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The oppression, breeding, exploitation and execution of persons of other land and sea species by humans is the most monumental social injustice currently on the planet. We humans are committing these atrocities against 1-2 trillion individuals, land and sea, every single year. All of it unnecessary. All of it happening only as a result of relentless industry and media indoctrination designed to normalize these heinous injustices.
Veganism is first and foremost a social justice movement focused on advocating for the complete cessation of the use of persons of other land and sea species for human pleasure, convenience, entertainment, research, profit, etc.
Finger Lakes Animal Rights neither asks for nor accepts monetary donations. The reason this group and website exists is so there will be a location for people to learn, evolve, spread the word, encourage and educate others. If you'd like to help, please, please, go vegan.
Veganism isn't a diet. Rather, it's a social justice movement that recognises the right of all sentient beings, land and sea, not to be used by humans, not to be objectified or promoted as a "product" by humans. It's we humans doing our utmost to eliminate consuming, wearing, using persons of other land and sea species for our own purposes, and taking part in activities of their exploitation.
As we humans would never advocate for reducing or for laws to regulate human-on-human atrocities, but rather for abolishing them, so it's the same for persons of other land and sea species. What we humans are socialized to do to them, directly or indirectly with our purchase dollars, is the most monumental social injustice currently on the planet and needs to be abolished. Not regulated. Not reduced. Abolished.
Here are a few examples of items and activities vegans try their utmost to not purchase or be a part of because each involves exploiting and taking the lives of persons of other land and sea species:
— eggs • "dairy" • "meat" • fishes • honey
— leather • wool • down • feathers • fur • silk • skins • bees' wax
• angora • cashmere • suade
— products containing ingredients tested on animals
— hunting • rodeos • animal races • animal fights • animal shows
— zoos • marine parks • safari parks • aquariums
— circuses • riding on the backs of animals • animal-drawn carriage rides
• animal performances
— breeder and pet store breeding • buying and selling living beings as
merchandise
— experimenting on other species of land and sea animals
But I've been told... Humans do not need to use other land and sea animals in order to be healthy, happy, comfortable, productive, entertained, fashionable, masculine, etc. There is not a biological, nutritional or survival need for humans to use animals. It's only that we have been manipulated and indoctrinated by large industries, small businesses, culture, and media to think that using other animals is a normal and necessary human entitlement. These enterprises and societal constructs work very hard to hide from us that the only reason we use animals for all the purposes we do is for pleasure and profit, not need.
Three Words for Humans to Consider
• Speciesism -- the assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of
persons of other land and sea species.
• Anthropocentricism -- regarding humankind as the central or most important
element of existence, especially as opposed to animals.
• Human Supremacism -- the state or condition of feeling superior in authority,
power and/or status to all persons of other land and sea species.
Each of these rarely contemplated states of human consciousness, reinforced by social conditioning, strongly lends itself to our unfettered use and "management" of persons of other land and sea species. One small of many, many larger examples: Just in the language we use, we often compare humans to persons of other species as a means of insulting or putting that human down. Calling someone a pig as an insult. Pigs are wonderful individuals. Comparing someone to an orangutan as an insult, the real insult being to the orangutans, precious individuals whose homes are now being vastly "cleared" to make way for palm fruit (palm oil) plantations. Etc.
Opening Up, Not Giving Up. Going vegan is about saying yes, not about saying no. For example, it's not about saying, 'No, I'm not going to eat, wear, do this or that anymore,' but rather about saying 'Yes, I see that persons of other land and sea species are someone, each an individual in her or his own right, each not a product, not an object for humans to use.'
Learning. Obviously, as with anything new, there is a learning curve to going vegan. But it's not any more complicated or difficult than, for example, learning to drive, trying a new recipe, taking courses, hiking a new trail, travelilng to a new destination, learning the words to a song, etc. It's an adventure that will become second nature, a broadening of one's outlook on life and all the lives we share this planet with. Going vegan is joyous and eye-opening, a throwing off of the yoke of disconnect, violence, and apathy toward persons of other land and sea species that we've been brought up to deny. The meaning of ethics becomes one of inclusion, acknowlegeing the individuality, sensitivity and community of other animals, rather than dominating them for our own purposes.
Why? Because all beings, not just humans, deserve the peace, comfort, respect, liberty and life, with all its ups, downs and hazards, that we humans, for the most part, have the good fortune to be able to choose for ourselves. The land and sea individuals we exploit are abducted, purpose-bred, enslaved, imprisoned, tortured, brutalized, abandoned, neglected, and executed by the trillions every single year. Persons of other land and sea species used as property have no choice and their voices fall on deaf ears. They are defenseless against the circumstances we place them in.
Resources. Going vegan is a door opening, not a door closing. This website will help in making the transition by providing information, guides and thoughts of many across the globe. Veganism is spreading faster then ever before. It's easier to do than ever before. The truth is getting out about what happens to persons of other land and sea species more universally than ever before. And the most powerful thing about going vegan is that we, as single individuals, can directly contribute to making the world a better place for persons of other land and sea species by withdrawing our support from that which involves their use, exploitation, and death!
Perfection. Going vegan can happen immediately for some, and can take somewhat longer for others. Please don't give up. Please keep trying. And please try to get there as soon as possible. Think of the innocent lives we are contributing to taking, in massive numbers, every minute, hour, day we hesitate.
