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Loading...Freedom’s New Frontier: A Guide to Animal Rights
with Dan Cudahy
The movement for animal rights is perhaps one of the most misunderstood social phenomena of the 21st century. Despite the sincere efforts of an increasing number of individuals willing to speak up on behalf of the animals who suffer at the hands of humans, our cause continues to be misconstrued, misrepresented, and maligned.
Admittedly, the blame for this lies partially with the movement itself, or at least with certain organizations and individuals perceived to be at the helm, who seem to create their own PR nightmares, or to be so off course that one sometimes wonders if they could actually be working for the other side.
This may come as a surprise to some, but for those of us who view animal rights as the most pressing social justice issue of our time, the antics of the large organizations are often as embarrassing as they are hurtful to the animals they purport to serve. Sadly, these groups have a monopoly on not only the available funding, but subsequently, to a large degree, the hearts and minds of those watching and listening, making it painfully obvious why the animal rights movement has gained such a poor reputation.
Meanwhile, in 2012, while many of our society’s advances progress ever more rapidly, our behavior toward animals is more objectionable than ever. Despite the emergence and growth of an entire industry devoted to providing excellent alternatives to virtually everything we obtain from animal exploitation, the number of animals enslaved and killed every year is greater than at any time in history.
Read more: animal cruelty, vegan, veganism
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Just a couple of comments. First of all, as a woman, I definitely hate the idea that there have to be…
I had somewhere to go, but before I left, I posted this...and it didn't appear....so here it is again.... for…
En captivité...dommage.
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C. Ruth, this is sort of an "old" discussion, but you're absolutely right on. Care.2 USED to be a place to get a bit "off beat" news or the stories that simply didn't make the nightly TV or front page, and allowed us as people to share our opinions on the issue. Lately, it's become a place to VENT hatred and hurl insults at anyone who thinks differently or has another opinion or belief. The name-calling and judgemental nonsense is astounding. I've read posts demanding DEATH to others for disagreeing on a subject!
Wow, the folks here have completely stopped communicating and just gone to hate ..I am not a vegan, nor am I a person who would let an individual harm an animal for the sake of the pleasure it brings. I do not stop hunters who hunt for food. I do for those who hunt for pleasure and pelts. I am against removal of predatory animals from the land, and for the limited use of the wild lands we have left. I do not believe folks moving to the wilds, and then complaining the wild animals are eating their pet "Persy" have a reason to complain, Nor do I believe the that we should be encroaching on the few lands where the predictors still live and allowing humans to decide how many breeding animals of a species should be allowed to exist. Wolves should be in nearly all 49 states (sans Hawaii ) and we should ban hunting with planes or any other mechanical method to arrive at a hunting area. IT should not be a way for earning a living by taking a rich man to hunt from the comfort of a plane Helicopter or even a 4 wheeler. I think if you NEED to hunt, then you NEED to walk in to the area you want to hunt. That alone would prevent hunters from entering the deeper areas and allowing natural selection to occur and the animals to be able to replenish themselves. Humans should not decide on what animals can live or die in an area. They have placed so many on the extinct list and now are attempting to add wolves yet again because they are competing for game animals? We should not hunt game an
Grazie delle notizie.
Grazie delle notizie.
interesting article thanks for sharing :)
Thanks, Caroline! I couldn’t agree more.
Eddie, if you want to wallow in your “dark place”, go ahead, but please don’t pull everyone down with you. For some reason you choose a ‘negative persona’, but others who are genuinely depressed could read your perpetual doom-and-gloom and decide they cannot cope with the misery of this world any longer.
I’m not saying you or anyone should turn a blind eye to the bad things that are happening in this world, but I know firsthand how overwhelming it is. And when we are overwhelmed, we become paralysed, depressed and lose all hope. That isn’t healthy, and it isn’t going to save the animals or the planet.
We simply need to change what we can change, and accept what we cannot. We can look at our own lives and consumption and make positive changes there - as you have done - and feel good about that. We can lead others by example and encouragement, not hand-wringing and blame. We can add our support to organizations who are working on the big problems that individually we can do little about. And we need to stop the “them and us” attitude; of assuming ‘if they ain’t fer us, they’re agin us’. We’re all US: this is OUR planet, and these are issues that WE can and should be able to discuss in a friendly, positive manner.
There are a lot of angry, jaded and negative people on this thread. I am almost afraid to comment. I will say, however, that negativity and a jaded philosophy will help neither humans nor animals. Try being postive and helpful. And btw, I am an animal welfare advocate and vegan but my family and freinds are not. TRY TO COEXIST.
Lets pretend that your neck is on the chopping bock, and a million and a half of your brothers and sisters are in line with you to have your life taken from you today. Are you going to focus on how wonderful the people are that are going to take your life today?
Is all of the pollution that is killing everything in the ocean going to magically disappear because people care about 1 kind of animal. The one that they own. All the rest are quite well to die or to suffer all their lives. Is being happy and patting ourselves on the back about what wonderful creatures we are going to stop the devastation that we are doing to the earth, and the horrific train wreck that is coming in the very near future for all of humanity because of our unfathomable irresponsible wreckless behavior?
Did Ghandi bring about change because he said "Yes" I am going to go with the flow? No he didnt, he stood up to the madness and said "NO, this is not how it is going to be." He educated his people and showed them a better way.
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