tisdag 24 juni 2014

Introduction to Abolitionist veganism and anti-speciesism


There are two different groups calling themselves vegans – one group that believe in the ideology of Welfarism/beliveve that it is justified to use it temporarily to abolish all animal use; and one group that believes that it always is wrong to use animals, and it is always wrong to promote speciesism and animal use in all various forms. Abolitionist or anti-speciesist vegans believe that it is wrong to promote animal use as a means to reach an end of a world without animal use – just like they believe it is wrong to promote discrimination against humans, e.g. sexism, to reach the goal of a world without discrimination towards humans.




I am an Abolitionist vegan. I don't hate others who justify speciesist methods. I don't judge their intentions and their heart. I believe they are wrong, but that doesn't mean that I love them less or care less for them.

Abolitionist vegans actively promote veganism. We believe and work for a world where animals will be respected as sentient beings and will not be used as resources. We believe that breeding animals is morally wrong, just like creating a new “species” of humans that would be subservient and to a large extent live their lives controlled by other humans, would be morally wrong. We strive for a world where all sentient beings should live their life in freedom and not be controlled by anyone else. Today we have a moral responsibility to take care of the animals [1] that are bred into existence. This we do e.g. by rescuing animals from shelters, including the animals which otherwise would be killed and exploited at kill “shelters”. We are morally opposed to organizations that are affiliated with kill shelters , and that e.g. participate in the killing of healthy feral cats with an interest of a continued existence [1b]. We aim to abolish the property status of animals, which enables all animal exploitation that takes place of “domesticated animals” [2].

We promote veganism in many different creative nonviolent forms – in everything from cooking classes – cooking plant-based foods while educating about veganism (which is not a diet [1c]), to seminars, educating friends and acquaintances, leafleting, putting up posters, vegan stalls in universities and markets, etc. There are an endless amount of opportunities. But the most important thing is to never compromise with the message.
The ideology of Welfarism is one that says it is okay to use and kill animals as long as they are treated in a "humane way". Abolitionist vegans believe that this is an immoral and speciesist notion and that the promotion of speciesism is both immoral and will never lead us any step closer to a vegan world devoid of all speciesism. In the same way like violence will never lead us closer to a peaceful world without violence, or the promotion of sexism won't lead us to a world without sexism.
Abolitionist vegans don’t promote Animal welfare reform, which also could be called Animal exploitation reform. Animal exploitation reforms are reforming industry, usually to increase the profit of the businesses that earn money of exploiting animals, e.g. farmers, slaughter houses [2]. We believe it is immoral. It is morally problematic to advocate a reform of animal exploitation, since you by doing this are legitimizing animal exploitation. You are merely telling industry to exploit animals in another for them more profitable way, at the same time as you are sending the message to the public that this reform provides a moral way of using/exploiting animals. Further reading [3]

 

We don’t promote campaigns with an implicit or explicit speciesist and welfarist, racist, sexist or discrimination of others-message. We don’t promote campaigns that send the confusing message to the public that there is a difference between one animal use compared to another animal use, or exploitation of one species compared to another species.  Thus we don’t e.g. promote anti-fur campaigns, which confuse the public into believe that/perpetuate the existent belief of non-vegans that exploiting animal for fur is unacceptable  (which of course is correct)., but that there are other forms of animal use that are morally acceptable – e.g. using the skin of animals (leather). We call these campaigns single issue campaigns. Further reading of why anti-speciesist vegans are opposed to single issue campaigns [3]

We don’t promote “Meatless Monday”, which is a speciesist campaign focusing on meat, but endorsing the consumption of dairy products, eggs, use of down, and other animal use. We don’t make veganism into a diet, or into an environmental cause [3b]. Veganism is about the nonhuman animals, their right to not be exploited and to not be treated as property/resources.

We don’t promote campaigns that focus on the treatment of animals, such as anti-fur-campaigns, but that focus on all animal use. Because the moral problem is that we use animals regardless of how we treat them and regardless of how we murder them. We are against all exploitation and no human have any right to recommend others to exploit animals in other ways, or to ever be unclear or start a campaign that can be interpreted in this way

We believe that animals are sentient beings, and they are not our resources, and all our actions are aimed at shifting the paradigm from the speciesist view of viewing animals as our resources, towards viewing and treating them as sentient beings. Just like we wouldn’t shave someone’s hair and use this as an accessory without that person’s consent, we don’t take the wool of a rescued sheep to use it for our purposes. We don’t coerce animals into doing things, nor use other forms of violence – not in action and not in words. We don’t use violent methods as some popular well-meaning but confused dog trainer (e.g. Cesar Milan) do [4]. We don’t coerce/force animals into doing things, e.g. breaking a horse to use for riding. We don’t train or use animals for our use/purposes, e.g. teaching a dog to do dance tricks, or riding a horse for our entertainment/exercise/trying to fill our emotional spiritual needs/desires. Our relationship to "domesticated" animals is not one of control/enforcing our will, but acting in the animals best interests and giving her/him as much freedom and autonomy within the constraints of what is best for the animals well being –e.g. the animal is domesticated and can’t survive by her own in the wild, so we don’t release the animals in the wild.

Abolitionist vegans reject all violence and discrimination towards human and nonhuman animals. We are totally opposed to all explicit or implicit sexist, racist and other discrimination of others-campaigns that are common among Animal Welfare organizations [6]. We believe in nonviolence both in action and speech, being nonjudgmental towards people’s intentions, while being very clear and judgmental when it comes to people’s actions.

Learn more about Abolitionist veganism: [7]

Footnotes



1 c. See this excellent poster and other good posts on this page: https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtsPicturesPoems/photos/a.1481329078758310.1073741827.1481322565425628/1617803015110915/?type=1&theater

2.http://law.bepress.com/rutgersnewarklwps/art21/


3b. https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtsPicturesPoems/photos/pb.1481322565425628.-2207520000.1403637399./1549317488626135/?type=3&theater
 
4. Not about Abolitionist veganism, but about how harmful violent/forceful/fearful/coercive methods are to animals: http://yodogcast.tumblr.com/post/55504306960/the-damage-of-the-dog-whisperer-a-scientific-critique

5.http://bloganders.blogspot.no/2014/06/the-moral-problem-with-teaching-dog-to.html


7. Check the articles in the other footnotes. Also read: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/about/ and articles of that website.
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