A man set himself on fire Wednesday outside Ungar Furs in Portland, Oregon. After dousing himself with gasoline, he attempted to enter the store, shouting “There are animals dying! Animals dying!” After police extinguished the flames, he was taken to Legacy Emanuel Hospital where he later died.

The man was identified as 26-year-old Daniel Shaull from Kansas. Among the local activists I have spoken to, none are familiar with Shaull by name, nor recognized him as being a part of the active, long-running campaign against Ungar Furs. Yet the location and witness reports strongly indicate this man sacrificed himself to bring attention to the horrific treatment of animals on fur farms. [...]

Amidst a range of speculation as to the man’s true motives, I think it is important to assume this is a genuine action by a person driven to make the ultimate sacrifice by the severity of animal suffering. When every legal channel to affect change is closed, people will increasingly be driven to actions which bring both attention to the plight of animals, and a disruptive effect to those who kill them. [...]

To those who claim the animal rights movement is “violent”, this action should be yet another reminder that every casualty to date has fallen on our side. Daniel Shaull is just the latest victim.

Emphasis added. Read the entire Voice of the Voiceless article here >>

Reminder: You don’t have to set yourself on fire to make a difference for animals. Just go vegan today. Stop eating animals, stop wearing animals, stop treating animals as if their lives don’t matter. Animals’ lives matter to the animals. And animals’ lives matter to people, too.

Personally, I don’t think suicide is a good idea. I don’t condone such action. But anyone with even the tiniest amount of compassion must admit that something has to be done to stop the fur business:

It’s a “Fur Farm Intelligence Project: The Full Report” that claims to be “The Largest Collection of Fur Industry Intelligence to date.”

Knowledge is power.

Here’s a quote from “The Blueprint”:

“There were 1122 mink farms in 1980. Today there are 274.”

You can download “The Blueprint” here: http://voiceofthevoiceless.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/the_blueprint.pdf