Strategies to mainstream vegetarianism, recipes, diets, animal issues, environment, critiques, definitions, and more are here to help enlighten and advance the cause in a meat-eating world.
The Child Protection Movement began thanks to the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (now, American Humane Association). In New York in 1874 the law allowed for children to be removed from a home if neglected. Mary Ellen was a badly abused child who didn't meet the qualifications for removal. Etta Wheeler, a former neighbor of hers, tried to legally remove Mary Ellen. She finally had to resort to animal rights activists to make it happen.
"The great aim of education is not knowledge but action."Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
Animal Rights Activists to the Rescue
Unable to do so, she turned to Henry Bergh, a leader in the animal humane movement in large part because a niece commented, "You are so troubled over that abused child; why not go to Mr. Bergh? She is a little animal, surely." (p.63, Wheeler & Watkins, 1990) Mr. Bergh was able to get her removed from that abusive home. This case started a child saving crusade throughout the world.
Animal Activists Saved a Town
wshall
Turkey Creek, Mississippi, was founded by freed slaves (African-American "Freedmen") in 1866, and has experienced a lack of political power since that time resulting in eminent domain seizures. They lost land for airport expansion, annexation by Gulfport, land speculation, deforestation, wetland destruction, commercial sprawl, spot zoning and political isolation, and for landfill projects accepting industrial waste. Most of the land, without the resident's knowledge, was changed to commercial. Their historic cemetary was sold for an apartment complex.
Thank God for the Birds
Dispite their appeals to government officials and to the NAACP, the people's cries for help were not heard until the Audubon Society came to town. The Audubon Society turned 1600 acres into perpetual conservation. Today, the residents of this historic town are eager to count birds to preserve their town. One resident said to Wyatt Cenac on the John Stewart Show, January 24, 2011, "Thank God for the birds."
Saving Animals and Humans
Farm Sanctuary
If it were not for the animal rights activists, we would never have become aware of the unsanitary conditions and of the unhealthy animals or antibiotic injected healthy animals that exist today in our factory farms. "Today's complexes are able to reduce house caretaking and egg packing requirements to 15 persons per million hens." Bell & Weaver, Commercial Chicken Meat and Egg Production)
Kathleen Muready
Animal rights groups are fighting to improve the lives of farm animals. If you consume animal products (milk, meat, eggs, cheese), then, you are benefiting from the radicals you ridicule. "Forget the pig is an animal. Treat him just like a machine in a factory." (Hog Farm Management)
Changes made in the meat industry are made for financial reasons, not health or any other reasons.As inspectors decrease in number and standards decline, the primary people actively working to have improvements made are the animal rights people. When I read in the newspaper that following the MAD cow disease "...cattle brains and spinal cords have been banned from cattle feed," (Houston Chronicle, Purva Patel, 10/05/05) I was stunned! Cows are supposed to be vegetarian--not fed parts from other cows. How disgusting!
Animal Rights and Human Rights
We humans are imperfect and often behave badly--just 2% of genetic difference exists between us and chimpanzees. Animal rights activists impact on humans results when we seek better standards for animals. Think about that the next time you want to oppose them.
