________________ Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach www.AbolitionistApproach.com WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AS A PRACTICAL MATTER? BUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH EATING ANIMAL PRODUCTS OTHER THAN MEAT? ANIMAL RIGHTS You are probably asking how you can do anything to abolish animal exploitation. There is no meaningful distinction between eating flesh and eating dairy or other animal products. Animals exploited for dairy, eggs, or other products are treated as badly if not worse than 'meat' animals, and they end up in the same slaughterhouse after which we consume their flesh anyway. There is something that you can do. You can go vegan. Now. Veganism means that you no longer eat or otherwise consume animal products. THE ABOLITIONIST APPROACH www.ABOLITIONISTAPPROACH.COM ANIMALS: OUR MORAL SCHIZOPHRENIA Veganism is not merely a matter of diet; it is a moral and political commitment to abolition on the individual level and extends not only to matters of food, but to clothing, other products, and other personal actions and choices. There is every bit as much suffering and death in a glass of milk, ice cream cone, or an egg as there is in a steak. We claim to take animals seriously. We all agree that it is morally wrong to inflict 'unnecessary' suffering or death on animals. But what do we mean by this? Veganism is the one thing that we can all do today - right now-to help animals. It does not require an expensive campaign, the involvement of a large organization, legislation, or anything other than our recognition that if'animal rights' means anything, it means that we cannot justify killing and eating animals. To maintain that there is a moral distinction between eating flesh and eating dairy, eggs, or other animal products is as silly as maintaining that there is a moral distinction between eating large cows and eating small cows. Whatever else it means, it must mean that it is wrong to inflict suffering or death on animals merely because we derive pleasure or amusement from doing so, or because it is convenient to do so, or because it is just plain habit. Veganism reduces animal suffering and death by decreasing demand. It represents a rejection of the commodity status of nonhumans and recognition of their inherent value. As long as more than 99% of people think that it is acceptable to consume animal products, nothing will ever really change for animals. But the overwhelming portion of our animal use - just about all of it -- cannot be justified by anything other than pleasure, amusement, convenience, or habit. So... Veganism is also a commitment to nonviolence. The animal rights movement should be a movement of peace and should reject violence against all animals - human and nonhuman. The decision is yours. No one can make it for you. But if you believe that the lives of nonhumans have moral value, then stop participating in the killing of animals, however 'humanely' they are treated. Most animals are killed for food. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, humans kill approximately 53 billion animals, that's 53,000,000,000 -- for food per year not including fish and other sea animals. Veganism is the most important form of political activism that we can undertake on behalf of animals. Join the abolitionist movement. Go vegan. Today. It is easy to go vegan. And it's the right thing to do. And once you go vegan, start to educate your family, friends, and others in your community to go vegan. For further information, visit The Abolitionist Approach at 145 million... killed every day 6 million....... killed every hour 100,000......... killed every minute 1,680............ killed every second www.AbolitionistApproach.com If we want to abolish animal exploitation, a vegan movement is a necessary prerequisite. And that movement begins with the decision of the individual. (c) 2008 Gary L. Francione & Anna E. Charlton. Distribution by other individuals or organizations does not necessarily indicate approval by the authors of any views other than those contained herein that may be expressed by those individuals or organizations. And this number is rising and will double in the second part of this century.
