12. Final Thoughts

Semester is Over

The semester has now come to an end and I can say that I truly enjoyed this class. While I did know a lot of the information presented to me already, it was nice to get to see the connections that could be made through animals. The one assignment I truly enjoyed was the paper we had to write, where we had to find a connection between animals and another industry.

(Animal Rights Action)

I chose to write about animals in factory farms and farm workers. It truly opened my eyes to the cruelty that is going on in my own grocery store. The fact that this class allowed me to connect animal exploitation with so many other areas of exploitation was a concept I truly appreciated, as most classes are not designed to make you think of the intersectionality between things. 

I would recommend anyone to take this class. This class is not about teaching you how to become vegan but to ask yourself "what am I eating?", this class will not teach you where to buy cruelty free clothing, but why you should consider buying it, this class will not teach you about woman's rights but why as humans we should be concerned about the welfare of all, this class will not stop you from going to the circus but inform you of what truly happens behind the camera, this class will not stop you from buying a dog at a pet store but allow you to have the knowledge of why adopting is the best option!

(Teacher Angel Ask)

Finally, this class will not tell you how to live your life but show you why living cruelty free is just a little bit sweeter at the end of the day. 

11. Hunting and Wildlife Management

IT IS MY RIGHT!

You are right! By law we are all allowed to hunt for a living but we must due it responsibly. This week we had a guest speaker come in and talk to us about hunting and wildlife management. This is where I get to blog about my experience in my Conservation class and well as my experience in this class. 

(First People)

Again, the HSUS shows how they are working with hunters to try and educate them on better ways to hunt. My conservation class is all about finding ways to help preserve the species of animals by finding effective tools to do so. There has been a lot of controversy with those who do not believe in the work of conservationist, as they believe animals should be free. Most people do not realize that this is the ultimate goal of conservationists. To reintroduce all species into the wild and find ways for humans and animals to co-exist. 

(PBS)

This semester I did a behavior project on the Gray Wolf. Every week, I went to the D.C. National Zoo and do my study. I learned a lot about the wolf and the problems it faces out in the wilderness. In 1995, the Gray Wolf was reintroduced back into Yellowstone National Park after being taken into captivity for many years. Right away there was conflict between the humans and wolfs. 

Attached is a small part of my essay on the Gray Wolf and its conflicts....

Depredation of livestock was the primary justification for eradicating the wolf from virtually all

of the United States. Other serious threats to the wolves are human encroachment into wolf habitat. This leads to habitat fragmentation, where wolves might have to travel across lands with varying degrees of protection, cross highways, through developed areas and across large portions of private land, potentially containing livestock . This makes it hard for the gray wolf to adequately expand into all areas of suitable habitat, which is vital to sustainable recovery of wolves.

In the late 20^th century, greater tolerance, legal protection, and other factors allowed their range to expand in areas of the United States. Today, listed on the endangered list, they only inhabit around 36% of their suitable habitat. In 2011, wolves across the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes region were stripped of their protection under the ESA. Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to remove all the ESA protection for nearly all gray wolves across America 

Many biologist and conservationist oppose this measure as they feel it would derail wolf recovery efforts made through out many years. One of the main reasons is that they are concerned for the long-term genetic health of subpopulations. The gray wolf is truly a magnificent animal with much to offer to the world. Besides its interesting pack structure, the gray wolf has shown to be vital for the sustainability of other species. While there are those feel they have the right to control the wolves population with their own measures, without special conservation efforts to help keep this species thriving and alive, there would not only be a huge impact on the wolf itself, but the effects would trickle down to other species in the food chain, even to vegetation.

Colby (grey) and Crystal (White)

After the talk we had in class about hunting and wildlife management, I realized that there needs to be more innovating ways too protect species. For example, recently a study was done to stop wolves from entering into farmers land. Since farmers feel that the only way to protect their crops and animals is to kill the wolf, biologist found a way to use chemical to keep wolves out of their territory. Wolves by nature as very territorial animals and will not enter into the space of another pack. Biologist used feces, urine and a dead wolf's paw to create a border to keep the wolves away....and it actually worked! WIN-WIN!!!!

(Minnesota Public Radio)

The HSUS, like many other organizations are finding other creative ways to help conserve these species while still allowing farmers to make a living. This is why I do support conservation. There are aspects of conservation that I do not necessarily care for but at the end of the day, I feel that they do more good than harm. 

10. Puppy Mills

PUPPIES!

Who does not like a cute, little, cuddly puppy (if you don't we can't be friends!)? any dogWhen I was a little girl, I always wanted to parents to buy me a puppy from the puppy shop near my house. I begged and begged but never got a puppy. In a way, I am glad my parents never bought me a puppy even if the reason was because of the huge responsibility. 

Not impressed with our 6 hour car ride

At the age of 10, my parents decided to finally allow my sister and me to get a dog. So we went to the shelter. This is were we got our dog, Oliver. 13 years later and Oliver is still right beside me (even as write this blog entry) like the first day we got him. I truly love my dog unconditionally, borderline unhealthy but hey, he's family. I see the love I have for my "mutt" and wonder, why are people not content with any dog (or cat)? Why do some people want the best breed out there and are willing to even pay thousands of dollars to do so?

Sleeping in til noon...how rude!

My dog is now 13 and we have never had any major health problem thankfully. Yet, my friend who bought her pure breed dog is going through cancer at the age of 6. This is a common thing for her dogs breed, and it is likely due to the amount of breeding this type of dog goes through.

(River Head Loca)

All the dogs we see in pet store windows more than likely came from a breeder, a puppy mill. What most people do not know is what goes on behind the scenes of these puppy mills. Since we talked about it in class, I will attach a short video to recap. 

The pain and suffering that dogs go through so that someone can go buy a cute little puppy is truly horrifying. In a lot of cases little is done to control what goes on behind the scenes of this business and most of the times no one is held responsible. This is why there is a huge move to stop these dog (and cat) breeding facilities and push for adoption. 

Every year millions of animals are euthanized due to lack of space and resources to care for all the animals people toss aside. Many of the animals in shelters are those being used to breed in puppy mills after they no longer serve a purpose. If all animals are capable of showing the same amount of love and affection, why not adopt. Why are adopt rate not going up? 

Below is a campaign on why we should adopt. 

I pledge to never buy any pet and always resort to adoption!

9. Organizing and Attending a Protest

BOO RINGLINGS!

As a class, we decided that instead of doing smaller project, we would work as a whole to protest the circus. I have never attended a protest before so I was very excited but did not have a clue where to begin. We were very lucky to have guest speakers throughout the semester that let us in on what to expect and how to prepare for the circus.

We formed small groups in the class to help coordinate our cause.

The following were the some of the groups

• Pace Painters
• Protesters
• Media
• Reaching out to PETA for supplies
• Creating Banners

The class before the first week of protesting I learned how to face paint and made signs to bring to the protest. We wanted to face paint as a way to draw families in. This way we could talk to parents about the important issues while there kids got some cool FREE face paint!

Signs in Spanish

Unfortunately due to weather and to the police we were not able to face paint. The first Friday I went, the police were very serious about us staying on grasses areas. This is because they claimed we were fire hazards. Yes, a fire hazard outside but we had to respect their rules if we wanted to continue protesting.

We had a lot of reactions from people both Fridays I attended. The first Friday was very busy with families and a great day to spread the message. Most people who walked by us looked at our banners and you can see were in some way affected by what they saw. Like we discussed in class, once the image is engraved in your head, it is there forever.

We did have once family tell us to find a cure for cancer instead of protesting. I argue that they are both causes worth fighting for. There was one event that really marked me the first Friday. While I am not a mother, I do not like to see children upset. One family walked by our protest and could immediately tell that the children got very upset by our pictures. Next thing I hear is a little girl crying and telling her mom "NO I DONT WANT TO GO, THEY HURT THE ANIMALS! I DONT WANT TO GO". 

To see this little girl so upset broke my heart but what the mother did broke my heart even more. The mother proceeded to give us the death stare (we all know what is is) and yell at her daughter to calm down because "WE ALREADY PAID FOR THE TICKETS AND YOU ARE GOING". Her daughter continued to say she did not want to go in but the mom did not care. I don't know about you but if my child is that visibly upset I would not subject her to the show. Forget about my ticket money, my daughters happiness and wellbeing is more important that money.

NCLC 475 class plus guests!

The following Friday was very slow...the crowd was very small. This was amazing because maybe just maybe people are realizing how awful the zoo really is. I can say that hopefully next year I am able to attend more protests since it is a very peaceful way of getting our intended message across. 

8. Animals as Entertainment

Your Entertainment is Their Pain

This week we had Lindsey come in and talk to the class about animals used in entertainment. We also read a interesting article on greyhounds. I thought I would blog about it since we did not discuss the readings in class. 

Since I was already pretty informed on animals in the entertainment industry, I was really shocked to see the birthing video that was shown to us of the elephant mother being restrained as she was giving birth and immediately her baby is removed from her. I already talked about in another journal about how I feel about this subject but to see the video, hit home...again.

Raced to DEATH?

As a avid dog lover, to read about the life of a racing dog hit home. I would never put my dog through horrible conditions these animals go through. One of my friends has a rescued greyhound, recovered from a racing company. I never thought to have a conversation with her until reading this article and getting to know the story of her dog, Reggie.

Not Reggie, but he to could have suffered the same fate

Reggie was saved from the horrible fate of euthanasia after his time was "done" racing. I did not realize the huge amount of greyhound adopting communities around the world. I never realized how big of a "sport" racing is. 

Reggie lived a horrible life, where he was either being trained or kept in a cage with a muzzle. Now because of all the horrifying this Reggie went through he has arthritis and has a fear of grass. Yes, this poor dog never stepped on grass. What makes it acceptable for humans to keep animals in entertainment in cages? Again we go back to the first weeks of class when we were discussing animal liberation. Don't animals have the right to be free? 

(America Aljazeera)

Unfortunately, if you are the "owner" of a dog, as long as you are providing it shelter and food, it is very hard to say "hey do not race your dog". In the case of Reggie, his former owner could keep him in a cage all day as this is not breaking the law. Can you imagine being stuck in a cage almost your whole life and for it to be perfectly legal. 

REGGIE!!!!

I have grown to love Reggie now since he is so brave (even with his fear of grass).  Reggie was adopted in England from a Greyhound Rescue Center. The biggest racing state in the United States is Florida. 

7. Animal Testing

Animal Testing

Horrific Animal Tests

For this class session we had a visit from Alka Chadna from PETA. She came in to talk to us about animal testing. While I knew much of the information presented about animal testing it was very interesting to hear about the legal aspect of animals testing. The big question that was presented to the class was, if we are different than animals, why do we test products for our use on them?

I worked in a pharmacy for 4 years, where I was exposed to drugs that helped people stay healthy. While I can say that there are drugs that people were on that could have been prevented, there were patients with chronic diseases like cancer or lupus. All of these patients where on many prescription drugs that, I am sure were 99.9% tested on animals. These patients would have never had access to these medications if they were not at one point tried out on animals to see the side effect and validity. 

This is where I come at a crossing point with animal testing. While I am completely against animal testing on household products and beauty products (really, making dogs inhale cigarette fumes to see what would happen to us?...you'll die, thats what!), what if I had cancer...would I refuse a medication?

(The Petition Site)

To put it simply, no. I have meet many vegans who say that they would refuse medications tested on animals for ethical reason and I respect there stance. I just do now know if I could completely refuse a drug if my life depended on it. 

This does not mean that I do not think that we need alternatives to animal testing. I am sure that there are ways (Alka discussed some in class) to genetically modify, for example a cancerous cell and test it in a vile. Yet, with all our technology why do we not do this yet. Is it because of money? Many would say that this is the reason why. That is is is just simply cheaper to test a drug on an animal than start over research of many years on new "test" subjects (not animals). That is would derail the work of years and years of research.

My closing statement is...Well is it not worth it?  Are we that selfish that we would rather save a buck than stop the pain of millions of animals?

6. Garment Production

Where Does My Clothes Come From?

Before being aware of what animal rights were, I never batted my eyes to where my clothes came from. I never questioned if something was leather, if it was wool, if a child produced it, or if it was outsourced. The horrifying truth is that most people around the world continue to either not simply care about where their clothes come from or are unfortunately unaware.

(The Star)

The first time I became aware of where my clothes came from and what is was made of, was when I heard of child labor. I must have been in high school when I heard this term. The more I became aware of child labor I saw a parallel between the unfair conditions children (and adults) work in and the horrendous ways my clothes is produced.

These are horrible working conditions were children and grown adults are denying basic rights like safety. Usually for cents a day, they work extremely long hours to only continue to live in a cycle of poverty. Many who are injured while at work never receive proper care as they are scared to ask for help as they fear job loss or are denied it.

(eccouterre)

Unfortunately, many of these children never finish their education and the cycle continues. While in other parts of the world, multi-billion dollar corporations continue to profit of their "slave" labor.

Now lets look into our actual clothing...what is is made of?

(PETA)

Many of us have this image in our head that leather comes from cows that are dead already, wool from the sheep grazing on farms or your jackets but this is farm from the truth. If your clothing has some type of animal product in it....well it probably caused an animal a lot of pain.

Below are some videos of what are clothes is really made of.....

Many people do not know that their "cow" leather is actually dog or cat skin.

Yea...These sheep are not living on green pasture like you thought they did?!

5. Factory Farming and Food Production

Humane Society and Compassion over Killing

During this class session, we had two guest speaker come in and talk to us about factory farming and food production. Ashley Rhinehart was from Humane Society of the United States and Liz Hallinan from Compassion over Killing. While both have the same goal in mind the way they go about spreading their message is very different. 

In this blog post, I will talk about what I learned about factory farming and food production and also how they would differ in both organization.

Humane Society of the United States 

(HSUS)

The humane society of the United States is known for helping advocate for the welfare of animals across all industries. While the Humane Society does  support veganism there main project is to educate the people of better ways to co-live with animals. This being from passing laws to better the living situation of farm animals to informing hunters of better alternative when hunting. 

Ashley from the HS, talked to our class about food production and where our food comes from. I already knew about 99.9% of the information she shared as I did the research myself when I was thinking of becoming vegan. 

Compassion over Killing

(COK)

Liz Hallinan from COK, shared with us the steps her organization takes to liberating all animals. COK is an organization that believes in the use of no animal products. They also are known to be more direct when it comes to addressing issues on animal rights. Liz talked to the class on factory farm animals as well as sharing the legal work she has done to help pass laws and regulations to better help the conditions of animals.

What I Got From Both Presentations

As I already knew what both organization did in terms of animal rights and how their organizations differed, I was very intrigued on the conversation about how woman are exploited just like animals and the suffering female animals go through, that if this was happening to female humans there would be an out poor of anger.

For example,  SEX SELLS.

While the message might be trying to end injustice...why use objectify woman for your cause? Have we become a society that will only pay attention to a cause if a woman is showing her breast and bum?

(PETA)

Another example is how woman (and men!) can relate to the instant bond that is formed when a mother has a child. While most woman never have to go through the pain of having their newborn baby ripped from them, female animals go through this pain EVERYDAY!

If we look at dairy cows, they are simply impregnated to continue their production of milk. Once they give birth they are almost instantly ripped away from their newborn. Can you image going through this agony, YEAR AFTER YEAR?

A cow whose baby is taken from her screaming at his direction with longing and pain.

Also, can we talk about the forced insemination of these dairy cows...I do not know about you but I can find many way to argue that this is rape.

Looking at it in this light and being able to personally feel the pain these cow mothers must go through makes me want to completely cut out all dairy from my life again. I will come back in the next weeks to inform you if I was successful or not. 

4. Historical View of Women's Animal Rights Activism

(VegNews)

I was really interested on the connection in Gay Rights and Animal Rights.... After thinking about Queer politics, I wanted to see what other people had to say about the subject and found this very interesting article by VegNews. Throughout the article my reactions and comments will be in colored font.

Recently, we have witnessed major strides in both the animal-rights and gay-rights movements. In honor of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Month,  VegNews spoke with activists about what these two groups can learn from each other, and how they can support the work of both.

Three proud gay vegans—Ari Solomon, president of A Scent of Scandal; Dan Hanley, half of the blogging duo behind The Gay Vegans; and Jasmin Singer, co-founder of Our Hen House—weighed in on key points in both movements.

VegNews: How do you see the connection between the animal-rights movement and gay rights?

Ari Solomon: In the simplest terms, I believe that most LGBT men and women understand firsthand what’s it like to be oppressed and bullied. This is what happens to animals every day, whether it is on factory farms, or in laboratories, circuses, and marine parks. I try to make the case that because we know how it feels, we should be more inclined to go vegan and get involved with trying to end the war on animals.
Dan Hanley: Both fall into our goal of “making the world a better place for all living beings.” I believe that injustice is injustice, regardless of the community it affects or how voiceless the affected community is.  ****I find this comment really hit home. INJUSTICE IS INJUSTICE. Many people can claim they do not relate to the injustice of animals but even if we ourselves feel that we have not felt injustice (which I find hard to believe) we can still find a way to related to animal rights and why we SHOULD be getting involved)***
Jasmin Singer: I believe that the fundamental connection between gay rights and animal rights, as well as countless other rights movements, is the mindset of the oppressor, which is always based in the thought that, “I am better, and more important, than they are.” *** There are many ways one can be oppressed...it being because of our gender, sex, class, religion, etc....at the end of the day, like Jasmin Singer says, it all comes down to someone with the mentality of "I am better, and more important, than they are."***

VN: There is so much happening in both movements—the legalization of gay marriage is on the forefront of this election, and several major companies are phasing out gestation crates, among other pivotal issues. What are some other great strides forward that we’re seeing? 

AS: With regards to gay rights, it’s wonderful that marriage is on everyone’s mind, but the truth is that you can still be fired from your job just for being gay in 29 states. I do think, however, that we are seeing amazing leaps in progress in such relatively short spans of time. I really think that in the next 10 years, LGBT people will achieve full equality in the US. With regards to animal rights, it’s been incredible to witness the growing public concern over animals on factory farms. That being said, I think the growing awareness around veganism is what excites me the most.
JS: There is much more awareness of both issues, as is evidenced by the increase in positive media coverage. And there is no doubt that the increasing acceptance of gay marriage represents a deep societal shift, though issues of discrimination and violence still remain. Though not on the same level, attention to farmed-animal issues is clearly on the rise, and the potential eradication of the gestation crate is a notable step forward, though we still have a very, very long way to go.

VN: How can activists get involved in LGBT Pride month?

AS: There are so many organizations on national and local levels that are always looking for volunteers and donations. Some of my favorites are The Trevor Project and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. But I think the most important thing to do as an LGBT activist is to talk about these issues with your friends and family.
DH: The best thing an activist can do is find out who their state representative is, and find out their opinions on marriage equality, animal rights, and any other topic important to them. All one has to do is plug in their zip code on votesmart.org to find out who represents them at their state house.

VN: In our July+August 2011 issue, Portia de Rossi told us that, “I think it’s more difficult to be vegan than gay. I think people have a harder time accepting it; people feel more uncomfortable with a vegan at their dinner table than they do a lesbian.” What do you think?   *** I never thought of it this way but it is very true!... As a former vegan, now vegetarian I felt people looked at me weirdly for choosing not to consume animal products. Not because of my religious views, sex, race, ethnicity but because I was VEGAN!!!***

AS: In my opinion, homophobia is much different psychologically than an aversion to veganism. Men and women are beaten and killed just for being gay. My veganism might make certain people uncomfortable, but I’ve never feared for my life for being vegan. I have for being gay. ***I've never feared for my life either but boy, oh boy have I had some harsh things said to me.***
DH: With many of us living in privilege, myself included, I need to remember that LGBT people who live in poverty, live in very conservative areas, or who are yet to come out face many things an “out” vegan does not face—mainly the potential of harassment, name-calling, losing their job, and even brutality and death. *** I really like how privilege is mentioned here...Maybe the reason I have never felt fear because I am hispanic and female is because I have always lived in a multicultural community...being vegan was what made me odd**
JS: Living in downtown Manhattan, it’s almost assumed you’re gay! Others aren’t as lucky to live in a place where they are accepted. But I think Portia makes a good point in differentiating the reasons that people might give you a hard time. Not everyone feels threatened by homosexuality, but almost everyone who isn’t vegan recognizes, on some level, that they should be vegan.

VN: In your own personal journey to come out and go vegan, what challenges did you face? 

AS: I think it’s just about having the courage to live authentically and not be afraid to stand out. Luckily, I haven’t had too many people in my life who have an issue with either. My father had a mini-meltdown when I told him I went vegan (it was so much worse than telling him I was gay) but over the years he’s learned more about the issues, and now he begs my husband and I to cook for him when we’re back home! *** My mother had a mini-melt down also about becoming vegan***
DH: I was in the military when I came out, and it was extremely difficult living two lives and constantly having to lie. This was in 1990, and of course, times have changed. At the time I was also incredibly grateful for the loving support I had both off and on base. My activism began within the AIDS movement in the late ‘80s and I am always grateful for the many people who engaged me and taught me how to fight for what is right. Becoming vegan was a little difficult as I was living in the South and not in a major metropolitan area. ***I find that the hardest time for me to be vegan/vegetarian is when I am in Ecuador. I guess it is my equivalent to the South. Customs are treasured and I am breaking them in a way.***
JS: When I came out 14 years ago, I faced some initial skepticism, worry, and misguided hurt from some family members. It seems almost ludicrous since those people are now extremely accepting of my partner and me. Of course, a lot of kids and young adults who come out face much worse ramifications from their friends and family. I can’t help but note that my dietary shift from meat-eating to vegetarianism, then to veganism, immediately preceded me shifting my sexual identity (straight to bisexual, bisexual to gay). Perhaps as I began to live a life in harmony with my ethics, I opened up space within myself to be true to my identity as a lesbian.


I really enjoyed this article because I could relate to it even though I am not gay. Being a vegan/vegetarian can be a foreign concept to many and sometimes very controversial. This is not to say that I am saying the struggles of judgment of people for becoming vegan are the same of those who are in the LGBT community. Truly in any form we can find a place to identify with animal rights.

3. Connection Between Woman and Animals

Woman and Animals

What do woman and animals have in common? From the class discussion the main theme was that they are both oppressed by patriarchy. Do woman have the obligation to liberate animals because of the connections they have or just any oppressed population? This was the theme of one of the articles that we read for class and it really made me dwell on the question.

I never truly realized the theoretical, practical and symbolic connections both woman and animals had in common. For years, both have been a minority and have had powerful (men) people dictate their lives essentially. As a woman myself, after reading this article and the discussions we had in class I feel a special connection and obligation to liberating oppressed animals in the best way I can. For years, the more power a person had, the higher the value they held in society. This means they had more power in dictating how society ran. 

(Pinterest)

I fell it is my duty to fight for the rights for those oppressed by patriarchy

Woman before me paved a great path so I can now continue to fight for the rights of those who are oppressed by patriarchy. It is my duty, I feel to liberate those who have no say, either because they cannot physically speak or are oppressed by religion, control or government. The same fate animals suffer now were once (and still are) the same rights woman fought for themselves. Race, gender, class, and status should not define how little or how much your rights should be fought for. 

2. Do Animals Have a Right to Liberty?

So Do Animals Really Have Rights?

What I Think

If someone was to ask most people if they thought animal had rights, I am sure that most people would respond... "YES!". The problem lies with WHAT RIGHTS DO ANIMALS HAVE?. Before I was more aware of the rights animals have (and do not have), I was unaware of the extent of how rights are classified in the animal world. 

When I think about woman's rights or the rights of blacks in America, what I see is an unjust system who limit their rights because they are considered a minority. After tonights class, I was able to understand how animals rights and the rights of minorities are connected. Human rights have always been broken into sections...throughout time you have had mens rights, the rights of men who own land, black men rights, black woman rights, white woman's rights, black/minority woman's rights, and I could truly go on on how much human rights have been broken up into categories. Throughout time as a society, we have come to realize that there should be no separation between rights. HUMAN RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS...many would argue that we still continue to divide these rights into categories (raises hand!). 

Animals are more than a barcode at a grocery store or a puppy store

(No Gods No Maters)

Looking at animals rights and especially after reading the article by James Rachels, Do Animals Have a Right to Liberty? I would argue that we also categorize animals rights by the value we give them. As was stated in the article, some would argue that non-human animals have no rights as they are not sorts of being that can have rights. So because an animal is not fury and cuddly and sleeps in our bed, it does not have rights? Again, like discussed in the article, it is like saying that because someone is not white they are not worthy of the same rights. So why is it that we have better rights for a dog or cat but a dairy animal who is capable of feeling the same pain and giving the same love, than a domesticated pet is granted less protection by law?

I look at my dog for example, he has many rights that other animals do not have. If I was to leave him abandoned or provide inadequate care, I would be held accountable. If he wants he goes in my bedroom, living room or kitchen. Yes many would argue that I confine my dog by keeping him in my house but I can honestly say that I do my best to give him the best of both worlds. 

When he was a pup, his mother nursed him and did all she could to take care of her newborn pup. We discussed in class that by Locke's definition, those who are able to provide for their families should have all access to rights and liberty. So why is a mother in a puppy mill, or a mother on a dairy farm, not given the same rights as a human mother to freely provide for their young? Why are dairy cows locked away in small pens instead of given the freedom to take care of their calfs?

Personally, this is a sore subject for me. As I believe that all animals should be given the "same" rights and freedoms to liberty. Do we have the right to confine a cow in horrible conditions and deny it rights because we see ourselves as more powerful than them?....no. As long as animals continue to be seem as a profit and not as beings they will always be denied their liberty and their right to happiness. As long as big corporations continue to use their money and power to dictate what animal rights should look like there will be no equal rights or liberty to all animals...always creating a divide. 

This article by the Onion shows how truly divided people are on the subject...

http://www.theonion.com/articles/do-you-believe-animals-should-have-the-same-rights,36364/

1. First Class: My Expectations

Animal Rights as Ecofeminism 

(KPFA Woman's Magazine)

Why I am Taking this Class

Let me first start by saying that the real reason I signed up for this class is because I was late for class registration and this course was open. This is not to say that Animal Rights and Feminism are not topics close to my heart. I know a lot about animal rights as I was a vegan for 5 years and now mostly live a vegetarian lifestyle.

To be honest, I do not know why I stopped being vegan and started going back to being vegetarian. Hopefully this class will give me the push I need to go back to living the way I know I should be living. So as a former vegan, now vegetarian... why am I taking this class?

Feminism! I was intrigued by the course title and asked myself, "what does animal rights have to do with ecofeminism?". After the first class, I can say that I am excited to see the parallels that both of these stances have. I am also happy that this class will not only touch on feminism but other aspects that can be also related to animal rights.

Two Completely Different Classes

This semester I am taking a conservation class and it will be interesting to see how I feel at the end of the semester on both subjects as they do contradict themselves. Hopefully I will remember to blog about how I feel about both courses at the end of this Spring 2015 semester. 

I will be blogging about my reactions to this courses materials and parallels I see in my day to day life. 

Follow me on my journey!