Reblog from Free From Harm: “They Are All Cecil”

By Lorelei Plotczyk | August 31, 2015 |

Cecil reveals our glaring moral inconsistencies

Few issues cause more discomfort and hostility than openly questioning the practice of breeding, feeding, watering, and slaughtering tens of billions of sentient animals annually, which we do today in the total absence of necessity.

I want to be liked as much as the next gal, so when posting on my personal social media accounts, I try not to alienate myself from friends and family, the majority of whom love animals — or at least wouldn’t intentionally hurt one — but who have not (yet!) peeled back the layers that normalize the pervasive atrocities of animal agriculture affecting animals, people, and planet. For better or worse, I mostly compartmentalize these issues for discussions with like-minded folks. I’m working on that.

But the public’s justifiably outraged reaction to a lion named Cecil being killed by a hunter who paid $50,000 to do so makes it difficult to remain silent about the glaring moral inconsistencies that recently plastered many Facebook feeds.

Animal Rights BC (Before Cecil)

Here’s the deal. A man paid someone to allow him to kill an animal for pleasure.

Most people, on the other hand, pay people to kill animals for them, also for their pleasure.

Yes, in our society today, we eat animals for pleasure, not necessity. More on that in a minute.

It’s a wonderful thing when people speak up for human rights concerning specific races, genders, or sexualities. Most likely, someone who does so is not then proceeding to intentionally exploit humans outside of the group they’re defending at that particular moment. That would just be ridiculous and incredibly hypocritical. Can you imagine, for example, someone with a rainbow profile picture enthusiastically posting a racist photo?

Yet when most people speak up for the rights of certain animals — often dogs, particularly those left in hot cars — they then turn around and proceed to intentionally exploit animals outside of the group they’re defending at that moment, particularly those species they’ve been hypnotized by society to assign little to no moral consideration. This is equally ridiculous and hypocritical as the above example.

For example, over the past few week, I have seen people expressing their outrage over the intentional killing of a defenseless lion hours later posting a photo of themselves chowing down on the body of an intentionally killed, defenseless cow.

What we call a cheeseburger is actually totally vulnerable, sentient, heartbreakingly docile bovines (usually hundreds of them per patty!) whose ground-up remains are so casually consumed, covered in the congealed mammary secretions of their own species, whose formula-fed offspring likely lived out their unimaginable weeks on this Earth alone and imprisoned in a veal crate.

Amongst my many online vegan acquaintances brave enough to point out this glaring cognitive disconnect on social media, I’m seeing two common, knee-jerk reactions from their typically infuriated and offended non-veg friends:

1. It’s perfectly okay to kill (certain) animals that are plentiful, but not those that are endangered.

This would mean that animals have the right to exist, but not to live.

2. It’s okay to kill (certain) animals as long as their bodies are used in some way, especially for (unnecessary) food.

This is saying it’s not okay to kill or use just any animal for food, just certain species as dictated by society. After all, most Westerners would be horrified if someone slaughtered a local unwanted shelter dog to barbecue, defending it by saying

– See more at: http://freefromharm.org/animal-products-and-culture/they-are-all-cecil/#sthash.eBMVCwIX.dpuf

Re-Blog: Some “Animal Advocates” Never Miss An Opportunity to Exploit Animal Exploitation

Just when I think it can’t get worse, it does.

Humane Society International is an arm of The Humane Society of the United States. Andrew Rowan is the Chief International Officer and Chief Scientific Officer of The HSUS, and President and CEO of Humane Society International.

HSI has a new campaign: rescuing dogs from South Korean farms:

(click to enlarge)

Here is a story about this campaign:

Alexandria (United States) (AFP) – A dozen dogs originally destined for dinner tables in South Korea arrived in the Washington area to be adopted as pets.

They were the first of a total of 23 dogs being imported into the United States this week as part of a campaign to combat the eating of dog meat in East Asia.

Washington-based Humane Society International (HSI) located the dogs at a farm in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul, where they were being bred specifically for human consumption.

The farmer — who acknowledged a personal fondness for dogs — agreed to give up the animals and accept an offer of compensation and grow blueberries instead, HSI director of companion animals Kelly O’Meara told AFP, as the mongrels settled into kennels Monday at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Virginia after a long flight from Seoul.

HSI has been working with local groups in China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to raise public awareness of the dog meat trade.

“But South Korea is unusual because it actually farms dogs to supply demand,” O’Meara said, while other countries target feral dogs as food.

Every year, between 1.2 million and two million dogs are consumed in South Korea, she said, supplied by farms that number “at least in the hundreds.”

O’Meara said it was the first time that dogs from South Korea intended for human consumption had been rescued and brought into the United States, where a brisk demand for adopted dogs and cats is met by a thriving network of animal rescue groups and shelters.

All 23 South Korean dogs — the second batch is due to arrive Tuesday — will undergo veterinarian checks in Alexandria, before being distributed among five other shelters in the Mid-Atlantic states for adoption.

“By helping these 23 dogs, we’ll be helping a lot of other dogs in South Korea” by raising public awareness of the dog meat trade, said Megan Webb, executive director of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, which finds homes for about 1,000 dogs a year.

Okay. So let’s see if I have this right:

HSUS/HSI objects to the eating of dogs. Okay. I understand that. I don’t think anyone should eat dogs either. Surely, it makes no sense to object to eating dogs if you eat other animals.

But HSUS CEO/President Wayne Pacelle sits on the Board of Directors of

Continue Reading: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/animal-advocates-never-miss-opportunity-exploit-animal-exploitation/#.VLEl8Kbqn-Z

SOURCE:  Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach

 

Organic Gardening Is Working My Last VEGAN Nerve!

http://www.mypetchickenhandbook.com/mypetchickenhandbook/index?keycode=243477&smartcode=NLS1621666

Organic Gardening is really pissing me off and do you want to know why?  Because they promote animal exploitation without revealing the darky seedy side to “Chicken Ownership”.

First and foremost, when you “order” baby chicks, they are shipped through the mail like a fucking book from Amazon without food or water. These chicks often come from the same exploited hens who live out their miserable lives in Factory Farms.  Also, the companies who sell baby chicks ship “extra chicks” in your package in the event some should die during transport. Sometimes the “useless” male chick is shipped as “packaging material”.

Nice, huh?

Sometimes, you the recipient could wind up with a male.  What are you going to do if that happens? Males chicks, according to the industry, are “useless” which is why they are GROUND UP ALIVE!!!!  Let’s be honest shall we,  do you honestly believe the recipient wants to go through the expense of feeding and caring for something that does not produce eggs?

Doubt it!

People who think it is cute to own chickens so they can have “fresh eggs” fail to realize one very important fact:  Chickens do not produce eggs forever. What will the owner(s) of these chickens to do when they stop producing eggs? Will the owner(s) continue to feed and care for these highly intelligent sentient creatures when they stop producing eggs?

I’ll tell you exactly what happens. The chicken(s) either wind up abandoned, surrendered to shelters or look the other way honey (and kids) while I kill this “useless” bird and toss her into the compost heap.

Animal ownership, whether a dog, cat or fucking chicken is costly and requires time. You cannot just feed them and forget about them.

Lastly, sometimes eggs become lodged in the reproductive tract of the chicken, causing them extreme pain and death if not remedied. What this means to the chicken owner is costly veterinarian bills.  Are the owners prepared to handle such a crisis if it happens? Are they willing to take on the expense or will they just tell their kids to look the other way while this beautiful sentient being meets her demise with a hatchet.

Instead of glamorizing chicken ownership by using glossy industry words like: Backyard Raised, Organic, Free-Range, why not promote VEGANISM?  Rest assured most of the population in the US could stand to lose a few pounds and dropping their consumption of animal products is the best way to do it.

Better yet,  if the arrogant ass-clowns at Organic Gardening want to promote “backyard chickens” why don’t they also promote Lipitor!

If you’d like to learn more about the exploitation of chickens along with how to care for a chicken(s) that has been abandoned by a former “back yard chicken owner” or a chicken that was rescued from the egregious conditions of factory farming, please nav on over to Free From Harm.  Robert Grillo, founder of Free From Harm has done a brilliant job of exposing the lies that the *Industry* tries to cover up.

Eggs: What are You Really Eating? 

Chicken Behavior

Esperanza: The Story of  Rescued Broiler Chicken

 

 

A Vegan Doctor Addresses Soy Myths & Misinformation ~ Free From Harm

Holly Wilson, M.D.

Soy has long been recognized as a nutrient-dense food and as an excellent source of protein by respected dietitians and clinical nutritionists. The soybean contains all of the essential amino acids, as well as an impressive list of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Micronutrients in rich supply in soy include: calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C and zinc. Fiber and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids are also present in soy. The composition of these nutrients varies among preparations, but is in the highest quantity in whole soy foods such as edamame (whole soy beans), soy milk, tofu and tempeh.

Yet despite the powerful health benefits of whole soy foods, myths and misinformation regarding the ‘dangers’ of soy consumption are being widely circulated and presented as fact. I will address a few of these myths by taking a closer look at some of the sources of confusion and controversy.

“All soy is GMO!”

I would like to begin by explaining that the largest consumer of commercially grown GMO soybeans, both in the US and globally, is farmed animals. GMOs are genetically modified organisms, and their safety for human consumption is a hot topic of debate; many European countries have banned GMOs. While long term studies and conclusive data on the health effects of GMOs are lacking, GMOs are ubiquitous in our food supply. Soybeans are one of several major food staples now dominated by genetic modification. Currently, 81% of the global soybean crop is genetically modified, and approximately 85% of all GMO soybeans

– See more at: http://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/vegan-doctor-addresses-soy-myths-and-misinformation/#sthash.caZQU1HA.dpuf