Some Thoughts on Melissa Bachman and the Lion
Melissa Bachman, who is the host of a hunting show called Deadly Passion, announced on her Facebook page on November 1 that she had killed a lion in South Africa and she posted this picture: The response was remarkable. According to one story, “Bachman found herself the target of vicious death wishes and obscenity-laced insults […]
Do you Eat Like You Care?
Some people claim that it is “extreme” to be vegan. In our new book, Eat Like You Care, we explain why not being vegan is “extreme.” Direct link to the paperback format: https://www.createspace.com/4423398 Direct link to the ebook format on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Like-You-Care-Examination-ebook/dp/B00DLTN43C ***** If you are not vegan, please go vegan. Veganism is about nonviolence. […]
The “Happy Exploitation” Partnership
Here is the Bell and Evans website. Bell and Evens is a chicken producer. Bell and Evans advertises that HSUS, PETA, and the Global Animal partnership support it. Please don’t tell me that the major animal groups aren’t partners with the institutional exploiters of animals. Please. Click the picture so that you can read the […]
“Eat Like You Care” Now in Paperback!
You wanted it. We did it. Eat Like You Care is finally in paperback! Direct link to buy paperback book at our Amazon Create Space Store Book website Facebook page ***** If you are not vegan, please go vegan. Veganism is about nonviolence. First and foremost, it’s about nonviolence to other sentient beings. But it’s […]
On Violence as “Entertainment”
Grand Theft Auto 5, which involves cyber participation in all sorts of violence against humans, including homicide, torture, and rape (but maybe it’s “just” cannibalism), as well as nonhumans, has apparently become the fastest selling entertainment product in history. When I made a Facebook comment criticizing the game, I had a horde of gamers become […]
We’re Going in a New Direction. Are You Coming?
Someone wrote to me and said that a welfarist who promotes “cage-free” eggs and other forms of “happy exploitation” suggested that the abolitionist approach was limited and did not provide an effective program for change while welfare reform had a wider and more effective effect. I would call that nonsense but it would be an […]
Let’s Change the Conversation
Let’s Change the Conversation Right now, the discussion about animals is focused on treatment and how to “improve” animal exploitation. As of this time, there really isn’t any serious discussion about whether we should use animals at all. But, according to these researchers, if we had 10% of the population firmly convinced that no animal […]
“Compassionate” Violence is Not the Solution
BBC News reports: Almost a quarter of men surveyed in a UN report looking at violence against women in parts of Asia have admitted to committing at least one rape. That is disgusting but not surprising. Rape and sexual assault are daily realities for many women and girls throughout the world. Whenever I compare promoting […]
UNDERSTANDING THE WELFARIST POSITION
Think about this: Joe the Bully is hitting a little child with a big stick. He then picks up a slightly smaller stick, which causes the child a bit less pain, and proceeds to continue to hit the child. Is it better that he uses the smaller stick? Yes. It’s always better to do “less […]
Making a Mockery of Gandhi
In the 5th century, St. Augustine wrote the phrase “Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum,” which means “With love for mankind and hatred of sins.” This became popularized by Gandhi as “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” This is good advice. We should not judge another person because we can’t really see into her or […]
Enabling Animal Exploitation
McDonald’s has announced a new non-vegan vegetarian wrap. And some of the welfarist groups, such as Vegan Outreach, are declaring “Progress for the animals!” Progress? I think not. Think about it: There are, in essence, two groups of people: (1) those who are concerned about animals morally but are continuing to eat animal foods and […]
Animal Welfare Regulation, “Happy Exploitation,” and Speciesism
The Problem: Treating Humans and Nonhumans Differently I maintain that if we cannot morally justify animal exploitation, we ought not to be advocating for (supposedly) more “humane” or “happy” animal exploitation. Some of my reasons for my position are more practical. For example, I do not think that the welfare reforms that are the subject […]
Social Justice, Human Rights, and Being Vegan
Non-vegans frequently point to the admittedly terrible condition of the world and ask vegans: what about important issues of social justice involving humans?; why aren’t you doing more to address those issues? I have four responses: First, there is no conflict here. Being vegan does not require that you stop doing any other good work […]
A Simple Question
An article, Minority Rules: Scientists Discover Tipping Point for the Spread of Ideas, reports: Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. The scientists, who are members of the Social Cognitive Networks […]
Do Chimpanzees, Dolphins, and Elephants Matter More?
There is a tendency amongst some animal advocates to associate nonhuman personhood with animals, such as chimpanzees, dolphins, and elephants, who have more sophisticated–that is, humanlike–cognitive abilities. I would suggest that, for purposes of determining whom it is appropriate to treat as a replaceable resource, that is wholly arbitrary. Cognitive abilities may be relevant for […]
Abolition: Making Sure the Means and the End Are Consistent
If you say that you are an “abolitionist” but support welfare reform as a means to abolition, you are using “abolition” in a fundamentally different way from the way in which I use that term. I use that term to identify a position that excludes regulation/welfare reform. Think about it this way: X and Y […]
My Plenary Talk (Audio) at the Animal Rights 2013 National Conference
On Saturday, June 29, I gave the plenary talk at the Animal Rights 2013 National Conference. You can listen to the audio here. The title of my talk: “The Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights.” I understand that a video will be available at some point, which will allow you to see the PowerPoint presentation. I […]
The Consequences of New Welfarism
I was recently in one of the two Whole Foods in my area. I passed by the meat counter and I saw the signs about how the animals whose corpses are sold by Whole Foods are so very well treated. I saw people buying “happy” meat. And I heard a shopper say to an employee […]
A New Book: Eat Like You Care
Our new book is now available. You can get it here. If people adopt a vegan diet for ethical reasons, everything changes. If they don’t adopt a vegan diet, they stay stuck with anti-fur protests and single-issue campaigns and nothing changes. ***** If you are not vegan, please go vegan. Veganism is about nonviolence. First […]
Some Clear Thinking About Animal Welfare
Animal welfare reform focuses on the supply side of exploitation. The idea is to provide a supply of more “humanely” produced animal products. The idea also is to make that supply more expensive so that consumers buy fewer animal products. But the theory and the reality are different. Even those who support welfare reform often […]