letters
LETTER 1 - Let It Begin With Me
Lee Hall’s Movement Watch segment “Low Standards” (Winter 2010-2011) points out that groups consider Missouri’s Puppy Mill Cruelty Act a “monumental victory.” There can never be victory until enlightened, humane people keep in mind the supply and demand theory and LIVE THEIR LIVES ACCORDINGLY.
It is the nice people who keep puppy mills in business. It is the nice board of directors and members/donors who wear fur, eat animal products, keep the pharmaceutical industry going strong despite testing on animals and support the military with its shocking record of animal experimentation.
Many animal-exploiting industries’ supplies would dry up, if not overnight but soon, if each one of us would put an end to the demand. So instead of dreaming, declaring “victory” and spending millions of dollars of donations on fighting the “system,” we should face reality. The system (and the enemy) is us.
Let there be monumental victory and let it begin with me.
Ava Barcelona
Action Volunteers for Animals
Chicago, IL
LETTER 2 – Romeo, An Alaskan Wolf
Kudos to Jeffrey Kramer of New York for his moving letter on John Hyde’s book. Amidst the bad news on the doubtful future of the planet, the relentless, blind and ignorant wrecking of our forests, wild places and oceans, and encroachment of animal habitats, it’s refreshing to realize that there are still many enlightened and compassionate individuals out there. That realization lifts our spirits and keeps us moving.
It would indeed be great if a book like the story of Romeo was mandatory in every high school. Maybe FoA could use their clout to work in that direction.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Mireya Landin
Riviera, AZ
LETTER 3 – God Bless the Innocent Animals
I was happy to see my letter in Winter 2010-2011 ActionLIne. Your magazine is wonderful.
I enjoyed reading about Heifer International. What terrible people, promoting the turning of animals into consumer products. Animals are incapable of sin, unlike humans. But they can suffer.
I got a chuckle over James Davis’s description ”…true of semi-evolved, blood-lusting, sub-humans like Ted Nugent, Sarah Palin and members of organizations like the Safari Club…”
Bless the innocent animals! They can’t sin, yet they are the scapegoats. God bless them all!
Phylllis Gentry
Ormond by the Sea, FL
LETTER 4 - A Conversation About Sustainable Agriculture
I really enjoyed reading about the farmer, Harold Brown, who went vegan for health reasons, and in the process became a voice for animals. In the article Harold speaks of advocating for sustainable agriculture. Can you please explain what this means? I understand sustainability from a seafood perspective (not overfishing), but I don't understand this in terms of farm animals.
Joyce Phillips
via e-mail
Harold Brown replies:
Thanks for taking the time to read the article and for your question.
Sustainable food production can be confusing considering all of the different perspectives. My take on sustainable is from the vegan point of view. You are right that one way of thinking of sustainable is to simply not do something until there is nothing left. But the vegan way of looking at it is more holistic. For instance, in plant agriculture it is important that we take care of the soil, water, air, all animals in such a way that all flourish. The typical model views any one or combination of them as problems to be overcome by sort of drastic intervention. All agriculture is an intervention on the natural order, but we must be mindful of how to produce food for 6.5+ billion people and at the same time nurture the biota. The only book that is available on this is Growing Green, Animal-FreeOrganic Techniques by Jenny Hall and Iain Tollhurst.
Vegans see a moral duty in not infringing on nature any more than they have to. Of course, we need to eat; the question is how do we do it with the least amount of harm and damage. Growing Green is the only book on gardening/agriculture that addresses this problem. Animal protein is not necessary for optimal human health; we can grow more food by not practicing animal agriculture. For instance, an organic farmer in New Mexico runs a CSA and was supplying about 350 shares on about 12 acres of land. When Mr. Bustos heard about veganics he gave them a try, and he is now supplying the same shares on about 4 acres. As you can see, we are learning all the time and veganics is the wave of the future. It uses less land, less water, and no animal inputs or chemicals as does organics and standard agricultural practices. In short, we don't need to breed farm animals for any reason and in doing so we create a healthier planet and people!
Harold Brown of FarmKind
