What ARE You?

The recent piece that I wrote about the activities of Aussie Farms, that was picked up by the media seems to have had people making all sorts of outlandish statements, telling lies, and spreading rumours.
Whilst I am not going to give the lies and rumours credibility by responding to them, I am going to address some of the more important questions that were asked.

Are You An Animal Liberationist?

In a nutshell the answer is No.
This is because I have not performed an act that liberated other animals from captivity/oppression.
To disappoint some, being a member of the animal liberation franchise does not make you an animal liberationist either.

Are You An Animal Rights Activist?

Once again, in a nutshell the answer is no.
Whilst calling yourself an animal rights activist may be the new black, the reality is that attaching that label to yourself doesn’t actually make you an animal rights activist.
To call yourself an animal rights activist, you will need to define what animal rights you are seeking to achieve. From there, you will need to establish a process/procedure for these ‘rights’ being granted, and who /what will be put in place to ensure that these ‘rights’ are not infringed upon.

Are You An Animal ‘Welfarist’ Then?

In the purest sense of the term, yes I am.

Though as I explained in the article Land of confusion, I will leave water out in summer, and provide shelter where possible. I have even relocated insects and other animals rather than killing them.
What I am not, is a regulationist who believes that reforms to animal agriculture via regulation will lead to it’s demise.

What About An ‘Abolitionist’ Then?

Once again, in the purest sense of the term, yes I am.

Whilst anyone who wants to see a particular practice abolished can rightly call themselves an abolitionist, I do not identify myself as one within the context of animal advocacy. This is mainly due to the term being prostituted by a particular group who use the label as a form of elitism and prove their level of vegan-ness.

So What Are You Then?

What I am is someone who believes that other animals should be given equal consideration and treated the same way as other sentient beings.
This also means that I don’t believe that other animals should be killed for food, clothing or used for entertainment or medical research.

Unfortunately, as I don’t have any magic plans as to how this will occur, I do realise and understand that things won’t happen overnight, and that the overall battle will be won, one person at a time. What it also means is that whilst the consumption of other animals is still legal, that consideration needs to be given to those who work within the industry. There is every possibility that these individuals are as much victims of the industry as the animals it commoditises.

This is why we need to consider the actions that we take today. Whilst they may make us feel good, and even get us a pat on the back by our clique, they may not be the right thing for long term benefit of other animals.