I'm watching a film called "Manufactured Landscapes", which I borrowed from the library. This 2006 film follows acclaimed photographer Edward Burtynsky as he captures the effects of China’s industrial revolution. I'm finding it very sad to watch the factory workers in China doing the same tasks over and over again. I’m finding it sad to see children sitting beside huge piles of discarded CDs.
I'm also feeling bad about the recordable DVDs I recently purchased.
I bought fifty DVDs because my ego had distracted me from my usual environmentally friendly self. I had wanted to be a big shot and have my own DVD. On the DVDs, I put all of the best Cousin Zeke and Mountain Weed Videos, and I called the DVD “Cousin Zeke’s Vegan Adventures”. I made a menu on the DVD, and bought cases, and made fancy covers to insert into the cases. Now, I’m wishing I would have just been happy with the videos being on YouTube. The videos can be watched at www.youtube.com/JohnSakars for free, by anyone with internet access.
Besides the fifty recordable DVDs, I also bought thirty-five brand news cases in which to put the DVDs. Since they’re already purchased and I already used paper, ink, and labels to make everything look fancy, I will distribute the finished product. However, I’m not going to make anymore DVDs. I know some DVDs, like “Earthlings”, are important enough to warrant bringing more plastic into the world. However, I have to face the fact that me dressing up in drag and pretending to vomit into a toilet is not something worthy of plastic.
I hope to never forget the looks on the faces of the Chinese factory workers in “Manufactured Landscapes”. They look sad, I think. I’m really going to try harder to avoid buying new material possessions. I hope to not let my ego get in the way of my environmentalism again.
Besides the DVDs, I also have a new book I recently brought into this world. The book is a compilation of all my blogs from “compassionateartist.blogspot,com”. The book is 200 pages and is called “Compassionate Artist: A Collection of Blogs about Veganism, Art, and Sexuality”. Again, these blogs are all available for free on the internet. So, why bring more paper into the world? Again, I let my ego do my thinking for me. Some books, like “WHY WE LOVE DOGS EAT PIGS AND WEAR COWS”, by Dr. Melanie Joy, are worthy of paper. Her book is helping to change the world. I feel confident that my book will help people too, but I still don’t know if I should have made a book from my words. I still don’t know if my words are worthy of paper.
Every material object has a story behind it. DVDs and books don’t just appear from thin air. The materials for these objects come from planet Earth, and they require the use of energy, and they pollute the environment, and they are made by people who are usually treated like robots. I worked in a factory for 1.5 years and I hated it. So why would I buy something made from a factory now, without taking a moment to think about the results of my actions?
I like to think I do very well, as far as avoiding buying plastic. I always use my reusable water bottle and my reusable shopping bags. I avoid buying processed foods with lots of packaging. I mostly buy things used. So again, why did I buy the DVDs and cases? I was seduced by my ego. I wanted to be a big shot and look fancy with my own DVD.
I guess I don’t feel as bad about my book as I do about my DVD. I feel worse about bringing plastic into the world, than paper. I also think my book is more likely to inspire people, than my DVD. However, I’m willing to accept the possibility that both my book and my DVD were bad ideas. I believe it’s very important for us to question our actions.
As it stands right now, I have forty DVDs and twenty-six copies of my new book. I don’t feel any desire to make anymore DVDs. As for the books, I’ll give the matter more thought. Perhaps I’ll do some research about E Books. E Books seem to be a great way to sell books without causing so much harm to the planet.
Oh, ego. What a troublesome little bugger you are! I will try harder to not let you seduce me again!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Compassionate Artist
Since my blog is called Compassionate Artist, I think it's about time I told you what I think a compassionate artist is!
According to www.thefreedictionary.com, compassion means “deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it”.
According to www.wordreference.com, an artist is “a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination”.
I will now put these two definitions together:
Compassionate Artist: A being who is deeply aware of the suffering of others and who strives to reduce the suffering of others through creative work that shows sensitivity and imagination.
Are you a compassionate artist? I hope so. I recently saw a prime example of a compassionate artist on YouTube. The video is called “Dog Risks Life To Save Another Dog”. In this video, a dog gets hit by a truck on a busy highway in Chile. Another dog carefully crosses the highway, wraps her paws around the injured dog’s neck, and pulls her to safety.
To me, that’s a compassionate artist in action. I’m not an animal behaviourist, but the following analysis makes sense to me:
The dog was so deeply aware of another dog’s suffering, that she risked her life in order to save the dog. Even though it probably would have been quicker and easier for her to have used her teeth to drag the dog to safety, she avoided using her teeth because she was sensitive to the feelings of the other dog. So instead of using her teeth, she used her imagination to solve the problem by wrapping her paws around the injured dog’s neck and dragging her to safety. In other words, the hero dog used awareness, sensitivity and imagination to reduce the suffering of another.
Some of you may think that it’s ridiculous to call a dog a compassionate artist. (Of course, some art critics could say I’ve created far too many eyesores to be considered a compassionate artist myself!) I think we’re brainwashed by society to believe that some are artists and some aren’t artists. However, I think we are all artists. We are being creative with every word we say. We are being creative with our body language. We are being creative with every decision we make and everything we do.
Even if you are an artist in the traditional sense, sometimes you create more powerful art by putting down your paintbrush. I learned that lesson a few years ago. I put down my paint brush and picked up a stack of leaflets. I went to schools and distributed leaflets about veganism. In my opinion, I was more creative through leafleting than I had ever been through painting. By leafleting, I was creating vegans. I was also planting seeds in the minds of people who still may become vegans one day. I was being a truly compassionate artist.
Even though I know that leafleting is one of the best ways I can reduce suffering in the world, I still take time to paint and be creative in other ways. I know that being a well-rounded person is important for a healthy life. I think some other artists need to spend time becoming well-rounded, too.
Some people who define themselves as artists have displayed a dreadful lack of sensitivity towards others. In 2001, some Toronto art students videotaped themselves killing a cat and called it art. In 2007, a Costa Rican artist exhibited an emaciated dog in a gallery in Nicaragua. Just recently, a pop star wore a dress made from meat. These “artists” certainly weren’t showing any sensitivity towards others when they did these cruel things. They weren’t being compassionate artists.
In my opinion, compassionate art is the only art that matters. The wonderful thing is that the world is full of opportunities for us to be compassionate artists.
The other day, I went to the bank and saw they were selling bottled water to raise money for the flood victims in Pakistan. I immediately recognized the suffering of others (in this case the entire planet, since bottled water is so bad for the environment), and I asked to speak to a manager. I then used sensitivity and imagination. As I spoke to the manager, I applauded everything the bank does to help the environment. I applauded the fact that the bank was raising money to help people in Pakistan. Then, I told the manager about how bad bottled water is for the environment and I suggested that for future fundraisers they could sell something else. She smiled and thanked me for helping her to become aware of the problem with bottled water. The spoken word was my paintbrush and the bank manager’s mind was my canvas.
Truly, we can all be compassionate artists. Like I said earlier, some people may think that non-human animals can’t be compassionate artists. Well, what would those people say if they saw a video on YouTube of an elephant painting? I watched a video today of an elephant painting, and judging from the comments people made, they were truly shocked that an elephant had painted a picture. I, however, wasn’t shocked at all. In fact, I was saddened.
Whenever you see non-human animals acting like humans, a red flag should go up in your head. When I saw this elephant paint, I thought about bears riding bikes and donkeys jumping off diving boards. The sad fact is that humans have a long history of beating animals in order to get them to do silly tricks for money. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes with this painting elephant, but I know that non-human animals don’t have to do any stupid tricks in order to be worthy of our love and admiration. All non-human animals, from elephants in the wild caring for their young to ants aerating the soil and making life on Earth possible, are compassionate artists.
To me, all good art is rooted in compassion. All good artists are compassionate artists. Since we are all artists, reducing the suffering of others should be the number one goal of all human beings.
I hope you never find yourself in a situation like the dog on the highway, where you have to risk your life in order to save someone. However, I do hope you choose to become aware of suffering. I hope you choose to use your creativity, sensitivity, and imagination to help reduce the suffering of people, animals and the environment.
The world needs all of us to be compassionate artists. The world needs all of us to be vegan superheroes. Together, we can heal each other. We can heal the world.
According to www.thefreedictionary.com, compassion means “deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it”.
According to www.wordreference.com, an artist is “a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination”.
I will now put these two definitions together:
Compassionate Artist: A being who is deeply aware of the suffering of others and who strives to reduce the suffering of others through creative work that shows sensitivity and imagination.
Are you a compassionate artist? I hope so. I recently saw a prime example of a compassionate artist on YouTube. The video is called “Dog Risks Life To Save Another Dog”. In this video, a dog gets hit by a truck on a busy highway in Chile. Another dog carefully crosses the highway, wraps her paws around the injured dog’s neck, and pulls her to safety.
To me, that’s a compassionate artist in action. I’m not an animal behaviourist, but the following analysis makes sense to me:
The dog was so deeply aware of another dog’s suffering, that she risked her life in order to save the dog. Even though it probably would have been quicker and easier for her to have used her teeth to drag the dog to safety, she avoided using her teeth because she was sensitive to the feelings of the other dog. So instead of using her teeth, she used her imagination to solve the problem by wrapping her paws around the injured dog’s neck and dragging her to safety. In other words, the hero dog used awareness, sensitivity and imagination to reduce the suffering of another.
Some of you may think that it’s ridiculous to call a dog a compassionate artist. (Of course, some art critics could say I’ve created far too many eyesores to be considered a compassionate artist myself!) I think we’re brainwashed by society to believe that some are artists and some aren’t artists. However, I think we are all artists. We are being creative with every word we say. We are being creative with our body language. We are being creative with every decision we make and everything we do.
Even if you are an artist in the traditional sense, sometimes you create more powerful art by putting down your paintbrush. I learned that lesson a few years ago. I put down my paint brush and picked up a stack of leaflets. I went to schools and distributed leaflets about veganism. In my opinion, I was more creative through leafleting than I had ever been through painting. By leafleting, I was creating vegans. I was also planting seeds in the minds of people who still may become vegans one day. I was being a truly compassionate artist.
Even though I know that leafleting is one of the best ways I can reduce suffering in the world, I still take time to paint and be creative in other ways. I know that being a well-rounded person is important for a healthy life. I think some other artists need to spend time becoming well-rounded, too.
Some people who define themselves as artists have displayed a dreadful lack of sensitivity towards others. In 2001, some Toronto art students videotaped themselves killing a cat and called it art. In 2007, a Costa Rican artist exhibited an emaciated dog in a gallery in Nicaragua. Just recently, a pop star wore a dress made from meat. These “artists” certainly weren’t showing any sensitivity towards others when they did these cruel things. They weren’t being compassionate artists.
In my opinion, compassionate art is the only art that matters. The wonderful thing is that the world is full of opportunities for us to be compassionate artists.
The other day, I went to the bank and saw they were selling bottled water to raise money for the flood victims in Pakistan. I immediately recognized the suffering of others (in this case the entire planet, since bottled water is so bad for the environment), and I asked to speak to a manager. I then used sensitivity and imagination. As I spoke to the manager, I applauded everything the bank does to help the environment. I applauded the fact that the bank was raising money to help people in Pakistan. Then, I told the manager about how bad bottled water is for the environment and I suggested that for future fundraisers they could sell something else. She smiled and thanked me for helping her to become aware of the problem with bottled water. The spoken word was my paintbrush and the bank manager’s mind was my canvas.
Truly, we can all be compassionate artists. Like I said earlier, some people may think that non-human animals can’t be compassionate artists. Well, what would those people say if they saw a video on YouTube of an elephant painting? I watched a video today of an elephant painting, and judging from the comments people made, they were truly shocked that an elephant had painted a picture. I, however, wasn’t shocked at all. In fact, I was saddened.
Whenever you see non-human animals acting like humans, a red flag should go up in your head. When I saw this elephant paint, I thought about bears riding bikes and donkeys jumping off diving boards. The sad fact is that humans have a long history of beating animals in order to get them to do silly tricks for money. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes with this painting elephant, but I know that non-human animals don’t have to do any stupid tricks in order to be worthy of our love and admiration. All non-human animals, from elephants in the wild caring for their young to ants aerating the soil and making life on Earth possible, are compassionate artists.
To me, all good art is rooted in compassion. All good artists are compassionate artists. Since we are all artists, reducing the suffering of others should be the number one goal of all human beings.
I hope you never find yourself in a situation like the dog on the highway, where you have to risk your life in order to save someone. However, I do hope you choose to become aware of suffering. I hope you choose to use your creativity, sensitivity, and imagination to help reduce the suffering of people, animals and the environment.
The world needs all of us to be compassionate artists. The world needs all of us to be vegan superheroes. Together, we can heal each other. We can heal the world.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Vegan National Anthems
Earlier this year, I thought I’d write new lyrics to the national anthems of Canada and the U.S as a way to promote veganism.
Perhaps in our distant past, people needed to kill animals in order to feed and clothe themselves. However, we no longer need to kill animals for any reason. We don’t need to eat animals, wear animals, experiment on animals, or use animals for entertainment. Rodeos, seal clubbing, trapping, and every other North American tradition that involves hurting animals, are outdated and need to be abolished.
Though we have a long history of violence, that doesn’t mean we have to continue hurting animals. As the leaders of today, we can teach people how to make compassionate choices. We can make Canada a vegan paradise. We can make the U.S. a vegan paradise.
It’s important to never forget the humans who have died in service of our countries. However, it’s just as important to never forget about all of the non-human animals who are suffering and dying right now, in service of our vanity, gluttony, and entertainment.
Adopting a vegan diet is the most important thing you can do to help yourself, animals and the environment. However, adopting a vegan lifestyle alone is not enough. We must also promote veganism, too. We must all stand up and be leaders. We can’t expect politicians to lead the way to a more compassionate future. It’s our job to lead the way to vegan paradise.
You can start by singing these songs. (Both songs are on YouTube: www.youtube.com/JohnSakars. Both songs are also in the two blog posts right after this one.) If you don’t like my lyrics, write your own lyrics. Exercise your freedom of speech. Or, if you think the anthems shouldn’t have been meddled with at all, that’s OK too. Just realize that cruelty to animals is no longer OK.
The vegan community is growing bigger and stronger every day. We’re eating our veggies, we’re energized, and we’re working tirelessly to achieve total animal liberation. Please join us!
Vegan O Canada
(Sung to the tune of O Canada)
O Canada!
Our home on planet Earth!
Good vegan food gives everybody mirth.
With organic plant-based whole foods,
We nourish our bodies.
With loving hearts and gentle hands,
We respect our fellow Earthlings.
Let’s keep our land compassionate and free.
O Canada, we vegans stand for peace.
O Canada, we vegans stand for peace.
U.S. Vegan National Anthem
(Sung to the tune of The Star-Spangled Banner)
Oh, say can you see vegan paradise:
A place where all humans respect all sentient beings
Animals aren’t used for food, clothing, entertainment or experiments
No Earthlings are abused or exploited in any way
And organic plant-based whole foods are accessible to all
So that we can be healthy and have lots of energy
Oh, say do you want to live in vegan paradise?
Then go vegan right now and promote veganism!
Perhaps in our distant past, people needed to kill animals in order to feed and clothe themselves. However, we no longer need to kill animals for any reason. We don’t need to eat animals, wear animals, experiment on animals, or use animals for entertainment. Rodeos, seal clubbing, trapping, and every other North American tradition that involves hurting animals, are outdated and need to be abolished.
Though we have a long history of violence, that doesn’t mean we have to continue hurting animals. As the leaders of today, we can teach people how to make compassionate choices. We can make Canada a vegan paradise. We can make the U.S. a vegan paradise.
It’s important to never forget the humans who have died in service of our countries. However, it’s just as important to never forget about all of the non-human animals who are suffering and dying right now, in service of our vanity, gluttony, and entertainment.
Adopting a vegan diet is the most important thing you can do to help yourself, animals and the environment. However, adopting a vegan lifestyle alone is not enough. We must also promote veganism, too. We must all stand up and be leaders. We can’t expect politicians to lead the way to a more compassionate future. It’s our job to lead the way to vegan paradise.
You can start by singing these songs. (Both songs are on YouTube: www.youtube.com/JohnSakars. Both songs are also in the two blog posts right after this one.) If you don’t like my lyrics, write your own lyrics. Exercise your freedom of speech. Or, if you think the anthems shouldn’t have been meddled with at all, that’s OK too. Just realize that cruelty to animals is no longer OK.
The vegan community is growing bigger and stronger every day. We’re eating our veggies, we’re energized, and we’re working tirelessly to achieve total animal liberation. Please join us!
Vegan O Canada
(Sung to the tune of O Canada)
O Canada!
Our home on planet Earth!
Good vegan food gives everybody mirth.
With organic plant-based whole foods,
We nourish our bodies.
With loving hearts and gentle hands,
We respect our fellow Earthlings.
Let’s keep our land compassionate and free.
O Canada, we vegans stand for peace.
O Canada, we vegans stand for peace.
U.S. Vegan National Anthem
(Sung to the tune of The Star-Spangled Banner)
Oh, say can you see vegan paradise:
A place where all humans respect all sentient beings
Animals aren’t used for food, clothing, entertainment or experiments
No Earthlings are abused or exploited in any way
And organic plant-based whole foods are accessible to all
So that we can be healthy and have lots of energy
Oh, say do you want to live in vegan paradise?
Then go vegan right now and promote veganism!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Earthling National Anthem
Today, I decided to write a song called, The Earthling National Anthem. A song all Earthlings could sing together to help achieve world peace. I walked all day, searching for the right words for this song. Then, while resting under a tree, I realized that this song had already been written a long time ago. A fellow Earthling stood above me, singing The Earthling National Anthem.
I wanted to frown at the fact that someone else had already written my song. However, the song was far too beautiful to frown at. I realized I had heard this song several times before, but had never really listened this carefully. Finally, my Earthling friend carried on.
In my head I replayed the song as I walked along, until I heard The Earthling National Anthem yet again. An Earthling stood alone in a backyard singing this song. Only this version was entirely different than the first. The song was sad this time. The singer had a chain around her neck.
Finally, only a block from my home, I heard The Earthling National Anthem for the third time that day. The song rang not from an Earthling before me, but from Earthlings in a video. Standing beside the audio visual equipment, other Earthlings handed out leaflets. My eyes went back to the film. This was the saddest version of The Earthling National Anthem that I could possibly imagine. Someone handed me a leaflet and I eventually walked back home.
I sat on my couch and thought of the three versions of The Earthling National Anthem I had heard that day: The happy version sung by the bird in the tree, the sad version sung by the dog chained alone in the backyard, and the very sad version sung by the “food animals” in the slaughterhouse video.
The Earthling National Anthem is sung in as many different voices as there are Earthlings. However, the lyrics are always the same: I AM ALIVE.
I hope the bird in the tree stays free. I hope the lonely dog gets attention soon. I hope the animal rights activists downtown keep on playing the slaughterhouse video and handing out leaflets about veganism to people on the street.
Actually, I can do more than just hope. I can call someone about the lonely dog. I can hand out leaflets about veganism, just like the activists I saw today. I can use my voice to help liberate all Earthlings, so that everyone can be free like the bird in the tree. I can help all Earthlings get a chance to sing happy songs.
I wanted to frown at the fact that someone else had already written my song. However, the song was far too beautiful to frown at. I realized I had heard this song several times before, but had never really listened this carefully. Finally, my Earthling friend carried on.
In my head I replayed the song as I walked along, until I heard The Earthling National Anthem yet again. An Earthling stood alone in a backyard singing this song. Only this version was entirely different than the first. The song was sad this time. The singer had a chain around her neck.
Finally, only a block from my home, I heard The Earthling National Anthem for the third time that day. The song rang not from an Earthling before me, but from Earthlings in a video. Standing beside the audio visual equipment, other Earthlings handed out leaflets. My eyes went back to the film. This was the saddest version of The Earthling National Anthem that I could possibly imagine. Someone handed me a leaflet and I eventually walked back home.
I sat on my couch and thought of the three versions of The Earthling National Anthem I had heard that day: The happy version sung by the bird in the tree, the sad version sung by the dog chained alone in the backyard, and the very sad version sung by the “food animals” in the slaughterhouse video.
The Earthling National Anthem is sung in as many different voices as there are Earthlings. However, the lyrics are always the same: I AM ALIVE.
I hope the bird in the tree stays free. I hope the lonely dog gets attention soon. I hope the animal rights activists downtown keep on playing the slaughterhouse video and handing out leaflets about veganism to people on the street.
Actually, I can do more than just hope. I can call someone about the lonely dog. I can hand out leaflets about veganism, just like the activists I saw today. I can use my voice to help liberate all Earthlings, so that everyone can be free like the bird in the tree. I can help all Earthlings get a chance to sing happy songs.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Imprisoned Activists
Two days ago, I did something I’d never done before: I wrote a letter to someone in prison. Walter Edmund Bond has been charged with arson following a fire at a sheepskin factory in Denver, Colorado. I checked out the website www.arprisoners.org, and wrote down Walter’s contact information. I wasn’t sure what to write, so I thought I’d just talk about myself. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to talk about myself! Here is the letter I wrote:
Dear Walter,
Someone posted a story about you on Facebook and I thought I’d write you a letter. I’m a vegan because I believe I should treat others as I’d like to be treated. If I were in prison I know I’d want people to write to me, so I’m writing to you. I’m going to paste a copy of this letter into my blog, in hopes that I can inspire others to write to incarcerated animal rights activists too.
I love the VEGAN tattoo you have on your neck. I have GO VEGAN tattooed on my left shoulder and ANIMAL LIBERATION tattooed on my right shoulder. I admire the fact that you got your tattoo in a place where it can always be seen. I also painted the words GO VEGAN on the hood on my car and I put the words ANIMAL LIBERATION on the sides of my car with vinyl letters. I love promoting veganism wherever I go. One time, after leafleting on the street, I walked back to my car and someone had placed a package of steakettes on my windshield! Well, at least I got someone to think about veganism!
I read a blog you wrote about the time when you worked in the animal agribusiness industry. I too once worked at a sad, messy job. I worked as part of a two-person night cleanup crew at a meat plant. The animals had already been turned into slabs of carcasses (like in the Rocky movies) by the time they reached our plant, and the workers just had to cut the slabs up into steaks and such. It was still smelly and dirty, though. Sadly enough, I didn’t end up becoming a vegan until seven years later. I don’t know what took me so long! I didn’t become a vegan until I was twenty-seven and I read the book Old MacDonald’s Factory Farm. I’m now forty, so I’ve been a vegan for thirteen years. I love everything about veganism!
I do a variety of different activism. I leaflet for Vegan Outreach, I’m a public speaker, I write blogs, and I create videos for YouTube. I recently put a video on YouTube that I called “Cutest Video Ever”. It’s only twelve seconds long, but it speaks volumes. I recorded the footage during my trip to Farm Sanctuary. It’s a video of my friend Catherine petting a sheep named Grace. Grace scratches Catherine’s leg to get her attention and then when Catherine starts petting Grace, Grace’s tail wags like you’ve never seen a tail wag before. It’s up to over 7,000 views so far. Some people have said, “Look, her tail is wagging just like a dog’s tail!” Indeed.
Take care, Walter. Many people admire your dedication. Thanks for everything you do to help animals!
Sincerely,
John Sakars
After I finished writing, I discovered that three of the six ink cartridges in my printer were out of ink. I went to the store and spent $60.07 on the ink I needed! (If the people who sell printer ink ever end up in prison for ripping people off, I’m not writing them any letters!)
I printed the letter and mailed it to the prison in Colorado where Walter is being held. Now, here I am sharing the letter with you, in hopes that you may decide to write to an incarcerated animal rights activist too.
It only took me about fifteen minutes to write the letter. Not including the robbery that took place at the ink store (the markup on ink is criminal!), it took me a minute more to mail the letter. That’s sixteen minutes in total. I spend a lot longer than that on Facebook every day!
Now, I realize that animal rights activists are busy people. In fact, there aren’t enough hours in the day for us to do everything that needs to be done. So, we have to choose our battles. Some people like to focus on leafleting. Some people like to organize events like vegan bake sales and tabling. In fact, anything you can do to promote veganism is a good thing. However, if you can find the time, I think it’s also important to acknowledge the individuals who sacrificed their freedom in order to help animals.
I personally don’t plan on doing anything illegal in order to help animals. (Of course, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell you if I did have plans on doing anything illegal!) However, I do understand how some activists have felt compelled to do whatever it takes in order to help animals, regardless of whether or not those actions were legal.
I don’t know if Walter actually set fire to a sheepskin factory in Denver, Colorado. However, I do know what it’s like to pet a sheep. I know what it’s like to see a sheep named Grace wag her tail just like a dog. I know how upset I would be if someone brought Grace to a sheepskin factory. Would I be upset enough to want to burn down a sheepskin factory? I don’t know.
For Walter’s sake, I hope he is found innocent. However, even if he did set fire to a sheepskin factory, I’m not about to start calling him a criminal.
Have you ever met a sheep? Do you have any idea how peaceful and loving they are? Have you ever seen sheep wag their tales just like dogs? I’ll bet if you spent time with Grace, or any other sheep, your perception of a sheepskin factory would change. I bet that sheepskin factories would become uglier and uglier in your mind, every second.
I’m not about to go set any fires. I don’t want any of my friends setting fires, either. I don’t want any vegan superheroes sent to prison. I also realize that setting fires could result in someone getting killed. At the same time, I can definitely see how an activist could feel compelled to set a fire. Having met some sheep, I can see how a sheep factory could become so ugly in your mind, you would feel an overwhelming desire to see that factory destroyed.
We live in an insane world. There are billions of animals all around the globe having horrible things done to them right now. It’s understandable that some activists are going to decide to break some laws during the vegan revolution. I stand by the activists who are leafleting, demonstrating, having vegan bake sales, etc. At the same time, I also stand by the activists who have been willing to sacrifice their freedom as they sought to help animals. I hope with every ounce of my being that no activists hurt anyone during any illegal activities. However, even if someone does accidentally hurt a human being, I’m not going to start judging that activist.
We live in a world that is entirely too judgemental. Perhaps some people think Walter was just some guy who enjoyed starting fires. Perhaps they look at Walter’s tattoos and think he’s crazy.
Perhaps those same judgemental people think sheep are stupid animals.
Dear Walter,
Someone posted a story about you on Facebook and I thought I’d write you a letter. I’m a vegan because I believe I should treat others as I’d like to be treated. If I were in prison I know I’d want people to write to me, so I’m writing to you. I’m going to paste a copy of this letter into my blog, in hopes that I can inspire others to write to incarcerated animal rights activists too.
I love the VEGAN tattoo you have on your neck. I have GO VEGAN tattooed on my left shoulder and ANIMAL LIBERATION tattooed on my right shoulder. I admire the fact that you got your tattoo in a place where it can always be seen. I also painted the words GO VEGAN on the hood on my car and I put the words ANIMAL LIBERATION on the sides of my car with vinyl letters. I love promoting veganism wherever I go. One time, after leafleting on the street, I walked back to my car and someone had placed a package of steakettes on my windshield! Well, at least I got someone to think about veganism!
I read a blog you wrote about the time when you worked in the animal agribusiness industry. I too once worked at a sad, messy job. I worked as part of a two-person night cleanup crew at a meat plant. The animals had already been turned into slabs of carcasses (like in the Rocky movies) by the time they reached our plant, and the workers just had to cut the slabs up into steaks and such. It was still smelly and dirty, though. Sadly enough, I didn’t end up becoming a vegan until seven years later. I don’t know what took me so long! I didn’t become a vegan until I was twenty-seven and I read the book Old MacDonald’s Factory Farm. I’m now forty, so I’ve been a vegan for thirteen years. I love everything about veganism!
I do a variety of different activism. I leaflet for Vegan Outreach, I’m a public speaker, I write blogs, and I create videos for YouTube. I recently put a video on YouTube that I called “Cutest Video Ever”. It’s only twelve seconds long, but it speaks volumes. I recorded the footage during my trip to Farm Sanctuary. It’s a video of my friend Catherine petting a sheep named Grace. Grace scratches Catherine’s leg to get her attention and then when Catherine starts petting Grace, Grace’s tail wags like you’ve never seen a tail wag before. It’s up to over 7,000 views so far. Some people have said, “Look, her tail is wagging just like a dog’s tail!” Indeed.
Take care, Walter. Many people admire your dedication. Thanks for everything you do to help animals!
Sincerely,
John Sakars
After I finished writing, I discovered that three of the six ink cartridges in my printer were out of ink. I went to the store and spent $60.07 on the ink I needed! (If the people who sell printer ink ever end up in prison for ripping people off, I’m not writing them any letters!)
I printed the letter and mailed it to the prison in Colorado where Walter is being held. Now, here I am sharing the letter with you, in hopes that you may decide to write to an incarcerated animal rights activist too.
It only took me about fifteen minutes to write the letter. Not including the robbery that took place at the ink store (the markup on ink is criminal!), it took me a minute more to mail the letter. That’s sixteen minutes in total. I spend a lot longer than that on Facebook every day!
Now, I realize that animal rights activists are busy people. In fact, there aren’t enough hours in the day for us to do everything that needs to be done. So, we have to choose our battles. Some people like to focus on leafleting. Some people like to organize events like vegan bake sales and tabling. In fact, anything you can do to promote veganism is a good thing. However, if you can find the time, I think it’s also important to acknowledge the individuals who sacrificed their freedom in order to help animals.
I personally don’t plan on doing anything illegal in order to help animals. (Of course, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell you if I did have plans on doing anything illegal!) However, I do understand how some activists have felt compelled to do whatever it takes in order to help animals, regardless of whether or not those actions were legal.
I don’t know if Walter actually set fire to a sheepskin factory in Denver, Colorado. However, I do know what it’s like to pet a sheep. I know what it’s like to see a sheep named Grace wag her tail just like a dog. I know how upset I would be if someone brought Grace to a sheepskin factory. Would I be upset enough to want to burn down a sheepskin factory? I don’t know.
For Walter’s sake, I hope he is found innocent. However, even if he did set fire to a sheepskin factory, I’m not about to start calling him a criminal.
Have you ever met a sheep? Do you have any idea how peaceful and loving they are? Have you ever seen sheep wag their tales just like dogs? I’ll bet if you spent time with Grace, or any other sheep, your perception of a sheepskin factory would change. I bet that sheepskin factories would become uglier and uglier in your mind, every second.
I’m not about to go set any fires. I don’t want any of my friends setting fires, either. I don’t want any vegan superheroes sent to prison. I also realize that setting fires could result in someone getting killed. At the same time, I can definitely see how an activist could feel compelled to set a fire. Having met some sheep, I can see how a sheep factory could become so ugly in your mind, you would feel an overwhelming desire to see that factory destroyed.
We live in an insane world. There are billions of animals all around the globe having horrible things done to them right now. It’s understandable that some activists are going to decide to break some laws during the vegan revolution. I stand by the activists who are leafleting, demonstrating, having vegan bake sales, etc. At the same time, I also stand by the activists who have been willing to sacrifice their freedom as they sought to help animals. I hope with every ounce of my being that no activists hurt anyone during any illegal activities. However, even if someone does accidentally hurt a human being, I’m not going to start judging that activist.
We live in a world that is entirely too judgemental. Perhaps some people think Walter was just some guy who enjoyed starting fires. Perhaps they look at Walter’s tattoos and think he’s crazy.
Perhaps those same judgemental people think sheep are stupid animals.
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