Enewsletter
 |
Enewsletter • November 25, 2009 | |||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||
|
For modern
animal agriculture, the less the
consumer knows about what’s happening
before the meat hits the plate, the better.
Notes from Vegan OutreachA Thanksgiving Question: Do You Share This Goal?
Many of you remember this Sarah Palin interview where turkeys are being slaughtered at a “family farm.” The turkeys struggle to break free, even long after their throats have been slit, but of course are unable to do so (uncensored video). From the largest corporate slaughterhouse to the smaller operations, we know brutality will occur as long as animals are viewed as meat. This is why Vegan Outreach gives the animals a voice every day: exposing this cruelty is the only way to end it. The current practice of breeding, raising, and butchering animals for the taste of their flesh won’t be able to stand the bright, unrelenting light of exposure. Every day, because of all of our efforts, the gruesome horrors of factory farms and industrial slaughterhouses are brought to light for thousands of new people. Together, we are creating a generation for whom making compassionate choices isn’t aberrant, but admired…and more common every day. Every person we persuade takes us closer to our goal: a kinder world for animals.
Do you share this goal? If so, please consider a special Thanksgiving donation for the animals – your contribution will be doubled, dollar-for-dollar, as part of our end-of-year matching opportunity! You can use a credit card to make a secure, tax-deductible donation online, or send a check or money order to:
We are deeply thankful to work with you for a better world for all, and will continue to do our best to make sure your support goes as far as possible for the animals. Thank you!
Notes from All OverMartha Stewart’s Vegetarian ThanksgivingWant more proof we’re changing things? Karen Dawn of DawnWatch notes:
You can watch the entire episode online.
Notes from Our Members
Sacramento
City College gets better with
each visit – students seem more interested
in the material; animal rights is a relevant
issue in their moral sphere. I had lots of conversations,
including two different folks who have actively
worked to replace a good portion of the meat
they usually consume with faux meat products.
I also met a very athletic African-American
man who, indicating the booklet, told me, “That’s
why I stopped eating meat.” Genny,
Pam, and I heard many “Already
vegetarian!” or “Already vegan!”
responses at Loyola University. One woman came
back up to me and asked for booklets to give
to her friends. Another woman who was already
vegetarian praised our work and told us to keep
up the good fight. A number
of people at the University of
Iowa were excited to get leaflets, with many
turning around and coming back for one after
they realized what it was. One guy in communications
was really impressed with the Even If You
Like Meat. He said it was the first non-offensive
piece of literature he had seen: “Whoever
dreamed up that booklet did a great job!”
Last
night I went to dinner with my
VO shirt on. The waiter said he is vegan and
I asked him what made him go vegan. He said
he read something in a magazine. When I asked
him what magazine, he went and retrieved a Compassionate
Choices booklet! I had
several great conversations while
at Oakton Community College with Chris and Bill,
including one guy who really seemed to want
to give this a try and eat less meat. He said
he had been discouraged with attempts in the
past, but I suggested he go veg on Mondays and
Wednesdays each week and then build from there.
He really liked that suggestion. I also ran
into a group of students who were looking for
a project to do for class and, after seeing
the Compassionate Choices booklet,
they asked me a bunch of questions in order
to try and do their project on a factory farm
related topic. I was
at Lane Tech College Prep High
School by 7am, where I was able to hand out
350 booklets in an hour. A lot of students were
really receptive. A great way to start the day
before going to work!
Met many
vegetarians and vegans at the
University of Pittsburgh. One highlight was
a transfer student who said she went veg after
getting a pamphlet from me last year at UPitt
Johnstown. Also ran into a guy I met in Michigan
a few weeks ago who is now veg, which is great
because he seemed hesitant about the topic.
Lynn
and I stood at a new place at
the University of Colorado, Boulder, reaching
a new crowd. The Compassionate Choices
were unfamiliar to many, so we definitely opened
some eyes today. One guy stopped by later to
give it back, saying he’d read it and was
ready to change his ways. One student
at the University of Maryland
said she went vegan after receiving a booklet
at a concert. Another student said she went
vegetarian for six months after getting a booklet.
I also handed a booklet to a student who then came
back to me later and said he read the entire
thing during his English class: “It made
a lot of sense.”
So many
good conversations and comments
at San Diego City College. A professor invited
me to come speak to his class on the connection
between politics, ethics, and compassionate
eating. Wonderful
reception at George Mason University.
I had a very productive conversation with a
young man who had a failed experiment with vegetarianism
in the past. After talking with him about foods
that are filling, high in protein, etc., he
told me that I didn’t look like the stereotypical
vegan. Since we’re often pigeonholed and
summarily dismissed as a result of fitting stereotypes,
I find it useful to do things that break such
stereotypes. For me, it includes simple stuff
like dressing in a mainstream fashion, lifting
weights, thanking military folks for their service,
smiling, being calm and polite to all (including
those who don’t live up to this particular
standard themselves), etc. We want a big tent
movement and it’s our job to bring as
many into this tent as possible.
|
||||||||||||||
