Review: “The Evan Mecham Eco Terrorist International Conspiracy” by Leslie James Pickering

February 5th, 2013

We’ve followed, and been fans of Leslie’s writing on this site and I was excited recently to head over to Leslie’s radical book store – Burning Books – in Buffalo, NY to give a talk. The place is full of books I’d love to take home, but I made it a priority to pick up Leslie’s latest – a zine detailing the history of EMETIC or the Evan Mecham Eco Terrorist International Conspiracy.

I cracked the zine open the next night hoping to read a bit and fall asleep as we had big march planned for the next day. I ended up blowing through the 59 pages in one go – trading sleep for inspiration.

The zine is well researched, and presented with a focus only possible for folks who have been on the front lines like Leslie has – Leslie served as a co-founder for the Earth Liberation Front Press Office from 1999-2002. The first half of the text is a history of EMETIC and the second half is an interview with EMETIC defendant Peg Millett. In each section the focus really pushes the text as a how-to; how to organize on a coalition basis, how to survive prison, how to watch for signs of infiltration and repression, etc. Aside from this, the text also does a great job of linking EMETIC, a radical break away group of Earth First!ers in the late 80’s who were doing large scale property destruction and “ecotage,” to what would be the development of the Earth Liberation Front in the late 90’s.

Leslie recounts the motivation for the zine as countering a mythology and romanticism that surrounded histories of the Earth Liberation Front and attempting to create a movement history that is grounded in realistic narratives (human flaws and all) alongside information meant to be inspiration and applicable. As someone who worked on a project with a similar focus – the Conflict Gypsy archive – I fundamentally believe in this vision and know the exact issues with what Leslie is countering – where movement romanticism becomes a priority above action.

This is a must for folks interested in radical history, especially for those who are interested in the roots of the modern earth liberation movements. The intersectional focus of the EMETIC crowd – who organized in solidarity with Navajo and Hopi Nations and took on mining, development and the nuclear industry – is also something that many in the earth and animal liberation movements should brush up on. Our movements started from a broad base and only through co-option (non profit and otherwise) have their focuses narrowed and become isolated.

This is also a timely text as large non-profits like 350.org and the Sierra Club are using mass civil disobedience to oppose pipelines and environmental destruction – but with unknown long term results. The text is vital to understanding how the non profit world has consistently denounced property destruction and facilitated capitalism – but we now stand on the verge of large scale projects that are unlikely to be swayed any other way.

The highlight of the zine – and the reason it was so easy to read in one sitting – is the fact that this serious focus is matched with the absurd humor that EMETIC employed, as well as, the frankness of Peg Millett. The history behind their acronym, and communiques like, “The use of this mountain to entertain rich white people by allowing them to slide down without bother of walking up is inappropriate” make it easy to identify with folks who knew they were taking a very serious step – but who also knew that macho bravado or rhetoric wasn’t the spirit of what drove their actions.

The zine is cheap – $4/$5 – and I’d highly suggest picking up a copy. This is the type of movement history you will not find anywhere else (which is a theme with Leslie as his biography of “Mad Bomber Melville” is a similar must.) If you can – also make it out to Burning Books in Buffalo and support what they are doing with their radical space/bookstore. Leslie’s got a bunch of stories still not on paper and it’s vital that those stories – and histories – keep getting passed on.

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Review: Mad Bomber Melvillve

May 18th, 2011

Review of Mad Bomber Melville – Review by phaerl

The book captivated me—caught me in its gaze—from across the room repeatedly; and as the circular movements piled upon each other, between stalled moments of pretended interest in other pages, the end result for my one allotted purchase at the Critical Animal Studies conference was Leslie James Pickering’s fabulous, page-turning book.

Stories that are true to radical history are so very important, especially for those trying to move beyond the possibilities delineated by present artificial constructs. Since we all too often think otherwise than how possibilities once were, to think otherwise now is partly to be put into direct relationship with radical history. Sam Melville’s anti-capitalist/anti-war, pre-Weather-Underground bombing run, ranging from successful attacks on Corporate Banks to successful attacks on the U.S. Army, testifies to a genealogical tracing that, in my opinion, requires disclosure; for our present understanding of permissible responses to the struggle, as if it is singular, as if it is unified, is hardly “the way it is”. To well dismantle the present, the signs we live under, is to learn from the actualities of the past in order to create new signs. This will be the tracing of violent/non-violence: to destroy a capitalists’ bankbook/property without destroying the struggling workers. So the history of the ELF and the ALF is preceded by the story of Sam Melville. And having made that connection, all of a sudden, it doesn’t follow of necessity that smashing corporate windows is in fact violent. Against Sam Melville’s history it seems almost trivial.

While Sam Melville was (perhaps) an unfortunate product of his time, it is important to note that he nevertheless saw the need to destroy white privilege so as to create revolution. To remove privilege, actively, forcefully, to make one otherwise, if only partially, according to Sam, is to become a revolutionary place from which actions function out of desperation. In his words, “Those who are willing to yield every last privilege, who drive themselves to the limits of desperation, will make the revolution” (73). By tipping the scales, by removing white privilege as much as possible—and it may never fully be possible—a white persyn can perhaps come to terms with what it means to struggle to survive. His resistance to dominant signs that create flourishing for white men, his non-cooperation with the dominant flows of production, led him to Attica where his continuous resistance led to an armed five-day prison takeover, and eventually the loss of his life. However, in the process, he earned the respect of his peers, and like a real revolutionary he tasted continual solidarity.

In order to fully grasp this philosophy it is important to note that Sam Melville described himself as a pragmatic animal (72). To be pragmatic is (roughly) to be open to “what works”, while to be ‘animal’ is to largely ignore liberal (moral) agenda setting when it comes to potential practices. As I read this view, it directly confronts Humyns that tend to think in terms of dichotomies, whether dichotomies which exclude certain persyns who think differently, or dichotomies that exclude certain (future) actions as being ineffective (hopefully) given past experience. Pragmatic animalism might be a way out of this pseudo-a priori dead-zone: doing what is necessary means overlooking the finer details of different practices, practices that we find abhorrent. Once we loosen the strictures of privilege, at least insofar as this is possible, and function out of pure necessity, it is no longer possible to speak morally.

Leslie Pickering’s fantastic page-turning book is a story that we must never forget.

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Will Potter’s “Green is the New Red” Review.

April 15th, 2011

Will Potter’s site, GreenistheNewRed, has easily been one of the most influential sources of information for me personally, but also for the animal rights and environmental movements as a whole. No one has chronicled Government repression against those movements like Will has and no one has played a more central role in being a voice against it. It is a bit of no brainer, Will being a journalist and his site being so influential, that a book would come out of that venture. There was no guarantee, at least from my viewpoint, that the book was going to be an amazing success though. Yes, Will’s commentary is spot on, but it is also usually pretty to the point. Most posts point out glaring inconsistencies in government approaches to activists and move on. Could he fill a book? Could he do it without adding to the “Scare”?

It doesn’t take long into the book to realize “Will the journalist” has been sitting on some pretty amazing writing skills. I hear a lot of people using comparisons like Edward Munro meets Howard Zinn. Those are pretty lofty, but at the same time that’s the tradition he is writing in and Will is able to pull off that hard fought-accessible for the people-speak truth to power style that turned both of those people into heroes.

In playing the part of the un-easy journalist, Will creates a voice that makes all of these lives and experiences accessible. He creates a narrative that you get pulled into without recognizing that these are people you have never met. Knowing the goofy histories of characters from an inside perspective creates that instantaneously solidarity that goes unquestioned. Josh Harper loves Jean Claude Van Damme movies, inside jokes with Lauren Gazolla, clay A.L.F figures made by Jake Conroy and his girlfriend, Daniel McGowan’s humor; the book is in endless chronicle of the small eccentricities that draw us to people and that immediately block any notion of these people as “terrorists.”

One of my favorite parts early in the book is Will describing his close friend, Josh Harper, as he prepares for what would be the SHAC 7 trial. Josh recounts that wearing his “Home Land Security: Fighting Terrorism Since 1492″ shirt to his first court date was probably a bad idea. You see idealism and conviction up against repression that it doesn’t know how to communicate with. (I also love this part because I bought the exact same shirt for my father and this is something he would do). It’s a small mention in the novel that most will pass over, but it is something I will never forget.

Like the tradition he is writing in, Will is able to weave essential information into those stories without disrupting the whole. Throughout the book one will get a history of industry and Government responses to activists, from carefully crafted designer bills and corruption, the AEPA, the AETA and more. You will also get a first hand look at CMU’s, Communication Management Units, America’s new political prisons in which animal rights activists are thrown in as “balancers” in order to make them look less racist (they still look pretty damn racist.) This is weighty information that usually tends to be heavy on the jargon. Most attempts at getting people to understand it fail as people tune in just long enough to be frightened by what they are hearing, but not long enough to use the information as a tool. With his writing, Will is able to break down that wall and keep interest to the end. This is most likely the crowning achievement of the book, aside from personalizing those who have been demonized in our movements, that Will is able to craft a story that in the end lays out all of the information we are up against but does so in a useful way. The last chapter, “The Way Home” is also the way forward.

I was lucky that Will was up for the recent Critical Animal Studies “Thinking About Animals Conference” and he also agreed to speak at the Niagara Action for Animals Potluck Series that I organize. As he finished his talk he talked about community and community building and why that is so important. In the end, this is really what the spirit of the book is about, building a community that cannot be broken by animal enterprise, snitches, informants, laws, etc.

The next day Anthony J. Nocella gave a talk for the release of his book “Call to Compassion.” Anthony talked about his friendship with Will and how long they have known each other. He mentioned that Will signed his copy of “Green is the New Red” with “Another Ten Years.” I think this book has the power to really forge those bonds in peoples minds and I think in ten years from now you will hear a lot of personal stories from people who found their entry point through this story. File under: groundbreaking.

*This book is priced very reasonably. If you can I would really urge that you buy from a vegan business, Herbivore, Food Fight, etc. OR stop in at one of Will’s talks OR bring him to your town!

**Good on City Lights for taking a chance on Will.

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Critical Animal Studies “Thinking About Animals Conference 2011″ Review.

April 12th, 2011

While I was blasting out twitter updates at the Conference I had a couple people ask for a review of the Confernce. Here goes.

Disclaimer: There is only so much one can see at a two day Conference of this size. At some points there were 3-4 consecutive panels running at the same time and I definitely missed out on a lot of speakers I would have really liked to see; Jodey Castricano, Jovian Perry, Keri Cronin, Adam Weitzenfeld, Kimberly Costello, Aaron Bell, Lauren Corman, Jenny Grubs and Stefan Hnat, etc. That is just to name a few. I tabled a ton (Vegan Police, Arissa Media, Niagara Vegan Baking Militia, Live Free, Brock Animal Rights Club, Institute for Critical Animal Studies) so I was also locked in position at Pond Inlet for most of the Conference. So, what all of this means is that if I don’t speak glowingly or omit someone it is probably not because I think their talk sucked, it’s much more likely that I fail at breaking the space/time continuum. If others have written reviews, or would like to write a review, please let me know and I will add a link, or post the material here. Also, I encourage anyone who sees something they are interested in to contact the person presenting. The vast majority are willing to share and love to talk about things they are passionate about.

The Beginning: One of my favorite highlights of the Conference was the introduction from Professor John Sorenson. John has organized four of these Conferences over the last decade and was the leading force in creating the Critical Animal Studies concentration at Brock University. For John, every single moment of the Conference is a direct representation of years of protracted struggle within academia. When John went up for the introduction everyone was expecting something low-key, as John is a very low key person, however, at the end of the introduction John graced everyone with a statement from Ronnie Lee, founder of the Animal Liberation Front. My jaw dropped. Some may not have grasped the importance, but for me it is a clear statement in support of direct action on the part of (CAS). Academia has been a site where direct action has been contested in recent memory, with some, within and outside of the movement, going as far as to paint all those who support those tactics as “violent terrorists.” For a conference that also featured a panel on Government repression, the statement was clear; direct action is a part of Animal Liberation and (CAS) will not be moved by those who wish to drive a wedge between the two.

Capitalism and Exploitation Panel – David Nibert, Zipporah Weisberg, Julia Gutjahr & Marcel Sebastian, Richard Twine. I was lucky enough to chair for this panel. Zipporah’s and I met at the ICAS Conference last year and I was already a pretty big fan of her work. Richard I hadn’t met yet (we were facebook pals!) but I had known of his work and was also a fan. David is most likely not on facebook, but I had also enjoyed his writing. The only panelists I didn’t at least know of were Julia and Marcel.

David started off with a presentation on “Domesecration,” Expansionism and Capitalism. I can’t stress how important this talk was as far as setting the tone for the rest of the Conference. Domestication was a re-occurring theme at the Conference and David’s concept provided the perfect lens for destroying the convenience of human-centered ideas around “pets.” I felt horrible trying to push David along with the time constraints because his presentation covered such a large swath of human history and his concepts were so important, he didn’t mind though. As the Conference went on I talked quite a bit with David, sharing ideas on other presentations and just small talk. Aside from being a really great academic, he is also a really nice and humble guy. I look forward to reading more of his work and seeing him at more events in the future.

Zipporah Weisberg gave a talk on Techno capitalism that you really had to be there to understand. I think it is a pretty easy call at this point to say that Zipporah is going to be considered one of the most important and influential animal rights theorists within the next decade.

Julia and Marcel gave a great presentation expanding on the ideas of the Frankfurt School. I don’t want to fetishize or exoticize accents, but it was extremely nice to hear some accents at this years Conference and see the expanding reach of CAS and ICAS. Julia and Marcel (as well as Stefan) were a breath of fresh air throughout the Conference, giving numerous talks that were original and engaging. Julia’s talk on the Meat/Gender panel directly after this panel was a great application of ideas around masculinity and meat culture, updating that analysis to the 21st Century and expanding on it without some of the crummy stuff that sometimes comes along with it.

Richard Twine refused to look at my notes as I pressed him to wrap up! He gets let off though because he went the extra mile to locate his presentation and talk about genetic engineering animal enterprise companies here in Southern Ontario. That alone was a pretty big highlight for me. That is something most don’t think about when traveling to new places and he gave a talk that was arguably the most accessible to activists and academics at the Conference.

Meat/Gender – Julia Guthjar, Steve Romanin, Anthony Nocella

I already talked about Julia’s great presentation on this panel. Things got off to a bit of an odd start as two panelists didn’t show, however, Steve managed to push it along and his presentation on Masculinity was a great application of analysis to not just masculinity within “meat culture” but also accepted normative values of masculinity within vegan communities. Anthony topped this panel off with an impromptu throw down on masculinity in straight edge, hip hop and the A.L.F, advancing a critique to place all of those things back within a liberatory context. It was a bit of a bummer that the panelists who was to present on Queer(y)ing Veganism did not make it as I think that presentation really would have solidified this as an amazing panel.

Critical Theory and Animal Liberation Book Launch – I saw John Sanbonmatsu at the ICAS Conference last year at SUNY Cortland and I was blown away. He has a natural speaking ability, a toolbox that is heavy influenced by Marxism and existentialism and he has that self deprecating humor that endears me to people. We both commiserated over the fact that his book was priced out of the range of a lot of people at the Conference and I squeed a bit. Anyways, this panel was great. John Sorenson, Zipporah, Dennis Soron, Aaron Bell, John, etc. Standout was easily Vasile Stanescu. Vasile has some pretty unique speaking skills and I have been a huge fan since I read his piece on locavorism in a JCAS Journal. Vasile gave another great talk later that night on the Green Scare panel. I encourage everyone to really read and support his work as well keep an eye out for things he is doing on the horizon.

Green Scare – I labelled this “The Kids Will Have Their Say” Panel. I don’t know if anyone got it. It was so nice to see a panel of people in their 20’s and 30’s bridging activist and academic communities. Everyone knows I love Will Potter’s work and you can expect a gushing review of his book very soon on the site. Michael Loadenthal and Carol Glasser both did a really good job of putting things into perspective (and into graphs!). I really hope they work together moving forward because I think there is a lot of strength and legitimacy in what they are doing.

DAY ONE OVER.

DAY TWO

I was happy to catch the tail end of Sherri and Co. talk about Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary. If you follow the site you know that is where our current t-shirt fundraiser is for. I really respect their approach and love how motivated they are to really get out and tell the story of the primates that they care for. I also got to see my good friend Catharine Brigantino talk on the same panel about what happened last year locally at the Happy Ralph’s Petting Zoo. Again, for people who follow the site you probably know about the time and energy I put into writing about the issue and it was great to see that be carried on and given a really great analysis.

Next up was my panel. I talked a bit about abolitionist history and appropriation. Expect to read a lot more about that on this site in the near future. Kristen Hardy also gave a really great paper on this panel about Fatphobia in the Animal Rights Movement.

Colin Salter. Colin may be heading back to Australia soon and if that happens he will be sorely missed. He gave a great paper on disruption masculinist either/or binary thinking towards animals and instead using and/both as a framework. I really look forward to the completion of all the projects Colin is currently working on because I know they are going to be really groundbreaking stuff. PLEASE STAY! :)

Ran fast to catch my boy Paul Hamilton give a paper on Canada, Japan and the Whale and Seal Hunts. It was a really great panel (missed the first speaker) and I think a lot of people came away from that panel with a much better understanding of how and why the seal hunt exists and how we can end it.

Last panel! – This panel was a highlight for me because of the paper given by Sarat Colling and the talk given by Gwen Dunlop. Sarat extending a critique of slaughterhouses as a site of contention for thinking about non human animals, but also criminalized and marginalized humans. Her talk about “space” and “normativity” was a really great end to a conference that didn’t broach those topics as much as it should have.

Gwen Dunlop had me in tears when she talked about the vigil she has been keeping now for years outside of a slaughterhouse in Toronto. It was without question the most powerful presentation of the two days and I know I will take Gwen’s presentation with me.

For people who want to see the schedule in its entirety, you can find it here.

Overall it was a great two days that spilled over to a third. I want to thank everyone who organized for the Conference, namely, Lauren Corman, John Sorenson, Nikita Cox, Kimberly Costello and Sarat Colling. I also want to thank the caterers, Rise Above Bakery and Brooklyn’s Restaurant, for providing really great vegan food throughout the Conference. Lastly, I want to thank Will Potter for giving his talk at the NAFA Potluck on Friday night, as well as to everyone who came to the Anti-Seal Hunt Demo on Saturday and/or Anthony Nocella’s book release “Call to Compassion.” It was an amazing time and I hope to really continue on with the spirit of those days until we all meet again.

UPDATE: For people looking for more content on the conference our friends at Animal Voices have posted some of the talks from the Conference, including awesome people like David Nibert, Zipporah Weisberg, Vasile Stanescu and more. Go here and enjoy!

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Traffic Ticket: Review of Melisser Elliott’s “The Vegan Girl’s Guide to Life” – Crista Murphy

January 5th, 2011

As much as we all love to tell everyone who asks about veganism all about how easy it is to make the transition to a cruelty-free lifestyle, it is important to acknowledge and appreciate the challenges that we all face when it comes to being vegan in a world that doesn’t always want to accommodate us.

I think that it is safe to say that this especially rings true for us, vegan GIRLS. There are so many extra pieces to consider; feminine hygiene companies testing on animals, cosmetic companies vivisecting and squeezing animal fat into their products, birth control pills consisting of hormones from horse pee and cow ovaries, and even RAZORS have animal products on them! On the surface, for any female who is new to veganism it could seem like quite a difficult commitment to make, especially for those who may not have support from others. If only there were a magical guide we could carry around that could tell all aspiring vegan females what to do and where to go to access everything we need to live a cruelty-free lifestyle…

Well then, we all owe a huge thank you to the vegan goddesses up there for sending us Melisser Elliott and her new book, The Vegan Girl’s Guide to Life. Melisser tells us everything girls (and boys) need to know about how to be the best vegans we can possibly be. In her book, Melisser covers the whole picture, from delicious vegan recipes to cruelty-free fashion, cosmetics, beauty products, feminine hygiene, sexual items and even vegan birth control pills (apparently they exist!). On top of all that, throughout the book Melisser provides us with many perspectives through various interviews that she has done with vegan business owners and activists from all around the world.

I would strongly advise ALL females out there to pick up a copy of The Vegan Girl’s Guide to Life! Even if you have been vegan for a very long time, I GUARANTEE you will learn something new from this book that will make your vegan life even a little bit more awesome than it already is!

Thanks Melisser!

Love,
Crista
xoxoxo

(Eds. Note: Also check out Melisser’s site dedicated to vegan cosmetics, Cruelty Free Face)

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The Vegan Police – 2010 in Review.

January 1st, 2011

So we did the Donut Awards and that was a huge hit, but we haven’t talked about this site in review yet. As always, stress the positives, learn from the negatives. Mix of editorial picks and statistics!

Jan 25th 2010 (ish) – This site was born. Previous to this we were radio show/podcast with a facebook site as a central location. Considering we had been kicked off of the radio before (it happened again later on this year) and I had my personal facebook (and all pages) deleted because of a campaign, I was pretty intent on having a site to work as a central location away from all the nonsense. Massive thank you’s go out to our dear friend Karol, who put a ton of time into the site and was always quick to help if there was ever an issue. I strongly suggest people using Karol for their web design needs!

Our Most Downloaded Podcast: Will Potter – Jan 13th, 2010. I still re listen to this interview from time to time and really enjoy it. It was informative, but light hearted and I think I like it most because Will and I both feel that its paramount that people stay active and hopeful. Nod also has goes out to Anthony Nocella, Peter Young, Josh Hooten, Adam Gnade, Terry Romero and also our very last radio show with John Sakars and Melissa and Ally from the Local High School AR group SCAR. Very happy to end on that high note.

Best Contributed Piece: Tara Pelette – Interview with Ross Corder (Vegan Eats). This is tough because I really really enjoyed Rasha Taha’s Vegan In: Lebanon series and was really sad when it ended. That said, Tara made my interview/journalism skills look childish (I admit they are, she just highlighted it with a really really great interview). I think the future is very bright for Tara in her journalist career and I hope she keeps writing for the site! P.S. We are always looking for writers/contributions/guest blogs.

Top Story on the Site: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Vegan Police. This actually broke my heart. I knew I didn’t have ownership over the term, no one does, but the fact that my semi-serious activist-media outlet was going to be forever tied to a shitty pop hollywood venture made me very angry! If anyone is paying attention, there will most likely be a spin-off, at which point I will sit back and wait for whatever production company to buy this domain for a couple hundred thousand dollars which I will then turn into Sanctuary. (I wish!). In the end this story got the most hits and brought the most non-vegans to the site, which is a blessing in disguise and some sort of consolation I guess.

Funniest Interview of the Year: Chris Colohan. Everyone loves it when people rip into crust punk trust fund kids. Dan Shannon’s response to the classic tofu vs. tempeh vs. seitan questions also ranks pretty high. Also, Terry Romero talking about zombies and wrestling is pretty funny too.

Best News Break of the Year: Tie Ohio Conklin Dairy Arrest / EU Seal Hunt Ban. I still remember the morning I woke up to a press release from the Mayor of Plain City, Ohio stating that an arrest had been made at the farm. One local source managed to get it up before me but no AR source had it first. My shitty little site broke news! In the end it wasn’t a story to be happy about. The industry offered up a sacrifice and moved on. As far as a news story having the most impact on me personally this year, this story and its trajectory made me drastically re-think the effectiveness of criminalizing behaviors towards animals when an industry remains of abuse remains in tact. The second story, the EU Seal Hunt Ban, or the supposed drop of the EU Seal Hunt Ban, was lesson in weirdo government journalism. Trying to force the hand of the EU, the Canadian Government, alongside the Fur and Seal Industries and using Inuit and Aboriginal Peoples as a shield, attempted to run a truimphant nation wide story about the repeal of the EU Seal Hunt Ban. Journalists love a story that is pre-written. Unfortunately, EVERYONE bought the story wholesale even though it contained absolutely no sources from within the EU itself. In the end the Ban stand intact and is enforced in full, unfortunately, most Canadian news outlets didn’t run that story.

Local Story of the Year: Happy Rolphs. I wrote about it extensively. The issue is still not resolved, however, the pressure on the City to move towards third party Sanctuary guidelines is still on. If you are a fan of angry commentary, this one is for you!

Favorite Interview of the Year: Billy Ray Boyd. Billy provided more hope for “abolitionism” in that interview than I saw anywhere else this year. I think of all interviews I did this year his was the one I was happiest to post.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to support us this year, whether that was coming out to/promoting an event, contributing to the site, reposting links, leaving comments, etc. We didn’t really know what to expect when the site was first launched, but after almost a year I can say we are very happy with the response we have gotten back. Here’s to all of the possibilities of 2011!

xo,
Dylan

    Resolutions

We promise to edit more
We promise more content and more fundraisers
We promise more stories and viewpoints from more diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
We promise to try and cus’ less.

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Vegan Police: 2010 Donut Awards

December 27th, 2010

“But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.” – George Elliot Middlemarch

I take a lot of pride in keeping my focus on the diy/grassroots animal rights community. It is where I feel at home, and usually where I find others who use their creativity and spark to push the boundaries of what is possible. What better way to shine a light on these people and projects then an end of the year online award ceremony!?! Welcome to the first annual Vegan Police Donut Awards!

Favorite DIY Vegan Business: Rise Above Bakery

This is part head nod / part set up. My good friend Kyle had a really shitty thing happen to him this year, but instead of complaining about life handing him lemons, he made donuts. Lots of them. So many that he was able to quickly parlay a donut order business into a bakery. That’s the spirit we love. To help spread that spirit, anyone and everyone included or a part of this list below is the proud winner of a donut date with yours truly! ;)

Favorite DIY Fundraiser Project of the Year: Radix Media

I got in touch with Lantz back when he printed a fundraiser print for the AETA 4 case and charted Radix Media’s development ever since. When Lantz started a Kickstarter fundraiser for Radix Media, for much needed upgrades, I followed all of the email updates and checked back frequently nervously hoping that Radix would reach the $5,000 goal set and receive the funding (with Kickstarter you only get the funds if you reach your goal). When they finally did reach the goal, just hours before the deadline, I felt relieved and elated as if my small part had tied me to the project. We are a movement that likes to throw money at things, but how many times do you get that feeling? Like your contribution really truly counted for someone working their ass off to push for their dream; in this case printing radical literature for the animal/human rights community. I wish Lantz and Radix Media all the best and hope they print millions of copies of Nick Riotfag’s “Towards a Less Fucked Up World.”

DIY Film Award: Bold Native

Before I gush praise for Bold Native, there are a couple of short listers here that I should mention. The UK Vegan Societies “Making the Connection” made an amazing case for veganism this year. The production value was extremely high and I loved seeing veganic farming put to practice as well as Benjamin Zephaniah. Shannon Keith’s “Skin Trade” blew the top off of the fur industry and did a great job of preempting a lot of fur is green bullshit. Also, my good buddy Karol at Decipher Films pumped out some amazing work bringing the Open Rescue concept back across the Atlantic and charting the eery brutality of a rabbit slaughterhouse in “The Rhythm.” (There are also projects in the works for 2011 that I can’t announce but that people should be watching for!) However, this year Bold Native pushed the high water mark higher than most would have thought possible for animal rights film. I am still in awe of the film and cannot wait to see what is next for Denis and Casey at Open Road Films.

Worlds Best Vegan Podcast: Our Hen House

I know a hit when I see one and Our Hen House took 2010 by storm. Mariann and Jasmin filed a much needed void in the vegan podcast world and have been more organized, dedicated and visionary than any previous attempts I have ever known of. They are a one stop shop for inspiration and two of the nicest and funniest people around. I am excited to keep watching this project grow and grow and grow.

Best Publication: Tie Dara Lovitz’s “Muzzling a Movement” / John Sorenson’s “About Canada: Animal Rights” / A. Breeze Harper “Sistah Vegan”

Some may scoff at the Canadian bias here, but if you know what it was like to endlessly search for information and statistics that do not exist you would understand the extreme weight of Professor John Sorenson’s comprehensive study of animal rights in Canada. Nothing like it exists. Breeze Harper’s “Sistah Vegan” should be a clear front runner for many who would compile a list like this. An amazing and diverse collection of viewpoints from black female vegans, “Sistah Vegan” pushed dialogue past the traditional limits of the animal rights community and I think it will be remembered in the future as a seminal text in growing the philosophy of compassion. Dara Lovitz’s “Muzzling A Movement” is a must read for any activist and provides the context and background for the current environment of Government repression against the earth/animal liberation communities.

I already have an eye on a couple of texts coming out next year and have my fingers crossed on a book coming from Will Potter and another from Andy Stepanian. If lucky, we should also be getting a nice reminder from our boy Josh Hooten on why bikes are the most radical machines around.

Best Grassroots Organization: The Food Empowerment Project

Nothing gave me more hope and inspired me more then the Food Empowerment Project. This is intersectionality grounded very deeply in the community, with the numbers to back it all up. I could go on forever. Founder lauren Ornelas is a new hero. I suggest following this project and supporting it in any way possible, (ideally bringing these issues into your own activism.)

DIY Music Award: Eric Smith “Meat Machines”

I would be doing the world a disservice to not first mention my good friend John Sakars. John let’s absolutely nothing stand in the way of his creativity, for better or worse, and has come up with so many songs this year that will embed themselves in your brain i.e. “Go Vegan Mother Fucker, Spank That Carnist, etc.”

Eric was a revelation. When I left my small hometown of Dunnville to go to University I was excited to leave a place that was very rigid. Overt misogyny, racism, xenophobia, were all normalized to an extent that I spent a lot of my time there feeling like I couldn’t voice my dissent. Landing in St. Catharines a couple of years later and grounding myself in the animal rights community, I always dreamed of the possibility of bringing some of that back to Dunnville, but was too scared. When I heard from friends that there was a young kid in Dunnville singing folk punk songs about anarchy, human rights, animal rights, etc. I was blown away. When I finally got to hear Eric play (a busking-food bank fundraiser) I felt like I was going to burst. He was sincere, he was critical and it was GOOD! It all led to one of my favorite new friendships of this past year, a packed animal rights fundraiser in my home town, the word vegan printed in our local newspaper (the last two were unimaginable before hand) and also taught me a great lesson; compassionate, empathetic people are everywhere. Never stop looking for them (even if it means going back to your hometown).

And you know that it’s wrong / there is no real excuse / entire fucking species / born into a noose / how can you value life / when you associate yourself / with the genocide of billions / as it contributes to wealth.

Did we miss something? I am sure we did. Absolutely certain of it. But that is the beauty of it all. If we missed something, do your part to make others know of the great efforts and accomplishments that you see people achieving. If you think no one is doing anything notable (you are delusional), then do-it-yourself!

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Traffic Ticket: Review of “Wicked: The Musical” – Tara McLoughlin

November 7th, 2010


Wicked – the Musical
(The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz)

Animal Liberation, and Government Corruption – OH MY!

These are just a couple of the deep-seated topics that unfold in the hit Broadway play, ‘Wicked’ which is loosely based on the book ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ written by Gregory Macguire.

Who hasn’t seen The Wizard of Oz? (Well…other than my Grandmother who apparently has been living under a rock for 71 years — which is when the film was made)

I remember watching The Wizard of Oz repeatedly when I was young. As soon as the Wicked Witch of the West appeared on the small screen, I was terrified. That cackle, that green skin, and all of those flying monkey’s she employed – it was frightening! But what did we really know about her back-story? Who were her parents? Was she born evil? Nobody really knew….until now, thanks to the great imagination of Gregory Macguire!

The play begins with a jubilant crowd of villagers celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, announced by Glinda (The Good Witch). It is then revealed that Glinda and the Wicked Witch were once friends, which begins an entire recollection of the school years of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Glinda at Shiz University along with some other recognizable characters from The Wizard of Oz.

Elphaba shows up for school and is immediately ridiculed for being “different”. She has no friends. Nobody will go near her because of her green skin. It isn’t until Elphaba and Glinda are forced to be roommates that a friendship blossoms.

There are hints of animal oppression and liberation throughout the play. Oz was once a place where animals and humans lived together as equals (or at least strived to). Dr. Dillamond, the history professor at the university is the last animal (a goat) left at the school. An anti-animal protest leads Dr. Dillamond to confide in Elphaba that something “bad” is happening in Oz. The animals are losing their ability to speak. Shortly after, Dr. Dillamond is escorted out of the university and replaced by a new professor who comes to class with a caged lion cub and announces that this is the future. With animals in cages, they will never learn to speak. This enrages Elphaba and makes it a mission of hers to free the animals and while doing so, uncovers government corruption.

So…why and when did Elphaba become known as the “Wicked Witch of the West”? Was she really ever “wicked”, or was it all a misunderstanding? You’ll have to see the play to find out! I promise…your whole perspective on the classic tale will be altered. – Tara

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Traffic Ticket: Bold Native

September 21st, 2010

“What is freedom? Are we born free or do we earn it? And if you deny freedom to the quiet ones, can you be free yourself, or are you caged by your own lack of compassion?” – Bold Native

The question above introduces the film Bold Native, a fast-paced and ambitious take on the above and below ground of the animal rights movement. After hearing the initial press surrounding this film I was impatient to see it, months later when I got my screener copy I realized the hype surrounding the movie didn’t quite encapsulate it’s importance. This film is a definitive high water mark in the animal rights movement. It is the diy ethos to it’s fullest potential; if the mass media / the film industry won’t cover these issues, then it’s our responsibility to do it ourselves (and do it VERY WELL!)

Writer and director Denis Hennelly explains his film as apart of a long tradition of revolutionary film making saying, “With Bold Native we sought to work in the spirit of the great revolutionary films of the 70’s, films like Easy Rider that were both inspirational and challenging, films that didn’t let the audience off the hook and didn’t pull their punches.” The approach moves in stealth, pushing a long history of facts and information into scenes that build up to the final event, a massive co-ordinated liberation set to occur across the United States. That Hennelly is able to present so much information into this film, all the while not making the dialogue come off as forced, is a great compliment to his abilities as a writer. The direction, the sound, the editing, are also ALL FANTASTIC and all push the film along at its break neck speed.

The performances in the film are surprising, especially considering the 60+ person cast. Joaquin Pastor, who plays the main character Charlie Cranhill, carries much of the film, however, other small parts are played to perfection; Charlie’s conservative father Richard (Randolph Mantooth), Charlie’s friend/lover Sonja (Sheila Vand), industry stooge turned liberator Karl (Matt Shea). Those from within the animal rights community will also be impressed by the preformances given by animal rights activists, most notably Peter Young, but also, Shannon Keith, John Feldmann, etc.

The film itself does not mirror any single historical example as far as the Animal Liberation Front goes and arguably this is one downside. Massive co-ordinated events are sold as part of the need for such heavy handed state repression, however, there is nothing in the history of the ALF that suggests such networks exist and most who do advocate direct action in the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act era usually encourage a “smaller network the better philosophy.” The film does however draw the distinction that the ALF has always promoted, the distinction between destroying the property of animal exploiters and inflicting harm on human life.

Another downside is the fact the plot line which follows the above ground activist working to pressure big business to adopt welfare standards largely gets lost in the sea of direct action. The character does show up at important parts of the film and a great welfare vs. abolition debate is portrayed in the film, but the weight that is assumed in juxtaposing the two strands, above and below ground activism, aren’t given the same air time.

That said, tactical debates and tactical dogmatism are prevalent in the animal rights community and I am sure there will be some who will comment on the unrealistic nature of the events described here or the particular focus, as a serious knock on the film. That would really be missing the forest for the trees. This film, which was, “Self-financed and shot with a four person team,” should be considered a call for all to step up to the plate and start creating their own media (whatever your message). OR in punx terms, if you don’t fucking like the film, make your own.

The ambition that went into making this film is enormous and it’s immediate effect is smashing down a barrier once thought impossible; a film for us, by us, that explains all of the reasons we all got here and that normalizes all of things which others use to create hysteria. The lasting effect, ironically, will be the network that WILL arise out of this film because of it’s unorthodox tour screening schedule and because of the people who for the first time, or the first time in years, will be speaking publicly about something that those with an interest in animal exploitation have tried to make taboo. Screen it, support it, promote it.

“Their freedom is beautiful and their slavery is a horror” – Bold Native.

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26th Annual Toronto Veg Fair (Review)

September 19th, 2010

Toronto area vegetarians showed their compassion this year at the 26th annual Vegetarian Food Fair at Harbourfront Centre put on by the Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA).

“This year our theme is compassion for animals,” said David Alexander, the executive director of the TVA. “We really try to showcase the latest vegetarian and vegan products and show people how choosing a vegetarian diet is healthy, easy and delicious.”

The food fair attracted about 20,000 people, a dramatic increase from the few hundred people who attended the first fair 26 years ago. The crowd consisted of a mix of vegetarians and omnivores of all ages and backgrounds last weekend. “We have speakers who are researchers, authors and thinkers.” Some speakers included, Erika Ritter, author of The Dog by the Cradle, The Serpent Beneath: the Paradoxes of Human-Animal Relationships and Carol Adams, author of The Sexual Politics of Meat, a connection between animal rights and feminism. (Keep Reading)

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