Mother’s Day in a Sane World.

May 9th, 2010

It’s not really ground breaking for a social justice movement to use holidays as a way to try and create a narrative that supports their cause. When it comes to Mother’s Day, and the Animal Rights movement though, the story writes itself.

I remember the first time Crista and I fostered a pregnant cat. Mary (we named her) had been left at an abandoned factory, and the factory had just laid off the majority of its workers. One of the employees decided he couldn’t leave her there, so he took her home and called Niagara Action for Animals. From the beginning Mary was extremely defensive. Neko couldn’t go near the door, nor could any of the other cats. When she had her kittens it was even worse. You had to make sure no other cats were anywhere near the door when you went to open it or you risked getting caught in the crossfire. Watching her care for her kittens, and even try to care for another orphaned foster kitten who came a month later, was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. The bond between a mother and her children is something that transcends species. It was one of those rare moments where my convictions weren’t just confirmed, but they were deepened. How could I ever drink calves milk? How could anyone? How could anyone support these industries that fundamentally MUST break that bond in order to profit. All of the evils associated with these industries are all contained in every glass of milk, every brick of cheese and every single egg. Male baby chicks, useless to the industry, that are ground up or forced to suffocate to death on top of each other in dumpsters. Male calves, doomed to a short live in the veal industry, never actually touching real grass or interacting with any other cows. Females of all species forced to reproduce, until they are “spent,” becoming the grade of meat which makes its way into your favorite fast food hamburger. I tend to believe in the idea that all species are connected, this being one of the laws of ecology. If you want to celebrate Mother’s Day in a sane and responsible way, please, stop supporting these industries. If you already have done that, this is your last minute chance to head on over to any of a number of organizations who desperately need donations and get your mother a gift that honors all mothers this Mother’s Day. /end rant

xo,
Dylan

P.S. Thank you Jill Powell for always encouraging your son to follow his heart!

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Veggie Superfriends 2 Redux

February 6th, 2010

People started rolling in around 11 am and by 11:30 I already had a room full of people who I admire, artist and Sea Shepherd activists, Stephen and Renee Watson, vegan chocolate goddess Siue Moffat, and the vegan merch queen Kelly Twomey. Siue Moffat’s “Easy Truffles” demo brought out a large crowd, excited to gorge on the fruits of the demo. Prof. Lauren Corman, who gave a talk entitled “Animal Agency and Resistance,” held the entire room silent for close to an hour, relaying stories of resistance among non human species and urging animal activists to be attentive to how best to be an ally. The award winning documentary, The Cove, held the audience on the edge of their seat (everyone was sitting on the ground!) and numerous in attendance were visibly shaken by the documentary and interested in the film’s call to action. After the film, free vegan food was served and the crowd was very excited to try Brooklyn’s Restaurant’s famous vegan pizza and vegan chimichangas. After a small break, the venue turned into a concert venue and the loud music began. Local band, Northern Primitive, started off the music with their alt-country influenced-golden era 90’s rock. Next up was the Toronto hardcore band, Black Faxes, an aptly named band for the fundraiser. To finish off the night, Ottawa’s I Refuse, played their politically charged set to a crowd of fans and friends. The day provided many great networking and outreach opportunities as representatives from CalmAction.ORG, Sea Shepherd, OPIRG, Brock Animal Rights Club and Niagara Action for Animals all had tables at the event. Overall, the day provided a very positive atmosphere for activists and the veg-curios alike; stressing the importance of working together and looking out for the community at large. In the end, the day managed to raise over $1,500 to cover legal costs for animal activists, with the majority of that going to the American Enterprise Terrorism Act 4, Nathan Pope, Adriana Stumpo, Joseph Buddenberg, and Maryam Khajavi.

Thanks goes out to all who volunteered to help out for the event, Maree Mazi, Brandee Cote, Derrick Gordon and John Sakars.

Extra special thanks to these companies who donated to the event: Herbivore Clothing, MooShoes, Sukha Yoga, Team Green, Comondi, Veg Out, Vegan Essentials, Organic Works and The Vegan Party of Canada. PLEASE SUPPORT THESE COMPANIES!!!

Extra Extra special thanks to VegFund, who helped cover food and venue cost.
Photos

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