The Villains Of Future History Books
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Give until it hurts. That’s a saying most vegans are familiar with. We’ve been donating our money and our volunteer time to animal charities. And as “early adoptors” of a plant-based lifestyle not yet embraced by the majority, we’ve endured a bit of asceticism that future generations won’t. We understand what the word sacrifice means.
While vegans and animal advocates work tirelessly for the animals, often donating so much of their time and money to the cause that it does actually hurt, the animal exploiters just make excuses. The animal exploiters, for example factory farmers and puppy mill operators, don’t know how to give until it hurts, they just know how to hurt animals.
Two of these future history book villains:
While millions of cats and dogs are killed in shelters for lack of homes, puppy mills still pump out dogs for the pet trade. These puppy mill dogs suffer terribly in tiny often filthy cages, sometimes lacking food or clean water, and usually denied any real exercise or companionship. Many of these dogs are sick or have genetic problems because the puppy mill breeders are not careful and responsible. Recently, 1200 puppy mill dogs were killed. Erik Marcus reports: “The guy had enough money to breed 1200 dogs at one time, but was too cheap to spring for distemper shots. And then the euthanasia was paid for by tax dollars.”
(By the way, if you want to learn about what you can do to help stop unecessary killing of cats and dogs, please take a look here and here.)
The Humane Society investigated the operations of the top three animal agribusinesses in the USA. They investigated Cal-Maine Foods, the country’s largest egg producer, Willmar Poultry, the nation’s top turkey hatchery, and most recently Smithfield Foods. In each investigation, the HSUS found systemic animal abuse. In response to the HSUS undercover investigation of cruelty exposed at Smithfield Foods, the company claimed that “the economy has made it difficult” to convert to more humane pig farming techniques. Marcus reminds us: “This tweet comes just one week after the company announced a profit of $143.7 million for its latest quarter.”
(By the way, the best way to prevent animal agribusiness cruelty is to go vegan!)
As depressing as animal cruelty news is, there’s a silver lining.
The people who exploit animals most egregiously do it for profit. They are not motivated by much else. They are not motivated by the things that motivate animal advocates: truth, kindness, respect, justice, love.
Greed has its limits. People motivated by greed will never have the unending passion and dedication that motivates animal advocates. People motivated by greed are not willing to risk imprisonment or death for their cause. People motivated by greed will never begin a revolution. People motivated by greed will never have the ability to sacrifice in the way that’s necessary to improve the world. People motivated by greed will always be too selfish to be the heroes of history books.
“The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice…”
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I agree that *most* vegans give more, not all, but most but does the vegan lifestyle have to sound so austere? I know we are dealing with a very serious issue and we are the few that are willing to look at them, but let’s also remember that while we donate to the animals, to enjoy life. Have fun, be joyous, be creative, live a full life.
Of course we ought to have fun and live full lives.
I think you got the wrong impression from my article. I will edit it to make my point more clear.
Great article. I especially like the last paragraph. I’ve often felt overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of animal rights issues, but it helps to remember that while we will keep fighting because we’re motivated by a cause, they are only motivated to make money. So it’s really public sentiment that we have to change, to get people to turn against exploitation and stop supporting it.
One of the reasons that I began to look away from eating meats and dairy was from Thicht Nat Hahn who made me realize that when we eat from animals who are tortured their anger and fear is given to our body. We take those awful hormones produced by their torture and begin to feel them in our own body. Road rage is only one aspect of this transfer of horrors. We are feeding our children a holocost of energy everyday in our foods.
Excellent point about who is motivated by what… In the end their money will only last so long. But those who are dedicated not for profit but for the love of truth and justice need no “funds” to continue on.
I’m inspired by your 3 part post about what advocates have accomplished in 2010. Sure, it took some financial wealth to reach those successes; But for the most part it was a lot of concerned and energized individuals who made it all happen. I thank Vegan Soapbox for being a major contributor to keep advocacy on a path towards a better world for All.