Joe Espinosa and Marsha Forsman, Chicago, IL

Several years ago we learned of the harsh realities that animals endure in the agricultural industry. We were moved to stop consuming meat, milk, and eggs as a result of this realization. Soon thereafter we became involved in the animal rights movement because we wanted to end the abuse of animals overall. It was not enough for us to simply stop supporting such violence ourselves. Knowing that billions of animals suffered so horribly year after year compelled us into action on their behalf.

We contacted the world’s largest animal rights organization for advice and contacts, and were put in touch with one of the animal rights organizations here in Illinois. We enthusiastically began what turned out to be several years of work with these organizations. In order to grab media attention for the animals, we wrote letters, made signs, held protests, and donned costumes (cows, pigs, chickens, fish, clowns, cave people, even Jesus). We were successful in getting media attention for most of our projects, from simple letters to the editor to extravagant demos featuring a pig turning the tables by barbecuing a human. But what was the result of our years of work and hundreds of dollars spent on behalf of the animals? This was a question that we did not feel legitimate in posing, as the leaders of the movement were telling us that media coverage was the way to bring about animal liberation, and we were relative newcomers to the movement.

After enough experiences of getting media coverage yet wondering if this had in fact advanced our ultimate goal of stopping animal suffering, the question had to be addressed. We could not deny that many of our statements and actions were misconstrued in the reports given by the media, and wondered why this might be. Why would the media not give the straight story about what animals endure when used to feed or clothe people, to entertain people, or in the name of science? Thinking about it, it made sense that there were political reasons that the media would not approach the truth on these topics despite our best efforts to get this covered. The animal-exploitative industries are much more powerful financially than the animal protection movement, and advertise their products daily through various media outlets. It is in the best interests of media companies not to alienate their high-paying clients by reporting on the brutality behind their products. Waiting for the media to help bring about animal liberation is akin to asking the fox to guard the chicken coop. Although the media could potentially be a good tool with which to advance animal liberation, simple politics makes this quite unlikely.

Although we were becoming aware firsthand of the ineffectiveness of our efforts as a movement, we were at a loss for what to do. By chance we noticed an advertisement in the Animals’ Agenda for an organization that was taking a different approach in their work on behalf of animals. Rather than struggling against individuals and companies that profit from animal exploitation, or trying to compel the media into telling the true, violent story of animal slavery, Vegan Outreach was distributing booklets that detailed what animals go through to produce meat, milk, and eggs. Their target audience consisted of those who expressed an interest when asked if they wanted a booklet. Rather than spending large sums of money and time on projects designed to help a relatively small number of animals who were suffering at present, the group had a vision of turning off the seemingly endless flow of animals that are used for food. We must focus on this, as the vast majority of animals exploited by humans are used to produce food. The intensity of the suffering that these animals endure also calls for this to be our focus as a movement, and as individuals. Learning that it is okay to use animals for food is our earliest lesson in animal exploitation and legitimizes a lifetime’s support for various forms of animal abuse.

For all these reasons we decided to put down our signs, take off our costumes, and take up the work of Vegan Outreach. In our years of work for Vegan Outreach, we have distributed over tens of thousands of booklets because we believe that it is absolutely essential to give people thorough and accurate information on what animals endure on today’s farms, in order to inspire them to stop supporting such cruelty. Distorted sound bites and dancing chickens will not do. Reaching people one at a time seems more labor intensive than using the media to reach hundreds of thousands of people at a time, yet the second scenario has been more illusionary than real. The quantity of listeners is strong with the media, but the quality of the message is very often lacking. In essence, the people are not reached. Offering someone a copy of Why Vegan? allows them to read and witness the brutality of agribusiness, and to think about their own role in it.

We strongly support Vegan Outreach financially because we know that our money goes further toward advancing animal liberation with their method of outreach. We also distribute Why Vegan? on college campuses, at charity events, at train stations, even on busy streets—any location that offers many passersby who can be asked if they would like some information on vegetarianism. Keeping cooperative restaurants, health food stores, and bookstores stocked with booklets is the other distribution route we pursue. We urge others to undertake these actions because doing so supports the most efficient and effective path to significantly reduce animal suffering.

It can be difficult to contain oneself and think about being effective when faced with the urgent knowledge that animals are suffering today in the circus, in labs, on fur farms; it is essential that we do stop and think. When we put forth our efforts in a struggle to save one or a few animals in such situations, we are not putting forth an effort that would have been much more powerful. Providing copies of Why Vegan? to interested people promises much more. Each person moved to stop consuming animal products will be sparing hundreds of animals from an existence of suffering and a horrible death. Even those who simply consume fewer animal products for having read about what animals go through for meat, milk, and eggs will be sparing many animals from the horrible existence that they would have been born into. Just one twenty-cent booklet can stop more suffering and spare more lives than most major campaigns.

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