any practical incremental steps that we can take on the road to abolition. There is very clear guidance for incremental change: veganism.
Veganism is not merely a matter of diet; it is a moral and political commitment to abolition on the individual level and extends not only to matters of food, but to clothing, other products, and other personal actions and choices. Becoming a vegan is the one thing that we can all do today—right now—to help animals. It does not require an expensive campaign, the involvement of a large organization, legislation, or anything other than our recognition that if “animal rights” means anything, it means that we cannot justify consuming meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or other animal products.
Veganism reduces animal suffering and death by decreasing demand. It represents a rejection of the commodity status of nonhumans and recognition of their inherent value.
Many animal advocates claim to favor animal rights but continue to eat animal products. Indeed, many “leaders” of the animal movement are not vegans. That is no different from someone who claims to be in favor of the abolition of slavery but who continues to own slaves.
There is no meaningful distinction between eating flesh and eating dairy or other animal products. Animals exploited in the dairy industry live longer than those used for meat, but they are treated worse during their lives, and they end up in the same slaughterhouse after which we consume their flesh anyway. There is probably more suffering in a glass of milk or an ice cream cone than there is in a steak. And anyone who thinks that an egg—even a so-called “free range” one—is any less a product of horrible suffering than is meat does not know much about the egg industry.
If someone stops eating flesh but eats more dairy or eggs as a result (as many “vegetarians” do), this may actually increase suffering. In any event, to maintain that there is moral distinction between eating flesh and eating dairy, eggs, or consuming other animal products, is as silly as maintaining that there is a moral distinction between eating large cows and eating small cows.
Rather than embracing veganism as a clear moral baseline, the animal advocacy movement has instead adopted the notion that we can act ethically and still consume animal products. Consider the following examples (of which there are many):
- Peter Singer maintains that we can be “conscientious omnivores” and exploit animals ethically if, for example, we choose to eat “free-range” animals who have been raised and killed in a relatively “humane” manner. (The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter, at 81-169) Singer praises purveyors of “humanely” exploited animals, such as Whole Foods Markets, Inc. and its CEO, John Mackey, as “ethically responsible” (177-83) and he describes strict veganism as “fanatical” (281).
Tom Regan featured Mackey as the keynote speaker for a 2005 conference entitled The Power of One, which focused on the ability of individuals to make meaningful changes for nonhumans. Regan celebrates Mackey and Whole Foods as “a driving force behind higher standards in animal welfare.”
PETA gave Whole Foods an award in 2004, claiming that the company “has consistently done more for animal welfare than any retailer in the industry, requiring that its producers adhere to strict standards.” PETA also gave an award in 2004 to slaughterhouse designer Temple Grandin, declaring her—quite remarkably in my view—to be a “visionary.”
Humane Farm Animal Care, with its partners the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal People, World Society for the Protection of Animals, and others, promotes the Certified Humane Raised & Handled Label, which it describes as “a consumer certification and labeling program” to give consumers assurance that a labeled “egg, dairy, meat or poultry product has been produced with the welfare of the farm animal in mind.”
It is, of course, as a general matter, always better to do less harm than more once we have decided to inflict harm. If we are going to eat an animal who has been tortured, I suppose that it is “better” to eat the one who has been tortured less. But putting aside the question whether “humanely” raised nonhumans are really tortured less than others, there is a big difference between the position that less suffering is better than more suffering, and the position that causing less suffering makes an action morally acceptable. The notion that the animal movement actively and explicitly promotes the latter position—that doing less harm is a morally acceptable solution to the problem of animal exploitation—is deeply troubling.
If X is going to rape Y, it is “better” that he not beat Y as well. It would, however, be morally repugnant to maintain that we can be “conscientious rapists” by ensuring that we not beat rape victims. Similarly, it is disturbing that animal advocates are promoting the notion that we can be morally “conscientious omnivores” if we eat the supposedly “humanely” produced animal products sold by “ethically responsible” purveyors of suffering and death. Not only is such a position in conflict with the notion that nonhumans have moral significance, but it strongly encourages people to see continued consumption as a morally acceptable alternative to adopting a vegan lifestyle.
Moreover, many of the animal organizations portray veganism as involving a difficult lifestyle that requires considerable self-sacrifice and is only for the “hardcore” advocate. I became a vegan 24 years ago. It was not particularly difficult back then but it is absolutely absurd to characterize it as difficult today. It is easy to be a vegan. Sure, you are more limited in your restaurant choices, particularly if you do not live in or near a large city, but if this inconvenience is significant to you and keeping you from being vegan, then you probably were not serious about the issue anyway.
The animal movement will never have even a hope of shifting the paradigm of speciesist hierarchy as long as it is not absolutely clear as a baseline principle that it is morally wrong to consume meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or any other products made from animals.
If, in the late 1980s—when the animal advocacy community in the United States decided very deliberately to pursue a welfarist agenda—a substantial portion of movement resources had been invested in vegan education and abolitionist education, there would likely be hundreds of thousands more vegans than there are today. This is a very conservative estimate given the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been expended by animal advocacy groups to promote welfarist legislation and initiatives. I maintain that having the increased number of vegans would reduce suffering more by decreasing demand for animal products than have all of the welfarist “successes” put together and multiplied ten-fold. Increasing the number of vegans would also help to build a political and economic base required for the social change that is a necessary predicate for significant legal change.
Given limited time and limited financial resources, it is not clear how anyone who seeks abolition as a long-term goal, or who at least accepts that the property status of animals is a most serious impediment to any significant change and must at least be radically modified, could believe that expansion of traditional animal welfare is a rational and efficient choice—putting aside any considerations about inconsistencies in moral theory.
Assume that tomorrow, you have two hours to spend on animal advocacy. You cannot do everything; you must choose. There is no doubt in my mind that 2 hours of your time spent on passing out literature about veganism is, in a number of ways, a much better use of your time than 2 hours of your time campaigning for bigger battery cages or for more “humane” forms of animal slavery.
In sum, just as someone who says that human slavery is wrong but who continues to own slaves is not really an abolitionist with respect to human slavery, someone who says that animal slavery is wrong but who does not embrace veganism as a way of life is not really an abolitionist with respect to animal slavery. Let those of us who accept the abolitionist approach be clear and unequivocal and promote veganism in our words and our actions.
Gary L. Francione
© 2006 Gary L. Francione
Why the Government Allows Meat Consumption
Date: 05 Dec 2007, 21:34
Why the Government Allows Meat Consumption
This is the same government that condoned slavery and segregation for hundreds of years. The same government that denied women the right to vote until 85 years ago. The same government that stole America from Natives and called it manifest destiny. The same government that denies equal rights to gays. The same government that labels anyone opposed to the Iraq War as unpatriotic or a supporter of terrorism. The same government that denies health care to the needy. I think you get the picture.
The meat and dairy industries represent two of the most powerful and profitable businesses on this planet. Since money makes our government churn, how can it even begin to promulgate the unhealthiness of meat, eggs and dairy, or the immorality of killing billions of animals?
We should never rely on politicians to make the world a more ethical place. Only when we, collectively, climb out of our abyss of callousness, open up our circles of compassion, stop viewing animals as commodities and property, and start viewing them as family, will animals ever achieve the freedom they rightly deserve. Senators, representatives, the President, even your local police chief, have no incentive to outlaw the killing of animals because society doesn't reward the ethical vegan, it deifies the cruel meat-eater.
Recipes for your cruelty free holiday entertaining
Serves 6 to 8
1 bag fresh cranberries (remove the soft ones, wash and coarsely chop remainder in food processor)
4 green onions, chopped (about a 1/2 cup)
2 small jalapeño peppers (or 1 large), seeded and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 ounces of vegan cream cheese (try Tofutti)
Vegan crackers
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, and store in the fridge in an air tight container for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to mellow.
Scoop vegan cream onto a serving plate, and pour cranberry mixture on top. Serve with vegan crackers.
Chicken-Free Gravy
Makes 4 servings
3 tablespoons soy margarine
1 cup flour
1 cup nutritional yeast*
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning**
1 teaspoon onion salt
dash of pepper
2 cups vegetarian broth or 1 vegetarian bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
Melt the soy margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutritional yeast, and seasonings, stirring quickly with a whisk.
Add the broth, stirring until blended. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes, or until thick.
* Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast rich in vitamins and minerals, with a wonderful cheesy flavor that can be found in most natural foods grocery stores. It can be easily added to soups, stews, casseroles, or in place of cheese to make any dish creamier.
** Poultry seasoning—a mixture of sage, thyme, marjoram, and other herbs—can be found in nearly every grocery store.
Cornbread*
Serves 9
1-1/2 cups soymilk
1-1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the soymilk and vinegar and set aside.
Mix the cornmeal, unbleached flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the soymilk mixture and the oil. Stir until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in an oil-sprayed 9x9-inch baking dish. Bake until the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.
* This recipe is courtesy of Compassionate Cooks
Herbed Crostini with Roasted Garlic
Serves 8
For the Herbed Crostini
1 loaf French or Italian bread
6 tablespoons olive oil
dashes of oregano or basil
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Cut the bread into 32 slices. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle on oregano or basil. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve immediately with Roasted Garlic.
For the Roasted Garlic
8 bulbs garlic
8 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Cut off the tops of the bulbs of garlic, exposing the tops of each clove. Drizzle each bulb with a tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap well in tinfoil.
Bake the wrapped garlic bulbs until soft, 50 to 60 minutes.
While warm, spread onto Herbed Crostini.
Savory Stuffing
Serves 6 to 8
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups soft bread cubes
1 cup chopped apple
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup cranberries
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and then sauté the onion and celery until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Pour the sautéed vegetables into a casserole dish. Add the remaining ingredients, bread cubes through seasonings. Toss well, making sure all of the bread cubes are soaked in the vegetable broth. Bake for 45 minutes.
Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves 3 to 4
1 acorn squash
2 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
1 tablespoon soy margarine
1 tablespoon nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Slice the acorn squash in half and scrape out the seeds and the strings. Place both halves face down in a casserole pan filled with 1/2 inch of water. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Put the peeled and sliced apples, dried cranberries, brown sugar, and pine nuts (if using) into a bowl and toss until well mixed.
Take the steamed acorn squash out of the oven. Empty the casserole pan of any water. Place the halves face up and fill with the apple mixture. Top with the soy margarine and nutmeg. Cover the pan loosely with tin foil and bake until the squash, apples, and cranberries are soft, about 30 minutes.
Crispy Home Fries
Serves 2 to 4
4 medium baking potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon oregano
1 small onion, chopped (or more to taste)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or more if adding the optional vegetables)
Put the thinly sliced potatoes and the spices in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake for 30 seconds, until the potatoes are well coated. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, sauté the chopped onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms (if using) in olive oil until the onion is translucent and slightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the spiced potato slices to the sautéed onions (and other vegetables, if used) in the frying pan. Toss well. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, browning over medium-low heat. Do not stir. Flip over and let sit for another 10 minutes, or until both sides are crispy brown. Serve immediately.
Creamy Cucumber Dip with Crispy Chips
Serves 6
For the dip
2 small cucumbers
1 14-ounce package of tofu
3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup finely sliced red onion
Peel, seed, and grate the cucumbers, then let it sit for 10 minutes.
In a blender, combine the tofu, lemon juice, garlic, salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Blend until completely smooth.
Squeeze the grated cucumber to remove any excess moisture and then place them in a serving bowl with the red onion. Stir in the tofu mixture. Chill 2 to 3 hours before serving.
For the chips
6 pieces pita bread
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
dashes garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, and salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Brush the tops of the pita breads very lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle each pita with the seasonings. Cut each piece into 6 to 8 triangular wedges and place them in a single layer on baking trays or aluminum foil.
Bake the pita chips until they're very crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from oven and cool on a rack.
“Cheezy” Garbanzo Spread
Makes about 2 cups
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid, and place them in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredients. Process until very smooth. If using a blender, occasionally stop to push down the bean mixtures with a rubber spatula. The mixture should be quite thick, but if blending is difficult, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved bean liquid.
Serve on crackers or bread, in casseroles, or as a delicious filling for quesadillas.
Moo-Free Cheese Sauce
Makes about 2 cups
2 tablespoons soy margarine
2 cups nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 to 1 cup soy or rice milk
Melt the soy margarine in a pan. Once melted, add the remaining ingredients, whisking well. Add more non-dairy milk for desired consistency. Continue stirring until well blended. Delicious served over pasta or grilled vegetables.
Mango & Black Bean Salsa
Serves 4 to 8
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 7-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15-ounce can mango slices, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and lightly toss.
Serve with baked tortilla chips or as a delicious garnish on burritos.
“Cheezy” Potato Skins
Serves 4
4 large baking potatoes
1/2 small butternut squash, cubed
1/2 cup soy margarine
spices, to taste
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour. (Note: Do not wrap the potatoes in foil.)
While the potatoes are baking, steam the butternut squash until tender and then scoop out of the rind into a large bowl.
Once the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, remove them from the oven and halve. Scoop out the potatoes from the skins, leaving about 1/4 inch attached, and put in the bowl with the squash. Add the soy margarine and any spices, such as black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, or cumin. Mash until the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes.
Place the skin halves onto a baking sheet and spoon the mixture into each skin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Serve as-is or with tofu sour cream or salsa.
Bean Dip Delight
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 hot pepper, diced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 24-ounce can kidney beans, saving liquid
5 to 6 ounces salsa
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the onion, hot pepper, and garlic until the onion is clear. Add the drained kidney beans and salsa, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the beans are soft.
Mash with a fork or potato masher. (The mixture should be fairly thick.) To thin, add tablespoons of the saved bean liquid until reaching the desired consistency.
Tuscan Panzanella
Serves 4 to 6
4 slices Italian bread
olive oil cooking spray
1 cup basil leaves (preferably fresh)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup pitted, halved black olives (optional)
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 16-ounce can white beans
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Trim the crusts from the bread slices. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly coat the bread cubes with cooking spray and bake until toasted, about 15 minutes.
Combine the basil, onion, olives (if using), tomatoes, and rinsed and drained beans in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir with a whisk until mixed well. Pour over the tomato-bean mixture and lightly toss. Add the toasted bread cubes and toss well.
Pumpkin Seeds
Makes 2 to 4 servings
seeds from 1 large pumpkin
salt
nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Extract the seeds from the pumpkin. Separate and discard the pulp. Thoroughly wash the seeds in warm water.
Spread the seeds onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and nutritional yeast flakes. Bake for 20 minutes, checking them every 5 minutes to lightly toss and add more seasonings, if desired.
After 20 minutes, take out one seed and taste after it’s cooled. If the inside of the seed is dry, the pumpkin seeds are ready! Allow to cool and serve.
Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Sauce
Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Sauce
1-1/2 cups Lentils, uncooked
1 cup Brown Rice, uncooked
2 Onions
6 tbsp. Tomato Puree
2 tbsp. Molasses, unsulphured
1 tbsp. Mustard, prepared, brown
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Garlic, powder
2 tsp. Sage
1 tsp. Marjoram
Hot Sauce (to taste)
Preparation
Place 3-1/2 cups of cold water in a covered glass pot and heat on the stove top until it boils. While the water is heating, rinse the lentils in a strainer, and remove any stones or other foreign matter. Add the rinsed lentils to the boiling water, cover, and lower heat to "simmer". Cook until all the water is absorbed.
Place 2 cups of cold water in a second covered glass pot and heat on the stove top until it boils. Add the rice to the boiling water, cover, and lower the heat to "simmer". Cook until all the water is absorbed.
While the lentils and rice are cooking, wash, peel and finely dice the onions. We precook the onions in a microwave oven for about 3 or 4 minutes and set aside. If you don't have a microwave oven, add the onions to the lentil pot when the water is almost completely absorbed, and cook with the lentils until all the water is absorbed.
The barbecue sauce can also be prepared while the lentils and rice are cooking. In a small mixing bowl combine the tomato puree, mustard, molasses, soy sauce, and one half of the garlic, sage, marjoram, and as much hot sauce as you like. Mix well and set aside.
When the lentils are cooked, place then in a large mixing bowl and coarsely mash so that most of the lentils are broken. Add the remaining garlic, sage and marjoram. Add the onions and one half of the barbecue sauce and mix well. Add the cooked rice and, again, mix well.
Firmly press the lentil loaf mix into a lightly oiled loaf pan or covered glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour on the remaining barbecue sauce and evenly spread over the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 350º F. for 1 hour. Serve plain or with your favorite condiment. Enjoy!
The above photo is of a "wedge" cut from a lentil loaf baked in a round glass baking dish.
Animal cruelty Warning graphical video
From: ♥Just a bimbo [who stands for nothing]
Date: Dec 4, 2007 10:11 AM
AMAZING VEGAN SANDWICH RECIPES
From: L'Angelo Misterioso
Date: 02 Dec 2007, 09:13
AMAZING VEGAN SANDWICH RECIPES
Ezekiel Bread (Ezekiel 4:9)
Makes 4 loaves
3 hours ; 2 hours prep
This bread will supply protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Plus it tastes good! Prep time includes time for the dough to rise.
Made during Bible times, this is a Middle Eastern bread.
8 cups wheat flour
4 cups barley flour
2 cups lentils, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup millet flour (grind up millet in the blender)
1/4 cup rye flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
2 (1/4 ounce) packets yeast, in or 1 tablespoon yeast, in
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix the other ingredients.
Blend lentils, oil and small amount of water in blender and place into large mixing bowl with remaining water.
Stir in two cups of mixed flour.
Add yeast mixture.
Stir in remaining salt and flour.
Place on floured bread board and knead until smooth.
Put in oiled bowl.
Let rise until double in bulk.
Knead again and cut dough and shape into loaves.
Place in greased pans.
Let rise.
Bake at 375* for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Enjoy!
Prep time includes time letting dough rise.
Veganaise (Vegan Mayonnaise) Copycat Recipe
2 1/4 cups safflower oil
1 cup soymilk
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
2-2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, raw or lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Combine all ingredients except vinegar or lemon juice in blender, blending until smooth. Slowly add vinegar or lemon juice until liquid thickens.
TOFU EGG SALAD
by Anita Sands Hernandez
http://home.earthlink.net/~astrology/
astrology@earthlink.net
Mash l lb tofu with 1 tsp curry powder, chopped olives,
3-4 tbsp mayo (Vegenaise tastes best)
2 tbsp healthfood store no preservative, sweet pickle relish,
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, 4-10 drops chile sesame oil,
chopped celery/olives. Spread on bread.
You know how you can tell it's not egg salad?
It tastes better! Plus -- tofu is full of youth preserving
natural hormones that soy has so your glands don't wither and
YOU never wrinkle!)
Vegan Egg Salad Recipe from Food 911
2 lbs firm tofu
1/2 cup soy mayonnaise (or regular, your choice)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (I've used dried as well)
1/2 cup green onions, diced
salt and pepper
roasted sunflower seeds (on top)
I always drain my tofu first.
I cut it into 1/4s, wrap it in paper towels on a cookie sheet, with another one on top, weighted down with some heavy canned goods.
Let sit in refrigerator for 10-20 minutes.
Mash the tofu in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
Mix tofu well with remaining ingredients.
Chill overnight and serve.
Vegan "Bacon" for BLT's from Recipezaar
If you were to use this in a BLT sandwich and replaced the bacon with it, you would never know the difference! My kids are bacon lovers, but now they prefer this. It doesn't look quite like bacon but it tastes the same.
1 lb firm tofu, cut into strips shaped like bacon
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soya sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon oil, something neutral, not olive oil
Fry tofu strips on low heat until they are crispy on the outside. The best way to do this is to lay them in the pan in the oil and let them sit for at least 10 minutes, simmering. They should turn easily after that.
Turn them and give them another 10 minutes on the other side.
Mix the soya sauce with the liquid smoke first, then take the pan off the heat.
Pour the liquid smoke/soya sauce into the pan and stir the tofu so all sides are coated. Sprinkle the yeast over all, stir some more, over the heat, until the liquid is gone and the tofu is covered with sticky yeast.
Recommended: The Magical Loaf Studio
200+ VEGAN SANDWICH RECIPES
Tikkun Olam! :)
L'Angelo Misterioso
Animal Rights: Frequently Asked Questions
From: Delly Doolittle (Go Vegan!)
Date: Dec 3, 2007 2:11 PM
Animal Rights: Frequently Asked Questions
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Q. What does it mean to be in favor of animal rights?
A. Obviously, granting animals rights doesn’t mean we’ll see cats in the voting booths on Election Day or chickens behind the wheel of a car. What it does mean is that in similar situations, we ought to consider the interests of humans and other animals equally. That is, we should not grant less weight to an individual’s desire to avoid pain simply because she or he isn’t human. All animals bred for food, fur, animal research, and entertainment are capable of experiencing pain. They seek to live free of suffering. They care about their lives and those of their loved ones. As such, nonhuman animals, like humans, should be treated compassionately and live without fear of torture or death.
Q. Obviously humans should have rights, but aren’t animals inferior to us and therefore not deserving of rights?
A. Throughout history, people have tried to withhold rights from one group or another on the basis of race, gender, class, religion, or sexual orientation. Discrimination based on species (speciesism) is no more justifiable than these other forms of discrimination. Many arguments are used to justify speciesism, often based on the fact that humans are more intelligent than nonhuman animals. This fact may be useful in determining someone’s right to read Thoreau or Shakespeare, but it is irrelevant if we’re discussing someone’s right not to be treated like a commodity. However, many nonhuman animals are more intelligent than human infants and even some human adults who suffer from severe mental retardation. If someone can feel pain, does it matter how smart she or he is? We would never claim that infants or severely mentally retarded adults should be used in painful experiments, have their skin worn as clothing, hunted for sport, used for our entertainment, or eaten merely because they are less rational than we are. When it comes to experiencing pain, other animals are our equals.
Q. If the animals are raised to be eaten or used in other ways, isn’t that okay?
A. Two hundred years ago in the United States, humans raised other humans as slaves. The fact that these humans were raised to be slaves did not justify their slavery. For the same reason, raising animals for the purpose of eating them, using them for entertainment or sport, experimenting on them, or using their fur or skin does not justify their exploitation.
Q. But it’s legal to use animals.
A. In the United States, it was once legal to refuse women the right to vote. In Nazi Germany, it was legal to torment and kill Jews. Cockfighting was legal across the United States. The legality of something does not determine its morality.
Q. Didn’t God give humans dominion over other animals?
A. It’s hard to imagine the divinity of any religion condoning the misery we cause animals. We deny the animals we raise for food everything that is natural to them. Most have little freedom of movement and are confined in spaces so small they can’t even turn around, let alone access sunlight and fresh air, or socialize normally. They are tormented in ways that would horrify any humane person, and almost always for purposes that are unnecessary. Most religious and spiritual people agree animal cruelty is immoral. If we agree that God is against animal cruelty, then we should end our support of industries that mistreat animals for profit.
Q. Other animals eat each other. Why can’t we eat them?
A. Predators in the wild kill other animals out of necessity. Without doing so, they would not survive. Humans, on the other hand, kill other animals by choice. Our bodies have no need whatsoever for animal flesh, milk, or eggs. In fact, medical research has consistently shown that a vegan diet is healthier than a diet heavy in animal products. Eating animals is not necessary for human survival. Rather, it is a choice we make. Is it right for us to choose to cause animals unnecessary suffering?
Q. Humans are the smartest animals and we’re at the top of the food chain. Why shouldn’t we use our strength to our benefit?
A. The “might makes right” argument has been used by many to justify cruelty and domination throughout history. Just as intelligence is an insufficient characteristic to justify human supremacy, so is strength.
Q. Where do you draw the line? Insects? Plants? Bacteria?
A. If the only morally relevant characteristic is the capacity to suffer, then the vast majority of animals abused in the United States today would qualify for moral status. All the animals used for food, fur, animal research, and entertainment possess a central nervous system and are capable of experiencing pain. There are some animals (such as insects) who we are less certain experience pain. It is up to each individual to decide where she or he feels the line should be drawn exactly. Plants and bacteria almost certainly do not experience pain, as they lack any nervous system at all. Nevertheless, even if one wanted to kill the fewest number of plants possible, one would be vegan. We eat substantially fewer plants by consuming them directly, rather than funneling them through farmed animals, who are extremely inefficient in converting plants to protein.
Q. If you want to be vegan, that’s fine. But, don’t tell me what to do.
A. Imagine saying to someone, “If you don’t want to beat your child, that’s fine. But, don’t tell me not to beat mine.” While we are entitled to believe what we like, we are not entitled to treat others—especially those who may be weaker—however we like. If we are harming others in our actions, people have every right to ask that we stop.
Q. It’s impossible to live completely “cruelty-free.” Almost everything we do causes someone suffering. Why try at all?
A. While we can’t completely eliminate the suffering we cause, by taking simple steps we can substantially reduce the suffering we are responsible for and even abolish various forms of institutionalized animal abuse. By becoming vegan, in particular, we can dramatically minimize the amount of suffering we cause each day. Being vegan is not about being “pure.” Rather, it is about doing what we can—within reason—to remove our support for animal abuse.
Source: Compassion Over Killing
To end this cycle we must STOP EATING MEAT!!
From: Tierra ~Abolition, Veganism, & Direct Action
Date: Dec 2, 2007 8:32 AM
The number of animals killed for fur in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to the human population of Illinois.
The number of animals killed in experimentation in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to the human population of Texas.
The number of mammals and birds farmed and slaughtered in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to one and two-thirds the entire human population of Earth.
Over 99% of the animals killed in the U.S. each year die to be eaten. Everyone makes choices directly determining the fates of these animals when deciding what to eat each day.
Because most people eat animals, the commonplace view remains that animals are tools and commodities. There are a million symptoms of this view–small-scale yet highly visible abuses that always seem to demand our attention: canned hunts, circuses, cockfighting, fur, horse racing, etc. Many activists burn out because of the never-ending torrent of these "battles" around them and the difficulty in winning even the smallest "victory."
This cycle will continue until there is a fundamental change in society. The only way to make this happen is by convincing people to stop eating animals.
boycot these products and make the difference !!!
De : Jena
Date : 01 déc. 2007, 11:04
Thank you: ♥Linda [[Eat food NOT animals.]]
What can you do about it?
Sign the petition by Clicking on the banner
You can start by taking a good look at these brands..
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http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/close-huntingdon-life-sciences.html
Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) is Europe’s largest contract animal testing
laboratory.
They have about 70,000 animals on site, including rabbits, cats, hamsters,
dogs, guinea-pigs, birds and monkeys. These animals are destined to suffer and
die in cruel, useless experiments. 500 of them die each day.
HLS will test anything for anybody. They carry out experiments which involve
poisoning animals with household products, pesticides, drugs, herbicides, food
colourings and additives, sweeteners and genetically modified organisms.
HLS have been infiltrated and exposed a number of times in recent years. Each
time horrific evidence of animal abuse and staff incompetence has been
uncovered, including workers punching beagle puppies in the face.
Take action to have this disgrace of a company closed down. For more
information please visit www.huntingdonlifesciences.com and ww.shac.net. These
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