At What Point Are American Tea Baggers Labeled "Terrorists?"

According to our government, the animal rights and environmental movements are the number one domestic terrorism threat in the United States. That's BS. What about militias? White supremacists? Was Tim McVeigh who blew up the Oklahoma Federal Building an animal rights/environmental activist? What about the nut who flew his plane into the IRS building in Texas? What about the nutty Tea Party members who threaten personal violence and have already committed some property damage by throwing bricks through Congressional field office windows?

This is absolutely unfair. Green is the New Red has another good post from a few days ago about this double standard.

Do PETA's Tactics Make a Difference?

My husband and I disagree over PETA's effectiveness. I think this opinion piece does a good job arguing in favor of PETA. I think that they are effective and, while I don't always agree with them, we would sorely miss them if they disappeared from the animal rights community. They have an energy and edginess that is fundamental to the movement. They keep people on their toes.

Is PETA Its Own Greatest Enemy?

I recently became a member of PETA because I admire their investigative arm and their ability to get media attention. And I think that, yes, there is a place for shock value in the animal rights movement. Sometimes you have to have a "bomb-thrower" (figuratively speaking!) in order to always push the boundaries of debate for other groups to then follow.

But sometimes, well, PETA does overdo it. A lot.

This editorial in the Advocate does an excellent job of articulating the problem with PETA. (In fact, I think it also articulates Mr. Barky's problems with PETA as well.)

Animal Rights Now On Our Ethical Radar?

Fascinating and uplifting (for a change!) New York Times opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof on animal rights. I totally overlooked it back in April.

Are We Really a Movement?

Last night, I watched "Milk," the film about assassinated gay rights activist Harvey Milk. It's an excellent film and I highly recommend it. I not only learned about Harvey Milk, but about the early stages of the gay rights movement (which is ongoing today when one looks at all the right-wing flutterings over gay marriage.)

It made me think though about the animal rights movement. Are we really a social movement like gay rights and civil rights? I think we have the potential to be, but I just don't feel that we are there yet.

One of the benefits that human rights movements have is that they are articulating for themselves. Humans get all wrapped up in stories of those who can communicate their sufferings. Animals can't do that. That's why people say that they have no problem eating them, harvesting them, experimenting on them, etc. The animals can't say, "This hurts me," "Stop it," or "I have a right to my life." We advocates have to impute those words to them, which is why so many of our opponents can argue that we are wrong. They argue that we are only making things up and assigning anthropomorphic tendencies to animals. This is because the animals cannot use human language to speak for themselves and contradict either side. (I believe they can speak, but in their own language that we can understand if we only listen.)

I also believe that we are a fragmented movement. Some fight for veganism, some against factory farms, some against experimentation, poaching, habitat encroachment, etc. There is a group for every cause. But how much can we accomplish when our resources are so divided? Who is our leader? Best Friends? PETA? The Humane Society? Or does everyone have their niche? Where does our power come from?

I also believe we lack a charismatic leader who can take to the airwaves and move an audience. We don't have a Martin Luther King Jr. or a Harvey Milk. We have Jane Goodall, who is a quiet unassuming person. We need a visible leader with passion and no fear, but also practical and driven to accomplish goals rather than just sounding off and garnering publicity.

I read Jonathon Alter once years ago who, writing in Newsweek, bemoaned the fact that there was no civil rights movement to galvanize the young people of the day. Just the sorry animal rights movement. It's not sorry, it just hasn't found its moral, UNITED, ORGANIZED voice.