So yesterday I went leafleting at WVU. A few weeks ago Vegan Outreach emailed me and told me that Jon Camp, their director of outreach, would be coming to Morgantown and asked if I would like to help out. I agreed because I know how important leafleting is, but I must admit it was not something I was looking forward to.
I have only tried leafleting a couple of times before and it's been over a year since the last time I did it, mostly because that last time didn't go very well at all. I have always felt guilty for not enjoying leafleting, and even more guilty for not doing it anyway. I know how much of an impact it can have. The truth is, the few times I did it, it made me feel terrible. First of all, I felt like I wasn't doing a good job because I'm just not charismatic enough to engage people. The biggest problem I have with it though is that it kind of makes me lose faith in people. Not that I had much faith in people to begin with.
Leafleting is really all about the possibility of what might happen later. It's about believing that the people you give the pamphlets to will read them and make changes in their lives. The problem is, I'm not one of those "look on the bright side" people. I'm not very good at having faith that good things will happen later. I tend to only be able to focus on what's actually happening now. Well with leafleting that doesn't work very well. In my previous experience I found that most people just take the pamphlet and move on. Most of the time the only people who would bother to stop and say anything were the ones who just wanted to be assholes.
That being said, yesterday went much smoother than I had expected. I think that is due, at least in part, to my experience working in retail. Anyone who knows me knows how socially awkward I am, but after many years working with the public I have learned how to deal with customers pretty effectively. I find that I develop this entirely different personality when I'm at work. I smile all the time and say "hi" to everyone. I thank people for things that there's really no need to thank them for. I even have a different voice that I use when I talk to the customers. It's a bit softer and more high-pitched than my real voice. I've also gotten very good at taking shit from people without showing how angry I am. Apparently my work personality is pretty effective because I've actually heard customers telling the managers how "nice" and "polite" I am on several occasions.
Well yesterday I found myself using my work personality on the people at WVU. I stood there with this huge smile on my face and said "hi" to everyone in a cheery, high-pitched voice. Then whenever anyone made eye-contact with me, I used the same voice to say "can I give you one of these?" (yes I'm aware that's not proper grammar, but I live in West Virginia and no one here says "may I"). If they actually took the pamphlet I thanked them in an even more cheery voice.
I was rather surprised at how well it actually worked. I gave out a lot of pamphlets, most of the people I tried to hand them to actually took them and I only had one asshole all day. There were also two guys who were probably being assholes, but they were more subtle about it. So I just used my shit-taking skills to pretend that I didn't notice and continued telling them what the pamphlets were all about.
So I guess the lesson here is that.......sometimes it pays to be a doormat? I don't know.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Humor
A lot of "funny" meat-eaters out there may think that vegetarians and vegans have no sense of humor. What other explanation could there possibly be for us not laughing when they make hilarious jokes like "if we're not supposed to eat animals why are they made out of meat?" Well, there is a very good explanation. That's not fucking funny! In fact, that is so not funny that I want to rip your face off when you say it.
Shortly after Riley and Petunia (my adopted pigs, for those who don't know) came to live with me, some guy was driving by and saw me walking toward the barn. He stopped and asked me what was in there. When I told him they were two pigs he laughed and said "are their names ham bone and pork chop?" I'm sure he thought I was quite rude because, not only did I not laugh at his remarkable wit, I simply said "no" and walked away from him. Though I'm sure it did seem that way, I didn't do this to be rude. I did it because, had I tried to stay and talk to him, I would have said something much more rude than "no".
I have actually had several people make similar jokes about Riley and Petunia and I know at least most of them are not trying to upset me. They genuinely think they're being funny. But if I made a joke about murdering your family would you think it was funny? Riley and Petunia are my family. And when you make jokes about eating other animals it's like making a joke about murdering someone else' family, still not funny.
The truth is that most vegetarians, vegans and animal rights activists do have a sense of humor. Most of us are quite capable of laughing at ourselves. Personally, I will not be offended if you make fun of me, of vegans in general, of vegan food, of whatever. Just don't make fun of the animals who are suffering, because that will never be funny.
I am a fairly stereotypical vegan. I'm socially awkward. I dress weird. I eat strange things. I like animals better than people. I buy environmentally-friendly everything. And the list goes on. There is plenty of comedic material there. Make as many jokes about that as you want.
A lot of vegan food is pretty weird. It also happens to be quite delicious, healthy and not made of the flesh or secretions of tortured animals, but none the less it is kind of weird. Yesterday I happened upon this image
and thought it was hilarious! I love Tofurkey, but it is sort of inherently funny and most omnivores are rather horrified by it.
The point is, when animal rights activists don't think you're funny it's not because we're so full of ourselves that we can't take a joke. It's because what may seem like a joke to you is just a heartbreaking reminder of the fact that animals are being tortured and killed to us. Suffering isn't funny. If you took a moment to try and see things from our perspective, you might realize how horrible what you're saying sounds to us.
So the next time you see me, if you want to point out the fact that I am entirely incapable of having a normal conversation with another human, or inquire about the mud stains on my jeans (which are there because Riley and Petunia smear mud on me and I'm not willing to use chemical based laundry detergent to get it out) go right ahead. Just don't try to pretend that there is anything funny about what happens to animals in this society, because there isn't. Thanks.
Shortly after Riley and Petunia (my adopted pigs, for those who don't know) came to live with me, some guy was driving by and saw me walking toward the barn. He stopped and asked me what was in there. When I told him they were two pigs he laughed and said "are their names ham bone and pork chop?" I'm sure he thought I was quite rude because, not only did I not laugh at his remarkable wit, I simply said "no" and walked away from him. Though I'm sure it did seem that way, I didn't do this to be rude. I did it because, had I tried to stay and talk to him, I would have said something much more rude than "no".
I have actually had several people make similar jokes about Riley and Petunia and I know at least most of them are not trying to upset me. They genuinely think they're being funny. But if I made a joke about murdering your family would you think it was funny? Riley and Petunia are my family. And when you make jokes about eating other animals it's like making a joke about murdering someone else' family, still not funny.
The truth is that most vegetarians, vegans and animal rights activists do have a sense of humor. Most of us are quite capable of laughing at ourselves. Personally, I will not be offended if you make fun of me, of vegans in general, of vegan food, of whatever. Just don't make fun of the animals who are suffering, because that will never be funny.
I am a fairly stereotypical vegan. I'm socially awkward. I dress weird. I eat strange things. I like animals better than people. I buy environmentally-friendly everything. And the list goes on. There is plenty of comedic material there. Make as many jokes about that as you want.
A lot of vegan food is pretty weird. It also happens to be quite delicious, healthy and not made of the flesh or secretions of tortured animals, but none the less it is kind of weird. Yesterday I happened upon this image
The point is, when animal rights activists don't think you're funny it's not because we're so full of ourselves that we can't take a joke. It's because what may seem like a joke to you is just a heartbreaking reminder of the fact that animals are being tortured and killed to us. Suffering isn't funny. If you took a moment to try and see things from our perspective, you might realize how horrible what you're saying sounds to us.
So the next time you see me, if you want to point out the fact that I am entirely incapable of having a normal conversation with another human, or inquire about the mud stains on my jeans (which are there because Riley and Petunia smear mud on me and I'm not willing to use chemical based laundry detergent to get it out) go right ahead. Just don't try to pretend that there is anything funny about what happens to animals in this society, because there isn't. Thanks.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy (ish) Thanksgiving
Well, it's that time of year again..... Thanksgiving. My most despised holiday. Last year there was a small bit of controversy over my holiday post, so this year I am going to try to be a little less offensive, a little. I'm not going to go into all of the reasons I hate the holidays again. So if you want to read my uncensored, angry rantings about Thanksgiving and Christmas I recommend you read my blog from last year http://thegirlwiththevegantattoo.blogspot.com/2010/12/happy-pretend-you-give-shit-so-your.html
I still feel that way about Thanksgiving, but I think this year is going to be better than last year. For one thing, I have decided not to go to any dinners where meat will be served. I have gotten to the point in my life where I'm done pretending to not be bothered by other people eating dead animals in front of me. That shouldn't be too hard though, because this year my entire immediate family is vegetarian and my sister is planning to make a vegan dinner.
The one thing that really makes Thanksgiving bearable for me though is Farm Sanctuary's Celebration FOR the Turkeys. This year my boyfriend Brian http://brianornduff.com/blog/ and I made the trip to Watkins Glen together. It was wonderful! Farm Sanctuary is just such a beautiful place, in every sense of the word. Being there and seeing all of the animals living the way they were meant to live, in happiness and peace, always gives me hope and sort of rejuvenates me. Seeing so many people come together to honor these animals instead of hurt them makes me believe that someday we really will be able to end their exploitation.
I got a chance to reconnect with some of the friends I made during my internship, both human and nonhuman. I was especially happy to get to see Emily Pig again. She was the one animal I felt the greatest connection with during my internship. I also got to meet the farm's new resident, some ridiculously adorable piglets and incredibly cuddly calves. Sadly, I did receive some bad news while I was there. I found out about the loss of a very good friend, Dean-o Rooster. It is heartbreaking to think about him not being at the farm anymore, but knowing that he had a long and happy life filled with the love of so many great people makes it much easier.
I found the speakers they had this year to be especially inspiring. Susie Coston, the national shelter director, has such a connection to all of the animals at the farm that she is always able to talk about them in a way that makes you feel like you know them personally. Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary's co-founder, flew in form the California shelter in order to be there. I always love hearing from him, because Farm Sanctuary has done so many wonderful things and without him none of them would have been possible. Leilani Munter is a female, vegan, environmentalist, race-car driver. Just the fact that she exists means that things are changing in the world.
Seth Tibbott, the founder of Tofurky, was the one who left me feeling the most motivated though. He said something that Brian and I both felt really resonated with us. I wish I could remember the exact quote, but alas I cannot. It was something like this though. "If someone tells you something is impossible, just do it anyway and then later you can look back and decide whether it was impossible or not." I think that pretty much sums up the way we all need view not only our own lives, but also the entire animal rights movement. Most people out there will tell you that ending animal suffering is impossible, but we have to just do it anyway. Then later we, and all future generations, can look back and decide whether it was impossible or not.
I still feel that way about Thanksgiving, but I think this year is going to be better than last year. For one thing, I have decided not to go to any dinners where meat will be served. I have gotten to the point in my life where I'm done pretending to not be bothered by other people eating dead animals in front of me. That shouldn't be too hard though, because this year my entire immediate family is vegetarian and my sister is planning to make a vegan dinner.
The one thing that really makes Thanksgiving bearable for me though is Farm Sanctuary's Celebration FOR the Turkeys. This year my boyfriend Brian http://brianornduff.com/blog/ and I made the trip to Watkins Glen together. It was wonderful! Farm Sanctuary is just such a beautiful place, in every sense of the word. Being there and seeing all of the animals living the way they were meant to live, in happiness and peace, always gives me hope and sort of rejuvenates me. Seeing so many people come together to honor these animals instead of hurt them makes me believe that someday we really will be able to end their exploitation.
I got a chance to reconnect with some of the friends I made during my internship, both human and nonhuman. I was especially happy to get to see Emily Pig again. She was the one animal I felt the greatest connection with during my internship. I also got to meet the farm's new resident, some ridiculously adorable piglets and incredibly cuddly calves. Sadly, I did receive some bad news while I was there. I found out about the loss of a very good friend, Dean-o Rooster. It is heartbreaking to think about him not being at the farm anymore, but knowing that he had a long and happy life filled with the love of so many great people makes it much easier.
I found the speakers they had this year to be especially inspiring. Susie Coston, the national shelter director, has such a connection to all of the animals at the farm that she is always able to talk about them in a way that makes you feel like you know them personally. Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary's co-founder, flew in form the California shelter in order to be there. I always love hearing from him, because Farm Sanctuary has done so many wonderful things and without him none of them would have been possible. Leilani Munter is a female, vegan, environmentalist, race-car driver. Just the fact that she exists means that things are changing in the world.
Seth Tibbott, the founder of Tofurky, was the one who left me feeling the most motivated though. He said something that Brian and I both felt really resonated with us. I wish I could remember the exact quote, but alas I cannot. It was something like this though. "If someone tells you something is impossible, just do it anyway and then later you can look back and decide whether it was impossible or not." I think that pretty much sums up the way we all need view not only our own lives, but also the entire animal rights movement. Most people out there will tell you that ending animal suffering is impossible, but we have to just do it anyway. Then later we, and all future generations, can look back and decide whether it was impossible or not.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Lies
So many people think that animal rights advocates are lying, or at the very least exaggerating, when we talk about what happens to animals in our society. They think we make the conditions animals are kept in seem worse than they really are, and that we make the animals seem more aware of what's happening to them than they really are. They think we make up all of these horrible stories about things that happen to animals on factory farms, and yet they believe everything they hear from the animal agriculture representatives.
People even believe those fucking "happy cow" commercials. Would you be happy if you were raped every year and then had your baby, the only positive thing that has every happen to you in your life, ripped away from you as soon as he was born? Would you think " it's just so sunny and warm here I can't even feel the crippling grief of losing my baby, or the pain from the pus-filled growths that have developed on my breast from the constant abuse"? Somehow I doubt that you would. I've watched a lot of horrifying videos of animal abuse and I have never seen anything more heartbreaking than a mother cow watching her baby be taken away. Trust me, no matter what state she lives in, she will never be happy.
Why do people believe the "happy cow" people and not us? We have nothing to gain from lying to people and they have everything to gain. Animal right activists would have no personal benefit if the entire world stopped eating meat tomorrow. None of us are going to get rich from convincing people not to eat eggs. We won't become famous or powerful by getting you to drink soymilk. The only thing we will ever get from achieving our goals is the comfort of knowing we helped to create a better world for nonhuman animals. The people who are truly dedicated to fighting for animal rights actually make large personal and financial sacrifices in order to further the cause. Some even risk their own freedom in order to provide freedom for animals. Still, somehow, people assume we're the ones who are lying.
The animal agriculture industry, on the other hand, depends entirely on convincing people to use their products. If they can't get you to buy meat, milk and eggs they lose everything, and "everything" is a lot. They know you wouldn't buy something that you knew caused extreme suffering, so they just tell you that it doesn't. The point is, the people who own the large meat, dairy and egg companies have gotten very, very rich from lying to you about what happens on their farms.
So here's my question; why would you believe the people who can become millionaires by lying to you and not the people who have absolutely nothing to gain from it?
People even believe those fucking "happy cow" commercials. Would you be happy if you were raped every year and then had your baby, the only positive thing that has every happen to you in your life, ripped away from you as soon as he was born? Would you think " it's just so sunny and warm here I can't even feel the crippling grief of losing my baby, or the pain from the pus-filled growths that have developed on my breast from the constant abuse"? Somehow I doubt that you would. I've watched a lot of horrifying videos of animal abuse and I have never seen anything more heartbreaking than a mother cow watching her baby be taken away. Trust me, no matter what state she lives in, she will never be happy.
Why do people believe the "happy cow" people and not us? We have nothing to gain from lying to people and they have everything to gain. Animal right activists would have no personal benefit if the entire world stopped eating meat tomorrow. None of us are going to get rich from convincing people not to eat eggs. We won't become famous or powerful by getting you to drink soymilk. The only thing we will ever get from achieving our goals is the comfort of knowing we helped to create a better world for nonhuman animals. The people who are truly dedicated to fighting for animal rights actually make large personal and financial sacrifices in order to further the cause. Some even risk their own freedom in order to provide freedom for animals. Still, somehow, people assume we're the ones who are lying.
The animal agriculture industry, on the other hand, depends entirely on convincing people to use their products. If they can't get you to buy meat, milk and eggs they lose everything, and "everything" is a lot. They know you wouldn't buy something that you knew caused extreme suffering, so they just tell you that it doesn't. The point is, the people who own the large meat, dairy and egg companies have gotten very, very rich from lying to you about what happens on their farms.
So here's my question; why would you believe the people who can become millionaires by lying to you and not the people who have absolutely nothing to gain from it?
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