Sam I Am

[Sam Hillyer]

I do not eat green eggs and ham.

 

Or any eggs and ham for that matter. I've been a vegetarian for the majority of my teenage years and am now 20. I have just finished reading Animal Liberation by Peter Singer and have decided how can I get upset about the dolphins in Taiji, the black bears kept for their bile in Vietnam and China or even the minks farmed in Denmark and other nations for their fur if I continue to support the suffering of just as equal animals in my own country for their milk and eggs. I toyed with the idea of becoming vegan many a times, but my heart was never really in it and cheese was the one thing I could never avoid.

 

But I woke up, I was being speciest, choosing to ignore that mothers and babies are separated just so I could please my palette. I needn't say this because I am sure you will, but I hope you will all be supportive in helping me maintain a vegan diet and lifestyle.

 

A couple of other things you should know about me are I go to university, in the UK, Bournemouth to be exact and am studying a degree in Animal Welfare and Behaviour. I've come to understand that animal welfare isn't a term some animal rights folk are happy with because of the belief it's aiming and accepting below what should be aimed for, animal liberation. Although I agree, I believe it achieves more good than harm, and is a step at least. 
I've worked on a couple of farms, a dairy farm a few summers ago, and this year during the summer I was at a veal farm (and before people chuck me out, it wasn't the traditional European veal, but English rose veal, no crates, no milk only diet, and the calves live for quite a long time, they are the males the dairy farms don't want), as well as attending to agriculture colleges with farmed animals. I always enjoyed having the contact with the animals, it's my favourite thing in the world, and for a long time I have thought that I wanted to be a farmer. But now I don't know what I want to do, raising animals for their meat as if it were my right to do so just doesn't sit with me, I wouldn't do it with my dogs, they're my sisters and children, and that is how I view all animals now. This is something I may start another topic on, because people ask me what I want to do when I tell them what course I am on, and I never know what to tell them.

 

I've spoken to a couple of you already, and you've made me feel very welcome, you are lovely people I can tell, and already your posts have inspired and educated me.

 

Thank you,

from Sam :) x

[Tim Gier]

Sam,

 

Lisa mentioned the film "The Witness" ( http://www.tribeofheart.org/sr/sr_witscreeningroom_english.htm ) and I recommend it. I also recommend that you watch the following video by Gary Yourofsky: http://arzone.ning.com/video/best-speech-you-will-ever-hear I wouldn't call it "the best speech you will ever hear" - I like Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, among others, much better, but it's a good lecture on the topics of veganism, speciesism and animal rights nevertheless.

[Lisa Qualls]

Tim, I love King's Dream speech!  Sorry, this is just a little off topic, but when I heard that speech I felt he was talking to everyone.  He said that he dreams of little black children and little white children playing together.  It frustrates me when people think of that speech as being for African-Americans.  It was for all non-racists and for a non-racist world.

I have a beautiful poster hanging in my living room with that speech, a photo of King, and a photo of the people on the National Mall around the Reflecting Pool the day he gave that speech.  I also have a King action figure with lectern and an audio tape of his speech.

When I was around 21-years-old I wondered if I would have been racist had I grown up during a time period when most white people in the US were racist.  Why would racism be normal and expected during one time, and the opposite be true during recent years?  Whether racism is wrong or right did not change, but "society's" opinion of it changed.  Why can't they just think for themselves?

When I stopped using animals I decided that I would have done the right thing even if I lived during the days of the strongest racism in the US.  I realized that everyone who is still using animals today would likely have been a racist during those days.  They are so proud of themselves for not being racist against humans now, but sadly they are only doing that because it is popular and easy.  Anyone who uses animals is no different from racists.

I have heard that Coretta Scott King was vegan (not sure what anyone means when they use that word now), and the civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.  Both of those people got the connection.

[Kate✯GO VEGAN+NOBODY GETS HURT Ⓥ]

Hello Lisa and Sam.

Thanks Lisa for your helpful suggestions.

I assume most of us are in full agreement about the significance of the film EARTHLINGS. I also agree with what you say about The Witness.

Regarding the books I recommend, I think it may be useful if I copy out a review of SPECIESISM as I think it offers an explanation of why I and so many others consider it to be such a vitally important book.

"Speciesism is destined to become the definitive statement of the abolitionist animal rights position, not only in philosophy but also for the law and for conducting animal rights advocacy. With uncompromising clarity and abundant, up-to-date evidence, Joan Dunayer details the logical conclusions of the basic animal rights proposition that all that is required for moral rights is the ability to suffer. Her keen ear for speciesist language and her sharp eye for logical inconsistency provide a wealth of information, insights, and thought provocation even for those who have been active in the animal rights movement for decades, and her criticisms of the hierarchical variety of speciesism still found in the writings of some of the best-known advocates of animal rights will provide a constructive focus for lively discussion both within and beyond that movement."

                                                                       - Steve F. Sapontzis

 

Thank you.

Greetings

[Sam Hillyer]

I had time to watch that clip Roger, and it's especially his last sentence in that clip. If you didn't know who he was, or what he was standing up for, and you heard that clip now, you'd probably think he was talking about the nonhumans of this planet.

The rest of your videos, and your reading I will catch up with later, I have to dash to uni now, but I really appreciate everything. I really do. Right now I think I'd much rather be giving my fees to you guys :)

I am wondering if the topic of animal rights has been deliberately left out of our syllabus. I'm not exactly sure who coordinates it but I imagine it has some influence from the governement, and it would be in the goverenment's interest to feed an interest in animal welfare. Producing students who set about to push for welfare reforms, bring in new legislation, carry out the regulations, that way animals can continue to be exploited and business remains as usual. What do you think?

[Lisa Qualls]

Thank you, Roger.  That is really quite beautiful. 

[Lisa Qualls]

Sam, that is a very interesting thought.  I think that it is rare to find people who do not use animals, and so those in charge will do everything they can to prevent those subjects from being taught because they would have to take a hard look at themselves, for one, but as I think you were saying, it can almost always be traced to money somewhere.

Most "animal rights" groups include environmental concerns in their cause, but "environmental groups" (in both cases I used quotation marks to indicate that is what they are called whether they are really accomplishing that or not) avoid mentioning the use of animals at all costs.  I roll my eyes when I see a list of "things you can do to help the environment" and it is limited to things like efficient light bulbs, recycling, driving a fuel efficient car, and turning off the water when you brush your teeth.  When animal use is mentioned it is downplayed even though the use of animals does more damage to the environment than any other human activity and environmental groups would do well to make that their highest priority. 

This is because most so called "environmentalists" still use animals and are not willing to face the truth, but it is also because their donations come from people who still use animals and they don't want to run the risk of loss of money.

I guess I veered off on my own tangent and did not really stay on your topic very well. Sorry.  Yes, I agree with you. 

[Lisa V]

Sam,

 

If you like the idea of farming, there's always the option of veganic (vegan organic) farming. It's an exciting and fairly new field and, obviously, doesn't involve the confining or killing of animals.

 

http://www.veganorganic.net/

[Lisa Qualls]

Another good one, Lisa!!

 

I LOVE veganic gardening.  When I first found out about it there were only 2 farms in the US that did it, and neither of them was close to me. Now there are a few more, but still not near me.  I really hope that one springs up near enough to me.

[Lisa V]

Lisa ... you don't have to wait until one comes close by. You can garden veganically even in a little suburban plot. Just keep a compost bin and put all your veggies in it and add your grass clippings & a bit of rock dust (free at any quarry or gravel pit) ... and voila, mineral rich compost. 

[Sam Hillyer]

Miss Viger, that is brilliant, and I  plan to get involved a lot when I am finished with my course. Travelling to South America, have you heard of WWOOF?

 

As to my future, I don't have a clue about what I want to do now, or can do. I want to focus on the behaviour aspect of my course I think. Animals amaze me every day, and I want to change attitudes with people that they aren't intelligent or in the case of fish can't feel pain. It's silly and needs to be changed.

[Lisa V]

Yes, I've heard of WWOOF. Awesome! That's so exciting. Where are you going in S. America?

[Sam Hillyer]

It could be next year. My course is a two year Foundation Degree, what that exactly is, is worth or means I do not know, but to make it an actual degree you can do one more "top up" year and voilà, it's a bachelors science degree.

 

I don't know if I need it now, I went on to it because our culture leads us to think university is the logical step after school, then you follow it with a career, get a wife, have kids, buy a big house and work for your retirement.
Because the degree was to do with animals, it just seemed like the logical choice for me as I  cared for animals albeit in a pretty falafeled up way of thinking, but I don't regret it so far as it's led me here. However, it's use to me now I can not see the benefit as the main focus seems to be on welfare reforms and regulation with farmed animals. Today I got a piece of homework to review my lecturers turkey slaughterhouse report. She also works for some assurance scheme for Tescos, a huge supermarket. The report is full of non-conformances and we have to make reference to the flashpoint (ie the ones that trigger the most internal response upon hearing) non conformance and  come up with ways of conveying these to the owners/staff of the slaughterhouse. Fun!

 

So maybe voluntary work is on the cards next year.