Where do you start with that quote, which is the epitome of hypocrisy? Maybe here, throwing it back at PETA: "You'd think that PETA's staffers, who are self proclaimed feminists (gag), would have opened their hearts to the suffering of WOMEN--like the WOMEN who are beaten, sexualized, trafficked, and raped to uphold a male power structure. Girls, it doesn't matter what kind of eyes you have--limpid, bulging, or otherwise--use them to see the continuation of women's subjugation that your organization causes!!!!"

 

Necmiye, that is BRILLIANT! If only PETA didn't moderate their blog so strictly I'd say you should post it there! Okay, not like I should talk -- I toss comments I don't like into the garbage without a second thought, but hey, I don't have time for it. What's PETA's excuse? Oh yeah, they can't argue with awesome comebacks like yours, that's their excuse.

And welcome, Diana! I'm super happy that my little blog has made a difference for you! And yeah,that's the eternal problem with PETA -- obviously as vegans we all support their (ostensible) goals, but how well do they actually accomplish those goals? And what harm do they cause along the way? I know soooo many people who've gone vegetarian or vegan after seeing Meet Your Meat, but I don't know a single person who's been swayed by the State of the Union Undress or Alicia Silverstone swimming laps. The whole organization has morphed into this really narcissistic enterprise that seems more about attention than animals at this point. I'd love to see them reverse course, but that's looking less and less likely, unfortunately.

 

i couldn't agree with you more. one thing i hate about much of the animal right/vegan movement is this sort of blind acceptance of PETA. people figure if they help raise awareness, what's the problem? as you've pointed out, there are MANY problems. we can raise awareness without invoking racism, sexism, homophobia, and other hideous -isms that affect people's daily lives and experiences. for PETA to do so is not only unethical, but just plain lazy.

i love your blog so much! please keep 'em coming! xo

 

Hey, I love your blog! Just one question:

"If it weren't so awful, I'd be amused at the fact that domestic violence and women's rights activists have been trying to tell PETA all along that there's a link between exploiting people and exploiting animals, and that when you exploit people in the interests of animal rights you're actually strengthening the structures that also lead to animal abuse."

Do you have a source for an article on this? I don't dispute it; in fact, I think it's 100% right. I would just love to have an article I can point to that has all the statistics, etc., laid out in an easy-to-understand manner, so that I can refer others to it.

Any info would be really greatly appreciated!! Keep up the awesome blog.

 

Hi Amy, unfortunately there's really no one article I know of that lays it all out, simply because there are so many human rights issues and so many animal rights issues. The book Animal Rights/Human Rights is a good starting point. I haven't read the book Animal Factory, but it seems to lay out a similar though less philosophical and perhaps more utilitarian argument. I'm also just beginning the book Brutal by Brian Luke, which uncovers the ways in which traditional notions of masculinity encourage and lead to animal exploitation.

Otherwise, you can also see that jobs that involve mass killing of animals are among the worst in the world -- Mother Jones has a comprehensive article on the work conditions in slaughterhouses, and in Minnesota two years ago pork factory workers developed severely disabling autoimmune disorders from, basically, an "aerosol mist of pig brains" at the plant.

Also, if you have access to a university library or computer, you can look at this article that draws the lines between human and animal oppression.

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If you Google terms like +animals +humans +oppression, or +animals +humans +interlinked (or interconnected) or "dietary racism" (referring to how common lactose intolerance is among people of color yet dairy products are pushed on everyone, particularly children in schools) you'll probably find some good sources. It's also worth noting that this philosophy is generally accepted in most cultures, as we can see in Chief Seattle's quote about the web of life, and despite the vastness and difference among traditional African religions, one thing most have in common is respect for nature and the planet. The intertwined knots of the Celtic Knot often include interconnected people and animals who depend on each other in their lives, and the whole circle of life idea is and was central to all these religions. I think it's kind of common sense, really -- if you destroy the environment and animals, where would people be? But of course, the people causing such destruction are sufficiently insulated right now through their privilege. Poor people and indigenous people suffer first and most from environmental degradation, and South American tribes are at ENORMOUS risk from the destruction of the rainforests (Google "environmental issues poverty," without quotes).

And, it may seem tangential to animal rights, but it shouldn't be: The issue of water around the world is HUGE. We've polluted and consumed so much water that there is, literally, a water crisis around the world, and as always it affects poor people first -- and women, as it turns out. Of course, animals need this water, too, and as we destroy their habitats to create goods that are made of their flesh and skin, we take away their habitat and their access to safe water. After all, we have the same fundamental biological needs as most animals, so destroying what keeps them alive will destroy what keeps us alive, and poisoning them will poison us. Google "water poverty" without quotes for more info.

I guess what I'm saying is this is a huge issue, one that can never be truly described in a single article. It's really the story of our planet, and it's a part of everything we do, every day. I wish I had a quick, easy answer or chart for you. Maybe you should start with one very specific animal rights and/or human rights issue that most interests you and find the way those two issues are interconnected.

 

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