Your free book to action animal rights Grr! Graphics for Animal Liberation How to Do Animal Rights - And Win the War on Animals Contents About Chapter 1 Introduction to Doing Animal Rights 1. The Broad Setting 2. Mass Extinction 3. The Animal Holocaust Chapter 2 Know Your Animal Ethics & Animal Rights 1. Animal Ethics Background Ethics Importance of Animal Ethics Glossary Now a Biff From History How to Proceed? Ethical Theories Ethical Theories Compared Choosing an Ethical Theory Do Philosophical Ideas Work? 2. Animal Rights What are Animal Rights? Background to Animal Rights Major Dates for Rights Animal Rights Theory Fundamental Animal Ethical Positions Variations on Animal Rights Are Rights a Cure-all? Universal Declaration on Animals Arguments For & Against Animal Rights 3. Comparing Animal Philosophies Animal Ethics vs Animal Rights Animal Rights vs Animal Welfare Animal Rights vs Conservation Deep Ecology Conclusion Chapter 3 Campaigning Methods for Animal Rights 1. Introduction 2. Campaigning Where to Begin? Keeping Going Ten Essential Campaigning Tips More Tips 3. Civil Disobedience What Is Civil Disobedience Civil Disobedience & Animal Rights Arguments For & Against Civil Disobedience 4. Direct Action What is Direct Action? Examples of Animal Rights Direct Action Individual vs Mass Direct Action Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty The Battle of Brightlingsea Inset: Background to Brightlingsea Comparing Direct Actions Direct Action vs Civil Disobedience Efficacy of Direct Action 5. Action Planning What is an Action Plan? Why an Action Plan? Who Should Produce the Action Plan? Before You Begin Distinguish Operations From Administrations Creating Your Action Plan You Should Be Smart You Should Also SWOT Make It Happen Review It A Simple Action Plan Template 6. Lobbying Who Can Lobby? What & Whom to Lobby Start Lobbying How to Lobby Lobbying Techniques 7. Picketing What is Picketing? AR Picketing is Like Industrial Picketing How to Picket 8. Starting a Group What to Do? Name & Logo Finding Members A Constitution? The Group Committee Group Success Or Failure Newsletters Fundraising 9. Publicity 10. Leafleting Design Printing Distribution Posters & Placards Other Media 11.News Media Media Tips A Feature Article? The Letters Page News Release The Radio Radio Tips 12. Internet The Web Email Create Your Own Web Site Designing Your Web Site Capturing Viewers Discussion Boards Chapter 4 Activities for Animal Rights  1. Undercover Investigator  2. Video Activist  3. Animal Friendly Traveller  4. Preacher  5. Animal Rescuer  6. Investigative Reporter  7. Media Watcher  8. Philosopher  9. Flyer 10. Personal Activist 11. Animal Lawyer 12. Politician 13. Prisoner Supporter 14. Public & School Speaker 15. Aerial Snooper 16. Scientific Investigator 17. Solo Information Worker 18. Street Theatre Actor 19. Teacher 20. Voluntary Worker Abroad Chapter 5 The Law & Animal Rights 1. Terrorism Background Terrorism Defined Animal Extremism & Terrorism Does AR Extremism Work in Practice? 2. Violence or Nonviolence? Can We Justify Violence? Kinds of Violence Views For & Against Violence Is Violence Efficacious? Conclusion 3. The Law - US & Britain United States FBI vs Extremists Britain Extremist Tactics Establishment Fights Back 4. Police Arrest In the Street & At Your Door At the Police Station Your Tactics Know Your Rights Remaining Silent Your Lawyer Suing the Police Chapter 6 Assorted Animal Rights Activists 1.  Steven Best 2.  John Lawrence 3.  Andrew Linzey 4.  Richard Martin 5.  The McLibel Two 6.  Ingrid Newkirk 7.  Jill Phipps 8.  Henry Salt 9.  Henry Spira 10. Peter Singer 11. Tom Regan 12. Richard D Ryder Chapter 7 Animal Numbers Raised & Killed 1.  Summary 2.  Chickens 3.  Pigs 4.  Beef Cattle 5.  Fish 6.  Meat Consumption 7.  Fur-bearers 8.  Experimental Animals Chapter 8.  Extras! 1.  Mutilations of Farm Animals 2.  The Five Freedoms 3.  Painism 4.  The Forgotten Fur 5.  The Golden Rule 6.  Human Overpopulation 7.  Climate Change 8.  Think Like an Animal Appendix 1 World Scientists' Warning to Humanity. Appendix 2 Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.

How to Do Animal Rights - And Win the War on Animals Chapter 4 Activities for Animal Rights 13. Prisoner Supporter The animal rights movement attracts all sorts of people and a few have broken the law in 'acts of conscience' and landed in jail. Among the first animal rights activists to feel the weight of the law were Robin Howard, convicted of damaging two boats used for hunting seals, and Ronnie Lee and Cliff Goodman, jailed for three years for damaging animal research equipment, in 1970's Britain, according to the Animal Liberation Front. Sentences for some convicted animal rights activists, up to twelve years, is startlingly disproportionately lengthy measured against convictions for crimes such as homicide and rape. (For more about offences see Chapter 5: Law & Order, under The Law - United States and Britain.) The worst view on animal rights prisoners is that they are dangerous extremists and terrorists who must be locked away to protect the public. Another view is that they are caring individuals who risked their liberty to help animals. Either way, you may want to support animal rights prisoners and there are a number of good reasons for doing so: Befriending prisoners is not necessarily endorsing their crime (like befriending a fine dodger does not necessarily mean you endorse fine dodging). Anyone who risks jail for a cause, no matter whether you think their actions were right or wrong, clear or confused, is worthy of support. Anyone in jail deserves help and sustenance on humanitarian grounds; prisoners desire compassion and respect like anyone else. Befriending animal rights prisoners is a form of activism, provided you openly declare that it is. In this case you are providing camaraderie to animal rights prisoners, assuring them that they are not abandoned. Finding Prisoners to Support A few animal rights web sites, like the Animal Liberation Front, list prisoners for support or have links to web sites that list prisoners. Animal rights prisoners are serving time in a number of states. Pick out a prisoner and make sure they are still doing time (information on web pages gets stale and they might be out and about). Three ways of supporting prisoners are letter writing, fundraising and visiting. If you intend to visit make sure your prisoner is not too far from where you live. Letter Writing Writing a letter will be the easiest first step for you to take to support a prisoner. Even as a complete stranger and never getting beyond sending one letter, receiving it can be a pleasant distraction from a tedious existence for your prisoner. However, do not expect your prisoner to reply quickly, if at all, and do not feel obligated to correspond for the whole of their jail sentence. Should they reply, write only as many letters that you feel like sending. It is also better to cultivate a letter writing relationship with just one prisoner than to write cursorily to several prisoners and then give up because of the inconvenience of it. Your first letter could amount to just a few lines. Writing it might be difficult so here are some suggestions: Write where you found your prisoner's details. Say why you are writing, eg because you wish to be active in animal rights by engaging in prisoner support or that you are merely seeking a pen pal. Describe some generalities about your life; you need not be reluctant to talk about yourself. Ask them what life is like in prison and if they have plans for the future. Ask if you can offer some assistance, eg by sending them articles they lack. Close by writing that you hope your prisoner will reply but that you will not be offended if they do not respond. Some letter writing do's: Write your name and address on your envelopes in case they will be returned to you unopened. Date all of your letters to keep track of them. Give a friend's address if you do not want to reveal your own. (PO box numbers do not necessarily protect you. In some states anyone can find out the address behind a PO box by walking into a main post office and asking at the counter for it.) Send photos or drawings, but keep them impersonal and without sexual implications. List everything you enclose in your letters, like stamps and photos. Do the same if you reach the stage of sending parcels, such as toiletries. This is a check that your prisoner receives everything you send them. Be frank with your prisoner about what you are and are not ready to do. Know your prison's rules about letter writing. Ask the prison for a copy of the prison's guidelines. And some letter writing don'ts: Do not be critical (your prisoner has already been condemned by the law) but give your support helpfully and unconditionally, even if your prisoner is cynical or hostile. Do not let your prisoner impose on you or be manipulative. Tell them you will break off relations if they are. Do not build false hopes with your prisoner, such as by making promises you might not keep. Do not write anything compromising. Escape plans and details of the prison's security are definitely out, as is writing racially offensive or obscene messages; the jailers may read your letters routinely and can stop them. Much the same applies to phone calls you may make to your prisoner; prison staff can listen in. Visiting There might come a time when you may want to visit your prisoner. Never just turn up; always ask your prisoner in advance if they would like a visit. Notify the prison that you wish to visit and be sure to get a copy of their regulations for visitors. Know the prison rules, such as if they permit handing prisoners anything, and stick to them. Take identification with you to show the jailers you are who you claim to be. Make sure you arrive well before time to avoid disappointing your prisoner with a non-visit because of some unexpected mishap. Expect you could be searched. Fundraising A prison does not necessarily cater for all the needs of its prisoners. Your prisoner may lack commodities like food, stationery, magazines and books, even compact disks or the travel costs for their family and friends to visit them. So you could ask them if they would like you to fundraise for them. Of course you are under no obligation to do so but go ahead if you are into fundraising. Or, instead, you might chip in now and then by buying them the odd item from your own pocket. Life in prison for months or years can be grim, but a befriender from the outside world can bring a prisoner a measure of relief and encouragement for better days ahead. However, if you have any worries about the writing/visiting system, do not keep it to yourself but tell your prisoner and try to sort things out with the prison authorities.

How to Do Animal Rights - And Win the War on Animals. First published on the Web: April 2008. © Roger (Ben) Panaman, April 2008. All rights reserved.