Circle of Compassion

Check out these upcoming ARC events!

Be compassionately cool and fashionable all at the same time! Check out the ARC and fast & furless sidewalk sale this Saturday: 2615 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis!

And...

On Saturday, May 17, 2pm to 4pm ARC / fast & furless, 2615 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis Kids of all ages are invited to an Animals & You event to discover how we're really not that different from animals at all. ARC's Compassionate Kids program and Pet Haven are teaming up to sponsor this fun workshop, featuring a humane educator, dog trainer, and several therapy dogs. Your child will learn how to behave around animals so everyone has fun! Click here for more info.

I read this today on veganfreaks.org. It's so good, I had to pass it on.

I'm vegan except...

Lots of people seem to think that veganism is hard. It isn't. At first, it may be a bit overwhelming, but that fades fast. In a few weeks, it is like second nature, and it is easy. It doesn't require a huge amount of will power, all that much discipline, or any kind of elaborate rituals. Yet, I think people make it more complicated than it needs to be by not just stepping up and simply making the commitment to do it, and do it fully.

Every so often, I get email correspondence from people who tell me that they're vegan, but for one exception. One of the most common things that I hear and read is "I'm vegan, except when I eat out." This perplexes me, in all honesty. People who are on the verge of going vegan like this clearly have a pretty good handle on why one would go vegan. They clearly want to do it. And they understand the ethical reasons involved. So, I'm left wondering....do the animals that produce dairy and eggs for restaurants not suffer as much as animals that produce them for your home? When you break it down, the same dynamics of production are still involved, the exploitation is the same, and the suffering is the same. There's no ethical reason to eat non-vegan foods when you're out of the home.

The only reason that people do it is convenience.

Yet, for someone who has decided that the suffering of animals matters, convenience is not a solid justification. I realize that this may seem radical, or fundamentalist, or divisive, or whatever, especially when we have people like Peter Singer advocating for the "Paris exception" of eating just about whatever the hell anyone wants every so often. What I'm advocating is not radical: it is simply recognizing that some ethical principles matter, and that living by those principles is important, even when it is inconvenient. This may mean that on occasion, you don't have as many choices, or that you have to appear "weird" in front of friends and waitstaff. But so what? Living your life as a vegan matters, because you're standing in for the animal. You're the living witness at the table, the lone objector who says, by their actions, "Exploiting animals isn't right, and I won't do it." By failing to do this, you fail not only to live up to your own principles, but you fail to make as big an impact as you could. You fail to introduce the necessary cognitive dissonance into the lives of those around you. In short, the visceral protest of veganism becomes limp and falls flat if you can't actually be bothered to go to the trouble to be vegan.

I live in a extremely rural area. People around here have no clue what a vegan is, yet I'm able to get vegan food when I go out to eat, simply by asking nicely for it, and being clear about my needs. It isn't complex.

I'm not trying to argue that I'm an exceptional model of veganism. I'm not. I'm just another guy trying to live as a vegan as best I can. But in the end, if your principles mean anything to you, they should mean something even when they're inconvenient. When it comes down to it, people make going vegan harder than it is. I see a lot of people pity themselves for their "sacrifice" as a vegan, which is absurdly misplaced pity. The pity shouldn't be for yourself, it should be for the animals that you claim to be caring about when you decide to make this commitment. Ultimately, going vegan isn't that hard for most of us, and the sooner that people recognize that it is doing the right thing by their ethics, step up, and begin living by the principles that they say are important, the sooner we'll actually begin to make changes in the world.

--bob

Lots of people seem to think that veganism is hard. It isn't. At first, it may be a bit overwhelming, but that fades fast. In a few weeks, it is like second nature, and it is easy. It doesn't require a huge amount of will power, all that much discipline, or any kind of elaborate rituals. Yet, I think people make it more complicated than it needs to be by not just stepping up and simply making the commitment to do it, and do it fully.

Every so often, I get email correspondence from people who tell me that they're vegan, but for one exception. One of the most common things that I hear and read is "I'm vegan, except when I eat out." This perplexes me, in all honesty. People who are on the verge of going vegan like this clearly have a pretty good handle on why one would go vegan. They clearly want to do it. And they understand the ethical reasons involved. So, I'm left wondering....do the animals that produce dairy and eggs for restaurants not suffer as much as animals that produce them for your home? When you break it down, the same dynamics of production are still involved, the exploitation is the same, and the suffering is the same. There's no ethical reason to eat non-vegan foods when you're out of the home.

The only reason that people do it is convenience.

Yet, for someone who has decided that the suffering of animals matters, convenience is not a solid justification. I realize that this may seem radical, or fundamentalist, or divisive, or whatever, especially when we have people like Peter Singer advocating for the "Paris exception" of eating just about whatever the hell anyone wants every so often. What I'm advocating is not radical: it is simply recognizing that some ethical principles matter, and that living by those principles is important, even when it is inconvenient. This may mean that on occasion, you don't have as many choices, or that you have to appear "weird" in front of friends and waitstaff. But so what? Living your life as a vegan matters, because you're standing in for the animal. You're the living witness at the table, the lone objector who says, by their actions, "Exploiting animals isn't right, and I won't do it." By failing to do this, you fail not only to live up to your own principles, but you fail to make as big an impact as you could. You fail to introduce the necessary cognitive dissonance into the lives of those around you. In short, the visceral protest of veganism becomes limp and falls flat if you can't actually be bothered to go to the trouble to be vegan.

I live in a extremely rural area. People around here have no clue what a vegan is, yet I'm able to get vegan food when I go out to eat, simply by asking nicely for it, and being clear about my needs. It isn't complex.

I'm not trying to argue that I'm an exceptional model of veganism. I'm not. I'm just another guy trying to live as a vegan as best I can. But in the end, if your principles mean anything to you, they should mean something even when they're inconvenient. When it comes down to it, people make going vegan harder than it is. I see a lot of people pity themselves for their "sacrifice" as a vegan, which is absurdly misplaced pity. The pity shouldn't be for yourself, it should be for the animals that you claim to be caring about when you decide to make this commitment. Ultimately, going vegan isn't that hard for most of us, and the sooner that people recognize that it is doing the right thing by their ethics, step up, and begin living by the principles that they say are important, the sooner we'll actually begin to make changes in the world.

--bob

Check it out!

This year's Twin Cities' Living Green Expo and May Day parade were very successful for the Animal Rights Coalition. We had a large number of people visit our booth at Living Green, and folks at the May Day parade seemed generally interested in our message of compassion.

Thanks to everyone who supported or visited ARC at these events. Enjoy the photos!

Join us for the May Day parade!

ARC will be marching in the Twin Cities' May Day parade this year.

If you wish to participate in the unique and exciting event, put on by the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater, please come to: Cedar Field - at 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 4. Cedar Field is located at the corner of 18th Avenue South and East 25th Street in Minneapolis. The parade begins at 1 p.m. We will have plenty of signs available for anyone who wants to come and march for the animals!!!

Hope to see you there!

Cows: some basic facts about milk production

I recently had a conversation with several people who are very close to me that was quite shocking. Well, perhaps eye-opening is a better word. Apparently many people are under the mistaken assumption (my close friends and loved ones included!) that dairy cows naturally give milk, all the time. I was told, during this conversation, that "if we (humans) didn't milk them, and use it (the milk) as we do, all of their milk would go to waste." WHAT?????!!

I felt so flustered and flabbergasted hearing this ill-informed - and absolutely incorrect - information, I actually stuttered and stammered for a minute or two before I was able to articulate the TRUTH about dairy cows and milk production. What was most distrubring about this conversation was, as a vegan, I felt the vegan community (myself included!) must not be doing a good job of explaining this particular issue, as the folks involved in this conversation were all vegetarian or pescatarian (still eating fish), but have certainly been exposed to vegan literature. Not surprisingly, the main reason they are unwilling to go vegan is the idea of giving up cheese (partly because of their mistaken belief that cheese is made from milk that flows naturally in excess which, if not used, would just go to waste). That said, I thought I'd take this opporutnity to explain THE TRUTH ABOUT MILK!

In the simplest of terms...

1. Just like humans, in order for a cow to produce milk, she must have a baby. In the dairy industry, in order to maximize production, each calf is taken from its mother within 24-48 hours after it is born. Calves, just like human babies, would normally suckle for about a year. This separation is a distressing process for both the calf and mother, as they are never allowed to form a bond.

2. Essentially, the female calfs are taken away and reared to become part of the milk producing herd. The males are confined to tiny crates where they are tethered and barely able to move or turn around. Within a few months of birth (usually about 6 months), the males are slaughtered and turned in to "veal." Thus, the veal industry would not exist without the dairy industry.

3. A female cow's milk production is caused by the birth of her calf, as I stated earlier. To maximize production, the modern dairy cow is made pregnant again whilst lactating. She will bear a calf each year until her body is completely worn out. At that point, she is sent off to slaughter, where she will be killed and made into some variety of food product. Most dairy cows are inseminated artificially. She will have her first calf when 2 years old. She will continue to be milked for 10 months - but will be made pregnant again in the third month. Only during the final few weeks of this pregnancy will she be dried out and her overworked udder given a rest. Due to manipulation, hormones, and other modern dairy practices, the amount of milk produced by a dairy cow in peak lactation is more than 10 times the amount that the calf would naturally drink.

4. What about "organic" or so-called "humane" diary farms? Some of the basic principles of modern dairying are also found in organic milk production: continual pregnancies, unwanted offspring and slaughter.

And there you have it, in a nut shell. For more information about the dairy industry, click here.

Thanks to Peter Young

The Animal Rights Coalition would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Peter Young for coming out to speak on April 20th.  About 40 people attended the event and were able to hear his perspective about direct action, the green scare, his experience in prison, and be inspired or challenged by his conviction.  ARC is proud to be a group that will provide a space for activists, often considered to be extremists, to share their opinions. 

Come hear Peter Young speak

When: Sunday, April 20, 2 p.m.

Where: The new ARC and fast & furless location - 2615 East Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis

Pleading guilty to animal enterprise terrorism and conspiracy in 2005, Young has remained unapologetic for his role in releasing thousands of mink just weeks before their deaths at the hands of furriers. His defiant statements in courtrooms and toward animal abusers have earned him visibility as a unique voice among former political prisoners. Come hear a firsthand perspective on political repression, the prison experience, politicized prosecutions, and liberation struggles today.

For more info, visit the ARC website.

Meet Dallas Rising: ARC's new program director

(Dallas Rising, pictured with her husband, Brandon, and dog, Max)

Meet Dallas Rising.

Chances are, if you’re involved in the Twin Cities’ animal rights and rescue communities, you recognize her dedicated and hard-working face. Dallas is the new program director for the Animal Rights Coalition, and we are thrilled to have her with us!

“It’s more than a job to me,” Dallas said. “It’s a calling.”

Dallas, 28, went vegetarian in the 4^th grade, after she made the connection that eating animals meant they were being killed. By 15, she had dropped the cheese and dairy products too, and become a vegan. In high school, she started an animal rights group that worked to get veggie burgers in the lunchroom, and vivisection out of the classroom.

Dallas is one of those exceptional people who has nearly always followed what her heart and her natural instincts have told her when it comes to animals. “In my heart I was always vegan. It’s very natural to me.”

For over 10 years, Dallas has been active in many local and national animal groups. In addition to ARC, she currently volunteers for the companion animal group, Small Dog Rescue, as well as, Friends of Kevin Kjonass.

A big part of her decision to come work for ARC full-time was steeped in her belief of animal abolitionism, rather than animal welfarism. As an abolitionist, it was vitally important to work for an abolitionist organization, like ARC, whose values regarding animals, are in line with hers. She explains.

“I am of the belief that it is critical that we not compromise our values as animal rights activists in the name of a short term "victory" for the animals. Running campaigns based on getting universities or restaurants to go cage free, for example, is a hot trend in our movement right now. But in the end, I think it is wrong to give the impression that cage-free eggs or meat labeled "free range," are okay to purchase and eat. Whether directly or indirectly, any promotion or endorsement of this "happy meat" is not only a betrayal to the animals (who are still kept in horrible conditions, transported in the same way that most factory farmed animals are, and end up being slaughtered in the same brutal, violent ways that conventional animals are), but also to consumers who are concerned about the way food animals are treated.  We cheat both parties when we stop short of advocating for anything other than veganism.”

Dallas is also aware of the divide these different philosophies are causing in the animal rights community.

“This [abolitionism] is not a very popular attitude to have right now in our movement's history. It took me a while to get over feeling like the bad guy for "raining on a cage free parade,” but I am unwilling to compromise my values in the name of a short term gain. I would rather march forward toward total liberation, no matter how slowly, than to perpetuate the myth that any animal products can be produced in a humane way. They cannot. Period.”

For Dallas, it has been a dream for the past decade to work full-time in an animal rights capacity that is in line with her beliefs. She now has that opportunity with ARC and, as such, expects to take full advantage, bringing forth many exciting and inspirational ideas. Here are just a few of the things

Dallas hopes to accomplish as ARC’s program director:

1. To make ARC known as a place for anyone interested in animal rights philosophy
2. To be a catalyst and support system for any individual who is interested in any animal rights issue
3. To further ARC’s pound seizure campaign
4. To organize events which create a way for young people to become aware of compassion toward animals. She hopes to help provide high school students with the opportunity to do service projects that involve helping animals
5. To create a support group for others with the same values of compassion toward animals
6. To make it as easy as possible for people to get involved in animal issues, be active, and feel satisfied with their involvement

Dallas intends to focus much of her work with ARC on educating and involving young people. One of her first memories as a child was trying to rescue an ant out of a wading pool. “It was a huge, defining moment for me,”

Dallas said, and it is the kind of attitude she still carries with her. She firmly believes that if young people are given the opportunity and education to make the connections that eating animals means killing them, they will make the choice not to eat them. “I think kids are naturally compassionate.”

Dallas understands the huge challenges in our culture when it comes to educating people about compassion toward animals and promoting veganism. But she also has great hope. “We are pulled in to being complacent and unconscious. So much of our lives are based upon self-gratification. But, if you think about who you really want to be, most people don’t want to be contributing to cruelty.”

For Dallas, the best way to get the animal rights message across is to ask people if they really want to know. “If they say yes, then they will listen.” She favors a more relaxed approach to animal rights education, and feels it is extremely important to be approachable and available for people.

“I’ve been vegan for 13 years, and the most important part of my life is my activism. I am approachable, and I want people to know I’m available for them. Use me!”

To close, I’d like to share with you an excerpt from something Dallas wrote. I think it is a great example of her compassion and understanding about animal issues, and the challenges our society faces in defining our connection with them. Welcome to ARC, Dallas!

“When I was in fourth grade and had just learned about animal testing and how animals are killed to make meat, I was horrified. Knowing that my mom loved our guinea pigs and rabbits at home, and remembering how she had petted the cows with me at the State Fair, I thought that all I would have to do would be to tell her what I had learned and she would want to become vegetarian with me. When my mom didn't respond to the terrible news about what was happening to animals on farms and in laboratories the way I wanted her to, I was not only distraught about the animal cruelty I was still trying to wrap my young brain around, but also how my mom could say she cared but not make any changes. That was the moment I decided I didn't want to be just like my mom anymore.  There were only parts of her I wanted to emulate. Not only did I lose my faith in my own species, but I lost the image of my mom being perfect as well. It was painful and confusing. 

One instinct we have yet to squelch in ourselves is the need to be accepted by others of our kind. We have survived the wild by working within social groups and the desire to belong is primal and powerful. Rejection actually occurs as danger to us on a gut level.  Going against the status quo is experienced as a real risk. The connection between alienation and shame may shed some light on why many people who feel sympathetic toward animal suffering will not take the risk to speak out against it.  In her revolutionary book, Aftershock, pattrice jones explains this connection: “'Shame causes and is caused by alienation'.  Our bodies are programmed to respond to that feeling of aloneness with shame in order to motivate us to do whatever we need to do to regain the safety of the social group” In short, being accepted and not “rocking the boat” trumps compassion for many people, and they have an arsenal of ethnocentric reasons and excuses to defend their choice to turn a blind eye to the suffering they see.

I realize I may have come off sounding angry and arrogant in that last sentence. You may be accusing me of adopting a “holier than thou” attitude.  I won't deny the fact that I am angry. I'm furious. But I admit that I have fallen prey to the same way of thinking. I have turned my head and bitten my lip so that I would not risk rejection, too. And I have been ashamed of myself for it. For example, I kept silent when my husband's mother organized a second wedding reception for us and served meat. The reception was supposed to be a celebration in our honor, and my husband and I (who met at an animal rights meeting for crying out loud!) didn't say anything about it. I spent most of the duration of the party in the garage so I wouldn't have to smell the dead animals being cooked in the house. I tried passing the blame to my husband, arguing that he should have been the one to confront his mother in an attempt to absolve my guilt. But, the fact is that I was too afraid of being rejected by his family to risk voicing my distress about the meat at the reception. To this day, I regret staying silent.   

Turning our heads doesn't only harm the animals; it harms us as well.”

Thank you for all you do for animals!

What a day!

Well folks, I'm happy to report that the grand opening event on Saturday for the Animal Rights Coalition and Fast & Furless was such a success that the people were literally pouring out in to the street. The place was so jam packed the whole time, there was barely room to move! There were a lot of new faces and a lot of familiar faces, all of which were a happy sight.

Dallas, our new program director, signed up 10 new ARC members, and 5 families for the vegan family support group she is starting. That group is called VegKin. For more information on becoming a member of ARC, or to join the VegKin group, call 612-822-6161.

The dessert table was beautiful and delicious. We had live music the whole time, so the event was quite energetic and lively. On behalf of the ARC, I would like to extent our utmost gratitide to those of you who attended!

Finally, the silent auction items sold, and I'm happy to report we earned a decent amount of money to help support Chicken Run Rescue and Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. Thank you everyone for your generous bids!

I've included a photo of the event, but if you wish to view all the photos that were taken, please visit ARC on myspace.

Thank you for all you do for animals!

Come! Help celebrate our grand opening!!!

The Animal Rights Coalition has moved to:

2615 East Franklin Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55406

Now sharing space with Fast & Furless Vegan Boutique!

Located 1/2 block from Route 2 bus line in the super veg friendly Seward Neighborhood. Street parking is available!

GRAND OPENING:

Saturday, March 29, 2 - 6 p.m.

Please join us to celebrate the opening of the new ARC storefront office.

- Vegan dessests - local artists' animal-themed art

- Live music by vegan musicians!

- Silent auction to benefit Chicken Run Rescue and Red Lake Rosie's Rescue (bidding starts at 4 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m.)

We are THRILLED to be sharing space with the Twin Cities' only vegan boutique, Fast & Furless. Come and meet our new Program Director, Dallas Rising, who will be coordinating our on-going campaigns and special events. Stop by and introduce yourself! We would love to get to know you.

Join us for a toast to our new headquarters!

Thank you for all you do for animals!