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Social movements are not monolithic. They attract the unconventional, the free thinkers, the radicals, and the hangers-on.
Whether
the cause was to end slavery, women's suffrage, integration, anti-war,
or now gay or animal rights, parallels are obvious, and understandable.
There are/were those elements in each movement appealing to the general public's sense of decency and fairness.
Those seeking to mobilize people who agree but are timid or bullied into silence.
Those whose role is to educate and recruit.
Those who engage in or threaten violence to spotlight instances of outrage.
Those who take to the streets and those who take to the ballot boxes.
All serve a function and some are more effective than others.
But there cannot be a human enterprise without humans, and we humans are not necessarily efficient at what we do.
The Animal Rights movement has seen and will see the same seemingly disparate elements of radicalism and moderation that has comprised every social movement.
Our activists range from rescuers to revolutionaries:
From those fostering dogs to those freeing mink.
From those working to elect Liberals and Leftists to those who haven't a clue about politics.
Each of us is filling a niche and meeting a need.
With one glaring exception.
There are those in the animal movement who are philosophical purists.
They are vegans, which is admirable.
They produce hard hitting graphics, which can be helpful.
But, they are obstructionists when it comes to the efforts of those of us who are trying to actually accomplish something.
Calling themselves abolitionists (as though all of us were not) they rail against Meatless Mondays because they aren't vegan Mondays, and against vegan Mondays because it allows 6 days to be non-vegan,
Gary Francione, for example, recently posted that he opposed PeTA's anti-fur campaign I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur EVEN IF IT HELPED STOP the fur trade because it demeaned women!
Francionce's group produces some superb pro-vegan graphics. But he preaches to the choir. And his sermons are obstructionist and politically and organizationally unsophisticated. He is what I wish the whole world to be after we've won. But until then, he is more a hindrance then helpful.
Related articles:
Those seeking to mobilize people who agree but are timid or bullied into silence.
Those whose role is to educate and recruit.
Those who engage in or threaten violence to spotlight instances of outrage.
Those who take to the streets and those who take to the ballot boxes.
All serve a function and some are more effective than others.
But there cannot be a human enterprise without humans, and we humans are not necessarily efficient at what we do.
The Animal Rights movement has seen and will see the same seemingly disparate elements of radicalism and moderation that has comprised every social movement.
Our activists range from rescuers to revolutionaries:
From those fostering dogs to those freeing mink.
From those working to elect Liberals and Leftists to those who haven't a clue about politics.
Each of us is filling a niche and meeting a need.
With one glaring exception.
There are those in the animal movement who are philosophical purists.
They are vegans, which is admirable.
They produce hard hitting graphics, which can be helpful.
But, they are obstructionists when it comes to the efforts of those of us who are trying to actually accomplish something.
Calling themselves abolitionists (as though all of us were not) they rail against Meatless Mondays because they aren't vegan Mondays, and against vegan Mondays because it allows 6 days to be non-vegan,
Gary Francione, for example, recently posted that he opposed PeTA's anti-fur campaign I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur EVEN IF IT HELPED STOP the fur trade because it demeaned women!
Francionce's group produces some superb pro-vegan graphics. But he preaches to the choir. And his sermons are obstructionist and politically and organizationally unsophisticated. He is what I wish the whole world to be after we've won. But until then, he is more a hindrance then helpful.
Related articles:
- The revenge of animals
- Cruelty in the name of beauty
- Don't adopt then dump later
- Don't buy dogs. Adopt them
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