Animal Person

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

Today's New York Times gives us Adam Shriver's Op-Ed " Not Grass-Fed, But at Least Pain-Free ," which presents its dilemma at the end: If we cannot avoid factory farms altogether, the least we can do is eliminate the unpleasantness of pain in the animals that must live and die on them. It would be far better than doing nothing at all.

Factory Farm 100

Factory Farm Factory Farming Animal Factory 100

Animal Person

MAY 24, 2010

And how, for the love of God, people have got so stop saying things like Vegan Before 6! See Vegan Between Meals for more). From the vegan equals vegetarian discussion, to the nonviolence does or doesn't include property damage, to certain abolitionists deciding that they are in fact the only real abolitionists, it has gotten comical.

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Vegan Vegetarian Animal Feral Cats 100

Animal Person

MAY 30, 2009

Bea directed me to an interview with Dr. Elizabeth Parker , the "chair man " (my emphasis) of the Animal Agriculture Alliance at CattleNetwork, which apparently is "The Source for Cattle News." If any "drastic measures" are employed, they are to remove animals from suffering, not to impose our dietary choices on others.

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Veal Crate HSUS Vegan Gestation Crates 100

Animal Person

MAY 28, 2009

Image via Wikipedia I found The Goode Family disappointing on the vegan side. One complaint many of us have with "liberals" and "progressives" is that they tend to leave veganism and animal rights out of their sphere of concern. Are Baby Boomers killing Facebook and Twitter? Yeah, lots of mockery, but I didn't laugh.

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Family Vegan Vegetarian Animal Welfare 100

Animal Person

APRIL 24, 2009

Yesterday, regarding being a minority within a minority , mikey commented (among other things): While I am fairly new subscriber to this blog, therefore not knowing your particular stance, I've often felt like a minority within a minority for my stance on animal birth control. Tags: Activism Current Affairs Ethics Gray Matters.

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Project Treadstone Feral Cats Spay Spaying 100

Animal Person

MAY 29, 2009

Nothing about its " Alliances " (or it's " Issues ") screams vegan, or even whispers it, but I shall reserve judgment. If it steers (sorry about the pun) people toward animals raised in places other than factory farms, where they will still be killed, I'm not thrilled. veganism. Will you not check it out?

Factory Farm 100

Factory Farm Factory Farming Vegan Factory 100

Animal Person

MAY 6, 2009

The book, which I have not read, that saved Derrick Jensen 's life is called The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability by Lierre Keith, who was a vegan for 20 years, suffered serious medical problems, and started feeling better when she recommenced eating animals. Throughout the book, Keith mocks vegetarians and vegans.

Vegan 100

Vegan Vegetarian Factory Farm Factory Farming 100

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010 will be Baby Sky's first, and our opportunity to introduce her to the notion that our family doesn't eat animals (not to mention that other historical story we'll be correcting). When in the position of having the choice, which so far is always, I'd rather choose not to have someone killed for me. It's our tradition.

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Greyhounds Forced Molting Debeaking Vegan 100

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 18, 2009

Because I've been thinking about the evolution of my own thinking--and languaging--regarding animal rights. Both animal rights groups and animal welfare groups use "compassion" frequently. Then again, so do people who kill animals for a living. After all, they "love" the animals they kill. Is it fair?

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Compassion Psychology Tnr Vegan 100

Animal Person

JUNE 10, 2009

That brief trailer could be a gift in the disguise of paradoxical message about how we can still kill and eat fish, yet not be at war with them. That tells me that we're still at war, as we are going to continue to kill fish because we can and we want to. I guess war is defined by death count.

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Vegan Fish Industry Slaughter 100

Animal Person

AUGUST 5, 2009

Twice in the past 24 hours (once here and once on Stephanie's blog, in the comments )I have come across the following statement: "[insert animal here] are safe from predators, get fed regularly, and are better off on farms than if they were in 'the wild.'" The animals on farms are created for the sole purpose of human consumption.

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Gazelles Slaughter Slaughtered Deer 100

Animal Person

MAY 10, 2009

In " 'Animal Rights:' Pernicious Nonsense for Both Law & Public Policy ," Massachusetts attorney and "sportsman" Richard Latimer is on the mark with some concepts, and way off with others. Now, I know you're saying: That's not what animal rights is. than with any genuine concern for species diversity or even animal welfare."

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Animal Rights Rights Broiler Chicken Animal 100

Animal Person

FEBRUARY 26, 2010

I've been having a difficult time blogging both here and at Animal Rights & AntiOppression lately because I feel like my thoughts are like " Groundhog Day." There are few animal rights stories in the news. Lipka introduced me to the idea of killing "respectfully." People are talking. And acting.

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Chickens Slaughter Slaughtered Animal Rights 100

Animal Person

JULY 6, 2009

Spencer R writes: Vegans sound exactly like religious fundamentalists. You can't pull the god card to claim superiority over the rest of us so you demonize the consumption of animal products. Trying to convince people to go vegan is like trying to convince people to only reproduce once. It simply cannot be justified.

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Vegan Lifestyle Fast Food Farming 100

Animal Person

MARCH 11, 2010

William Horden's, " The Sacred Space of the Shared Heart " is exactly the type of piece I am talking about when I express frustration over "spiritual" people who kill nonhuman animals or who have them killed for a meal. "My Honoring the lives of the animals and plants that die so that we can live.

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Killing Vegan Buffalo Goats 100

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 21, 2010

And managing means killing them, breeding them, and otherwise fiddling with their populations. Here's the good news: This is a very readable explanation of how animals in the Hundred Heartbeat Club (there are 100 or fewer individuals in the wild today) got to be in the club. This is all very unveganly, but I went for it nevertheless.

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Polar Bears California Condor Bald Eagle Lions 100

Animal Person

OCTOBER 24, 2009

I recall one day when his sister-in-law was speaking with him about what she was feeding her children, and it wasn't a vegan-centered conversation. In fairness, I think that what the linguistically lazy are really trying to say is that a little bit of a bad thing isn't going to kill you. Tags: Ethics Language.

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Vegan Laws Slaughter Slaughtered 100

Animal Person

AUGUST 18, 2009

While spending hours in the car I've been thinking about various issues related to sentient nonhumans, animal rights and veganism. But I read two types of articles about 4-H: either about how the kids are proud of what they've done, or about how upset they are that the animal they have come to love is going to his or her death.

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Vegan Ethics Humane Killing 100

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 22, 2009

Also, an update on Emily's 50% vegan (Ami) diet. Next, to today's New York Times and Gary Steiner 's fantastic Op-ed called " Animal, Vegetable, Miserable ,"which begins with: "LATELY more people have begun to express an interest in where the meat they eat comes from and how it was raised." (Try And the "strict ethical vegan" to come.)

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Greyhounds Vegan Ethics Meat 100

Animal Person

MARCH 23, 2009

First, check out " The Vegan Solution: An Ideal Whose Time Has Come " over at Care2. And former vegan, Chuck Roomi, who says veganism isn't practical "For people who do not have a desire to eat exotic foods from thousands of miles away, or mechanically-formulated suplements" also warrants a response. " which includes a poll.

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Elephants Vegan Bullhook Laws 100

Animal Person

MARCH 20, 2010

When I started thinking about trying to get the association to cancel the pony rides and petting zoo (which are often part of one business as a quick Google search of " traveling petting zoo " will demonstrate), my several-year vegan husband said, "What's the use? It's not like these people care about animals. What would you do?

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Zoos Pets Ponies Cruelty 100

Animal Person

MAY 26, 2010

My random number of 20 Lessons Learned From 4 Years of Blogging at Animal Person (for the others go to #1-6 , #7-10 and #11 & 12 ) ends today with #13-20, which is far longer than I thought it would be. The design of Animal Person is probably as uninviting as it could possibly be. Big fail here for Animal Person.

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Vegan Suffering Free Range Animal 100

Animal Person

SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

There was no meaningful discussion about our inefficient use of resources (grain and water) in the feeding of animals to kill to feed people. And the wife says that one thing the family does is eat less meat and eggs (and they raise the animals on their land), but even that is glossed over.

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Nigeria Vegan Neglecting Vegetarian 100

Animal Person

APRIL 26, 2010

First, Chris directed me to ePub Bud , which appears to be a timely and fantastic idea given my recent plea for more books for children about veganism. Working or volunteering at an animal sanctuary or shelter or participating (or starting) a Trap-Neuter-Release effort, maybe? and What does the market/world/animals need?

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Animal Rights Movement Animal Sanctuary Neutering Animal Rights 100

Animal Person

JULY 14, 2009

Tags: Activism Current Affairs Economics Ethics Language. I have such a difficult time giving up the notion that I can buy or not buy my way out of a problem, and that my one vote to buy or not buy really does count because if more people did it we'd develop the mythical critical mass that would indeed change the way things are or are done.

Vegan 100

Vegan Industry Killing Ethics 100

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 9, 2009

A third of a century ago, when the modern animal-liberation movement was in its infancy, Martin published an essay entitled “A Critique of Moral Vegetarianism,” Reason Papers (fall 1976): 13-43. Two varieties of moral vegetarianism can be distinguished: lactovo moral vegetarianism and vegan moral vegetarianism.

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Morals Meat Vegan 40

Animal Person

MARCH 24, 2009

As you know, Cheri and Jim are in the early stages of setting up their sanctuary, after a long journey of conscience that began with them closing their dairy goat operation, then transitioning to a vegan way of life, and eventually, creating a loving, lifelong home for farmed animals in need. Mary (Animal Person).

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Farm Sanctuary Sanctuary Farming Goats 100

Animal Ethics

MARCH 8, 2009

What Is an Animal Part? The last example suggests the difficulty of making a clear distinction between an animal part and an animal product. If a genetically engineered animal’s legs periodically fell off, would not its legs be more like a product of an animal (analogous to eggs) than a part of the animal?

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Morals Suffering Vegan 40

Animal Ethics

JANUARY 21, 2009

Who exactly is not supposed to eat animals or products of animals? This problem is especially acute with respect to carnivorous animals. What animals is it morally wrong to eat? If animals could be created by genetic engineering, could they be created so that there were no moral objections to eating them?

Morals 40

Morals Vegetarian Meat Lions 40

Animal Person

OCTOBER 26, 2009

I immensely enjoyed "EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED" (even on the big screen) and eagerly anticipated "EATING ANIMALS" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Finally, if you know someone who gravitates toward the philosophical issues around our use of animals, this is a good book. Ever, in fact. Not great, but good. He never says he is.

Factory Farm 100

Factory Farm Factory Farming Animal Vegan 100

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

Most moral vegetarians list fish and fowl as animals one should not eat. Vegan vegetarians who eat only vegetables, fruit, and nuts do not completely remove all microorganisms from their food, even with repeated cleaning. First, it may be argued that only animals who can feel pain are not to be eaten. What is forbidden meat?

Morals 40

Morals Vegetarian Meat Killing 40

Animal Ethics

JUNE 4, 2009

In fact, animals used for food do suffer a great deal. Not only are they killed in cruel ways, but it is well documented that they are raised in ways that cause them great discomfort and agony. Now there is no doubt that the actual treatment of animals used for food is immoral, that animals are made to suffer needlessly.

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Vegetarian Morals Protest Protesting 40