[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.00,0:00:04.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As animal activists, we do not have \Nto fear presenting the bare facts.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:04.80,0:00:12.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We don't have to try to sensationalize \Nor exaggerate: the truth is bad enough.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.25,0:00:26.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hope Bohanec (conference organizer): \NSo happy to have Emily Moran Barwick. She is an animal-liberation activist, educator,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.72,0:00:31.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,writer, artist, and international speaker. \NAnd after completing her Masters of Fine Arts,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.52,0:00:36.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Emily founded Bite Size Vegan. \NEmily, it's all you. Thank you.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.08,0:00:39.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you so much for having me. It is such \Nan honor to be a part of this conference.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.92,0:00:43.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Today I wanted to talk about the importance of language in
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.12,0:00:48.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,activism; specifically covering some of the potential pitfalls, distractions, diversions,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.32,0:00:52.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and counterproductive “traps" that we can fall into as activists.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.24,0:00:58.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The most dangerous of these are often wrapped in \Nthe guise of making veganism more approachable.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.72,0:01:02.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In our effort to increase the accessibility of veganism,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.72,0:01:10.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we may inadvertently compromise our convictions \Nand soften our ethics—offering gradations of
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.00,0:01:16.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,change, or incremental reductions in animal \Nproduct consumption, or "humane" alternatives.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.64,0:01:21.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, this is often born from the belief that we must take either a firm—even
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.60,0:01:28.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,militant and polarizing—or a soft, conciliatory approach to our outreach.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:28.72,0:01:33.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, this is a this false dichotomy. The real challenge is walking the line
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.60,0:01:39.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of staying firm in our convictions and uncompromising in our message while still
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.36,0:01:45.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,helping people lower their guard enough to listen, hear, and make the connection.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.12,0:01:50.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, within the vegan movement, a major approach \Nactivists take is the social normalization of veganism.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.64,0:01:57.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What I mean by this is making a vegan lifestyle accessible, affordable,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.44,0:02:04.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,easy—even mainstream. And this is a very logical \Ntactic, especially when considering that one of
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.32,0:02:10.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the strongest deterrents to going vegan is social \Nostracism and rejection from friends and family.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.56,0:02:18.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I am the last person to decry increasing the \Naccessibility of veganism—it is something about
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.24,0:02:24.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which I am intensely passionate, and is one of \Nthe foundational aspects of Bite Size Vegan.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.48,0:02:29.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, in attempting to “bridge the gap” \Nand meet the general public where they’re at,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.68,0:02:38.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there exists the risk of reducing the ethical \Nimperative of veganism to a socially acceptable
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.32,0:02:43.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,lifestyle choice. This is why it’s so vital that we be mindful of our language
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.84,0:02:50.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,choices as activist, lest we end up advocating \Nthe very things we are fighting against.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.60,0:02:57.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, a very common approach activists take \Nto provide an "entry point" to veganism
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.20,0:03:01.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is encouraging people to reduce their intake of animal products,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.12,0:03:07.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like "Meat-Free Mondays." Such an incremental \Noption is obviously more palatable to non-vegans;
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.68,0:03:12.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it allows them to make a minor change while still providing the emotional
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.08,0:03:17.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,benefit of doing something good. But it's equally alluring for us activists.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.44,0:03:22.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Perhaps we're afraid of coming across as extreme and want to provide a less
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.72,0:03:29.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,intimidating suggestion. Perhaps we ourselves \Nare intimidated to ask for something "so big"
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.12,0:03:35.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as going fully vegan. Perhaps we believe that \Nany change is better than no change at all.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.24,0:03:41.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And while it's understandable for \Nsuch fears and beliefs to arise,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:41.12,0:03:48.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we must take a step back and recognize their \Nimplications. Believing that going fully vegan
Dialogue: 0,0:03:48.08,0:03:56.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is too much to ask simply reinforces that very \Nmisconception. Offering gradations of change,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.16,0:04:02.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in essence, endorses the idea that there are "acceptable" levels of cruelty.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.64,0:04:08.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I spoke in Dublin, I met Sandra Higgins, \Nthe founder of Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.08,0:04:13.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in Ireland, who is also a psychologist. \NI remember her making the rather apt analogy,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.44,0:04:18.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,saying something along the lines of that if \Nshe had a patient who was beating his wife or children,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:18.64,0:04:25.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,she would never advise him to try to reduce the frequency of his violence
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.12,0:04:28.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or stop beating his wife and children on Fridays.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:28.96,0:04:36.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The message has to be that violence is \Nalways unacceptable and has to be eradicated.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.64,0:04:43.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When we take this approach of "reductionism," \Nwe're not only doing a disservice to the animals,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.60,0:04:50.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but also to the non-vegans. We're deciding for \Nthem that they can't handle the full truth.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.96,0:04:57.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're deciding for them that they can't \Nor won't make the decision to go vegan.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.12,0:05:03.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is similar to the way in which the American \NHeart Association approached its official dietary
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.28,0:05:09.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,recommendations: the DASH diet, which stands \Nfor “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension."
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.20,0:05:15.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While decades of research have demonstrated that \Nconsuming animal products is "highly significantly associated"
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.28,0:05:21.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with elevated blood pressure, the DASH diet still includes dairy and meat.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.20,0:05:27.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In his book "How Not to Die" Dr. Michael Greger \Nexplains why this is the case, stating:
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.52,0:05:32.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"“The reason that the DASH diet was modeled \Nexplicitly after vegetarian diets but was not
Dialogue: 0,0:05:32.80,0:05:38.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,meat-free itself might surprise you. \NThe primary design goal of the DASH diet was to explicitly
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.56,0:05:43.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,create eating patterns “that would have the blood \Npressure lowering benefits of a vegetarian diet
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.92,0:05:49.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yet contain enough animal products to \Nmake them palatable to nonvegetarians.…”
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.60,0:05:54.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[The doctor who chaired the DASH diet \Ncommittee] had even shown that the more
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.00,0:05:59.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,dairy vegetarians consumed, the higher their blood \Npressure appeared to rise. But he figured there
Dialogue: 0,0:05:59.68,0:06:05.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was no point in calling for a diet he believed \Nfew would follow. This is a recurring theme
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.12,0:06:10.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in official dietary recommendations. Instead \Nof simply telling you what the science shows
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.48,0:06:15.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then letting you make up your own \Nmind, experts patronize the population
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.52,0:06:20.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,by advocating what they think is practical rather \Nthan ideal. By making the decision for you,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:20.88,0:06:25.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they undermine those willing to make \Neven greater changes for optimal health.”
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.60,0:06:31.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the same way, when we preemptively offer \Nnon-vegans gradations of change rather than
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.68,0:06:37.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the entirety of the truth, we are depriving them of the opportunity—and I believe,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.68,0:06:42.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the right—to have all of the facts and make a decision for themselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.48,0:06:47.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The same holds true for what I believe to be the most insidious pitfall for
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.28,0:06:52.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,activists and non-vegans alike: humane \Nlabels and animal welfare regulations.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:52.64,0:06:59.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Humane language and concepts have easily gained \Na stronghold by appealing to all sides
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.20,0:07:06.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—for the vegan afraid as coming across as militant, \Nthey provide an approachable suggestion to offer;
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.56,0:07:12.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for activists fighting for animal liberation, \Nthey give the possibility of better conditions,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.48,0:07:17.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,progress towards the ultimate goal; \Nand certainly for the non-vegan, who
Dialogue: 0,0:07:17.76,0:07:22.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,now has a way to keep doing what they want to do, but feel good about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:22.48,0:07:26.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've been told it can sound odd coming from an animal rights activist,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:26.08,0:07:32.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I find that humane labels and animal \Nwelfare regulations are often detrimental
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.24,0:07:39.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to animals. In fact, the entire concept of \Nanimal welfare is antithetical to animal rights.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.92,0:07:47.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Welfare regulations are designed to spare \Nanimals any “unnecessary” suffering—the unspoken
Dialogue: 0,0:07:47.12,0:07:52.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,implication being that some suffering is necessary when it benefits humans.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:53.60,0:07:58.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Still, even if animal liberation is the ultimate goal, isn't there value in
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.08,0:08:03.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,improving the conditions for those currently \Nin our systems of exploitation?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:03.60,0:08:10.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While this thought process is understandable, we must again \Ntake an honest look at what welfare regulations
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.16,0:08:14.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,actually mean for the beings they are designed to protect.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:14.48,0:08:22.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A striking example of the true impotence of welfare regulations\Nis the battery cage ban within the European Union.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.39,0:08:25.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, in 1999, The Council of the European Union
Dialogue: 0,0:08:25.28,0:08:31.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,set a directive that banned all “barren battery cages” by 2012. And while media
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.20,0:08:36.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,coverage at the time focused on the end of \Nbattery cages in the EU, what the directive
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.40,0:08:43.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,actually did was replace barren battery cages \Nwith “enriched" battery cages—meaning "furnished."
Dialogue: 0,0:08:43.60,0:08:48.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So yes, hens would now be provided \Nmore space and given furnishings like
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.40,0:08:53.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,perches and laying nests—certainly an \Nimprovement over barren cages. However,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:53.44,0:08:59.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while media reports extolled that hens \Nwould now each be afforded 750cm²,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.60,0:09:05.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they neglected to clarify that—due to the \Nnew furnishings—only 600cm² would be usable.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:05.60,0:09:11.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now I know it's a lot of numbers, and it's \Nhard to visualize what that means. So,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:11.28,0:09:15.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the end, that this revolutionary step forward for the rights of
Dialogue: 0,0:09:15.76,0:09:21.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,laying hens granted them less than a single playing card of additional space.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:22.64,0:09:27.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even more maddening: in 2012, over twelve years
Dialogue: 0,0:09:27.68,0:09:35.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,after the directive, thirteen Member States \Nhad still failed to comply with the ban.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:35.04,0:09:44.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But as the media celebrated the victory for animal welfare, \Nthe public ate even more eggs —reassured by their higher standards
Dialogue: 0,0:09:44.40,0:09:52.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—and the individuals this entire charade was \Nsupposed to be for remained just as exploited.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:52.00,0:09:58.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The execution of the barren battery cage ban \Nis far from a single failing. In 2001, the EU
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.48,0:10:04.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,outlawed gestation crates. If you're unfamiliar, \Nthese are single-sow enclosures constructed of
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.72,0:10:09.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,metal bars and hard flooring, in which mother \Npigs are confined during their pregnancies.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:09.76,0:10:16.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As always, the ban came with ample fine-print \Nexceptions, and over a decade for implementation.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.72,0:10:22.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Twelve years later, nine member states \Nhad still failed to comply with the ban.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:22.48,0:10:24.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The most amazing thing about all of this is that
Dialogue: 0,0:10:24.72,0:10:31.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,several of the Member States that failed to \Nimplement the battery cage and/or the gestation
Dialogue: 0,0:10:31.04,0:10:37.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,crate bans are rated amongst the best \Ncountries in the world for animal welfare.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:37.68,0:10:42.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, as alluring as the idea of better conditions for animals may be,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:42.56,0:10:49.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,animal welfare legislation is based upon the \Npresumption that we have a right to use non-human
Dialogue: 0,0:10:49.60,0:10:55.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,animals for our own purposes. Rather than \Ncondemn the breeding, enslavement, mutilation,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:55.28,0:11:02.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and slaughter of sentient beings, welfare \Nlegislation simply codifies precisely how
Dialogue: 0,0:11:02.80,0:11:06.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we may breed, enslave, mutilate, and slaughter them.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:06.80,0:11:10.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 2007, the European Union historically declared
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.56,0:11:17.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,non-human animals legally sentient—deserving \Nfreedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:17.28,0:11:20.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,injury, disease, fear, distress and mental suffering.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:20.56,0:11:26.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Having recognized their capacity to feel \Nthe same emotions and sensations as we do,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:26.88,0:11:32.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the EU proceeded to draft landmark \Nlegislation for their humane treatment.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:32.24,0:11:37.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The resulting Council Regulation was—and \Nis—viewed as a victory for animals.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:37.44,0:11:40.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, for those of us in countries without regulations,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:40.72,0:11:46.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's natural to think that the systematic \Nabuse of farmed animals results—at least
Dialogue: 0,0:11:46.48,0:11:49.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in large part—from the total lack of oversight.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:49.84,0:11:55.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the United States, for example, there are no \Nfederal laws governing the treatment of animals in
Dialogue: 0,0:11:55.44,0:12:02.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,our food industry. We do have the Animal Welfare \NAct of 1966, but, like so many welfare acts around
Dialogue: 0,0:12:02.24,0:12:09.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the world, it excludes animals raised for food—as \Ndo the majority of state anti-cruelty regulations.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:09.12,0:12:15.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many US activists and organizations stress the \Nneed for regulations to end such atrocities as
Dialogue: 0,0:12:15.92,0:12:22.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,routine mutilations without anesthetic, the aceration (meaning the grinding up)
Dialogue: 0,0:12:22.04,0:12:25.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of male chicks in the egg industry, and the blunt-force "euthanasia" of piglets
Dialogue: 0,0:12:25.04,0:12:30.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—often pointing to the European Union as a shining example.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:30.64,0:12:35.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, within the EU legislation and supplemental documents, those
Dialogue: 0,0:12:35.12,0:12:44.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,very same atrocities are not decried, but \Ncodified. So, instead of male baby chicks being
Dialogue: 0,0:12:44.00,0:12:49.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ground up alive because there are no regulations \Nto stop it, they are ground up alive because
Dialogue: 0,0:12:49.60,0:12:55.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,regulations declare it as the preferred method \Nfor male chick disposal. There are even detailed
Dialogue: 0,0:12:55.92,0:13:01.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,specifications for blade speed and sharpness \Nto avoid "gumming up" the works of the machine.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:01.84,0:13:07.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We'd like to think that humane regulations \Nare driven by what's best for the animals.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:07.60,0:13:13.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the animal products industries are—after \Nall—industries; they are profit-driven.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:13.36,0:13:19.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A preliminary report for the European Union's \Nlegislation found that while gassing the estimated
Dialogue: 0,0:13:19.76,0:13:28.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"335 million day old male chicks" killed in the \NEU annually would cost 1.6/1.7 million Euros,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:28.08,0:13:35.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the cost of using "rotating or whirling knives which \Nare mincing the chicks in a split second
Dialogue: 0,0:13:35.37,0:13:37.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,...can be considered not to be substantial."
Dialogue: 0,0:13:37.94,0:13:40.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, the decision had nothing
Dialogue: 0,0:13:40.40,0:13:46.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to do with what was most humane—it was \Nsimply a matter of what was cheapest.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:46.00,0:13:50.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The maceration of baby chicks has been \Nexposed time and again in undercover footage,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:50.88,0:13:54.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which brings me to another pitfall I wanted to address:
Dialogue: 0,0:13:54.24,0:14:02.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the presentation of undercover exposes. \NWhile I do believe that undercover footage is of vital
Dialogue: 0,0:14:02.16,0:14:08.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,importance in the fight for animal liberation, we \Nmust be mindful of the framing and presentation.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:08.88,0:14:15.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When it comes to undercover exposes, it’s \Noften what’s not said that’s the most damaging.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:15.20,0:14:20.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Every time undercover footage has captured \Nworkers—from one country or another—tossing
Dialogue: 0,0:14:20.64,0:14:26.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,live baby chicks into a grinder, news outlets \Ndramatically recount the unbelievable cruelty.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:26.96,0:14:30.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And every time, the public is appalled, outraged,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:30.56,0:14:36.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and disgusted. And every time, they assume that \Nit's an isolated incident of extreme cruelty;
Dialogue: 0,0:14:36.96,0:14:42.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they continue to eat eggs, confident \Nthey're not supporting such brutality.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:42.48,0:14:48.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The most important message of \Nall is left unsaid: that this is
Dialogue: 0,0:14:48.00,0:14:55.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not a barbaric practice isolated to corrupt, \Nabusive facilities or industrialized farms;
Dialogue: 0,0:14:56.16,0:15:05.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that grinding up live babies is a welfare \Nregulation; a worldwide "standard practice."
Dialogue: 0,0:15:05.68,0:15:10.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The fact that the lines between overt \Nabuse and standard industry practice are
Dialogue: 0,0:15:10.80,0:15:15.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so indistinguishable highlights the absurdity
Dialogue: 0,0:15:15.04,0:15:20.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of animal welfarism and human concepts. \NIn my essay "The Harm of Humane" from the
Dialogue: 0,0:15:20.00,0:15:26.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,book Vegan Voices, I opened with a specific \Nexample of this from my home state in Iowa.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:26.08,0:15:31.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In September 2008, an undercover video \Ndocumenting routine abuse at an Iowa pig
Dialogue: 0,0:15:31.60,0:15:37.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,breeding facility made international news. The \Nfootage and investigators' notes captured workers
Dialogue: 0,0:15:37.20,0:15:42.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,kicking and beating pregnant pigs with metal \Nobjects, sexually violating them with rods;
Dialogue: 0,0:15:42.16,0:15:46.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they were also shown cutting off \Nthe tails and tearing out the testicles
Dialogue: 0,0:15:46.00,0:15:51.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of piglets without anesthetic, and slamming \Nsick or deformed piglets against the ground,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:51.28,0:15:55.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,leaving them to die slowly, piled \Non top of one another in giant bins.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:55.28,0:16:01.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, while these acts of cruelty were \Nexposed by vegan activists, the egregiousness
Dialogue: 0,0:16:01.04,0:16:06.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the abuse rightfully sparked outrage from \Nmeat-eating consumers. And the food company
Dialogue: 0,0:16:06.16,0:16:12.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,supplied by the farm, Hormel, received over \N10,000 calls in two days. In the wire report
Dialogue: 0,0:16:12.00,0:16:17.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,issued by the Associated Press, they quoted \Na Hormel spokesperson who called the abuses
Dialogue: 0,0:16:17.44,0:16:21.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"completely unacceptable"; and they also quoted the farmer,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:21.04,0:16:26.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who emphasized "We condemn these types of \Nacts," and called them "completely intolerable,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:26.24,0:16:31.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reprehensible" vowing to "investigate and \Ninitiate corrective action immediately."
Dialogue: 0,0:16:31.36,0:16:36.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, anyone reading the report would be left with \Nthe impression that this was an isolated incident
Dialogue: 0,0:16:36.80,0:16:44.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of overt cruelty, or—at the very worst—a regular \Noccurrence isolated to large "factory farms."
Dialogue: 0,0:16:44.32,0:16:50.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But amidst the catalogued horrors in this article, \Nthe troubling implication of a single sentence
Dialogue: 0,0:16:50.64,0:16:54.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was easily overlooked. So, of course, that's what I focused on.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:54.00,0:16:58.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Following the description of the workers' \Ntreatment of piglets, the report stated:
Dialogue: 0,0:16:58.32,0:17:05.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Temple Grandin, a leading animal welfare expert \Nwho serves as a consultant to the livestock industry,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:05.45,0:17:09.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,said that while those are standard industry practices, the treatment of
Dialogue: 0,0:17:09.28,0:17:14.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the sows on the video was far from it. 'This is atrocious animal abuse,' \NGrandin said..." (The Associated Press 2008; emphasis added)
Dialogue: 0,0:17:14.96,0:17:22.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To be clear, the treatment of the mother pigs was \Nwhat Grandin deemed "atrocious animal abuse";
Dialogue: 0,0:17:22.14,0:17:30.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the acts she waved away as "standard industry practices" were the \Nunanaesthetized mutilation of newborn piglets,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:30.32,0:17:36.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the brutal—and ineffective—slamming of \N"defective" piglets against the concrete floor.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:36.48,0:17:41.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,She was not wrong; not only are these practices \Nlegal, they are government-sanctioned methods
Dialogue: 0,0:17:41.76,0:17:46.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,within—but not limited to—the United \NStates, Canada, and the European Union.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:46.32,0:17:53.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Within my essay, I implore the reader to ask themself: \Nwere you to have watched that video,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:54.05,0:17:59.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,heard the piercing screams of the \Nmother pigs and their babies, would you have
Dialogue: 0,0:17:59.76,0:18:06.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spotted the difference between the "atrocious \Nanimal abuse" and "standard industry practices"?"
Dialogue: 0,0:18:07.52,0:18:11.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When we fail to explain and emphasize that the horrors depicted
Dialogue: 0,0:18:11.68,0:18:19.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in these videos are not only legal, but actually \Ngovernment-sanctioned, humane-legislation-dictated
Dialogue: 0,0:18:19.36,0:18:23.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,practices, we leave the public with the \Nimpression that this was the result of
Dialogue: 0,0:18:23.60,0:18:30.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a few malicious, sociopathic workers or poorly \Nregulated facilities. Just a few "bad apples. "
Dialogue: 0,0:18:30.64,0:18:35.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Far from considering veganism, the public is left thinking that
Dialogue: 0,0:18:35.60,0:18:40.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“well, luckily, the perpetrators were exposed and will surely \Nbe punished. Thank goodness the eggs, meat,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:40.80,0:18:45.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or dairy that we eat isn't contributing to that kind of abusive behavior.”
Dialogue: 0,0:18:45.84,0:18:51.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Invariably, when horrific acts are exposed \Nto the public, there is a call for stronger
Dialogue: 0,0:18:51.12,0:18:56.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,regulations and higher welfare standards. \NAs activists, we can become caught in this
Dialogue: 0,0:18:56.56,0:19:02.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,self-perpetuating cycle—believing we're fighting \Nfor progress when we're simply running in place.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:03.12,0:19:09.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,An example of this cycle is the rise of cage-free \Neggs. I recently published an article, video and
Dialogue: 0,0:19:09.03,0:19:15.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,eCourse on cage-free eggs, which you can find \Nat BiteSizeVegan.org/CageFree.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:15.36,0:19:21.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As always happens when I dive into researching a topic—even one \NI've previously covered—I find so much new information.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:21.84,0:19:26.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I've stated in several videos and speeches \Nthat cage-free hens have been shown to have
Dialogue: 0,0:19:26.40,0:19:31.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,twice the mortality rate of battery caged \Nhens. This is a seemingly damning inditement
Dialogue: 0,0:19:31.92,0:19:36.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the idea that such humane labels as \N"cage-free" are improvements for animals.
Dialogue: 0,0:19:36.88,0:19:42.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I began re-researching this statistic, \NI found that it's far more complicated. After
Dialogue: 0,0:19:42.24,0:19:47.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,coming across a meta-analysis that seemed \Nto indicate mortality rates have been on the
Dialogue: 0,0:19:47.12,0:19:54.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,decline worldwide in cage-free systems, such that \Nthe difference between caged and non-caged hens
Dialogue: 0,0:19:54.24,0:20:01.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is nearly non-existent, I worried that this worked \Nagainst the point I'd been making in the past.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:01.20,0:20:07.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Something I find so incredibly important \Nin my activism, though, is never
Dialogue: 0,0:20:07.68,0:20:13.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shying away from new information. \NEven it if seems like it may go against what I’m aiming to say,
Dialogue: 0,0:20:13.36,0:20:20.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's so important to evaluate and present \Nwhat's true. And invariably, once I go deeper
Dialogue: 0,0:20:20.08,0:20:24.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into research I find that what may initially seem to be a contradiction,
Dialogue: 0,0:20:24.64,0:20:28.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or even something in support of an agricultural practice
Dialogue: 0,0:20:29.28,0:20:38.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—the underlying reality of anything within the animal \Nproducts industry cannot help but be problematic.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:39.04,0:20:42.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, I'd like to take you through my own journey with researching the question
Dialogue: 0,0:20:42.88,0:20:46.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of hen mortality rates in different housing systems—at least in brief.
Dialogue: 0,0:20:47.52,0:20:52.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Laying hens were originally moved into \Nbattery cages for a number of reasons,
Dialogue: 0,0:20:52.48,0:20:57.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,including profit and management-oriented \Nbenefits such as: reduced labor requirements,
Dialogue: 0,0:20:57.76,0:21:02.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,greater efficiency of space (meaning more birds housed in the same area),
Dialogue: 0,0:21:02.24,0:21:07.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and lower feed requirements. However, there \Nwere also perceived benefits to the hens
Dialogue: 0,0:21:07.76,0:21:14.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,themselves, including: a reduction in disease \Ntransference, injurious pecking, and cannibalism.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:14.16,0:21:22.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As demand rose for cage-free systems, multiple \Nstudies found that the mortality rate in non-cage
Dialogue: 0,0:21:22.72,0:21:27.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,systems was higher than in battery cage systems due to those very issues.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:27.36,0:21:32.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Meaning there was an increase in injurious \Npecking, cannibalism and disease transference.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:32.40,0:21:36.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the more comprehensive studies \Nthat I'd quoted in the past found that
Dialogue: 0,0:21:36.08,0:21:42.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cage-free hens had 2.5 times higher \Nmortality rates than battery-caged hens.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:42.40,0:21:48.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, to be clear, that finding was not \Nisolated to that study or even one country.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:48.08,0:21:53.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, it would seem that cage-free eggs actually \Nresult in more deaths than conventional battery cages.
Dialogue: 0,0:21:53.68,0:21:59.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, in more recent years, \Nresearches have pointed out that the reason
Dialogue: 0,0:21:59.20,0:22:04.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for higher mortality rates may not have \Nanything to do with the housing system per se.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:04.64,0:22:10.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead, the rates appear more reliably tied to \Nthe genetic strain of hens within the facilities,
Dialogue: 0,0:22:10.96,0:22:16.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the experience level of managing \Nstaff, and whether flocks are debeaked.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:16.72,0:22:23.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Researchers argue that as producers have become \Nmore familiar with managing non-cage systems,
Dialogue: 0,0:22:23.04,0:22:28.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and have started using more "appropriate" breeds, \Nthe mortality rates have been on the decline;
Dialogue: 0,0:22:28.24,0:22:30.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they believe this decline will continue.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:30.80,0:22:35.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, at first glance, I was worried \NI'd been conveying faulty data.
Dialogue: 0,0:22:35.52,0:22:42.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That perhaps decline in mortality rates in \Nnon-cage systems was a promising trend in
Dialogue: 0,0:22:42.16,0:22:48.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,support of such humane labels as "cage-free." \NBut the more I read, the more I found that,
Dialogue: 0,0:22:48.24,0:22:54.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rather than pointing to reasons for hope, the \Ncauses of mortality decline actually highlighted
Dialogue: 0,0:22:54.40,0:23:02.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the reality that within the animal products \Nindustries, the solutions are the problems.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:03.20,0:23:08.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What I mean by this is that every time \Nour breeding, confinement, mutilation and
Dialogue: 0,0:23:08.40,0:23:15.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,slaughter of non-human animals invariably cause \Nethical, environmental and health problems,
Dialogue: 0,0:23:15.84,0:23:23.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we strive to solve them with different variations of \Nbreeding, confinement, mutilation and slaughter.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:23.36,0:23:28.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We continue this cycle over and over again—addressing
Dialogue: 0,0:23:28.32,0:23:36.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,problems of our own creation with solutions that \Nwill eventually become our next problem—rather
Dialogue: 0,0:23:37.36,0:23:43.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than stepping back and questioning \Nour use of animals in the first place.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:44.48,0:23:51.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When hens injure and kill one another due to \Ntheir breeding and living conditions—both of which
Dialogue: 0,0:23:51.36,0:23:59.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have been imposed upon them—the solution is to cut \Noff their beaks and further alter their breeding.
Dialogue: 0,0:23:59.44,0:24:06.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This has happened before in the reverse. \NIn Denmark, laying hens were not moved into cages until 1980.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:06.44,0:24:12.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the time, the dominant breed of hens was adapted \Nspecifically for non-cage systems.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:12.05,0:24:15.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When moved into cages, their mortality rate increased
Dialogue: 0,0:24:15.84,0:24:24.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,five times over—the same trend observed when \Nmoving hens bred for battery cages into non-cage environments.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:24.66,0:24:28.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem isn't really the housing, the label, the stocking density,
Dialogue: 0,0:24:28.72,0:24:35.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or whatever we want to point to: the problem is \Nus and the way in which we relate to these beings.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:36.32,0:24:40.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I also want to note that in all the \Nresearch I came across about mortality
Dialogue: 0,0:24:40.48,0:24:46.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rates not being down to the housing system, \Nthe importance of debeaking hens to reduce
Dialogue: 0,0:24:46.16,0:24:50.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,injurious and cannibalistic behavior was strongly emphasized.
Dialogue: 0,0:24:50.26,0:24:56.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even if using the "appropriate" breed of hen and having more \Nexperienced management, whether a flock
Dialogue: 0,0:24:56.96,0:25:04.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was debeaked or not was often the deciding factor \Nin mortality rates. Of course, debeaking is a
Dialogue: 0,0:25:04.16,0:25:10.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,painful mutilation in which a portion of a \Nbird's sensitive beaks is cut or burned off.
Dialogue: 0,0:25:10.64,0:25:15.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I found a statement from Ian J.H. Duncan, \NProfessor Emeritus and Emeritus Chair in
Dialogue: 0,0:25:15.92,0:25:20.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph, Canada, \Nthat illustrates this predicament.
Dialogue: 0,0:25:20.88,0:25:25.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He said: "If [producers] do not trim beaks, then feather pecking
Dialogue: 0,0:25:25.12,0:25:30.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and cannibalism may cause enormous suffering. \NIf they do trim beaks by conventional methods,
Dialogue: 0,0:25:30.96,0:25:35.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the birds will suffer from acute and chronic pain...
Dialogue: 0,0:25:35.68,0:25:42.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Chopping off parts of young animals in order to prevent \Nfuture welfare problems is a very crude solution."
Dialogue: 0,0:25:42.08,0:25:47.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And he proposed instead that "likely...the \Nlong-term solution to this problem will
Dialogue: 0,0:25:47.04,0:25:54.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be a genetic one..." And while certainly less \Nobjectionable than debeaking on a visceral level,
Dialogue: 0,0:25:54.00,0:26:01.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,genetic manipulation of sentient beings to \Nserve our purposes is not only extremely
Dialogue: 0,0:26:01.76,0:26:09.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ethically problematic, but—once again—what \Ngot us into this position in the first place.
Dialogue: 0,0:26:09.12,0:26:15.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When we as activists push for welfare reform, \Nhigher standards, better regulations
Dialogue: 0,0:26:15.71,0:26:24.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—we are participating in this cycle. We are participating \Nin a system built upon a faulty and unethical
Dialogue: 0,0:26:24.16,0:26:31.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,premise: that animals are ours to use. \NThat there is a right and acceptable way to use them.
Dialogue: 0,0:26:31.68,0:26:38.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That the solution to their suffering is to \Nfurther control and manipulate their very beings.
Dialogue: 0,0:26:39.44,0:26:43.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, after covering examples of what not to say in our activism,
Dialogue: 0,0:26:43.92,0:26:48.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I wanted to touch on some approaches of \Nwhat to say—and how to say it as well as
Dialogue: 0,0:26:48.64,0:26:52.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ways to remove common barriers that \Narise when speaking with non-vegans.
Dialogue: 0,0:26:52.80,0:26:58.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As activists, we must stay focused on the \Nuniversal truth underlying any use of sentient
Dialogue: 0,0:26:58.72,0:27:05.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,beings: that even if we imagine an idealized \Nsmall farm, where animals are given ample space
Dialogue: 0,0:27:05.04,0:27:10.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,outdoors, their every need cared for—there will \Nstill come a time when their life is cut short.
Dialogue: 0,0:27:10.96,0:27:17.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their entire existence is still based upon \Nan owner-product framework;
Dialogue: 0,0:27:17.40,0:27:23.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their value not viewed as inherent, but rather \Ncalculated down to the dollar.
Dialogue: 0,0:27:23.68,0:27:28.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One way of effectively cutting to this core \Ntruth for non-vegans is to place it within
Dialogue: 0,0:27:28.48,0:27:36.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a familiar emotional framework. We may have them \Nenvision this idealized small farm, but, imagine,
Dialogue: 0,0:27:36.80,0:27:41.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in place of the happy farmed animals, a beloved family pet.
Dialogue: 0,0:27:41.80,0:27:44.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Would it be acceptable to end their pets life?
Dialogue: 0,0:27:44.99,0:27:50.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What if it was guaranteed they wouldn't \Nfeel a thing; that it would be quick and humane?
Dialogue: 0,0:27:50.96,0:27:56.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instantly the unacceptability is clear at a visceral level.
Dialogue: 0,0:27:56.72,0:28:03.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,From that connection, we can explore with them \Nwhat the difference is between a pet and the
Dialogue: 0,0:28:03.04,0:28:08.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sentient beings in the food industry? \NDo they not also feel pain and fear?
Dialogue: 0,0:28:08.56,0:28:14.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can even give a specific example: when a \Nmother cow in the dairy industry cries out for
Dialogue: 0,0:28:14.16,0:28:21.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,her calf—taken from her so she will produce more \Nmilk for humans—is that not a mother grieving?
Dialogue: 0,0:28:21.36,0:28:26.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When she is sexually violated yet again \Nto induce yet another pregnancy and give
Dialogue: 0,0:28:26.72,0:28:35.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,birth to yet another child who will yet again be taken\N—how can that not take an emotional and physical toll?
Dialogue: 0,0:28:35.35,0:28:39.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's a reason dairy cows' bodies generally give out around age four to five,
Dialogue: 0,0:28:39.12,0:28:44.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,despite a natural life span of twenty years or more.
Dialogue: 0,0:28:44.24,0:28:50.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Applying such emotionality to non-human animals \Nis often criticized as anthropomorphic
Dialogue: 0,0:28:50.29,0:28:55.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—an objection that illustrates the contradiction of humane concepts.
Dialogue: 0,0:28:55.76,0:29:02.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Humane regulations are an inherent admission \Nof animals’ ability to suffer and feel pain.
Dialogue: 0,0:29:03.20,0:29:08.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How can we claim that our animals are \Nhealthy and happy—then deny they possess
Dialogue: 0,0:29:08.80,0:29:14.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these capacities when asked to see from their perspective? \NWe cannot have it both ways.
Dialogue: 0,0:29:14.48,0:29:19.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is how profoundly illogical our \Nthinking is when it comes to animals.
Dialogue: 0,0:29:19.20,0:29:26.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Knowing better but doing wrong anyway is worse \Nthan having no knowledge. Yet we have the audacity
Dialogue: 0,0:29:26.32,0:29:33.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to hold the legislative recognition of non-human \Nsentience on high as a giant step forward
Dialogue: 0,0:29:33.44,0:29:38.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the rights of animals, as if \Nsystematically exploiting individuals with
Dialogue: 0,0:29:38.48,0:29:45.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,fully admitted knowledge and comprehension of \Ntheir capacity to suffer is something to commend.
Dialogue: 0,0:29:46.56,0:29:50.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Highlighting this faulty logic and \Nfocusing on the fundamental truth
Dialogue: 0,0:29:50.72,0:29:56.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we’ve all known since childhood—that it's not okay \Nto hurt others—
Dialogue: 0,0:29:56.96,0:30:04.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cuts through all the convoluted justifications and diversions, \Nallowing people to re-connect with their own values.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:04.80,0:30:06.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As I stated in the opening of this speech,
Dialogue: 0,0:30:06.72,0:30:10.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,activists often fall into the trap of offering gradations of change
Dialogue: 0,0:30:10.80,0:30:16.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or "humane" alternatives when seeking a more \Napproachable "entry point" to offer non-vegans.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:16.48,0:30:20.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I’ve long believed that one of the main reasons people don’t go vegan
Dialogue: 0,0:30:20.32,0:30:25.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the immense pain and guilt of \Naccepting our part in horrific atrocities.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:25.68,0:30:32.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Confronting the true impact of our choices is \Nincredibly daunting, so instead we shut down,
Dialogue: 0,0:30:32.64,0:30:38.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,attack, or throw out any number of the standard objections \Nyou’ve no doubt heard countless times:
Dialogue: 0,0:30:38.41,0:30:41.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,lions, desert islands, what about protein.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:41.64,0:30:47.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s human nature to raise our guards when we’re \Non the defensive—we close off and shut down.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:47.60,0:30:54.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it would seem logical as activists to avoid upsetting our\Naudience in order to keep their receptivity open
Dialogue: 0,0:30:54.52,0:30:58.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—however, this is a perfect illustrative example of walking the line.
Dialogue: 0,0:30:58.48,0:31:01.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s not about making sure not to upset anyone
Dialogue: 0,0:31:01.92,0:31:09.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—if they’re grasping the truth, they should be upset! \NIt’s making sure that the push-back to the truths
Dialogue: 0,0:31:09.52,0:31:16.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we reveal are aimed at their rightful sources, \Nleading to constructive, well-deserved outrage.
Dialogue: 0,0:31:16.40,0:31:22.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When we present them with solid factual \Ninformation about the industries in an educational setting,
Dialogue: 0,0:31:22.00,0:31:29.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we supply a “buffer” of sorts—providing \Na target for their outrage other than themselves,
Dialogue: 0,0:31:29.28,0:31:34.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thus sidestepping shut-down and channelling their outrage to action.
Dialogue: 0,0:31:34.46,0:31:40.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I do want to note that this is not an \Nattempt to excuse participation in exploitation.
Dialogue: 0,0:31:40.16,0:31:45.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I speak to a non-vegan audience, I always \Ntell them that they deserve to know the truth
Dialogue: 0,0:31:45.92,0:31:49.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about what they're putting in their body—about \Nwhat they're feeding their children.
Dialogue: 0,0:31:49.76,0:31:56.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They deserve to know how what they eat impacts their \Nplanet. And that they certainly deserve to know
Dialogue: 0,0:31:56.32,0:32:01.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what they are paying others to do to animals in their name.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:01.20,0:32:08.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Approaching vegan outreach from this perspective \Nhelps defuse the "charge" of defensiveness and resistance.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:08.40,0:32:13.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There is no need to pander, sugarcoat, or offer more palatable options.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:13.20,0:32:18.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I simply present them with factual evidence, allowing them to evaluate
Dialogue: 0,0:32:18.72,0:32:23.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,whether they want to continue supporting actions out of line with their values.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:24.16,0:32:29.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Another barrier I strive to eliminate in my activism is the issue of trust.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:29.52,0:32:35.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are many reasons non-vegans may dismiss the vegan \Nmessage, not the least of which is the messenger.
Dialogue: 0,0:32:35.52,0:32:40.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is why, when I speak with non-vegans, \NI am sure to present information put forth by
Dialogue: 0,0:32:40.88,0:32:46.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their own agricultural industries and governmental \Nbodies. This not only helps defuse the potential
Dialogue: 0,0:32:46.72,0:32:52.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,defensive charge of some random vegan telling \Nthem how bad things are, but it also allows me
Dialogue: 0,0:32:52.88,0:33:00.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to show that even the proposed ideal\N—which is of course never met—is absolutely horrifying.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:00.96,0:33:08.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is of particular importance when speaking to \Naudiences in other countries and cross-culturally.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:08.77,0:33:10.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When I spoke in Dubin, Ireland,
Dialogue: 0,0:33:10.56,0:33:15.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I dove deep into the humane legislation \Nof both Ireland and the European Union.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:15.28,0:33:19.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, Ireland is a powerful case \Nstudy—it’s essentially the humane
Dialogue: 0,0:33:19.28,0:33:24.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,concept embodied in country form. \NCows graze outside in picturesque fields,
Dialogue: 0,0:33:24.88,0:33:31.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,lending support to the common refrain that “it’s not like that here.” \NAnd by all appearances and accounts, it’s not.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:31.25,0:33:34.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even after some digging, I only found a single undercover video of abuse.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:35.44,0:33:41.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,However, I didn't want to focus on abuse. \NI wanted to focus on the ideal standards.
Dialogue: 0,0:33:41.36,0:33:46.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I told the audience, “the facts I’ll present \Ntoday are not of my creation
Dialogue: 0,0:33:46.02,0:33:51.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,—I’ve sourced them from primarily Irish governmental and \Nindustry documents, the European Union,"
Dialogue: 0,0:33:51.28,0:33:56.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and stated that they didn’t even have to \Nbelieve me, as I’d be providing a link to a full
Dialogue: 0,0:33:56.16,0:34:02.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,transcript of the talk with citations for every \Nfact, a bibliography and additional resources.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:02.16,0:34:05.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This not only provides opportunity for further learning,
Dialogue: 0,0:34:05.52,0:34:09.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but also removes the significant potential barrier
Dialogue: 0,0:34:09.52,0:34:16.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of requiring someone to trust in me personally \Non issues about which they’re already guarded.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:16.24,0:34:21.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As animal activists, we do not have to fear presenting the bare facts.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:21.58,0:34:25.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We don't have to try to sensationalise or exaggerate:
Dialogue: 0,0:34:25.60,0:34:33.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The truth is bad enough. \NThe ideal—the very best we have to offer—is bad enough.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:34.64,0:34:38.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And more importantly, we do not need to—and should not—
Dialogue: 0,0:34:38.46,0:34:44.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,compromise the integrity of our ethics in an effort to \Nmake veganism more approachable.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:44.39,0:34:49.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When we do so, we're supporting the very things we are fighting against.
Dialogue: 0,0:34:50.00,0:34:57.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We do not have to fear sharing the truth with \Nothers—it's not only vital for the sentient beings
Dialogue: 0,0:34:57.22,0:35:01.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we are defending, but it's also the most respectful approach
Dialogue: 0,0:35:01.86,0:35:06.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the non-vegan with whom we're speaking. \NThey deserve to know.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:06.88,0:35:11.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they deserve to make a choice \Nwith all the facts at their disposal.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:11.60,0:35:15.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I hope that this has been a helpful exploration \Nof the importance of language in activism.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:16.80,0:35:18.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you so much for having me.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:18.80,0:35:23.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I hope you enjoyed hearing my speech from \Nthe Humane Hoax Online Conference.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:23.60,0:35:25.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To stay in the loop about new Bite Size Vegan content and updates,
Dialogue: 0,0:35:25.76,0:35:31.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,remember to subscribe to the newsletter or \Nfollow the Telegram channel for the most reliable notifications.
Dialogue: 0,0:35:31.21,0:35:33.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now go live vegan, and I'll see you soon.