A new Veg Blog feature has been added: Violence and Activism.

The excellent Satya magazine recently published two issues about “violence and activism,” after having solicited articles from readers, activists, and others involved in the animal/environmental/human rights movements. I read the March issue cover-to-cover in one sitting, waffling back and forth on the issue based on whatever article I was currently reading, and have read a number of articles in the new issue as well. Below is the piece that I submitted to Satya . It wasn’t printed, but I figured I’d share it here, since I figure other ethical vegetarians struggle with this issue themselves at some point.

During the first break of my freshman year at college, I went out to lunch with a high school friend who had started her senior year and was looking forward to going off to college herself. We chatted about the normal stuff, like what a big change college was and how the last year of high school seemed to drag on forever, but at some point, the topic of conversation drifted to civil rights. We discussed how so-called “radicals” or “extremists” that were part of the civil rights movement played a role and were even essential to its survival. My friend said to me, “You know, sometimes it takes extreme positions to really cause the status quo to change.” It’s this part of our conversation that I remember most vividly ten years later.

The more I thought about what she said, and I thought about it a number of times over the years, the more I realize she was right. If there were no Black Panthers or Nation of Islam speaking as loudly as they did, would the more moderate civil rights movement still have made the same impact as quickly? Probably not.

Does this same thought apply to the animal rights movement? As much as some outsiders consider PETA “extremists” for their various publicity stunts that draw attention to their cause, it’s groups like the Animal Liberation Front and SHAC-USA that proudly wear the label of “radical extremist” on their sleeves. When the fight for animal rights goes beyond civil disobedience or other lawful ways of bucking the system, does the argument still stand that change is brought about faster by the most extreme factions of our movement?

My wishy-washy answer is: I’m still not sure, but I think so.

On one hand, I consider myself peaceful and can’t find myself supporting physical harm to any person, no matter how many awful things the person has done. After all, aren’t they just “less enlightened” or something? My mind changed as I read about the wrongs of the meat, dairy, and egg industries, why couldn’t they be the same?

On the other hand, I can’t help but cheer a little bit when I hear that SHAC’s tactics have managed to convince another financial backer to sever their business relationship with Huntingdon Labs. Though the animals that are subject to the most unnecessary, horrible tortures in the name of cosmetics and cleaning products won’t feel the immediate victory, I feel like a step has been made in the right direction.

Really, there’s no easy answer and no one right answer. There are many ways to approach the issue of animal rights and each of us has our own calling to a particular form of activism. While some are disturbed most by the property damage and violence caused by some activists, I’m more concerned by the reason that sort of response isn’t so uncommon. The cause bothers me even more than the response.

For instance, if factory farms didn’t exist, would groups be defacing family farms and damaging property of people who bought eggs from them? Would the Earth Liberation Front be damaging fleets of SUVs if the vehicles were more fuel efficient and manufacturers didn’t so blatantly snub environmental groups by actively marketing vehicles like the Hummer to the general public? If HLS weren’t testing sweeteners on rabbits, would groups like SHAC even exist?

I will always fall on the side of a peaceful solution, when given a choice. I think most people do. But as in the civil rights movement, perhaps the more extreme factions are needed to help change the status quo, as much as the thought saddens me. My hope is that through all of our efforts, in the future, property damage and violence won’t even be a thought. Perhaps we’ll get to the point where our efforts can be focused on education and legislative changes. However, with systems as dirty as the ones we’re dealing with, it’s clear that groups that practice extreme types of activism are far from disappearing.

In the “Meat as Weapon” category, a Tompkinsville, NY father has been charged with beating his son with beef jerky.

I don’t recall any Tofurky Jerky-related incidents like this one.

(via Obscure Store)

Since I became vegetarian nearly three-and-a-half years ago, I’ve done as much as I can to learn about my diet and its affect on animals, the environment, and my health. I feel like I’ve gotten to a pretty good point where I’m “nearly vegan” and though that’s good, I wanted to contribute even more directly to animal welfare in a way that wasn’t as self-focused. A few months ago, I started to volunteer at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary. I’m still just a beginner when it comes to farm work, but I’ve learned so much from Terry, Dave, and all the great volunteers and employees at Poplar Spring. I’ve learned the best way to carry a lamb, how best to pick up a piglet, what can happen if horses and mules eat too much grass during the springtime, and why young pigs need suntan lotion. I’ve also seen first hand how farm animals have very individual personalities, just like dogs and cats, which has deepened my resolve for being vegetarian.

It’s certainly not the most glamorous work in the world, but I look forward to it each and every time I go. It’s very rewarding to know I’m directly affecting animals that have been victims of the pain, torture, and neglect associated with food production, ritual sacrifice, and even animal hoarding. Something I’ve found is that not many people realize that sanctuaries for farm animals even exist. Heck, I didn’t know until a couple of years ago. And with Poplar Spring, I was living within 40 minutes of it for three-and-a-half years before I stumbled upon it by accident through the VegDC site.

I did a little searching and couldn’t come across a single good resource for finding out about farm sanctuaries, so I’m going to begin work on a directory and can use your help. Please comment here or contact me if you know of any farm sanctuaries in your area or would like to help on the technical side of building the directory. I think that being able to spend time with farm animals really helps put a face on food and is something that every ethical vegetarian should attempt to do at some point in their journey.

(If you’d like to see some pictures I’ve taken at Poplar Spring, see the two photo galleries on my personal site. And, of course, don’t forget the feature article here about the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY.)

April 19, 2004: McDonald’s CEO, Jim Cantalupo, dies of a heart attack

April 21, 2004: McDonald’s Japan CEO and founder, Den Fujita, dies of a heart attack

I’m sensing a pattern.

CNN recently ran an article titled Experts stress post-exercise eating, where they discuss how low-carb diets can be harmful because of the body’s need for carbohydrates during the recovery stages of strenuous exercise. I was struck by the juxtaposition of the article and banner ads for the Atkins diet, especially the first time I loaded page:

Not only is it an Atkins’ ad, but an ad featuring a woman stretching, presumably post-exercise.

Thanks to Johanna for passing along a link to Left Shoe’s vegetarian buttons, one that says “Fish is not a vegetable” and another that says “Chicken is not a vegetable.” Those will look good next to my “Praise Seitan” button.

Wow… some people take this stuff a little too seriously. I just got an e-mail from a young lady who saw that I listed “cannibal vegetarian” on my classifications page and didn’t seem to get the joke:

Do you really expect to be taken seriously when you have”cannibal-vegetarian” listed on your site as a disciplined comsumptive practice? Anything i would’ve read on your website, and not already known to be true, I’d have dismissed as invalid simply because of your lack of representation of the vegetarian social movement. re-assessment may be beneficial! p.s. this is just my personal opinion, of course, but that’s nauseating.

Yikes.

Dozens of news outlets have picked up on the cleverly titled, but awkwardly written, story “Student Dissects Pig With Mouse” about a vegan high-schooler who didn’t want to dissect a pig and was allowed to dissect a virtual pig instead.

Why is this news? Is it really that weird for a student to object to dissection these days?

For readers in Chicago, there’s going to be a screening of Peaceable Kingdom at Northwestern University this Sunday (doors at 11:30am, movie at noon, followed by a panel discussion). Tickets are free, though reservations are recommended. It sounds like there will be quite a lineup of special guests, too, including the Baustons and Howard Lyman.

I highly recommend this movie for anyone interested in animal rights or food production. It will move you.