Thank you stig darling for inspiring me.

Earthlings (2003) 2is an eerie documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix detailing abuses
of animals and the larger philosophical issues regarding speciesism. As earthlings we
might think of ourselves as equally deserving of life and existence.

Go Further (2006) is a film portraying delightful comedic road trip with Woody
Harrelson in a hemp-fueled bus. A raw vegan chef the crew nourished while Woody
explains ecological, organic, and plant-based living.

The Vanishing of the Bees (2008) documentary on the human beings disruption and
devastation of bee life. Manipulation of bee’s natural state has lead to massive
depopulation will greatly affect the pollination of crops and ultimately all life forms.
The informed decision to avoid honey is espoused by people who care about this tragedy
and recognize the theft of honey as inherently cruel.

Schumacher’s Furs closure

The crusade against fur has taken many forms in the last few decades. Activists quickly
ascended into news headlines with buckets of red paint or sensational campaigns with the
motto “I’d rather go naked than wear fur.” The issue is complicated as fur use was
already on a decline perhaps owing to its classist connotations, and climate issues play a
part as well. Only a few years ago there was a deliberate push in fashion to promote fur
and make this retro fashion new and vavavoom. Some people who disdain fur might find
it socially acceptable if it is recycled fur because there is no direct economic sponsorship
of the barbarity involved. Fur trim on sweaters or handbags might appear less
controversial or more acceptable to some, despite the fact that it might be sourced from
house cats. Anal electrocution is a common method of killing animals for the fur
industry. Cruelty-free living demands a boycott of the fur industry. 30-60 animals might
die for one coat. The animals often have sad lives deprived of necessary social
relationships and basics such as adequate water. Fur is conspicuous sadism. It also often
plays into a culture which degrades women as well. In what outdated world do women
have to dress as a raccoon, or a fox to gain respect among their peers? Fur is a static
reminder of a bygone era when women’s rainments demonstrated familial wealth.
A successful action against Portland Oregon’s local furrier Schumacher Furs involved
vigilant multi-media protests of the span of almost two years. A car-battery powered
television played brutal footage of fur farms in China where animals are skinned alive.
Passersby could watch the footage themselves on the street and converse with
demonstrators. The protests took on various forms with chants, cheers, flyering, person to
person education, refreshments, boom box musical inspiration, police violence,
Northwest Constitutional Law Center legal support and observation, arrests, pepper spray
directed at the mob by a deranged security guard, personal sexist attacks by a less than
classy Schumacher family.

Fois Gras ban in California

APRL (Animal Rescue and Protection League) operates in San Diego. They perform
direct action campaigns against industrialized animal cruelty. Founders Kath and Brian
Rogers organize letter campaigns sending heartfelt personal letters to head chefs of fois
gras serving restaurants with pictures of the painful torture the geese undergo during
force feeding.
The protests outside the restaurants helped to highlight the barbarity of this cruel
delicacy. A revision in California law will go into affect to prevent the extremity of
torture the geese experience. In order to produce fois gras, literally “liver of fat” unlucky
geese undergo brutal tubal forcefeeding of corn mash. The force-feeeding tube often
ruptures the esophagus. The geese are incapable of regurgitating, and suffer the
discomfort of an overfull stomach. This process goes on for weeks until slaughter. The
liver is a detoxifying organ of the body, and thus harbors residues of pesticides and other
toxins. The unnatural explosion of fat induced by barbaric force-feeding is considered a
delicacy only by unthinking people or deliberate sadists. Fois gras plates can sell for over
$200. Some restaurants serve it because it is controversial, even among meat-eaters Fois
Gras farming is on the way out and proposed restrictions in other municipalities belie a
groing awareness of animal suffering. When famous chef Wolfgang Puck pulled fois
gras from his menu and replaced it ith a fava bean pate, he was responding to direct
action from the humane society and other anti-fois gras campaigners. It is worth noting
that restaurants might take fois gras off the printed menu, but continue to serve it by
request.

OHSU primate experimentation slated for acceleration.

Compound like a concentration camp. Animals communicated very clearly to me their
fear that I ould hurt their children, their desire for freedom.

Lewis and Clark University in Lake Oswego has the only animal rights law program in
thhe United States. . . .

Matt Rossel is a hero in the crusade against animal abuse. As the founder and head of In
Defense of Animals has vigorously fought the primte torture at Oregon Health Sciences
University, the commodification of cruelty at Schumacher furs, and the suffering of zoo
animals. He can be heard on local radio and has a powerful level of commitment to
animal rights having worked undercover at a fur farm and the primate testing facility.
Against circus animal abuse and against the treatment of animals in zoos. He is a part of
the anti-fur movement in Potland and IDA provides assistance to the protesters in the
form of excellent graphic posters and literature.
Anti-fast food protests also abound in North east Portland. Sidney outside KFC in
chicken costume

Indymedia as excellent resource for animal rights activism.

Worldwide anti-mcdonalds day

Literature on nutrition and veganism

Vegan outreach is a generous group which will provide excellent flyers to anyone who
can distribute them. They have flyers in Spanish “Por que Vegano?”
Stella Mccartney’s fashion sensibility eschews leather and fur and proves that high
fashion can coexist with cruelty free living. She has brought the issue of leather’s
dominance in fashion to a mainstream audience. Why is it so? How can we change it?
With the likes of Natalie Portman zooming in on the trend and designing vegan footwear,
the options will abound for style conscious people who realize cruelty should never be a
mark of taste.

Vegan designers.

Eco-handicraft in general . . .NYTIMes article about recycled yarn or recycled

refashioned clothing. For people who’s vegalitarian thoughts also share an
environmental underpinning, less less less is the way to go!!!!!
Raw food culture as a bourgeoning development in wellness. The growing niche market
often harmoniously incorporates vegalitarian standpoint. Popular as a key to youth and
beauty, vegan raw food has attracted the attention of celebrities. As middle America
follows suit . . .Chefs attain near celebrity status as their work takes off. Often informal
potlucks or dinners originate and idea that becomes a restaurant or . . .

Wearers of wool may be totally unaware that sheep-farming has a dark side. The genetic
manipulation of sheep strains to exhibit extra skin surface area in folding layers of skin to
maximize wool output, has lead to the unfortunate practice of mutilating the folds of skin
under the sheeps tale in a process of unanaesthetized surgery. After the wound heals the
chances for skin infections decrease, but the whole process is a barbaric reminder of the
way animal industries exploit for profit. This little known phenomenon has become more
understood and now people are demanding reduced-cruelty wool with the promise of no
museling. Like conflict free diamonds, the demand for museling free wool is now taking
off. While most vegans would shun the use of wool often the process of respecting
animals is a matter of degree and gradual admition of another beings capacity to suffer.

Honey. While no truly undevastating method of taking bees’ honey exists, because of
growing awareness, certifications have developed to assert the relative integrity of the
honey harvesting process. This gradual emerging consciousness which would respect the
honeybees dwelling and livelihood is a sign of progress. The harvesting of honey, bee
pollen, and royal jelly often results in the mutilation and dismemberment of bees and bee
fragments remain in those products.

Who’s ever worked at a slaughterhouse? I have a friend who has done so. Already, a
vegetarian for years, there is no need to convert my friend. He works for Tyson , one of
the nations largest meat packing plants and employers of immigrant labor. When the
issue of animal rights becomes entangled with human rights sometimes people start to
take notice. One might argue that the conditions for the workers are so horrendous that
factory farming might be forsaken purely on the grounds of human rights. Workers lose
fingers and limbs. Their immigration status is exploited to drive down wages and instill
submission. Dave told me of how the pigs when strung upside down from their hind
legs, often try to bite their killers. Dave said he secretly rooted for the pigs and
understood their frustration. He was sent to the Emergency room with pig juice
splattered in his eye. After four hours waiting to be examined and get antibiotics he was
dismissed back to the packing floor to package the remaining kill, even though it was
four in the morning. A talented musician, dave is now plagued by trigger finger, or
locked joints, repetitive stress injuries. His hands suffer. When human beings are locked
into interminable near-slavery by an industry that offers unsanitary conditions and a
wealth of likely injuries, people should stand up for other people.
I don’t know when Dave’s karmic health will improve. . . . the pigs squeal so loud the
workers wear earmuffs. 10,000 a day die at his plant.
When consumers purchase meat, they sponsor the suffering and exploitation of
immigrant laborers who labor in heinous conditions.

Jainism came to my attention as the concept of fruitarianism appealed to me. Jains are
view all life as sacred, including insect life and the life of plants. They eat only fruits or
nuts which leads to seed dispersal but but not the death of the plant. The integrity of the
plant remains. Before walking down the street they might brush the insects from their
way, to prevent incidental deaths. A screen over their mouth would prevent the
inhalation of tiny insects. The Jain concept of ahimsa, or nonviolence, is the most
radical. It involves total disengagement from activities causing harm to all life forms.
There is a new movement of young Jains. While commonly understood as a religion,
Jainism is a non-thoecratic philosophy of respecting life. No deity need be invoked.
Mahatma Ghandi’s mother raised him with a Jain mindfulness.
The Story of My Expiraments with Truth is a wonderful autobiography detailing
Ghandi’s youth, political struggles, and personal quest. In his way of looking at things
truth is the highest principle. Ahimsa/nonviolence is the way to truth/satya.

Common issues:
Where do you get your protein? Oh the dreaded question belies such little understanding.
The array of plant sourced proteins abounds. New hits take off. Hemp protein is a
miracle for athletes and lentil sprouts are my new love.
Excessive protein is a cause of multifarious illnesses. Kidney stones, stroke, heart attack,
hypertension . . .

Animal enterprise terrorism act is an obvious handout to animal exploiting industries.

Government protecting business at the expense of others is nothing new. the critical
issues at hand are . . . why is this ideological shift occurring? Why do some people seek
to expand the concept of rights to the non-human sentient world?

A new study has found many organic personal-care products contain the
carcinogenic ingredient 1,4-Dioxane. Products by Kiss My Face, Jason,
Giovanni, and the Whole Foods line all contained the toxic byproduct.
Nymag 3-23-08