tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44319747167827840302024-03-06T06:45:31.642+13:00Peaceful AbolitionistEmmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-54350668634490204482013-07-20T21:31:00.000+12:002013-07-21T20:57:15.037+12:00Vegan Education Works!I was recently on holiday in Alice Springs, Australia, where I got to meet fellow activists Renata Peters and Timothy Putnam from the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AliceVegan"><b>Alice Springs Vegan Society</b></a>. I also had the chance to help out at their wonderful vegan education stall at the Sunday markets!<br />
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I enjoyed helping out, and many people came up to us interested in learning more about veganism and trying a delicious free vegan cupcake. We had many great conversations, and there were definitely a few new vegans out there afterwards.<br />
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I love face-to-face advocacy, people are generally much more friendlier in real life than online. People like Renata and Timothy are my role models, and I hope to have my own vegan education stall one day like theirs. I'm quite a shy person, and mainly I do online activism and use my design skills to create <a href="http://peacefulabolitionist.blogspot.co.nz/p/resources.html"><b>vegan education resources</b></a> for other advocates to use. But I'd love to practice and learn how to talk to and educate people face-to-face as well as they do! It's really the best feeling standing at a stall on the street or at a market promoting veganism to the public.<br />
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Some people say that vegan education doesn't work. Some are scared of using the word "vegan" because they don't want to scare people away. But the reality is, creative, nonviolent vegan education <i>does</i> work, and it doesn't scare people away! Many people come up to us and are genuinely interested in learning about veganism and why to go vegan. We are always friendly and non-confrontational, and that's a very important thing.<br />
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Educating people about veganism creates new vegans. It decreases the demand for animal products. It raises awareness. It is changing the world - one new vegan at a time! I am excited to see more and more people going vegan and wanting to go vegan these days, proof that vegan education really is working!<br />
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Don't be afraid of getting out there in your community and spreading the message of veganism and animal rights. There are many ways you can do vegan advocacy, such as having a stall on the street or at a market, making youtube videos, inviting non-vegan friends over for a vegan dinner, painting a picture, giving a speech, there are many possibilities so get creative!<br />
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Don't give up if you try it and no one tells you then and there that they're going to go vegan. The most important thing is that you are out there, speaking the truth and being a voice for the victims of animal exploitation. With every person you talk to, you are planting seeds. We can't control when those seeds will sprout, or if they will sprout, but at least they've been planted, and that's what matters. Focus on those who are interested in hearing what you have to say instead of the people who don't want to listen. And there <i>will</i> be many who will be interested and open to learning about it.<br />
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We need grassroots vegan activists all over the world, speaking out and educating others about veganism, and teaching people that other animals are not "things" for us to use, they are sentient individuals who deserve the one right not to be viewed as the property of another, <i>no matter how well they're treated</i>. After going vegan, educating people about veganism is the most important thing we can do to help nonhuman animals. It's a thousand times more effective than a petition or single-issue campaign, because it focuses on all uses of animals, and it strikes at the roots by reducing the demand - rather than attacking the supplier (which is only there because of the demand anyway).<br />
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Please be a clear, consistent, nonviolent voice for other animals. There are so many ways you can do it, so find a way that works for you. Let's work together to create a better world! ♥<br />
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I'll end with a wonderful and inspiring poster by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LiveVegan" style="font-weight: bold;">LiveVegan</a>, featuring another photo of the fabulous Alice Springs Vegan Society market stall and a quote from Howard Zinn:<br />
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<br />Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-84132835490073871362013-06-18T19:26:00.000+12:002013-06-18T21:53:08.680+12:00"You Should Respect My Decision"<div dir="ltr">
"I respect your decision to be vegan, so you should respect my decision to eat, wear and use animal products," many people tell me, wondering why I can't respect someone else's choices.</div>
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The thing is, this isn't just about you and your choices. It isn't like making a simple decision whether to listen to pop music or rock music, which of course I wouldn't get in the way of, because you're free to listen to whatever you like.</div>
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But there are victims here. Living, breathing, feeling victims.</div>
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For every non-vegan choice, someone was enslaved, exploited, and murdered. I can't respect the decision to participate in such violence, when clearly, there are so many other options that don't involve the intentional harming of others.</div>
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Would you respect someone's decision to beat a puppy or a kitten?</div>
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Would you respect a cannibal's decision to kill and eat another human, just because they like the way the flesh tastes?</div>
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Would you respect a person's decision to abuse their child, or their spouse?</div>
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Would you respect a rapist's decision to rape someone?</div>
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I hope you wouldn't. I hope that you would stand up for the victims. For what is right. </div>
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I am not just voicing an opinion when I talk about veganism. I am speaking out for the victims of animal exploitation.</div>
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In the end, the choice is yours. I can only educate and be here to offer help and support if you're interested in becoming vegan. But please don't expect me to respect a decision that unjustly exploits and harms others. </div>
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I just can't do that.</div>
Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-57286827842210667762013-05-16T15:01:00.000+12:002013-05-16T15:01:42.669+12:00Is Veganism a Diet?Diets are something you do for yourself, your own health. You can go on and off a diet whenever you want. You can cheat every now and then, since a little bit won't do any harm to your health. It's entirely about you.<br />
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Being vegan is not about ourselves. It is about rejecting violence towards other animals. It is not something you can go on and off or cheat on. Once we recognise that using others is wrong, we can't go back and we can't only do it part-time. How could we? We'd be betraying the victims if we did.<br />
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Of course, being vegan can have great health benefits, but they're just benefits. We should never forget who it's really about.Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-74862272225458076772013-03-20T21:51:00.000+13:002013-03-20T21:57:59.318+13:00A Child's NatureLately I've been thinking about something that happened when I was a young child. I had a friend who lived on a farm, who I would often go over to play with. We loved to go exploring in the small forest his family had on their property. One day, his mother came up to us while we were playing in the living room. And she told him that the next day, his cow was going to be butchered.<br />
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His cow. The individual he'd raised from a calf, who he'd loved and taken care of, was going to be killed tomorrow. They'd close the curtains, his mother said, so that he didn't have to watch it happen. I could tell he was upset, although he tried to hide it. I felt sorry for both him and the cow. But that's the way things had to be, I thought. I tried to block out my sadness, and even made an awful joke a few days later as my family was having dinner, that the mince we were eating was my friend's cow. It was my way of shoving away the guilt, trying to be like a 'normal' person who doesn't care about the animals we enslave and murder for our meals.<br />
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Children are not born to be killers. They naturally love and care about nonhuman animals. Raising them to accept the exploitation of innocent sentient beings goes against their very nature. If you gave them a choice, telling them truthfully what happens to farmed animals, I'm sure that most *if not all* children would choose to be vegan.<br />
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Sadly, my friend has probably now completely disconnected himself from the horrors of animal exploitation. Perhaps he's a farmer himself now. But as for me, I'm very glad that I decided to break apart from the status quo and go vegan. I no longer feel guilty about what I eat, and I'm finally living true to my nature. It is such a joy to be vegan!<br />
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PS - Not vegan? <b><a href="http://www.vegankit.com/"><span id="goog_769620176"></span>Start here!<span id="goog_769620177"></span></a></b> </div>
Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-35098463246218144762013-01-23T16:48:00.001+13:002014-06-20T11:01:54.308+12:00Think being vegan is difficult? I often hear people saying that being vegan is/must be really difficult, which I disagree completely with. It's actually very easy! Never since going vegan 6 years ago have I ever felt that being vegan was hard or not worth the inconvenience. If you think it's difficult, please consider how hard it is for those who are affected by every non-vegan choice we make:<br />
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Over 56 billion land animals and trillions of aquatic animals are murdered every year for human consumption alone. They are sentient beings who value their lives, just as we value ours. Just like us, they feel pain, they feel fear, and they do not want to die. But right now, they are being used in horrendous ways that would be considered terribly wrong if done to humans.<br />
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Millions of cows, pigs, chickens, and other animals, are being murdered at young ages just for humans to consume their flesh. The slaughterhouse is an absolute nightmare for them. They can sense death all around them, and they struggle and fight for their lives until the very end.<br />
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Marine animals are taken from the seas in their trillions due to humans' love for seafood. Fishes are pulled out of the oceans, struggling helplessly as they suffocate to death. Crabs and lobsters are often still alive and fully conscious when they thrown into a pot of boiling hot water. They desperately try to escape as they burn to death.<br />
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Dairy cows are raped and their children stolen away from them. Like humans, cows are very maternal animals and being separated causes great distress to both mother and child. The babies are either killed right away, sold to be raised for veal or beef (if male), or kept as herd replacements (if female). After 5 -7 years of being intensively milked and having to face the grief of losing children over and over, the dairy cows' bodies are worn out and their milk production declines, so they are sent to slaughter for cheap meat.<br />
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In the egg industry, newborn baby roosters are ground up alive, or thrown away like garbage and left to suffocate, because they're of no use to the egg industry. The females often have their sensitive beaks cut off by a hot blade, a very painful procedure for them. They are then kept in cages or barns, laying eggs at an unnatural rate. Through intensive egg-laying, they lose a lot of calcium and many get osteoporosis. After 18 months, their egg production declines and they are sent to the terrifying slaughterhouse.<br />
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It doesn't end with food. Billions of mice, rats, chimps, dogs, cats and other animals are routinely tortured in the name of 'science'. Lambs of sheep used for wool are killed for meat, their mothers suffering the same fate once they start producing less wool. Silkworms are boiled alive inside their cocoons in order to obtain the silk. Wild animals are imprisoned for life for our entertainment. Some are forced to perform tricks for us, as in circuses or marine parks.<br />
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They all suffer. They all wish to be free. And we have no right to use any of them.<br />
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Compared to the horrific lives that trillions of nonhumans are forced to live because we're not vegan, being vegan is very, very easy. There's no deprivation whatsoever. These days, if you really want the taste animal products give you, there are many great plant-based alternatives available. There are thousands of delicious vegan recipes online, and many great vegan cookbooks out there. There are vegan alternatives to leather, wool, fur and silk. There are many products that are both vegan and do not test on animals. And there are many ways we can entertain ourselves without going to places that profit off using nonhumans for our enjoyment.<br />
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Being vegan is about justice, nonviolence and respect to nonhuman animals. It's making the choices in what we eat, wear, use and do, that do not intentionally harm others. It's a call for positive, peaceful change in the world. It's our first step to a nonviolent life.<br />
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Being vegan is not a sacrifice. It is a joy!<br />
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Not vegan? Start here: <a href="http://vegankit.com/"><b>VeganKit.com</b></a>Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-91778654638876597192012-11-04T14:27:00.000+13:002012-11-07T12:03:25.133+13:00Canine Teeth: A justification for eating meat? Originally posted on <a href="http://vegan-times.com/">The Vegan Times</a> as part of their "Speciesists Say The Darndest Things" section, here is my answer to the objection that our canine teeth or ability to make tools justifies eating other animals:<br />
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<strong>“So what if human beings don’t have sharp teeth, like most carnivores? We can make tools (such as spears) instead. Perhaps our canines started shrinking once they were no longer as useful, but the fact that we have them shows that they <em>were</em> useful.”</strong></div>
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Even if humans once had sharp teeth, big claws, and bodies that could actually digest meat easily, does that justify eating meat now? In this day and age, humans can be perfectly healthy without consuming animal products, so <a href="http://peacefulabolitionist.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/want-vs-need.html">unless we’re lost and starving on a desert island</a> where there’s nothing but animals (who somehow survive despite the lack of vegetation), we have no reason to.
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Our puny little canines – which, by the way, some herbivores also have, and are more like ours than the teeth of carnivores – aren’t a good justification for continuing to participate in violence towards other animals, just like owning a sharp knife in your kitchen drawer doesn’t justify murdering humans.<br />
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The animals we use have no say as to whether they live or die. But we <em>do</em> have a choice. We can choose between violence or non-violence. These are sentient, feeling beings with an interest in continued life. They don’t care about what sort of teeth we have or about our ability to make tools. They care about their lives.
Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-68919148904509325612012-10-31T15:58:00.000+13:002012-10-31T16:23:28.107+13:00Want To Go Vegan - But Your Parents Won't Let You?Sometimes it can be hard when you're a
young person wanting to go vegan. Your parents are the people who buy
your food and cook for you, so what if they say no? I've heard many
young people say that they want to go vegan, but their parents won't
let them. So for those people, here's some advice that will hopefully
help.<br />
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<b>Educating your parents is the key.</b><br />
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Let
them know why you want to be vegan, that you no longer wish to
participate in violence towards other animals.
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Research about how you can get all the
protein, iron, calcium, etc, you need on a vegan diet. My parents
made me do this before they allowed me to go vegan. Parents just want
the best for their children, so they might worry you won't get enough
vitamins and minerals on the vegan diet. Just like an omnivorous
diet, it's possible to be healthy or unhealthy on a vegan diet. For
example, if you have a diet consisting of white bread and chips,
although it might be vegan, you won't be a very healthy vegan. This will
lead your parents and other people to believe that veganism isn't
healthy. So a well-planned vegan diet is important. A healthy vegan
diet can provide you with the essential vitamins and minerals you
need - the only thing it would be best to supplement for is Vitamin
B12. The best absorbed form of B12 is called Methylcobalamin - so keep an eye out for that name when you're choosing a supplement. </div>
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If they're still convinced that you need animal products to grow big and healthy - have them read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932100660/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=peacefuabolit-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1932100660&adid=0B41GJQEC6T654BE53XB"><b>The China Study</b></a>! See if it's available at your local library. After reading this book, my parents realised how bad animal products can be to our health and finally allowed my two youngest siblings to go vegan. Before, they hadn't been allowed to go vegan because they thought they needed to drink cow's milk for strong bones. Actually it's quite the opposite! </div>
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Your parents might also be worrying
about cooking. Having to prepare one vegan meal for you and a meat
meal for the rest of the family. There are a few things you could
suggest to them. You could have what everyone else is having,
replacing the non-vegan food for vegan. Such as, if they're having
rice, spinach, carrots and meat, you could replace the meat with
lentils, chickpeas or veggie patties. In my early days of being
vegan, this is what I did.
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You could show them how to 'veganise'
family favourites, such as Pizza, Mac n' “Cheese”, Spaghetti and
(Tofu, Lentil or Chickpea) balls, etc. Searching online for vegan
versions of your favourite recipes will usually bring up at least one
recipe you can try. My parents loved to find new ways to cook family
favourites that everyone could enjoy. Gradually, they started cooking
less of the 'meaty' meals and more vegan meals for the family. It was
just easier for them.
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If they're not willing to cook vegan
for you, find some easy recipes online and see if you can cook your
own meals. Once you get the hang of it, you could suggest cooking a
vegan meal for the family every week or so. Show them that vegan
meals can be just as delicious as their non-vegan meals!</div>
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I have some easy recipes <a href="http://peacefulabolitionist.blogspot.co.nz/p/recipes.html"><b>here</b></a> that you can try. More will be added soon!</div>
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And lastly, they might be worried that it would be too expensive. Sure, it might be costly if you get a lot of specialty foods such as fake meat products and vegan cheese, however the foods that should make up most of your diet - vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts, are pretty cheap. If my family of 7 on a tight budget can easily buy vegan - anyone can! My parents even found that their shopping bill went down a bit after they stopped buying animal products. </div>
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I hope these tips will help you show your parents that it's perfectly healthy to be a vegan, it's delicious, it's not expensive, and I hope they realise that if their child wants to stop harming others - they should encourage that! </div>
Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-59414183638109718792012-09-19T19:30:00.000+12:002013-05-07T14:53:22.985+12:00Welfare vs AbolitionI've seen a lot of discussion on Welfare Reforms vs. Abolition lately, so I thought I'd write about my thoughts on the matter.<br />
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Welfare reforms are thought of as a way to "help animals who are suffering <b>now</b>" - since the world isn't going to go vegan overnight. That's why vegans often support and promote welfare campaigns, as well as promote veganism. After all, even though it's far from perfect, it'll reduce suffering in the short-term, right?<br />
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My view is that although we like to think new welfare laws will help nonhuman animals, fighting for these laws to come about won't do anything to help them and aren't worth our time promoting. Perhaps a few people will look into the issue of animal use further through a welfare campaign, but for the majority of people, if anything, it'll make them feel better about eating "humanely raised" flesh and secretions of enslaved and exploited animals.<br />
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Let's imagine if say, battery cages were banned. Instead of being crowded in a cage, the hens will be crowded in a barn. Their brothers still get ground up alive, their sensitive beaks may still be seared off with a hot blade, and they will still be sent to slaughter at around 18 months of age. But doesn't it at least cause less suffering than battery cages..? Let's look at this through the eyes of a hen. She comes from the hatchery, to this "free-range" farm, crowded in a barn with hundreds of other hens. To her, it's hell. She's not aware that this hell could be worse in a battery cage. For the 18 months of her life, she is living <i>hell</i>.<br />
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The view from the welfarist approach is that since we're still a long way from a vegan world, we should be trying to reduce the suffering done to nonhuman animals in the meantime. However, would you say the same for a human rights issue such as child abuse or rape? Even though these issues are sadly far from over, would we <i>ever</i> tell someone that if they aren't ready to stop beating their child, they should do it five days a week instead of seven, or to "rape with compassion"!?<br />
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We need to be educating people about why animal use is wrong in the first place. I have met so many people who are buying free-range pork and eggs thanks to welfare campaigns, because they think they're doing something to help those animals, and these people <i>haven't even heard </i>the word "vegan" before. We need to be clear and consistent with our message. Buying or supporting free-range does not help these animals and instead reinforces the idea that they are our property for us to use. And reinforcing that idea is unlikely to help lead us to the abolition of animal use.<br />
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If you want do something that will help animals right now, then adopt, foster, rescue, and/or support animal sanctuaries who rescue and provide homes for those in need. These actions will directly make a difference in nonhuman animals' lives.<br />
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And please promote veganism, at every chance you get, be a voice for those animals. I know that sometimes a vegan world seems so far away, but changes are happening. Through people like you and me, educating others about veganism and nonviolence, we'll get there. We will. Don't give up. Never give up. Those animals need us.<br />
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To finish off, here's a chart that answers some of the common objections to the Abolitionist Approach:</div>
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<tr><td width="300"><b>Argument</b></td><td width="300"><b>Answer</b></td></tr>
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<td>Many people aren't ready for veganism yet, so we should ease them into it gently through welfare and "Go Veg" campaigns</td><td>Try vegan activism and you'll find there are heaps of people ready to learn about veganism! We don't need to be advocating for anything <i>less</i>.</td>
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<td>A vegan world is far away and animals are suffering in factory farms right now. Why do you only look at the bigger picture and don't care about the animals who are suffering now?</td>
<td>It isn't that we don't care about the animals who are suffering now. If I could rescue all enslaved animals right now, I would, but I can't - because as long as there is demand, innocent nonhumans will still be bred and killed for us to use. We have to educate people and reduce the demand. It's true that there are people who are unwilling to go vegan, but we shouldn't give them the message that that they could buy "free-range" or "organically raised" because that at least "helps a little bit" (which really it doesn't) - no, we should be clear that if they really care about those animals, they should stop using them. And if they don't listen, just go onto the next person.
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<tr><td>Vegan education won't save any lives in the short term. To affect the demand, we'll need a <i>lot</i> more vegans. </td><td>Vegan education raises awareness on the issue of animal use. While it might take a while for the demand to make any significant difference, we'll have more people adopting, fostering, spaying, neutering, rescuing, donating to animal sanctuaries, and <b>promoting veganism</b>. These actions <i>will</i> make a difference in many nonhumans' lives. </td></tr>
<tr><td>Change will come quicker if we advocate for welfare reforms and single issue campaigns as well as veganism</td><td>Welfare Reforms and Single Issue Campaigns give the confused idea that *some* forms of exploitation are worse than other forms of exploitation. Vegan education focuses on all areas of animal use. We have no need to be advocating for "happy meat" or vegetarianism or banning fur, we need to unequivocally advocate for veganism. </td></tr>
<tr><td>We can't force people to go vegan straight away, many need to change gradually</td><td>We've never said it's an <i>all or nothing</i> thing. We understand that there are people who will need to transition to veganism gradually, but that doesn't mean we have to promote anything less than veganism. The point is, to educate people about veganism, and then once we've given them that information, they can decide what to do from there, but we don't compromise on our message to fit in with other people's wants.
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<tr><td>Why are you picking on vegans who don't fit in with your views?</td><td>We don't pick on or bully anyone. Our aim is to educate others about the problems of promoting welfare and single issue campaigns, so that they can in turn educate themselves. Please don't be offended if we challenge your position! We speak for the animals. It's about them, not us. </td>
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Recommended reading: <b><a href="http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/books/">Books on the Property Status of Animals by Gary Francione</a></b>
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For more on what we mean and don't mean by vegan education, please listen to Elizabeth Collins' podcast <b><a href="http://nzveganpodcast.blogspot.co.nz/2012/08/nz-vegan-podcast-episode-101-what-do-we.html">HERE</a>.</b>
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And by Unpopular Vegan Essays, <b><a href="http://uvearchives.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/ten-myths-of-new-welfarism/">Ten Myths of New Welfarism</a>.</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-5758609753210959522012-08-26T14:44:00.000+12:002012-08-26T14:47:16.410+12:00"Veganism is Nonviolence" - a short essayWritten for a vegan essay competition:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Veganism is Nonviolence</span></b></div>
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Right now, someone is crying for help. Someone is mourning the loss of her stolen baby. Someone has just been murdered. Simply for humans to consume.<br />
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I am vegan because I do not want to support an industry of violence. I am vegan because discrimination to anyone, whether based on race, colour, class, sex, sexual orientation, ability or species is wrong. I am vegan because these animals are our property; slaves who are denied the right to live their own lives. I am vegan and I am working to put an end to the property status of animals, hoping that one day, they will be free.<br />
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What is veganism? Veganism is Nonviolence.<br />
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Rejecting violence to your body; as animal products can be detrimental to our health and consuming them can lead to cancer, heart disease or diabetes, among many other preventable illnesses. A plant-based diet isn't the only thing you need to be healthy, eating vegan junk food all day won't do any good, but if you eat right it can have many benefits. It's important that we take care of our bodies for a long, healthy and happy life.<br />
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Rejecting violence to the planet; Earth's valuable resources are being wasted in the production of animal products, it's an ecological disaster. Tons of food wasted to feed to livestock. Land wasted to both farm animals and grow crops to feed those animals. Forests home to wildlife destroyed to make room for that land. Being vegan can greatly reduce your carbon footprint.<br />
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But most importantly, Veganism is about rejecting violence towards other animals. Over 56 billion land animals are killed for human consumption every year. Calves are being taken away from their mothers so that humans can drink her milk. Thousands of day-old roosters are being ground up alive or thrown away and left to suffocate because they're useless to the egg industry. Lambs are being taken from their mothers and slaughtered for meat. And the only justification we have for using these animals is simply for pleasure; because they taste good, or feel good when we wear them, or entertain us by living in an enclosure or being forced to perform tricks for us. Ask yourself: is a moment of your pleasure really worth their suffering? <br />
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It is time to take the next step in humanity's evolution. Time to say “NO” towards violence to anyone. Time to build an Earth that is powered by peace instead of greed. <br />
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Going vegan is the first step towards living a nonviolent life. It's easy. I did it. My whole family of seven did it! You can do it too. If it feels like too much, try going vegan for breakfast first. Then a week later, go vegan for lunch. After that, go vegan for dinner. Stop buying products made out of or tested on animals. Stop going to places that profit out of using other animals; such as zoos, circuses, marine parks, and rodeos. Then before you know it, you'll be vegan. <br />
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Let's carve the way to a better, brighter future. For our children. For other animals' children. One day, there will be peace on Earth. But change won't come if we continue to follow the norm or behave as our parents have taught us to. We must break free from our own racism, heterosexism, speciesism, etc, and extend a hand to those in need. The human and nonhuman slaves, the starving humans who have no food due to animal farming, the animals who are endangered due to deforestation, the victims of discrimination, we can put a stop to their suffering if we work to make it happen. <br />
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Be nonviolent. Be vegan.</div>
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Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-6296498321569981762012-08-12T21:14:00.000+12:002012-10-10T11:41:00.261+13:00Vegans advocating for Welfare: Why?From Sow Stalls to Battery Cages to local slaughter rather than overseas slaughter. I've seen many vegans supporting or promoting better treatment for enslaved animals. And every time I see this, I wonder; <b>Why?</b><br />
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Ok, so less torture is always better. Being killed instantly by a gun is better than having your throat slit and bleeding to death. Doesn't mean it's right. These campaigns are basically saying "It's okay to use other animals for our selfish purposes, so long as it's done 'humanely'". I can understand why animal welfare groups advocate for these campaigns. The public is happy because they're buying "with compassion", the exploiters are happy because more people are buying their "free-range" products, and the welfare organisations rake in a whole lot of money from both non-vegan and vegan supporters of their campaigns. The only losers are the animals.<br />
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The thing I can't quite understand are vegans who support these campaigns. I know we all feel helpless sometimes and want to make a difference for animals NOW, but it's not going to help them much if more welfare laws come into place. I mean, we've had animal welfare for 200 years now, and more animals are suffering than ever before.<br />
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The only way we can help animals is by going vegan and educating others about veganism. It's speciesist to say that anything less than veganism is morally acceptable. Would we advocate for "humane" rape? Or for better treatment of enslaved humans?<br />
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But what about the people who say they'll never be vegan? Isn't it better for them to consume free-range animal products than not change at all? Well, that decision's up to them, but <i>don't</i> encourage it. Make it clear that it won't help the animals, it won't stop them from losing their children, being exploited, or being murdered at a young age. Maybe that person won't change straight away, but a few years down the line, they might have a re-think about it and decide to make the change. But if they're encouraged to consume free-range, and they believe that they're doing something good for animals, odds are they won't change, not until someone stands up and tells them that actually, consuming these "happy" animal products are really <i><b>not </b></i>helping any animals.<br />
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We wouldn't encourage a mass-murderer, who doesn't think he can completely give up murdering humans, to murder them "nicely". No, that doesn't acknowledge the fact that <i>any</i> murder of a human is wrong. If so-called "Human Rights" activists said that it's alright for him to murder a human, provided it's done "humanely", of course he's going to continue doing it. It's insane when you think about it in human context, so why is it different when it comes to non-humans?<br />
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If you want to help animals, go out and educate others about veganism! And if you want to do something <b>now</b> to help animals, adopt a homeless animal, volunteer at a shelter, and/or encourage others to adopt, there are millions out there who need loving homes <b>right now</b>.<br />
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Be an unequivocal voice for those who can't speak for themselves. <i>Always</i> remember the victims when doing vegan advocacy. If someone says they'll never go vegan, then just move on to the next person, but <b>don't </b>compromise your message. Be a clear, consistent voice for all animals.Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-67656385914652528132012-08-12T17:03:00.000+12:002013-07-20T20:05:25.087+12:00Vegan Education: Working With What You HaveThis Friday I went out in Hamilton with pamphlets and a box full of vegan cupcakes to educate the public about veganism. Each cupcake was given out with one of my <a href="http://peacefulabolitionist.blogspot.co.nz/p/resources.html">Cupcake Cards</a>, and I also had <a href="http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/text/#araa-pamphlet">Abolitionist Approach</a> and Butterflies Katz's <a href="http://www.veganpoet.com/Becoming-Vegan-pamphlet.pdf">Becoming Vegan</a> pamphlets for people to take as well.<br />
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I had three cupcakes on the box at a time, with the pamphlets in front. I positioned myself in front of a shopping centre, where a good amount of people would be walking past, holding the box and saying "Free Cupcake!" whenever someone walked past. It was a great experience. I had a lot of interest, and gave out all my cupcakes within two hours.<br />
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This is something <u>anyone</u> could do. You don't need to be a part of any organisation, it's cheap, doesn't require much setting up, and it's a great and fun way to educate people about veganism. When you don't have much, but you want to get vegan education into your community, get creative and work with what you have! </div>
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Hand out vegan food, host cooking classes, make videos, write, do a market stall, hand out pamphlets, do whatever you feel comfortable doing - There are many ways you can promote veganism!</div>
Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-24475594889323841532012-07-28T21:19:00.001+12:002012-07-28T22:05:03.017+12:00The Cow in the FieldToday I was watching a cow in the field across the road. She was all by herself, just standing and staring off into space. She was standing there for a while and I wondered what she was thinking about. Had she just lost a baby? Tears came to my eyes as I thought about what she would have had to go through.<br />
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Being raped. Giving birth. The emotional pain of having her child taken away from her. Having a machine hooked up to her teats every day to suck the milk from her. Over and over until the day she is slaughtered.<br />
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The cow lay down. It looked uncomfortable to do with her oversized udder. And there she lay for some time, staring at the sky. Again I wondered what was going on in her mind. I had to go off to do something, and when I came back, I realised something.<br />
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She hadn't just lost a baby. She was about to lose one. Because she had just given birth. Her little baby was right there, suckling from her. I wondered how many children she'd had before this one. I think she knew what was going to happen, because it seemed like she was trying not to look at this baby, like she was trying not to get emotionally attached. The calf nuzzled his/her mother. And for a small precious moment, they were connected with love. But that wouldn't last. And she knew it. She walked away from her baby.<br />
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Mother and child eventually went to another part of the field, and I didn't see them again. I felt sad for them. When the farmer discovers the newborn calf, they will be taken away from each other. If male, he will be raised for beef. If female, she will become a dairy machine like her mother. Either way, they will be separated and will never get to see each other again. She will never have the chance to raise her child, all so that a selfish species can take the milk to drink themselves.<br />
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It's absolutely horrible what we force these mothers to go through every year. No mother deserves to lose her child like that. Like humans, cows are very maternal mammals and have a strong bond with their young. Imagine the grief they have to go through when they lose their beloved children over and over again. It's no wonder this cow was trying to disconnect herself from her calf to save her the pain. She'd had it happen to her before, and couldn't bear to have it happen again.<br />
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If you're not vegan, please go vegan. Then educate others about veganism too. Be a voice for those who can't speak for themselves. They need us.Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-49927024322294871882012-07-25T18:15:00.000+12:002013-07-20T20:05:25.082+12:00The Peaceful Abolitionist Youtube ChannelI have just started a youtube channel! Watch my videos here:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9t2vsIqyfhI?rel=0" width="400"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DPc44h9Apfw?rel=0" width="400"></iframe><br />
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And subscribe for more! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PeacefulAbolitionist">http://www.youtube.com/user/PeacefulAbolitionist</a>Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-91417628897278400752012-07-22T20:52:00.000+12:002012-07-22T21:13:08.703+12:00"Life's too short to not eat..""Life's too short to not eat good food" "Life's too short to not eat cheese" "Life's too short to give up the taste of meat"<br />
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Some people can't imagine not eating their favourite foods and have problems trying to give them up. I've read that a<span style="background-color: white;">nimal products such as meat and especially cheese release feel-good chemicals in your brain when you consume them, making you easily addicted to them. It's no wonder some people find them so hard to give up. </span><br />
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If you have an addiction, you're surely going to crave that product for a little while after taking it out of your diet. But don't give in! Remember that the cravings will pass. I had a few cravings at first too. I remember once craving pig flesh. But I got through that by thinking about the poor pig who was killed for someone to eat that slice of ham.<br />
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Remember who you're doing it for. If you crave cheese, remember the dairy cows who were separated from their babies and eventually killed after a short life of being impregnated over and over, and the newborn calves who were slaughtered for the rennet in their stomachs, used to make the cheese. When you remember the victims, it's easier to fight the cravings away.<br />
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Life may be short, but those animals who were exploited for your food had much shorter lives. Don't let a moment of difficulty put you off doing what's right.<br />
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And you don't have to sacrifice good food to be vegan. I always see celebrity chefs on tv calling plant-based food "boring". Far from that, it's exciting and delicious! Google vegan recipes online. You'll find heaps to try.<br />
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Don't look at veganism as a "sacrifice". As Gary Francione has said, "You can't sacrifice what you had no moral right to in the first place." <span style="background-color: white;">Veganism is simply saying "no" to violence and injustice. </span>Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-55531340771768319452012-07-21T22:25:00.000+12:002012-12-31T17:20:03.886+13:00Human Rights before Animal RightsSo, I've seen a few people say that they would rather focus on Human Rights issues, and solve those, before working on Animal Rights issues (and even <i>thinking</i> about going vegan, it seems). This position confuses me.<br />
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Humans <i>are</i> animals, so in theory, human rights = animal rights. As a vegan, I am opposed to violence towards *all* animals, including humans.<br />
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Being vegan doesn't mean you have to automatically care more about non-humans than you do humans. It is simply a rejection of violence. <i>All</i> violence.<br />
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Right now, people in developing countries are starving to death because they don't have enough food. At the same time, tons of grain, corn and soy are being taken from those same malnourished countries to feed to livestock in wealthier countries. No matter how much food we donate to the hungry, the problem will still remain because the cause is still there and it will stay there as long as there is a demand for it. World hunger is another thing that has to be abolished, and the solution isn't to farm more animals to try to feed them <i>all</i> a meaty western diet (that will just increase the problem, and by the time we have enough farms to feed every human, if that could happen, the Earth would be so damaged that we couldn't live here anymore), the solution is to be vegan and to stop supporting an industry not only of great violence towards non-humans, but that wrongfully takes food that could be fed to humans and feeds it to their "profit machines".<br />
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Someone once asked if I was saying to take the food to feed to humans and let the other animals starve. To be clear: no, I am not suggesting that. There's enough grass for everyone ;)<br />
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In conclusion, being vegan is about respecting the rights of *all* sentient beings, and that includes humans. Being vegan doesn't mean you have to stop caring about and campaigning for human rights issues, and it doesn't mean caring about only non-humans. In order for us to live non-violently, we must reject discrimination in all forms. I encourage you to go vegan, if you're not vegan already, and advocate for veganism as a voice for all animals, both human and non.Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-8061567745087597902012-06-11T18:51:00.000+12:002013-07-20T20:05:25.090+12:00The Confused VeganDuring the first couple of years of being vegan, I was a very confused person.<br />
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I believed in promoting veganism and was passionate about animal rights. I was a member of Peta2 (PETA for youth), and I supported them, as well as a few other big "Animal Rights" organisations. However, many of their actions puzzled me.<br />
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When SAFE in New Zealand got undercover footage of factory farms on tv, I didn't think it was a good thing. Because there was no mention of veganism. Only promotion of free-range animal products.<br />
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When PETA campaigned for KFC to use "Controlled Atmosphere Killing" on their chickens instead of slitting their throats, I didn't think that was right. The chickens still lose their lives, either way.<br />
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Once on the Peta2 forums, a farmer was complaining that we were trying to put him out of business. I was the first person to comment, and I said that I simply don't support violence, and that the lives of those animals are as valuable to them as ours are to us. Everyone else on the forum, however, reassured him that they loved little family farms where the animals were treated well, and it was only the big mean factory farms that they were trying to get rid of. I actually felt embarrassed, and wondered if I'd said the wrong thing.<br />
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Was I being a bad advocate for animal rights because I didn't support campaigns by PETA or SAFE? Should I be advocating for welfare reforms like them? I didn't believe it would help animals, because they would still be murdered in the end, but it seemed like that was what all the vegans and animal rights people were campaigning for. I was very confused indeed.<br />
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Then one day, I stumbled across <a href="http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/">Professor Gary Francione</a> on Twitter. After reading some of his "Tweets" I thought, <i>Finally, here's someone who actually makes sense!</i> Someone campaigning for the end of animal use - <i>not</i> better treatment! I then learnt about the Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights. I met other vegan abolitionists on Twitter. And suddenly I didn't feel alone, or that what I believed in was wrong.<br />
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Now I wonder; how many others out there are feeling the same way I did? How many confused vegans are there who support PETA and the like because they are supposedly "Animal Rights", but don't agree with the things they campaign for? How many vegetarians are there who haven't learnt about veganism because nobody's talked to them about it? How many omnivores are there who pay extra money to buy free-range because they believe they're helping animals?<br />
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This is why I urge people to promote veganism, and encourage others to promote it too. You don't need to be a part of a big animal welfare organisation to help other animals. Talk to others about veganism, and promote veganism only. People can make up their own minds about whether to go free-range, vegetarian, or vegan after you talk to them, but I <i>never</i> compromise my message and say that anything less than veganism is okay - that would just be speciesist.<br />
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Since going vegan at the age of 13, I have always believed in promoting veganism. I always looked at it from the animal's perspective. If that were me in the slaughterhouse, if I were a slave to another species, I wouldn't care if I got a bigger cage or if I were gassed to death instead of having my throat slit. The thing I would want the most, and would hope for for my children's future, would be to no longer be considered as someone else's property. An individual in control of her own life.<br />
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Free.Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-51837286722034612522012-06-09T17:40:00.000+12:002012-10-20T11:07:45.079+13:00A Mother And Her Baby<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">This is a story from my week at an animation school in 2010. Originally posted to Facebook, I thought I'd share it here. <br /><br />
It was a clear Tuesday morning. While waiting for class to start, I was watching the cows in the field nextdoor. In the field closest to me were 4 cows and a young calf. The calf was lying down next to his mother. It was all peaceful, until the farmer started approaching the paddock on his quad bike. The mother - alerted to danger - got up and stood in fron</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">t of the calf. The calf, sensing something was up, got up as well and stood close beside his mother. Two of the other cows came to the mother's side, ready to protect the baby from danger. They all watched the farmer approach with wary eyes. He appeared to only be checking up on them, and then he left. But the cows didn't drop their guard until quite a while after that. Only when they were sure it was safe would they go back to doing what they were doing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">You can tell by this story that cows are very maternal animals. They adore their babies. But, in order for humans to drink the milk intended for the calves, dairy cows are denied motherhood. In order to keep lactating, they are repeatedly impregnated, and their beloved children are stolen away from them. Cows produce milk for the same reason all mammals do - to nourish their young. Milk is for calves, not humans. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-63719844596465384732012-06-08T19:33:00.000+12:002013-05-07T16:57:59.546+12:00Want vs. NeedIn order to stay alive, there are certain things we human beings need. We need water, we need oxygen, and we need food. And food is the necessity I'm going to talk about in today's blog post.<br />
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I have heard that humans <i>need </i>to eat meat for survival. That we <i>need</i> to eat animal products in order to stay healthy. </div>
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Eating other animals may have been necessary for human survival in the past when times were hard and plant food was limited. But they only ate it because they <i>needed</i> it to continue living - not for palate pleasure like we do now. Quoting an episode from my <a href="http://vegan-for-life.blogspot.co.nz/2010/06/episode-3-humans-were-made-to-eat-meat.html">Vegan for Life</a> podcast:<br />
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"Early humans didn't overdo it. They only killed what they needed, in order to survive, and worked in harmony with nature. But look what we're doing to nature now, in order to satisfy the growing demand for animal products. Thousands of acres of forests have had to be destroyed, air and water is being polluted, and so much life is being lost. The earth has provided us with enough resources for all the animals living on it - human and non-human - to survive. But we are exploiting these resources in order to satisfy our taste for flesh. Early humans ate meat in order to survive. Why do we eat meat now? Purely because we like the taste."</blockquote>
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For humans now, eating animal products is a want. A want for the taste. It is no longer a need. In fact, it's very easy to stay alive and healthy without consuming animal products. Long-time vegans are proof of that.<br />
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In a survival situation, when you're lost and you need to survive, maybe you'd have to eat other animals to survive. Maybe even other humans. In a situation like that, things are different. You wouldn't have a choice, you would have to eat what you can to survive - or die. Like lions, wolves, bears, and other carnivorous or omnivorous wild animals - they don't have a choice of what to eat. They have to eat what they can so that they will continue living. But right now, you're not out in the wild starving (I'm assuming you aren't if you have internet access and are reading this blog), and <i>you have a choice</i>. Over 56 billion land animals and trillions of sea animals don't <i>need</i> to be exploited and murdered for our consumption, clothing, entertainment, and other uses. </div>
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We have a choice. To continue engaging in violence towards other sentient beings, or to go vegan and live nonviolently. If you're not starving, if you don't need it, and it harms others, why continue doing it?<br />
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It's easy to be vegan. Vegan food can be <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/92121350@N08/sets/72157632481104479/detail/">DELICIOUS</a> and exciting! And if you <i>really</i> want the taste of animal products (cravings do go away, I promise), they can be replaced with plant-based alternatives. There's no reason NOT to be vegan, so give it a try! Start here: <a href="http://vegankit.com/">VeganKit.com</a></div>
Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-13430560828246184362012-04-25T18:10:00.000+12:002012-06-23T16:38:04.473+12:00It's TimeSunshine and a fresh breeze,<br />
Lush fields and tall trees.<br />
Friendship and bonds that will never be broken,<br />
Memories that will never be forgotten.<br />
Families that look out for one another,<br />
Sons and daughters raised with the love of a mother.<br />
A joy it is to live on this beautiful planet,<br />
Healthy long lives lived without regret.<br />
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A life of freedom,<br />
A life that we deny them.<br />
Because they are property of humans,<br />
Who enslave them just because they can.<br />
A short life of misery and exploitation,<br />
These sentient beings cry for freedom.<br />
They have no words but their pleas are clear,<br />
"We want to live, we don't want to die here."<br />
Mothers torn from their newborn babies,<br />
Young children slaughtered mercilessly.<br />
They are moral persons, not things,<br />
But we treat them like profit machines.<br />
Over 56 billion murdered a year,<br />
Simply for humans to eat, use and wear.<br />
<br />
It's time to stop the killing, violence and oppression,<br />
Time to end all hatred and discrimination.<br />
Time to respect the rights of one another,<br />
Time for peace and love to take over.<br />
We don't need to exploit to survive,<br />
So is it really worth taking innocent lives?<br />
Go vegan, end the use.<br />
They don't have a choice, but you do.<br />
<hr />
Sunshine and a fresh breeze,<br />
Lush fields and tall trees.<br />
How wonderful it is,<br />
To be free.<br />
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<br /></div>Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-45971014236747242502012-04-12T20:34:00.004+12:002013-03-27T12:49:22.928+13:00Why go vegan? - From a 9 Year Old<i>This post was written by my brother Eddy about why to go vegan.</i><br />
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My name is Eddy I am 9 years old and I will tell you why you should go vegan.<br />
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Did you know, every picture of animals being happy on a meat/milk/egg/fish product is not true if you were one of these animals you would be screaming "help help" and if pictures of animals were real then you would see a very very sad cow/pig/chicken/fish.<br />
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Did you know eating a egg is like eating the male chicks that die because they're no use in the egg industry so they are killed just after they are hatched. :(<br />
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Did you know more then ten million animals are killed every day for us to EAT?<br />
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Did you know milk from cows is meant for the baby cows not humans and furthermore most of the male baby cows DIE because they're not needed just because they don't make milk.<br />
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Did you know dairy industries say dairy for life just so people will buy more stuff dairy or more meat.<br />
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Did you know honey is really bees VOMIT and that bees don't make it for us they make it for the nest and the baby bees?<br />
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You can't make every one happy but you can make animals happy by being VEGAN.<br />
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So get your friends and give it a go.<br />
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Here's some of the food we eat.<br />
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Macaroni and cheese (made out of chickpeas)<br />
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Vegetarian sausages<br />
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Soy milk<br />
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Lasagne<br />
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Chocolate fudge/cake/muffins<br />
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Vegan food is really yummy.<br />
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If you search vegan recipes on Google you can find lots of yummy vegan recipes<br />
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Well that's all from me for now I really hope this makes you want to be vegan.<br />
goodbye. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"They're all vegans. And you?"</td></tr>
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Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-23189387698601970862012-02-23T14:55:00.000+13:002012-10-20T11:01:53.861+13:00Podcast Ep1: Activism and the Message We Want to SendListen/Download <b><a href="http://emmyjames.com/pa%20ep1.mp3">HERE</a></b><b> </b><br />
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Welcome to the first episode of the new Peaceful Abolitionist Podcast!<br />
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This episode talks about activism and why it's so important we always promote veganism, and never compromise our message.<br />
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Thanks for listening :)<br />
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Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-31737065358578669252011-12-16T20:36:00.000+13:002013-07-20T20:05:25.079+12:00You don't need money to make a difference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again when those big animal welfare organisations are asking people to volunteer their time to go out and raise money for them to "help animals"... which actually means trying to enforce laws that give nonhuman slaves better living conditions before they're brutally murdered for their flesh.<br />
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I'm tired of seeing SAFE posters everywhere asking people to "Donate to help animals!" or "Join our annual appeal to help animals!"<br />
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Well, I'm writing this blog post to tell you that if you want to help animals, if you REALLY want to help animals, you don't need to donate or volunteer for any animal welfare organisation such as SAFE. Just go vegan. And educate people about veganism!<br />
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Vegan education is easy, and you don't need a lot (or even any) money to do it. It can be as simple as talking to friends about why you're vegan. Or you can get creative! As I said in my last blog post, whatever you enjoy doing, look for a way to promote vegansim!<br />
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I've hosted my own podcast and radio show. I've created my own videos and websites. I blog. I've made animations and graphic designs. I've handed out vegan food to classmates. I've baked vegan cupcakes to hand out at the stall. I've engaged the public in conversations about veganism. I've hand-printed the word "vegan" on clothing I wear. And I've done all this without much money. I'm not a rich person. But that hasn't stopped me.<br />
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Imagine what great things SAFE could do if they actually spent their money on peaceful vegan education, promoting JUST veganism. A big organisation like them, educating people about veganism ALL OVER NEW ZEALAND, we'll have loads more people choosing to live nonviolently! If <b>only</b>, if only they would promote veganism! But they are too concerned about losing donators to tell people to do something as "radical" as going vegan. So instead they tell people that "you can love animals and eat them too, just buy free range!"<br />
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I urge anyone, anywhere, to advocate for veganism. Those of us who are promoting vegansim <b>unequivocally</b> are the ones who are truly making a difference to the lives of nonhumans. We don't need a lot of money and we don't have to be a part of any organisation to make a difference in the world.Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-3149260496895755112011-12-05T20:39:00.000+13:002013-07-20T20:05:25.077+12:00The exciting world of offline activismI haven't been blogging much lately, but that's doesn't mean I'm getting lazy, no, it just means I've been engaging in a <i>lot</i> more offline activism!<br />
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Every Tuesday, providing it's a fine day, the <a href="http://aava.org.nz/">Auckland Abolitionist Vegans Association</a> (AAVA for short) goes out onto Aotea Square armed with a little table, pamphlets, and delicious vegan cupcakes free with a conversation! We've had some great conversations, the cupcakes are a big hit and also an awesome conversation starter "Vegan cupcakes? How can you bake without egg..?"<br />
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We have great fun at the stall! It's so great to get out and talk to people face-to-face about veganism. It's much better than talking online, where you can't see the person you're talking to. And I learn so much by talking to people and answering their questions. It helps me become a better activist. I would recommend to anyone to start a vegan stall in their area!<br />
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Something else I've started doing - hand printed t-shirt designs! It's a wonderful way to use my artistic talents to promote veganism.. and it gets me off the computer too! :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth wearing one of my "NZ Vegan" shirts</td></tr>
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It's so fun and satisfying to see the end product after hours of drawing :) What I do is I create large stencils (just out of paper), print them out, cut little holes along the lines, stencil the holes on using fabric markers, then "connect the dots" and fill everything else in by hand. It's a long, delicate process (the fabric markers are permanent, so one mistake could ruin it!) but a very enjoyable thing for me to do.<br />
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I've also done a couple of interviews in the past few weeks with the <a href="http://www.examiner.com/vegan-in-roanoke/interview-with-emmy-james-of-vegan-for-life-and-peaceful-abolitionist">Roanoke Vegan Examiner</a> and <a href="http://nzveganpodcast.blogspot.com/2011/12/nz-vegan-podcast-episode-88-special.html">NZ Vegan Podcast</a>. Thanks for having me, Corey and Elizabeth :)<br />
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I would encourage anyone to get out there and participate in some form of vegan education. Do a stall, give away vegan baking, hand out pamphlets, create a short film, draw a picture, make a sculpture, whatever you enjoy doing, look for a way to promote veganism.<br />
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Peace and love ~</div>
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Emmy</div>
Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-73991290101942461322011-12-05T20:38:00.000+13:002012-07-22T21:26:01.620+12:00On "Vegan" CelebritiesI recently read an article posted in Stuff about vegan celebrities - "<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/5993465/Celebs-make-veganism-sexy">Celebs make veganism sexy</a>".<br />
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I have a number of problems with articles such as this. It suggests that veganism is a diet, a trend, a health thing. Celebrities seem to always misrepresent the word "vegan" and what it actually means!<br />
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Many celebrities who say they are vegan, aren't really vegan at all. They just follow a plant-based diet, yet still wear leather, wool, eat honey, or promote non-vegan products. Veganism is NOT a diet. It's a rejection of violence towards all sentient beings. It's about respecting their right to life. Far more than "just a diet", it's also about the clothes we wear, the products we buy, the activities we engage in, the places we go, and how we live life. Vegans do their best not to participate in animal exploitation (be that human or nonhuman) by not buying animal products or products tested on animals, not going to places that profit from using other animals (eg zoos and rodeos) and, where possible, buying fair trade products.<br />
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The caption for this article is "Vegan Celebrities Leading Diet Trend". I just mentioned above that veganism isn't a diet, and it's also not a trend. Saying something is a "trend" is saying that it will only last a while.. only while it's considered "cool" (or "sexy")... and then when society's had enough of that trend you can go back to eating animal products. But veganism isn't about being "cool". I don't care what people say about my veganism, whether it's "totally awesome" or "a stupid thing", I will never go back to participating in animal exploitation. Why? Because it's not about me. It's about them, the nonhuman animals who are enslaved by humankind to produce products for our pleasure. It should always be about them.<br />
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I must also make something clear about a text in this article..<br />
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<i>"The group says its latest figures show that about five per cent of American adults are vegetarians - saying they never eat meat, fish, seafood or poultry - and that half of these vegetarians are also vegan, meaning they don't eat dairy or eggs, either. (Strict vegans also don't eat honey.)"</i></blockquote>
ALL vegans don't eat honey! Honey comes from enslaved bees, whose food that they store for the winter (honey) is stolen from them so that humans can spread it on their toast. If you eat honey, you're not a vegan. You're a pure vegetarian. Just to make that clear. And if you eat honey, I'd recommend trying agave nectar instead!<br />
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I'll admit, some celebrities such as Ellen do a good job of showing the public how delicious vegan food can be, which is great. I'll also say that a purely plant-based diet is still better than an omnivorous or vegetarian (including dairy and eggs) diet, and I wouldn't ask them to go back. Just to re-think what it means to be a vegan, to remember who they're doing this for, and to please not misrepresent it! It's not a diet. It's not a fad. It's not a health thing.<br />
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It's justice.Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4431974716782784030.post-85044831916858349682011-10-05T21:42:00.000+13:002012-07-22T21:28:25.905+12:00Please Adopt MeI sit here in this cage right now<br />
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Wondering where I went wrong</div>
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Why have my family left me?</div>
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Where have they gone?</div>
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I am trapped in this scary place</div>
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Not knowing what will happen to me</div>
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I see many other dogs in here</div>
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All begging to be free.</div>
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I have so much love to give</div>
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If only someone would give me a chance</div>
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Many people pass me by</div>
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But they don't give a second glance</div>
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I am waiting for someone</div>
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Someone like you</div>
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To come and free me from this terrible place</div>
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If you don't come, I don't know what I would do.</div>
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Please, if you're out there</div>
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Don't breed, don't buy</div>
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Please someone adopt me</div>
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I don't want to die.</div>
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<i>Billions of healthy animals are killed in shelters simply because they can't find a home. Please adopt. Save a life. It would mean the whole world to that animal. </i></div>
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<br /></div>Emmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14874825473404247721noreply@blogger.com0