When You Mix Immaturity With Radicalism, You Get...

A few days ago, ex-vegan Lierre Keith (pictured right; see her website here) was giving a talk at an "anarchist" book fair in San Francisco when - suddenly - a group of masked thugs swarmed out from backstage and pelted her with cayenne-pepper laced pies.

What did she do to deserve it? Well, Keith wrote a book titled The Vegetarian Myth, in which the ex-vegan criticizes the vegan lifestyle as unhealthy and insists that mass agriculture is actually destroying the planet.

(For the record, Keith also opposes factory farming, which she believes is destroying the planet, too...)

Her arguments are provocative. I haven't read the book - I've only read about it online. I can't say whether it's good or bad. I am very happy she wrote it because I think these issues need to be debated.

About halfway through Keith's talk, a group of masked vegans swarmed out and tossed pies at her. "Go vegan!" they shouted during their assault.

I am reminded of the overzealous animal rights activist who tossed a pie at Canada's federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea. Shea's crime? Supporting the seal hunt.

Vegans and animal rights activists have to knock off this ineffectual crap. These are nothing more than heavy-handed attempts to quash free speech.

Without doubt, the worst outcome of these actions is their chilling effect. The message is clear: If you dare oppose the animal rights movement or if you advocate a position that in any way results in harming animals, you'd better look over your shoulder.

Throwing a pie at someone is a violent act. And a stupid act. And, worst of all, it is a marginalizing act. And guess who gets marginalized? Not the person who gets slammed with the pie. No, it is the pie thrower who ends up getting dismissed as the lunatic.

Luckily, the overwhelming majority of vegans reject this sort of crazy behavior. Most of us embrace a nonviolent position that respects the dignity of all human beings and animals.

It is important for us, therefore, to condemn these sorts of occurrences. Lierre Keith was absolutely right when she told the San Francisco Chronicle: "The whole thing was designed for social humiliation. We're supposed to be against sadism and cruelty and domination, and these people are willing to do this to me."

As a vegan and a libertarian, I am not willing to curb anyone's right to free speech under any circumstances. Ever.

Finally, what kind of an anarchist throws pies at his or her political foes? Answer: Someone who really isn't an anarchist, someone who could probably use decent psychiatric care to address a host of emotional problems. For these people, anarchism is nothing more than window dressing to make thuggery seem more grandiose.

Encouraging Signs from Israel: The Earth's First Fur-Free Nation?

(Above: A video from the Anti-Fur Coalition, one of the groups campaigning for a fur-free Israel.)

What a thrill it is to see that Israel is leading the way in the struggle to end the fur trade. There is currently a bill in the Israeli Knesset that, if passed, will ban the fur trade in Israel. If all goes according to plan, Israel might be the first nation on earth to ban the fur trade. A fur-free Israel. My, but that has a wonderful ring to it!

Our comrades in Israel have made great strides, thanks to such organizations as Anonymous for Animals and other groups that are on the forefront of the global struggle for animal rights. The fact that Israel has a thriving democracy makes it possible for animal rights groups to exercise great influence.

The group Anonymous for Animals, based Tel-Aviv, chose their name, according to their website, "out of deep solidarity with the suffering of those sentient beings, without name or identity, known to us only in their unimaginable numbers, who are subjected to systematic abuse. They are imprisoned in laboratories, circuses, municipal pounds - but above all: in factory farms. They are all anonymous. They all need our help."

Thanks to such groups, Israel has very stringent animal welfare and protection laws. Animal dissection is banned in public schools. Circuses are not allowed to force trained animals to perform for audiences. And the highly controversial dish foie gras has been outlawed in Israeli restaurants.

Paul McCartney, musician, singer, animal rights activist and vegetarian, is praising Israel for leading the way in the struggle against the fur trade. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz quotes McCartney's Website as saying:

"By banning such a cruel industry Israel would provide a shining example in care and compassion that others would be sure to follow." (Source)

I also quote Michal Lewin-Epstein's excellent column on Huffington Post:

A survey, commissioned by the International Anti-Fur Coalition and Let the Animals Live, conducted immediately after the February 2009 media investigation, showed that 86% of Israelis believe killing animals for fur is immoral. Moreover, nearly 80% back a bill calling for ban of fur trade in Israel. This media exposure and public support, together with the long-standing joint efforts of the International Anti-Fur Coalition and the Israeli organization Let the Animals Live, recently pressured Israeli Members of Knesset to endorse a law that would limit or eliminate the fur trade in Israel.

If this anti-fur bill is approved in the Knesset - and many seasoned political observers believe it will be - Israel will be the first fur-free country in the world. Israel, as Paul McCartney points out, will lead the way in the struggle for animal rights. This has a lot to do with the country's pluralistic democracy, which allows advocates for animals to fight the good fight without any repression or hindrances from the government. And if Israel goes fur free, this will be a huge, huge victory - and an example for all other nations.

The International Anti-Fur Coalition has been one of the groups involved in the struggle to ban fur in Israel. They're a great group and they have a lot of support among the Israeli people. I will let them have the final say:

Israel takes a giant step, approving expansion on anti-fur bill to include all animals

The Israeli Government approves unanimously a bill that brings Israel one step closer to becoming the first fur-free country

In one of the most important achievements in the combined efforts of the ‘International Anti-Fur Coalition’ and ‘Let the Animals Live’ in their endeavors to protect fur bearing animals, the ministerial committee for legislative affairs accepted their request and approved unanimously the expansion on MK Ronit Tirosh’s bill. The bill prohibiting originally only the trade of cat and dog fur and was approved on its first reading; has been expanded by amendment to include all fur from all mammals. The ban includes an exception on specific fur hats worn by a few people for cultural identity. This bill is a global and historic precedent.

The total ban on all fur from all animals in addition circumvented the anticipated complexity that would have behooved the customs authority in distinguishing the animal of origin of each particular fur item.

Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon and Minister of Environmental Protection Gilad Arden addressed the Ministerial Committee with the assistance of Minister of Education, Gideon Saar. Jane Halevy of the International Anti-Fur Coalition and attorney Joshua Rotbert, legal adviser of Let the Animals Live are the ones that initiated the matter with the help of MK Nitzan Horowitz via bringing to the government’s attention the cruel truth behind the needless fur trade.

Now that the legislative committee unanimously approved the amendment, the Education, Culture and Sports Ministry committee will hold a vote on the amendment later in the month and following their approval the bill will be put to a second and then third reading before finally being passed into law. The vast majority are hopeful that the Israeli government will continue on the path to end needless animal cruelty.

Jonathan Safran Foer on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Jonathan Safran Foer was recently the guest star on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. This was his second appearance on Ellen's show. Ellen, FYI, is a committed animal rights supporter and vegan. I love Safran Foer's approach and share pretty damn close to 100 percent of his views on the issues of animal rights and veganism. Please have a look at this video. This guy is brilliant. In November 2009, Safran Foer appeared on Ellen's show for the first time and he was equally wonderful. I'm including it here, too (below).

Safran Foer's book Eating Animals is having a huge impact. The book is an astonishing Number 38 on Amazon.com's sales ranking. It's a fantastic book and I believe it should be mandatory reading in every school across North America.

Dreena Burton, one of the best vegan chefs out there and the self-proclaimed "Vegan Soccer Mom," points out, "Five years ago the diet was not being discussed in the mainstream media." Now, by contrast, we're hearing about it fairly often. As Burton notes:

The vegan population is estimated at only about 0.5%, or 1 million people. The number of lacto-ovo vegetarians is higher at about 10%. So, for now, I’m not expecting to see the shopper next to me eschew their cheddar, eggs, chicken breasts, and frozen yogurt for quinoa, veggie dogs, kale, and rice ice cream. No, I’m not that naive. But, I am optimistic enough to assume that there will be more acceptance of a plant-based diet as healthy, rather than unwise or dangerous. I also expect to see more people opting for a meat-free meal a couple of times a week. And, in another few years, perhaps we’ll see those vegan population statistics rise… and even more significantly in five to ten years.

I do think a dietary revolution is underway. We are beginning to examine our food choices and food sources. What is healthy? What is sustainable? And, what is compassionate? A plant-based diet can answer all those questions.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: Our numbers are growing. There are ample reasons to be encouraged, but there is also much work to be done.

PostScript on Safran Foer: He is a brilliant writer and thinker. I am about to go on Amazon order his book Everything is Illuminated, a critically acclaimed novel about the Holocaust based on his own family history. This terrific guy deserves our support.

A Moving Video About the Dignity of Farm Animals

Have a look at this beautiful video, posted on YouTube, about a farm animal sanctuary. The video was posted in 2006. It is narrated by an adorable little boy who discusses the joys of encountering the animals on the farm. It's very moving and reminds us of the dignity of these magnificent creatures. If you get a chance, please, please watch it. It will make your day! :)

Whatever You Do, Don't Tell the Kids!

The New York Times triggered some hubbub on the Web when it touted rabbit meat as... well... the New Chicken. The lengthy and detailed article, from March 2, discussed methods of raising and slaughtering rabbits, spotlighted a seminar on how to kill the creatures, and quoted extensively from sources extolling the virtues of rabbit meat. "This is my gateway animal," proclaimed a woman who is considering raising livestock in her backyard.

Indeed, rabbit is a popular delicacy on restaurant menus. "Every time I put it on the menu, it flies out the door," noted a San Francisco restauranteur. Raising rabbit is apparently also all the rage among urban folks who wish to raise animals but aren't quite ready for larger farm animals.

As the story's author Kim Severson noted:

The meat is lean and healthy, and makes an interesting break from chicken. For people learning to butcher at home, a rabbit is less daunting to cut up than a pig or a goat. And those who are truly obsessed with knowing where their food comes from can raise it themselves.

The New York Times article became the focus of several Blogs, including Huffington Post, The National Post and Salon.com. Most of these Blogs discussed the article in a celebratory tone.

It is interesting to note that the headline in the original New York Times story was "Don't Tell the Kids." Why? Because children love bunnies. In general, children possess an instinctive love for animals that is often not quite as strong in adults. I am reminded of my cousin's young daughter, who became a vegetarian long before I did, simply because she loves animals and does not want to see them suffer. In other words, she avoids meat for the noblest reason there is.

My cousin, in one of his Facebook posts, sort of laughed off his daughter's youthful idealism. But there is something about children - omnivores and vegetarians alike - that is more sensitive to the pain and suffering that animals endure. They haven't quite been fully taught - maybe conditioned is a better word - how to rationalize, justify, explain away and live in total denial. Sadly, as we grow older, most of us are socialized to abandon our natural love for animals. We are trained by societal norms to disassociate, to forget that the food we are eating was once part of a living, breathing creature with feelings, emotions, loved ones, a desire to live life, et cetera.

So that's why the New York Times article on butchering rabbits advises us not to tell the kids. Because children haven't been corrupted yet. They instinctively know something many of the rest of us have long since forgotten: That animals deserve the right to a happy life.

Gary Francione's Scathing Indictment of PETA

I make no secret of the fact that I am a big PETA fan and a proud card-carrying member of the organization. I've also written columns and Blog entries in support of PETA. Nevertheless, I found Gary Francione's scathing critique of PETA compelling and troubling. I'm a huge Francione fan and this particular Blog Entry on his Abolitionist Approach Website left me deeply disturbed. In it, he cited a story about PETA that ran on AOL News stating that PETA

euthanizes over 90 percent of the dogs and cats relinquished to its headquarters in Norfolk, Va. In 2009, PETA euthanized 2,301 dogs and cats — 97 percent of those brought in — and adopted only eight, according to Virginia state figures. And the rate of these killings has been increasing. From 2004 to 2008, euthanasia at PETA increased by 10 percent.

Francione added:

I checked the documents that PETA filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and confirmed that the AOL story is correct. PETA killed 681 dogs and 1620 cats. PETA also killed 51 “other companion animals.”

That’s a total of 2352 animals.

And PETA adopted eight animals. Eight animals.

As Francione points out, PETA has a revenue of $31,053,316 and assets worth $19,759,999. Adopting eight animals, he concludes, is hardly impressive for such a powerful and wealthy organization.

I've heard other animal rights activists say similarly negative things about PETA. Francione also attacked PETA for giving an award to Temple Grandin for her "humane slaughterhouse" work (boy, those two words go together almost as well as "peaceful" and "war") and promoting the "happy meat" (or "conscientious carnivore") movement.

I have very mixed feelings about all of this. I am not going to run out and quit PETA tomorrow. At the same time, I think Gary Francione (and others like him) perform an invaluable service to the animal rights movement when they point out the contradictions and double standards in the struggle.

This movement has to be a broad front and we can't be too puritanical. Yet it becomes a problem when the movement compromises too much. It loses its meaning when it does.

But there is also a danger in being too reductionist about some of PETA's wrong-headed positions. Any organization that fights on as many fronts as PETA does is bound to stumble and make mistakes. I am deeply impressed and moved by the PETA literature I have read promoting veganism, attacking the factory farm system and supporting the most militant actions imaginable. PETA is not afraid to embrace radicalism. Moreover, our PETA comrades are on the front lines of so many vital struggles.

So I'll stay in PETA. But as a member, I will do what I can to try to change its policies so that all of its actions are consistent with a humanistic animal rights vision. Best to try to change it from within rather than abandon it altogether.

Vegan "Humour" - British Style (hardy-har-har...)

The British tabloid The Sun published its "Top 10 Funny Vegan Jokes" (they inserted the word "funny," not me). A few of them are mildly amusing, although they all sound like the kind of jokes that a vegan version of Henny Youngman might tell on the rubber tofu "chicken" circuit.

Here they are:

Q: Why did the tofu cross the road?

A: To prove he wasn't chicken.

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Q: How many vegans does it take to change a lightbulb?

A: Two, one to change it and one to check for animal ingredients.

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Q: Why does vegan cheese taste bad?

A: It hasn't been tested on mice.

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Q: What did one vegetarian spy say to the other vegetarian spy?

A: We have to stop meating like this

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Q. What do you call a vegetarian who goes back to eating meat?

A. Someone who lost their veg-inity!

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Q. What do you call a militant vegan?

A. Lactose intolerant.

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Q: What do vegan zombies eat?

A: Graiinnnzzzz

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Q: What's a vegan's favourite chat up line?

A: If I said you had the body of an all-natural, organic-living, animal-loving, environment-nurturing, whale-saving sex machine, would you hold it against me? Please?

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Q: What do you call a vegetarian with diarrhoea?

A: A salad shooter.

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Q: Why did the vegan cross the road?

A: Because she was protesting for the chicken, man!

For PETA, the Price is Definitely Right

Animals have no closer friend among the humans than Bob Barker, former host of the long-running game show The Price is Right.

Ever since Barker retired from The Price is Right, he has been funding one animal rights project after another. Sometimes he gives so much that I worry the guy is going to run out of money for himself. But I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

In January, Barker gave $5 million to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to aid in the struggle against Japanese whaling.

Now Barker is generously donating $2.5 million to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to help finance the opening of its new office in Los Angeles.

I haven't been to it, but I hear it's a cool joint. PETA is calling it the Bob Barker Building. It's in a prime spot: Sunset Boulevard and Alvarado Street, right near Echo Park. The office will be a great location for PETA to maintain its struggle for the rights of all animals to live in peace and dignity.

As for Barker, he's 86 now and showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. The well-being of animals is his top priority. Something tells me this wonderful gent will be fighting for the animals when he's 101.

A Must-See Video: Simon Cowell on Why Animals Matter

I LOVED this video by Simon Cowell. His words are so heartfelt and moving. Please have a look at it if you get a chance. It is part of the "Animals Matter to Me" campaign of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). Every time my discouragement almost gets the best of me - as it nearly did after I posted that Blog Entry earlier today on NASA's inhumane tests on squirrel monkeys - I see a video like this one that gives me hope. This video is a reminder that so many great people from all walks of life are fighting the good fight for animals.

By the way, if you get a chance, visit the WPSA's Website. They're doing some truly wonderful work. And keep this in mind: The fight for animal rights is happening all over the world. Our numbers are growing. We are on the march. And we will win.

More Lunacy in the Name of "Science"

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced its plans to conduct a series of tests that will involve blasting monkeys with radiation and then placing them inside of cramped metal cages so scientists can study them.

In total, some 30 squirrel monkeys (similar to the ones pictured above) will be exposed to high amounts of radiation as part of a series of tests to see how space missions might potentially harm human brains. These tests will cost the taxpayers close to $2 million.

The outcry against the NASA tests has been intense. The loudest protest has come from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which is challenging NASA every step of the way.

As Jeanne McVey of the PCRM notes: "Squirrel monkeys normally live in large groups in the treetops. The law says primates are so intelligent and so social that you have to provide for their psychological well-being." (Source)

These tests are a terrible idea. They're brutal. They cost the taxpayers a hell of a lot of money. And they represent a horrible violation of the rights of these squirrel monkeys.

The best Blog Entry I've read about the subject comes from neurologist, public health specialist and self-proclaimed "space geek" Dr. Aysha Akhtar, who writes on Huffington Post:

NASA's space program relies on incredibly sophisticated technology and represents a triumph of human ingenuity and imagination. This experiment is a step backwards for a forward-looking organization and contradicts what is best about NASA.

If you get a chance, read Akhtar's Blog Post in its entirety (by clicking the Huffington Post link above). It is as good as Blogging gets. And it explains, in a very succinct yet reasonable way, why these NASA tests are so awful. And so unnecessary.

And if you get a chance, send a letter or email to NASA telling them this is a bad idea. With enough of an outcry, maybe they'll begin to get the idea that people do not go for this unjustifiable and terrible treatment of our fellow animals.

Above all, NASA has no right to conduct these barbaric tests.