Some great activism quotes to get you off your knees and on your feet.

“Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind, you have failed.”
– Jan de Hartog, playwright and novelist (1914-2002)

“The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.”
– Archibald MacLeish, poet and librarian (1892-1982)

“Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”
– St. Augustine

“My aim is to agitate & disturb people. I’m not selling bread, I’m selling yeast. “
– Unamuno, wall graffiti from Paris, May 1968

“If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages. “
– Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (1885-1962)

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
– Robert Kennedy

“Remember that there is a meaning beyond absurdity. Be sure that every little deed counts, that every word has power. Never forget that you can still do your share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and frustrations and disappointments.”
– Abraham Joshua Heschel

“Every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor edge of danger and must be fought for, whether it’s a field, or a home, or a country.”
– Thornton Wilder

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
– Anne Frank

“Patience is also a form of action.”
– Auguste Rodin, sculptor (1840-1917)

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
– Edmund Burke, statesman and writer (1729-1797)

Moron artist Hirst gets go ahead with “body storage”

From Gloucestershire Echo. 11 July 2007

A Contoversial scheme by artist Damien Hirst to process and store animal bodies at his Cotswold studios has been given the go-ahead by planners in Stroud.The plan, at the former Dudbridge Plastics works factory in Stroud, had attracted opposition from residents, who were concerned about smell, noise and animal rights protests.

The council received 45 letters of objection, with one resident describing the artist’s work as “perverted and grotesque.”

A report to the council pointed out that fears about the building being used to slaughter animals were unfounded. The creatures such as sheep and cows will be delivered to the studio already dead for processing for his art by Mr Hirst (pictured), who owns Toddington Manor, near Tewkesbury .

Members were shown a film of the site. Officers explained how the planned building had been moved slightly further away from homes.

Councillor Barbara Tait said: “This is a wonderful move. It (the building) has been neglected for 10 years.”

Green councillor John Marjoram added that the studios would add “interest” to Stroud.

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Our Comment: I’m not sure who is more of a moron, Hirst or the tosspots that pay through the nose to purchase this crap. In response to Barbara Tait, we could have filled the derelict building with something more useful and productive like ten year old sweatshop workers? This building has become a symbol of exploitation it should be left empty or preferably demolished with all of Hirsts “art” inside.

Omnivorous “Cat and Dog” Hypocrisy

After reading a news article yesterday entitled “Teen Girls Accused of Setting Kitten Ablaze” which described teenage girls setting alight to a kitten for “their own amusement”, I was reading through the visitor comments in which various people had made their stance clear about what they might consider to be justice for such a crime. The comments included “I’d burn them (the girls) and laugh.” And “I think they should be put into a mental institution so they can receive the proper care”. This of course is no surprise to hear how sentimental people feel about the life of an innocent kitty, these comments did however come across as somewhat hypocritical.

Why were these girls torturing a kitten? Amusement.

Would it have been more morally acceptable if they would have asked another individual to torture and kill the cat? When this question is asked to most people they would confirm it is just as unacceptable. When asked if they consume animal products most would reply “yes”, when asked why they eat meat, most would reply “I like the taste”.

This poses an awkward dilemma for those who eat meat and other animal products…

Why is it morally unacceptable for the girls to torture a kitten for amusement but it is morally acceptable for an individual to pay for another individual to kill / enslave / torture other sentient beings because they like the taste? Surely as excuses go there is little difference.

There is no disputing that animals feel pain as humans do and farmed animals feel pain just as our companion animals do? So why do we continue to knowingly cause suffering when we can choose a life of doing no harm? Buying free range does nothing for animals, with DEFRA guidelines animals can be kept in barns by the thousands and still be sold as free range, free range organic beef means nothing accept the usual chemicals that are pumped into animals to stop them getting infections and diseases are not used. There are no guarantees with a humane existence and most of all there is no ethical way to take another animals life.

Veganism as a compassionate lifestyle choice therefore should be the baseline for our moral stance in regards to the interests of the animal kingdom. Veganism is healthy, it removes you from the ongoing loop of exploitation of animals (including humans) and environment, not to mention it has been shown to be a much cleaner healthier dietary choice for human beings. You can find out more about veganism from www.vegansociety.com or email us info@stopanimalcruelty.co.uk for more information and meal ideas!

Further reading about the Abolitionist approach to animal rights can be found on Prof. Gary L. Franciones site www.abolitionistapproach.com

Chris