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Grr! Graphics for Animal LiberationHow 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
BackgroundEthicsImportance of Animal EthicsGlossaryNow a Biff From HistoryHow to Proceed?Ethical TheoriesEthical Theories ComparedChoosing an Ethical TheoryDo Philosophical Ideas Work?2. Animal Rights
What are Animal Rights?Background to Animal RightsMajor Dates for RightsAnimal Rights TheoryFundamental Animal Ethical PositionsVariations on Animal RightsAre Rights a Cure-all?Universal Declaration on AnimalsArguments For & Against Animal Rights3. Comparing Animal Philosophies
Animal Ethics vs Animal RightsAnimal Rights vs Animal WelfareAnimal Rights vs ConservationDeep EcologyConclusion
Chapter 3
Campaigning Methods for Animal Rights
1. Introduction
2. Campaigning
Where to Begin?Keeping GoingTen Essential Campaigning TipsMore Tips3. Civil Disobedience
What Is Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience & Animal RightsArguments For & Against Civil Disobedience4. Direct Action
What is Direct Action?Examples of Animal Rights Direct ActionIndividual vs Mass Direct ActionSea Shepherd Conservation SocietyStop Huntingdon Animal CrueltyThe Battle of BrightlingseaInset: Background to BrightlingseaComparing Direct ActionsDirect Action vs Civil DisobedienceEfficacy of Direct Action5. Action Planning
What is an Action Plan?Why an Action Plan?Who Should Produce the Action Plan?Before You BeginDistinguish Operations From AdministrationsCreating Your Action PlanYou Should Be SmartYou Should Also SWOTMake It HappenReview ItA Simple Action Plan Template6. Lobbying
Who Can Lobby?What & Whom to LobbyStart LobbyingHow to LobbyLobbying Techniques7. Picketing
What is Picketing?AR Picketing is Like Industrial PicketingHow to Picket8. Starting a Group
What to Do?Name & LogoFinding MembersA Constitution?The Group CommitteeGroup Success Or FailureNewslettersFundraising9. Publicity
10. LeafletingDesignPrintingDistributionPosters & PlacardsOther Media11.News MediaMedia TipsA Feature Article?The Letters PageNews ReleaseThe RadioRadio Tips12. InternetThe WebEmailCreate Your Own Web SiteDesigning Your Web SiteCapturing ViewersDiscussion 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
BackgroundTerrorism DefinedAnimal Extremism & TerrorismDoes AR Extremism Work in Practice?2. Violence or Nonviolence?
Can We Justify Violence?Kinds of ViolenceViews For & Against ViolenceIs Violence Efficacious?Conclusion3. The Law - US & Britain
United StatesFBI vs ExtremistsBritainExtremist TacticsEstablishment Fights Back4. Police Arrest
In the Street & At Your DoorAt the Police StationYour TacticsKnow Your RightsRemaining SilentYour LawyerSuing 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.
And Win the War on Animals
Newkirk is an animal rights activist - sometimes militant, arrested over 20 times - and co-founder and president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said to be the world's largest and most prominent animal rights organisation.Born in Britain, Newkirk was schooled and brought up in India an only child and insatiable animal eater. By age 19 she owned her own fur coat (squirrel). Her adult life has been spent in the eastern United States where she became aware of animal suffering after taking some cats to a shelter thinking they would be cared for. They were killed instead. A career change led her to become a deputy sheriff handling cases of animal cruelty. After sliding towards vegetarianism for some years she finally committed herself one day when, with a pork chop scheduled for supper, she saved a gaunt starving pig, the only survivor of animals abandoned at a farm. But Newkirk is no namby-pamby; she has also been a poundmaster, which meant she had to kill hundreds of stray animals.
One day she met Alex Pacheco, a volunteer at the animal shelter where Newkirk was working. Pacheco was a university student and already an established animal rights activist (see Chapter 4: Undercover Investigator). He gave her a copy of Peter Singer's book Animal Liberation. Singer's book and Newkirk's work with animals coalesced and she and Pacheco founded PETA in 1980 working from her home in suburban Maryland. Dedicated to establishing and defending animal rights, their goal was to influence as many people they could about animal suffering. That is still PETA's goal today, now based in Norfolk, Virginia, with over a million members, hundreds of staff and affiliates abroad. After many years of dedicated work, Pacheco left PETA to explore new areas of animal rights.
PETA and the personality of Newkirk become synonymous. As president of PETA Newkirk speaks internationally on animal rights issues. She believes that animals are sentient, have intrinsic value and deserve equal consideration of interests with humans. Controversially, Newkirk compares humanity's treatment of animals with the Holocaust (see The Animal Holocaust, Chapter 1).
Newkirk is a board member or supporter of a number of animal rights organisations, such as EarthSave International and United Poultry Concerns. She also openly supports the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), often branded by detractors and news media reports as a 'terrorist' group (see Terrorism, Chapter 5). This and other activities have brought her to the attention of the FBI.
PETA focuses on a number of areas but primarily on factory farms, laboratory animals, animals in the clothing trade and in the entertainment industry, because, as Newkirk says, these areas have the greatest numbers of animals who suffer the most for the longest time.
Newkirk's method is to outrage and repel people. She says PETA is the biggest animal rights group because it succeeds in getting attention by doing outrageous things. As an outrage directed to herself, and to remind us of what humanity is doing to animals, she directed in her will for some of her skin to be barbecued and eaten, other parts of her skin to be made into leather goods, and her feet should be scooped out and turned into umbrella stands (after elephants).
Critics of Newkirk claim she made PETA a lean radical abolitionist group but then let it degenerate into welfare. Newkirk responds by saying that PETA is abolitionist but on the way to abolition if you can ease the suffering of animals then you should not turn your back on them. Newkirk says:
"The opportunities for activism are all there and I believe every single part is vital, because all the spokes in the wheel are needed in order for the wheel to go around." (1)Newkirk has written Kids Can Save the Animals: 101 easy things to do (1991); You Can Save the Animals: 251 simple ways to stop thoughtless cruelty (1999); 250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You (1998) - the first animal rights cat-care book; Free the Animals: the story of the animal liberation front (2000); Making Kind Choices: everyday ways to enhance your life through earth and animal friendly living (2005).
References
Ingrid Newkirk interviewed by Catherine Clyne. Satya. 2000. (Accessed online February 2007.)
Sources for this page include:
PETA at 20 Years & Activism and Controversy, Catherine Clyne, Satya 2000. (Accessed online January 2007.)
Ingrid Newkirk - taking on the critics, Animal Liberation NSW, 2001 (originally for Vegan Voice). (Accessed online January 2007.)
We're stunt queens. We have to be. Gary Younge. Guardian. 24 February 2006. (Accessed online January 2007.)
| 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. |