WEBVTT 00:00:00.110 --> 00:00:01.110 Ric Allport: Okay folks, I'm going to actually admit to 00:00:01.110 --> 00:00:04.760 being a bit of a fanboy here, because I follow Emily and I think she is absolutely amazing. 00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:10.959 Emily is an animal-liberation activist, educator, international speaker, and the founder of 00:00:10.959 --> 00:00:18.660 the nonprofit Bite Size Vegan, where she creates free, educational videos, essays, reports 00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:24.530 and resources, covering issues impacting our environment, public and individual health, 00:00:24.530 --> 00:00:27.320 and the rights of all sentient beings. 00:00:27.320 --> 00:00:31.000 Today Emily will address the sheer power of language and how to walk the line of staying 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:33.180 firm in your convictions and uncompromising in your message while still helping people 00:00:33.180 --> 00:00:35.780 lower their guard enough to listen, hear, and make the connection. 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:46.310 Please give Emily a mighty big round of applause. 00:00:46.310 --> 00:00:48.649 Thank you. 00:00:48.649 --> 00:00:50.060 Thank you so much. 00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:54.809 It's funny—that introduction makes it sound like I know what I'm doing. 00:00:54.809 --> 00:01:00.040 Don't get me wrong—I've come a long way in my activism over the years, but I've yet 00:01:00.040 --> 00:01:02.170 to ever feel like I've "got this down." 00:01:02.170 --> 00:01:03.930 To be honest, the more I progress in my activism, the less surefooted I feel. 00:01:03.930 --> 00:01:07.490 This may sound odd given that I'm here to talk about how to increase the effectiveness 00:01:07.490 --> 00:01:13.490 of your activism, but in many ways my perpetual uncertainty is actually one of my greatest 00:01:13.490 --> 00:01:14.490 strengths. 00:01:14.490 --> 00:01:18.780 And as counter-intuitive as it may seem, I hope that today I leave you a little more 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:20.940 uncertain of yourself as well. 00:01:20.940 --> 00:01:26.909 You see, uncertainty spurs consideration and forethought—thinking before we act; watching 00:01:26.909 --> 00:01:27.909 what we say. 00:01:27.909 --> 00:01:32.890 As activists, our language choices can be our greatest asset, or our most self-defeating 00:01:32.890 --> 00:01:33.890 liability. 00:01:33.890 --> 00:01:38.900 When we're not mindful of our approach, we risk not only failing to communicate our message, 00:01:38.900 --> 00:01:43.259 but—even more troubling—communicating another message entirely. 00:01:43.259 --> 00:01:47.630 If you're new to activism, increasing your level of uncertainty may sound like the last 00:01:47.630 --> 00:01:52.500 thing you want to do—you may feel up to your eyeballs in uncertainty. 00:01:52.500 --> 00:01:57.439 If you're anything like me, you desperately want to know the right thing to say to reach 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:02.860 non-vegans—and you want it to be clear, simple, and universally-applicable: a set 00:02:02.860 --> 00:02:05.140 template for effective activism. 00:02:05.140 --> 00:02:10.200 I'll let you know upfront that I don't have that to offer—I spent decades trying to 00:02:10.200 --> 00:02:16.150 figure out how to talk about veganism, awkwardly fumbling about, and never finding the "holy 00:02:16.150 --> 00:02:18.470 grail" for effective activism. 00:02:18.470 --> 00:02:23.890 What I have found, through much trial and (mostly) error, is the value of not having 00:02:23.890 --> 00:02:27.940 a set approach—of remaining perpetually uncertain. 00:02:27.940 --> 00:02:32.510 In this respect, those of you who are brand new to activism actually have an advantage 00:02:32.510 --> 00:02:37.730 over experienced activists—you're not yet set in your ways, maybe not yet comfortable 00:02:37.730 --> 00:02:39.590 with what to say. 00:02:39.590 --> 00:02:44.380 If you are an experienced activist, by now perhaps it's not so much figuring out what 00:02:44.380 --> 00:02:48.660 to say, but rather how to find the energy to keep saying it. 00:02:48.660 --> 00:02:52.770 Perhaps you've reached a point of exasperation and exhaustion from pouring everything you 00:02:52.770 --> 00:02:56.300 have into reaching people only to feel like you're hitting a wall. 00:02:56.300 --> 00:03:00.940 Regardless of where you're at in your activism, I hope to help you more effectively communicate 00:03:00.940 --> 00:03:02.930 your message. 00:03:02.930 --> 00:03:07.810 Before we even consider our approach, we need to understand—as best we can—the nature 00:03:07.810 --> 00:03:10.090 of what we’re dealing with. 00:03:10.090 --> 00:03:15.460 There's nothing quite like our species' seemingly hard-wired resistance to anything having to 00:03:15.460 --> 00:03:21.950 do with veganism—it defies all logic and common sense, is present in every country, 00:03:21.950 --> 00:03:24.590 class, race, culture—even century. 00:03:24.590 --> 00:03:28.709 When we proceed under the assumption that it’s just a matter of people getting the 00:03:28.709 --> 00:03:34.280 facts, we set ourselves up for a great deal of running in place; when we ascribe people’s 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:40.269 resistance or outright denial to their lack of intelligence or simple stubbornness, we 00:03:40.269 --> 00:03:43.510 can all-too-easily dismiss them entirely. 00:03:43.510 --> 00:03:49.180 But one need only observe how many well-educated, intelligent individuals make it into adulthood 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:55.209 believing that cows spontaneously make milk—defying all mammalian physiology—to know this is 00:03:55.209 --> 00:03:58.299 not a matter of intelligence. 00:03:58.299 --> 00:04:02.360 Understanding this allows us to shift our perspective—what we may have seen as the 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:08.410 reasons our message was rejected now become guideposts to better inform our approach. 00:04:08.410 --> 00:04:13.440 And rather than focusing so intensely on WHAT to say, we can turn our attention to HOW we’re 00:04:13.440 --> 00:04:17.539 saying it—because it’s the HOW that can make all the difference. 00:04:17.539 --> 00:04:22.049 To best illustrate the points I'll be addressing, I need to first offer some background regarding 00:04:22.049 --> 00:04:24.539 my own process and journey. 00:04:24.539 --> 00:04:27.979 As I've already said, I spent the majority of my life desperately struggling to find 00:04:27.979 --> 00:04:29.910 the words to talk about veganism. 00:04:29.910 --> 00:04:34.349 In recent years, as Bite Size Vegan grew and I began to receive tangible evidence of my 00:04:34.349 --> 00:04:39.550 work's impact, with incredible testimonials of change from around the world, I found that 00:04:39.550 --> 00:04:43.770 my confidence remained just as—if not more—shaky. 00:04:43.770 --> 00:04:48.199 No matter how many videos I make, speeches I give, or people I speak with—each and 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:52.909 every one is like starting all over again from the ground up, always with the renewed 00:04:52.909 --> 00:04:56.360 panic of having no idea what to say. 00:04:56.360 --> 00:05:01.800 The majority of my life, I've seen this lack of confidence as some inherent personal fault, 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:07.050 and my admittedly neurotic level of consideration before speaking or acting to be perfectionism 00:05:07.050 --> 00:05:08.599 run wild. 00:05:08.599 --> 00:05:13.479 Even as a one-year-old, despite my mother’s persistent encouragement to “use my words,” 00:05:13.479 --> 00:05:17.419 I insisted on pointing and grunting at things that I wanted. 00:05:17.419 --> 00:05:21.949 It's not that I didn't know the words—I was afraid to say anything at all until I 00:05:21.949 --> 00:05:25.779 could execute a full sentence, and do so correctly. 00:05:25.779 --> 00:05:30.729 It’s only now, decades later, that I’ve come to understand that my hesitation and 00:05:30.729 --> 00:05:35.789 careful forethought prior to speaking, and panicked need to further study the appropriate 00:05:35.789 --> 00:05:41.409 parameters and protocols of human interactions, were not the presumed neurotic perfectionism 00:05:41.409 --> 00:05:46.270 and lack of confidence I’d spent the greater part of my life trying to overcome, but rather 00:05:46.270 --> 00:05:51.749 necessary survival mechanisms common in Autistic children—especially girls. 00:05:51.749 --> 00:05:55.050 We become, essentially, child anthropologists. 00:05:55.050 --> 00:05:59.340 Many Autistics—myself included—describe feeling like they were born on the wrong planet 00:05:59.340 --> 00:06:00.340 entirely. 00:06:00.340 --> 00:06:06.369 Nothing makes you appreciate the gravity and sheer power of language quite like being unable 00:06:06.369 --> 00:06:10.800 to effectively navigate the dominant method of communication. 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:15.619 Just ask any traveler who's having to simultaneously navigate a foreign language while also carefully 00:06:15.619 --> 00:06:19.439 considering cultural nuances in body language, gesture, and tone. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:24.249 It's a lot to deal with all at once, and takes ample intellectual processing of countless 00:06:24.249 --> 00:06:29.429 factors that natives aren't even conscious of—just think of the last time you had to 00:06:29.429 --> 00:06:32.919 run through a verb's conjugation in your head before speaking. 00:06:32.919 --> 00:06:38.399 Similarly, Autistics have to process intellectually the countless co-occurring non-verbal cues 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:42.960 of communication that the vast majority of our species does in milliseconds on a subconscious 00:06:42.960 --> 00:06:43.960 level. 00:06:43.960 --> 00:06:48.369 Essentially, my process for communicating with non-vegans effectively in my educational 00:06:48.369 --> 00:06:53.879 activism involves the same careful analysis, painfully arduous choice of precise language, 00:06:53.879 --> 00:06:58.169 and discernment of the approach best suited for a specific audience and set of circumstances, 00:06:58.169 --> 00:07:01.520 that I’ve had to navigate from my very first words. 00:07:01.520 --> 00:07:08.089 In many ways, new vegans are thrust into aspects of the Autistic experience—at least as I 00:07:08.089 --> 00:07:09.089 know it. 00:07:09.089 --> 00:07:13.389 With their blinders now off, they're suddenly inundated with sensory overload, acutely and 00:07:13.389 --> 00:07:17.490 painfully aware of the extreme exploitation and cruelty all around them. 00:07:17.490 --> 00:07:21.379 They are no longer able to look at a glass of milk without hearing the anguished cries 00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:24.710 of a mother whose baby has been torn from her side. 00:07:24.710 --> 00:07:27.949 And they find they're unable to explain themselves to those around them. 00:07:27.949 --> 00:07:33.210 It’s almost like the second that we step onto “the vegan side,” the non-vegan mentality 00:07:33.210 --> 00:07:37.240 that we’ve had our entire lives is suddenly incomprehensible. 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:43.089 I cannot count how many times I've received emails and messages from even hard-core meat-eaters 00:07:43.089 --> 00:07:46.849 who made the connection—but their spouse had not. 00:07:46.849 --> 00:07:51.969 So they reach out to me—essentially a complete stranger—for advice: How do they talk to 00:07:51.969 --> 00:07:54.360 this person whom they’ve known for years? 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:59.270 How do they cope when their loved one refuses to see the truth?; when they continue to eat 00:07:59.270 --> 00:08:03.770 what is now so clearly the murdered body of an innocent being? 00:08:03.770 --> 00:08:07.860 How do they deal with the heartbreak of loving someone they no longer understand? 00:08:07.860 --> 00:08:13.809 They've somehow lost the ability to navigate the non-vegan lexicon, left uncertain of what 00:08:13.809 --> 00:08:15.520 to say. 00:08:15.520 --> 00:08:19.520 This parallel to my life-long struggle to communicate has actually put me in a unique 00:08:19.520 --> 00:08:25.069 position of helping vegans learn to “use their words” all over again, because now 00:08:25.069 --> 00:08:29.839 they have to think about language and approach communication like an Autistic. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:34.229 Before getting into some concrete examples and case studies, I'm going to briefly outline 00:08:34.229 --> 00:08:37.839 the basics of this in regards to vegan activism. 00:08:37.839 --> 00:08:43.409 Every time I'm researching and writing, I consider my audience, my message and my purpose; 00:08:43.409 --> 00:08:47.470 that is, I try to keep in mind whom I’m trying to reach, what message I’m trying 00:08:47.470 --> 00:08:50.940 to reach them with, and what it is that I’m trying to accomplish. 00:08:50.940 --> 00:08:56.690 Of course, it's impossible for any of us to know every aspect of our audience or the situation, 00:08:56.690 --> 00:09:00.430 but these kinds of considerations can help us craft our message to be as effective as 00:09:00.430 --> 00:09:02.350 possible for our intended audience. 00:09:02.350 --> 00:09:06.509 I want to emphasize that this is not about pandering nor equivocating—compromising 00:09:06.509 --> 00:09:13.060 the truth in order to make veganism seem more palatable is one of the most dangerous pitfalls 00:09:13.060 --> 00:09:14.600 we'll be exploring. 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:19.470 In navigating language within animal rights activism, education and advocacy, there are 00:09:19.470 --> 00:09:24.920 countless potential pitfalls, distractions, diversions, and counterproductive "traps." 00:09:24.920 --> 00:09:30.020 Perhaps in our efforts to make veganism “approachable,” we compromise our convictions and soften our 00:09:30.020 --> 00:09:31.190 ethics. 00:09:31.190 --> 00:09:35.440 Perhaps in order to “wake people up,” we become aggressive and polarizing—we wonder 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:39.839 how they’re not “getting it” when to us it is so painfully clear. 00:09:39.839 --> 00:09:45.110 Somehow, despite all our efforts, our message gets “lost in translation,” and the gap 00:09:45.110 --> 00:09:47.740 in communication widens. 00:09:47.740 --> 00:09:52.000 I've heard countless debates between vegan activists regarding whether to take a softer 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:58.180 or firmer approach; this false dichotomy is itself a diversion within which we can easily 00:09:58.180 --> 00:09:59.970 become lost. 00:09:59.970 --> 00:10:05.259 The real challenge is walking the line of staying firm in our convictions and uncompromising 00:10:05.259 --> 00:10:10.420 in our message while still helping people lower their guard enough to listen, hear, 00:10:10.420 --> 00:10:12.250 and make the connection. 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:16.720 As we delve into a few concrete examples, a common theme of intensive research will 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:17.930 emerge. 00:10:17.930 --> 00:10:23.040 Of course in-depth investigation can be tedious and definitely time-consuming—trust me, 00:10:23.040 --> 00:10:29.050 I often wish I could toggle off my own uncertainty—my inability too take anything at face value, 00:10:29.050 --> 00:10:31.290 or to assume that I already know. 00:10:31.290 --> 00:10:36.600 But there is a distinct advantage to the time-suck of investigating for yourself. 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:40.910 The learning process when doing your own research is significantly different than when regurgitating 00:10:40.910 --> 00:10:46.860 or repurposing things others have said—you not only have the facts, but also the investigative 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:50.959 path or information trail you followed to get tom them. 00:10:50.959 --> 00:10:54.949 Rather than simply listing off statistics, or telling someone that their life-long beliefs 00:10:54.949 --> 00:11:01.209 are lies, you're able to meet people at a starting place of familiarity and common ground, 00:11:01.209 --> 00:11:05.459 progressively following the trail of information as you discovered it, presenting the facts 00:11:05.459 --> 00:11:09.379 along the way such that they may digest them step-by-step. 00:11:09.379 --> 00:11:14.459 This is an incredibly useful approach for any kind of education—it manages to be both 00:11:14.459 --> 00:11:18.339 non-confrontational and non-compromising. 00:11:18.339 --> 00:11:22.680 You're sharing what you've learned and how you've learned it rather than dictating what's 00:11:22.680 --> 00:11:23.810 true. 00:11:23.810 --> 00:11:28.399 By not provoking defensiveness, people can lower their guards and absorb and process 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:29.839 the information they are receiving. 00:11:29.839 --> 00:11:35.000 No watering down or couching in euphemistic niceties, no offers of partial change as more 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:37.579 "palatable" options than going vegan. 00:11:37.579 --> 00:11:40.610 Real truth with real reception. 00:11:40.610 --> 00:11:45.500 Now let's go over some examples of problematic language and self-defeating approaches. 00:11:45.500 --> 00:11:50.629 I personally find that the most dangerously appealing pitfalls are those that appear to 00:11:50.629 --> 00:11:52.850 be effective communication tactics. 00:11:52.850 --> 00:11:57.560 A major approach within the vegan movement is focusing on the social normalization of 00:11:57.560 --> 00:12:03.079 veganism—making a vegan lifestyle accessible, affordable, easy—even mainstream. 00:12:03.079 --> 00:12:07.200 This is a very logical tactic, especially when considering that one of the strongest 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:12.480 deterrents to going vegan is social ostracism and rejection from family and friends. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:17.740 The accessibility of veganism is something about which I am intensely passionate—it's 00:12:17.740 --> 00:12:20.139 one of the foundational aspects of Bite Size Vegan. 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:24.620 However, in attempting to “bridge the gap” and meet the general public where they’re 00:12:24.620 --> 00:12:29.779 at, there exists the risk of reducing the ethical imperative of veganism to a socially 00:12:29.779 --> 00:12:36.029 acceptable lifestyle choice—even offering gradations of change that amount to acceptable 00:12:36.029 --> 00:12:38.480 and endorsed levels of cruelty. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:43.089 This is why it's so vital that we be mindful of our language choices as activist, lest 00:12:43.089 --> 00:12:47.550 we end up advocating the very things we are fighting against. 00:12:47.550 --> 00:12:50.560 Nothing embodies this more than the “humane” movement. 00:12:50.560 --> 00:12:55.959 Humane language and concepts have easily gained a stronghold by appealing to all sides—for 00:12:55.959 --> 00:13:01.160 the vegan afraid of coming across as militant or extreme, they provide a less intimidating 00:13:01.160 --> 00:13:06.749 suggestion to offer: “Meat-Free Mondays," “Local Free-Range Eggs”; for activists 00:13:06.749 --> 00:13:10.990 fighting for animal liberation, they give the possibility of better conditions, progress 00:13:10.990 --> 00:13:16.540 towards the ultimate goal; and certainly for the non-vegan, who now has a way to keep doing 00:13:16.540 --> 00:13:19.819 what they want to do, but feel good about it. 00:13:19.819 --> 00:13:25.519 Any impetus for going vegan vanishes—why risk social isolation and brave the discomfort 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:30.300 of change when you can keep eating animals not only without nagging concerns, but actually 00:13:30.300 --> 00:13:33.769 with assurance that you're improving their treatment, helping the environment, and bettering 00:13:33.769 --> 00:13:34.920 your health. 00:13:34.920 --> 00:13:40.430 The REAL problem is the big factory farms—thank goodness you now eat responsibly. 00:13:40.430 --> 00:13:45.240 Now you may think this is a rather pessimistic interpretation of what could be a stepping 00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:50.839 stone towards real change—affording at the very least a modicum of improvement in conditions. 00:13:50.839 --> 00:13:56.680 I understand the allure of this line of thinking—we activists are not immune to the seductive 00:13:56.680 --> 00:13:59.279 appeal of humane rhetoric. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:04.070 But it's vital that we not take anything on face value—our responsibility lies with 00:14:04.070 --> 00:14:09.150 those enslaved, not the comfort of their captors or ourselves. 00:14:09.150 --> 00:14:13.029 Just as we encourage others to confront the truth and question what they know, we must 00:14:13.029 --> 00:14:14.029 do the same. 00:14:14.029 --> 00:14:18.999 Though we may feel that our eyes are already open, we must actively strive for uncertainty. 00:14:18.999 --> 00:14:23.629 It's my own uncertainty that drove me deep into humane legislation when researching for 00:14:23.629 --> 00:14:26.529 a speech I delivered in Dublin, Ireland. 00:14:26.529 --> 00:14:32.370 Ireland is a powerful case study—it's essentially the humane concept embodied in country form. 00:14:32.370 --> 00:14:36.399 Cows graze outside in picturesque fields, lending support to the common refrain that 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:37.829 "it's not like that here." 00:14:37.829 --> 00:14:41.370 And by all appearances and accounts, it's not. 00:14:41.370 --> 00:14:45.959 Even after some digging, I only found a single undercover video of abuse. 00:14:45.959 --> 00:14:51.190 Ireland is a part of the European Union, which, in the Treaty of Lisbon signed in 2007, historically 00:14:51.190 --> 00:14:57.199 declared non-human animals legally sentient—deserving freedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, 00:14:57.199 --> 00:15:00.470 injury, disease, fear, distress and mental suffering. 00:15:00.470 --> 00:15:05.309 Having recognized their capacity to feel the same emotions and sensations as we do, the 00:15:05.309 --> 00:15:10.509 EU proceeded to draft legislation specifying the exact manner in which we may legally violate, 00:15:10.509 --> 00:15:13.589 imprison, cut, burn, alter, and murder them. 00:15:13.589 --> 00:15:18.110 The resulting Council Regulation, entitled "on the protection of animals at the time 00:15:18.110 --> 00:15:24.199 of killing" was and is viewed—even by animal activists—as a major step forward, a victory 00:15:24.199 --> 00:15:25.519 for animals. 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:29.509 For those of us living in countries without such regulations, it's natural to think that 00:15:29.509 --> 00:15:34.050 the systematic abuse of farmed animals results—at least in large part—from the total lack 00:15:34.050 --> 00:15:35.249 of oversight. 00:15:35.249 --> 00:15:38.749 For example, in the United States, there are no federal laws governing the treatment of 00:15:38.749 --> 00:15:39.809 farmed animals. 00:15:39.809 --> 00:15:44.449 I've seen activists and organizations list the mutilations and atrocities routinely committed 00:15:44.449 --> 00:15:49.050 within the food industry in the US, stressing the need for regulations—often pointing 00:15:49.050 --> 00:15:51.699 to the EU as a prime example. 00:15:51.699 --> 00:15:56.149 But if you actually read through the EU's groundbreaking, landmark legislation and its 00:15:56.149 --> 00:16:01.569 supplemental documents, you will find that very same list of mutilations and atrocities 00:16:01.569 --> 00:16:04.879 not decried, but codified. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.490 So instead of baby chicks being ground up alive because there are no regulations to 00:16:08.490 --> 00:16:12.740 stop it, they're ground up alive because regulations declare it to be the preferred method for 00:16:12.740 --> 00:16:13.740 male chick disposal. 00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:18.410 There are even detailed specifications for blade speed and sharpness to avoid "gumming 00:16:18.410 --> 00:16:19.509 up" the works. 00:16:19.509 --> 00:16:23.829 After digging for a few months, I finally found the documents explaining the decision 00:16:23.829 --> 00:16:27.440 process; (and I'm going to be quoting here from the legislation documents) they found 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:33.670 that while gassing the estimated "335 million day old male chicks" killed in the EU annually 00:16:33.670 --> 00:16:41.069 "would amount [to a]...cost [of] 1,665,000 Euros," the costs of using "rotating or whirling 00:16:41.069 --> 00:16:46.759 knives which are mincing the chicks in a split second...can be considered not to be substantial." 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:51.670 Meaning the decision had nothing to do with what was most humane: it was simply a matter 00:16:51.670 --> 00:16:53.730 of what was the cheapest. 00:16:53.730 --> 00:16:57.220 This is echoed throughout the document—each and every method of murder broken down to 00:16:57.220 --> 00:16:58.920 a financial transaction. 00:16:58.920 --> 00:17:04.659 Unsurprisingly, the impact assessment panel assembled by the EU for this legislative "victory 00:17:04.659 --> 00:17:10.529 of animal rights" included meat, dairy and egg industry representatives and Butina, the 00:17:10.529 --> 00:17:14.990 global manufacturer of the gas chambers determined to be the preferred method for slaughtering 00:17:14.990 --> 00:17:15.990 pigs. 00:17:15.990 --> 00:17:20.579 It’s the absurdity of murderers deciding how they get to murder. 00:17:20.579 --> 00:17:25.970 This is what we're point to as evidence of progress—as an example to strive for. 00:17:25.970 --> 00:17:30.150 We must be mindful of what we're advocating. 00:17:30.150 --> 00:17:34.810 It was actually the actions of Australian activists that spurred me to dig so fervently 00:17:34.810 --> 00:17:36.330 for these documents. 00:17:36.330 --> 00:17:40.740 The EU legislation recommended phasing out the use of the carbon dioxide chambers for 00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:45.720 pigs, but said “the impact assessment revealed such recommendations were not economically 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:47.549 viable at present.” 00:17:47.549 --> 00:17:50.399 I'd yet been able to locate this assessment. 00:17:50.399 --> 00:17:54.770 I later had the pleasure of interviewing activists from Animal Liberation Victoria and Animal 00:17:54.770 --> 00:17:59.430 Liberation New South Wales about their undercover work filming inside the gas chambers, and 00:17:59.430 --> 00:18:03.320 subsequent action shutting down operations in one slaughterhouse by chaining themselves 00:18:03.320 --> 00:18:04.370 in the chambers. 00:18:04.370 --> 00:18:10.460 The footage they obtained shook me to my core, and I continue to utilize it in the video 00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:11.720 portion of every speech I give. 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:16.720 I became determined to find the documents explaining why the EU still recommended the 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:21.580 chambers, finally finding the assessment which revealed that Butina—the chamber manufacturers—was 00:18:21.580 --> 00:18:23.340 on the panel. 00:18:23.340 --> 00:18:28.179 As you may well know, since 2005 Australia has been in the process of shifting from "Model 00:18:28.179 --> 00:18:32.809 Codes of Practice"—essentially non-binding suggestions with state-by-state interpretation, 00:18:32.809 --> 00:18:36.870 as far as I understand—towards "nationally consistent standards and guidelines." 00:18:36.870 --> 00:18:41.690 From what I gather, it's proving to be a rather prolonged, extensive, and tedious process—in 00:18:41.690 --> 00:18:45.850 the past 13 years, they've covered cattle and sheep. 00:18:45.850 --> 00:18:50.870 When it comes to finding solid documentation, you're at an advantage in Australia as there 00:18:50.870 --> 00:18:55.649 are ample resources already made available by activists and organizations. 00:18:55.649 --> 00:18:59.890 The information is out there—and more readily so than many countries. 00:18:59.890 --> 00:19:03.580 Use these as a starting point for your own research. 00:19:03.580 --> 00:19:07.580 I encourage you to dive into the small print of your state's regulations, the proposed 00:19:07.580 --> 00:19:12.420 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines, and any reports and documents from the industries 00:19:12.420 --> 00:19:13.809 themselves. 00:19:13.809 --> 00:19:18.720 These are incredibly effective advocacy tools because they describe the "ideal" and have 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:22.649 the most vested interest in portraying practices in the best light. 00:19:22.649 --> 00:19:27.149 This is an approach I took with my Ireland speech—presenting the information put forth 00:19:27.149 --> 00:19:32.080 by their own agricultural industries, government, and the EU. 00:19:32.080 --> 00:19:38.370 This not only helped defuse the potential defensive charge of some random American YouTuber 00:19:38.370 --> 00:19:42.340 coming over to tell them what their country was like, but also allowed me to show that 00:19:42.340 --> 00:19:48.520 even the ideal—which is of course never met—was absolutely horrifying. 00:19:48.520 --> 00:19:53.500 A ways into the talk's introductory portion, I informed my audience that: 00:19:53.500 --> 00:19:57.980 "The facts I’ll present today are not of my own creation—I’ve sourced them from 00:19:57.980 --> 00:20:02.690 primarily Irish governmental and industry documents, the European Union, and many, many 00:20:02.690 --> 00:20:03.690 others." 00:20:03.690 --> 00:20:08.370 And stated that they didn't even have to believe me, as I'd be providing a link to a full transcript 00:20:08.370 --> 00:20:12.520 of the talk with citations for every fact, a bibliography and additional resources. 00:20:12.520 --> 00:20:18.690 I include a link to such a resource page in every talk I give—with today being no exception. 00:20:18.690 --> 00:20:23.010 This not only provides opportunity for further learning, but also removes the significant 00:20:23.010 --> 00:20:28.440 potential barrier of requiring someone to trust in me personally on issues about which 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:29.740 they're already guarded. 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:35.380 Now that we've looked briefly at laying introductory groundwork to help an audience lower their 00:20:35.380 --> 00:20:40.980 guards, I'll share an example of presenting the stark contrast between the "humane hype" 00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:46.090 surrounding legislation, and the reality of its effect on the individuals themselves. 00:20:46.090 --> 00:20:48.340 I'm now quoting from my Ireland speech: 00:20:48.340 --> 00:20:52.740 "The vast majority of the world’s more than 7 billion layer hens spend their abbreviated 00:20:52.740 --> 00:20:56.900 lives in cramped battery cages, unable to even extend their wings. 00:20:56.900 --> 00:21:00.630 Now you may have heard the big fuss about the European Union’s groundbreaking directive 00:21:00.630 --> 00:21:05.570 set in 1999 banning “barren battery cages” by 2012. 00:21:05.570 --> 00:21:09.000 From the media coverage, you’d think EU layer hens are living in luxury. 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:14.010 But as we’re seeing with humane regulations, the devil is truly in the details. 00:21:14.010 --> 00:21:18.750 In reality, the directive merely replaced barren battery cages with “enriched"—meaning 00:21:18.750 --> 00:21:20.990 furnished—battery cages. 00:21:20.990 --> 00:21:27.350 Reports extolled how hens would now be afforded 750cm^2 each, neglecting the legislation’s 00:21:27.350 --> 00:21:31.559 clarification that only 600 of these would be usable—meaning that, in the end, this 00:21:31.559 --> 00:21:35.200 most “revolutionary” advancement for the rights of layer hens granted them each an 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:39.179 additional 50cm^2. 00:21:39.179 --> 00:21:43.590 Understanding the true impotence of this legislation makes its pathetic implementation all the 00:21:43.590 --> 00:21:44.610 more baffling. 00:21:44.610 --> 00:21:50.240 In 2012, nine countries told the European Commission that their farmers would not meet 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:54.880 the deadline for conversion, with four additional countries saying it was unlikely they’d 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:56.190 be ready. 00:21:56.190 --> 00:22:02.360 These thirteen countries had over 12 years to grant the laying hens they enslave a meager 00:22:02.360 --> 00:22:03.480 50cm^2. 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:08.590 And all the while the media celebrates the victory for animal welfare, the public eats 00:22:08.590 --> 00:22:14.870 more and more eggs, reassured by their higher standards; and the individuals this entire 00:22:14.870 --> 00:22:18.990 charade is supposed to be for remain just as exploited." 00:22:18.990 --> 00:22:24.210 Within this passage, I covered a great deal of information in just a handful of sentences—it's 00:22:24.210 --> 00:22:28.440 not uncommon for hours, days or even months of research to amount to a sentence or two 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:29.700 in the final script. 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:33.880 I'll take a moment to unpack some of the choices I made in this section of the talk in regards 00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:37.870 to the three basic considerations of audience, message, and purpose. 00:22:37.870 --> 00:22:43.590 As I mentioned earlier, I'd already laid extensive groundwork by this point, progressing slowly 00:22:43.590 --> 00:22:48.530 and deliberately towards addressing specific industries—given my audience and the cultural 00:22:48.530 --> 00:22:53.169 considerations of Ireland—in addition to my status as an outsider—I knew it was important 00:22:53.169 --> 00:22:55.940 to have a lengthier and more cautious "disarming" upfront. 00:22:55.940 --> 00:23:01.570 I also mirrored this pattern within each new topic area—so as I broached the topics of 00:23:01.570 --> 00:23:05.899 eggs, I opened with the least emotionally-charged area of Irish production statistics before 00:23:05.899 --> 00:23:11.520 shifting to the manipulative and debilitating breeding practices for maximum egg output, 00:23:11.520 --> 00:23:15.830 finally coming to the question of living conditions—namely, battery cages. 00:23:15.830 --> 00:23:19.480 While battery cages remain standard in the United States, I was aware through previous 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:23.549 research that they had been banned in the EU, and I'd come across the media coverage 00:23:23.549 --> 00:23:25.760 that my audience would have seen in the news. 00:23:25.760 --> 00:23:29.840 The message I wanted to convey was that eggs are never ethical. 00:23:29.840 --> 00:23:35.220 My purpose—meaning what I wanted to accomplish—was to preemptively quash any lingering doubts 00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:39.929 or the ability to dismiss the facts I presented in their entirety because "it's not like that 00:23:39.929 --> 00:23:40.929 here." 00:23:40.929 --> 00:23:45.830 So, that's the basic framework, however it doesn't really capture one of the most significant 00:23:45.830 --> 00:23:49.840 factors affecting how our message is delivered and received: tone. 00:23:49.840 --> 00:23:55.779 You may have noticed that my tone in this passage was rather firm, even disgusted. 00:23:55.779 --> 00:24:01.270 But it's important to note that my disgust was not directed at my audience—quite the 00:24:01.270 --> 00:24:02.429 opposite. 00:24:02.429 --> 00:24:07.290 In presenting evidence of how they'd been lied to and manipulated, I followed through 00:24:07.290 --> 00:24:11.190 on my opening statements that they deserved to know the truth, and that I was here to 00:24:11.190 --> 00:24:13.850 present evidence for their consideration. 00:24:13.850 --> 00:24:19.299 So rather than feeling judged or attacked and becoming upset with me, I gave them space 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:22.549 to become upset about the lies they've been told. 00:24:22.549 --> 00:24:27.600 It's human nature to raise our guards when we're on the defensive—we close off and 00:24:27.600 --> 00:24:28.600 shut down. 00:24:28.600 --> 00:24:33.230 It would seem logical as activists to avoid upsetting our audience in order to keep their 00:24:33.230 --> 00:24:39.460 receptivity open—however, this is a perfect illustrative example of walking the line. 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:45.010 It's not about making sure not to upset anyone—if they're grasping the truth, they should be 00:24:45.010 --> 00:24:46.490 upset! 00:24:46.490 --> 00:24:51.330 It's making sure that the push-back to the truths we reveal are aimed at their rightful 00:24:51.330 --> 00:24:55.309 sources, leading to constructive, well-deserved outrage. 00:24:55.309 --> 00:25:00.970 I've long believed that one of the main reasons people don't go vegan is the immense pain 00:25:00.970 --> 00:25:05.230 and guilt of accepting our part in horrific atrocities. 00:25:05.230 --> 00:25:09.930 Confronting the true impact of our choices is incredibly daunting, so instead we shut 00:25:09.930 --> 00:25:15.010 down, attack, or "bust forth" any number of the standard—and, at times, bizarre—objections 00:25:15.010 --> 00:25:21.169 you've no doubt heard countless times: lions, desert islands, protein, and so forth. 00:25:21.169 --> 00:25:26.160 So, the manner in which I presented the information to my Irish audience additionally was intended 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:31.529 to supply a "buffer" of sorts to this guilt through again providing a target for their 00:25:31.529 --> 00:25:36.900 outrage other than themselves, sidestepping shut-down and channeling their outrage to 00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:37.900 action. 00:25:37.900 --> 00:25:42.919 I do want to note that this does not absolve guilt nor attempt to excuse participation 00:25:42.919 --> 00:25:47.269 in exploitation—again, it's finding that line of uncompromising ethics while keeping 00:25:47.269 --> 00:25:48.830 guards down. 00:25:48.830 --> 00:25:51.480 Never do I say it's okay to eat animals. 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:55.220 Never do I encourage a reduction of meat, dairy or eggs. 00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:59.600 I hope that reviewing this example has helped illustrate the false dichotomy of our activism 00:25:59.600 --> 00:26:04.050 needing to be either non-threatening to the extent of essentially endorsing acceptable 00:26:04.050 --> 00:26:09.139 gradations of cruelty, or aggressively confrontational to the point of polarizing and alienating 00:26:09.139 --> 00:26:12.389 the very people whom we're trying to reach. 00:26:12.389 --> 00:26:16.480 While I've focused thus far on the perils of pandering in well-meaning attempts to be 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:20.159 approachable, this doesn't mean the answer is to swing to the other extreme. 00:26:20.159 --> 00:26:24.690 A baffling way in which my brain functions somehow allows me to see the "grey" where 00:26:24.690 --> 00:26:26.730 most people perceive only black and white. 00:26:26.730 --> 00:26:31.750 This is another way in which Autism presents a gift through its profound challenges; while 00:26:31.750 --> 00:26:36.580 non-autistics tend to be what's called "global thinkers," Autistics tend to have difficulty 00:26:36.580 --> 00:26:41.559 seeing the "big picture"—it's termed “weak central coherence” in psychology. 00:26:41.559 --> 00:26:45.529 While this leads to many challenges, as our brains are inundated with information we're 00:26:45.529 --> 00:26:50.740 unable to filter and prioritize, leading to sensory overload, this hyper-focus into extreme 00:26:50.740 --> 00:26:54.940 levels of detail also allows us to see and make connections others may not. 00:26:54.940 --> 00:26:59.110 Finally—for myself at least—because I see details and minutia rather than global 00:26:59.110 --> 00:27:05.179 summaries or generalizations, I've never expected any one person to be definable as one thing 00:27:05.179 --> 00:27:11.570 or another, and find that rarely is there a pure dichotomy—an only "either A or B"—to 00:27:11.570 --> 00:27:12.570 anything. 00:27:12.570 --> 00:27:16.480 As with the previous examples of how the "softer" approach of hedging can end up conveying the 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:21.180 opposite of the message we intend, I'll offer an example of when a more confrontational 00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:25.659 "in your face" approach can equally defeat our intended goal. 00:27:25.659 --> 00:27:30.420 When I decided to finally make a video about halal and kosher slaughter—which was rather 00:27:30.420 --> 00:27:34.990 daunting, to be honest—I found that the topic seemed to be primarily addressed through 00:27:34.990 --> 00:27:39.190 the use horrifying undercover footage taken in halal and kosher slaughterhouses. 00:27:39.190 --> 00:27:44.909 In the end, I chose not to include any graphic footage in my video—but not for the reasons 00:27:44.909 --> 00:27:46.049 you may think. 00:27:46.049 --> 00:27:50.460 It wasn't in an effort to not upset my audience, nor a judgement against the use of graphic 00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:54.890 footage—I am, in fact, very passionate about the importance of using undercover footage 00:27:54.890 --> 00:27:56.399 in activism. 00:27:56.399 --> 00:28:01.000 My primary reason for not using any footage resulted from the same kind of investigative 00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:06.850 research I undertook regarding humane legislation: again, starting from ground zero, taking nothing 00:28:06.850 --> 00:28:08.210 at face value. 00:28:08.210 --> 00:28:11.139 Essentially, remaining completely and totally uncertain. 00:28:11.139 --> 00:28:15.560 I'll admit that out the outset, my impression of halal and kosher slaughter was based only 00:28:15.560 --> 00:28:18.639 on my surface encounters with the undercover footage. 00:28:18.639 --> 00:28:22.720 Like everyone else, I often have preconceived notions and existing judgements—the trick 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:27.409 is recognizing them for what they are, lest they hinder my ability to remain open—an 00:28:27.409 --> 00:28:30.300 exercise in willful uncertainty. 00:28:30.300 --> 00:28:34.220 Proceeding under the assumption that I didn't really know a thing about halal and kosher 00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:37.980 slaughter, I dove into the teachings and philosophies behind the practices, searching for sources 00:28:37.980 --> 00:28:43.919 written by and for Jewish and Muslim individuals—religious texts, clergy documents, lay commentaries. 00:28:43.919 --> 00:28:49.389 As many humane regulations contain specific exceptions for ritual slaughter, with varying 00:28:49.389 --> 00:28:54.340 degrees of oversight, there are numerous scientific studies, reports and investigations into its 00:28:54.340 --> 00:28:55.340 "humane-ness." 00:28:55.340 --> 00:28:59.380 I reviewed what studies I could find, as well as various governmental legislations. 00:28:59.380 --> 00:29:03.460 Through my research, I found that the horrific abuses captured in those videos were actually 00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:07.850 gross violations—not examples—of halal and kosher principles. 00:29:07.850 --> 00:29:12.780 So, using the footage to illustrate the brutality of halal and kosher slaughter would not only 00:29:12.780 --> 00:29:15.800 be inaccurate, but actually defeat my own purpose. 00:29:15.800 --> 00:29:20.519 Looking at this again through the three considerations of audience, message, and purpose: My primary 00:29:20.519 --> 00:29:25.520 intended audience was individuals who follow halal and kosher practices; my message was 00:29:25.520 --> 00:29:31.639 that killing is never humane, kind, or holy; and my purpose was to prompt a reconsideration 00:29:31.639 --> 00:29:36.040 of these practices—ideally resulting in the decision to go vegan—by taking a hard 00:29:36.040 --> 00:29:41.690 look at ritual slaughter in order to evaluate whether they are genuinely humane, merciful 00:29:41.690 --> 00:29:43.139 practices. 00:29:43.139 --> 00:29:46.850 Given the sensitive nature of religious and cultural considerations, I knew it was all 00:29:46.850 --> 00:29:51.700 the more vital that I be diligent in my research and respectful in my approach—especially 00:29:51.700 --> 00:29:53.350 given that I am neither Jewish nor Muslim. 00:29:53.350 --> 00:29:57.789 If I wanted to reach people who partake in ritual slaughter and I show them brutal footage 00:29:57.789 --> 00:30:03.240 that is actually in violation of their principles, what have I accomplished, other than demonstrating 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:08.029 my unwillingness to—at the very least—gain an accurate understanding of these practices? 00:30:08.029 --> 00:30:11.900 With the lack of actual discussion between activists and practitioners, I found it all 00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:15.720 the more important to draw attention to the fact that—as is often the case—the seemingly 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:20.630 polar-opposite sides of this debate actually aligned more than they differed Now I'm quoting 00:30:20.630 --> 00:30:22.710 from the video I made: 00:30:22.710 --> 00:30:27.250 "In fact, the values espoused by animal advocates opposed to ritual slaughter are—according 00:30:27.250 --> 00:30:31.350 to Jewish and Islamic leaders—the very basis of halal and kosher practices. 00:30:31.350 --> 00:30:35.279 But this potential common ground is rarely explored as almost every public debate over 00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:39.389 ritual slaughter arises from...footage exposing the horrifically brutal treatment of animals 00:30:39.389 --> 00:30:41.120 in halal and kosher slaughterhouses." 00:30:41.120 --> 00:30:45.620 The truth is, most Jewish and Muslim individuals are equally—if not more—outraged by the 00:30:45.620 --> 00:30:47.100 violations in these videos. 00:30:47.100 --> 00:30:51.800 But the ultimate result of their exposure is almost always a call for better regulations 00:30:51.800 --> 00:30:56.580 and stricter enforcement of halal and kosher standards, leaving unanswered the question 00:30:56.580 --> 00:31:00.990 of whether these methods—when carried out as intended—are humane, and failing to address 00:31:00.990 --> 00:31:06.049 the core of the humane slaughter debate as a whole: is it even possible to end the life 00:31:06.049 --> 00:31:08.250 of another being in a way that is kind? 00:31:08.250 --> 00:31:14.020 If I used these videos, I'd not only bypass the actual issues, but also, by so inaccurately 00:31:14.020 --> 00:31:18.409 portraying an important aspect of their faith, I'd close any door to discussion, much less 00:31:18.409 --> 00:31:19.409 reconsideration. 00:31:19.409 --> 00:31:23.429 I did include one piece of footage towards the end of the video—explaining that "the 00:31:23.429 --> 00:31:28.330 best way to answer whether ritual slaughter is humane is by simple observation." 00:31:28.330 --> 00:31:33.220 I played an example of ritual slaughter that adhered to the traditions, still stopping 00:31:33.220 --> 00:31:37.190 short of the actual cutting of the sheep's throat and any visuals of blood. 00:31:37.190 --> 00:31:41.700 What I wanted to emphasize and show was the sheep's behavior prior to slaughter. 00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:45.879 Even in the one-on-one environment, with the slaughterer gently reciting prayers, offering 00:31:45.879 --> 00:31:50.580 water, stating that it's vital that the animal be at rest and comfortable, it was evident 00:31:50.580 --> 00:31:53.919 the sheep was not a willing participant. 00:31:53.919 --> 00:31:58.070 Following the clip, I shifted the focus from all of the details and debates I'd covered 00:31:58.070 --> 00:32:02.320 thus far, to where it should be: the individual. 00:32:02.320 --> 00:32:03.320 Saying that: 00:32:03.320 --> 00:32:07.730 "Ending the life of any sentient being prematurely and against their will cannot possibly be 00:32:07.730 --> 00:32:10.149 a humane or merciful act... 00:32:10.149 --> 00:32:14.279 The assertion that this act is necessary, thus justifying the lesser of the evils, is 00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:19.889 one of the main rationalizations offered by meat eaters, secular and religious alike." 00:32:19.889 --> 00:32:25.120 With my intended audience in mind, I mentioned verses in Jewish and Muslim religious texts 00:32:25.120 --> 00:32:30.360 that support vegan principles—which I'd covered in my series "The History of Veganism"—emphasizing 00:32:30.360 --> 00:32:36.070 that no religion—Judaism and Islam included—mandates the consumption of animals. 00:32:36.070 --> 00:32:40.500 Finally, having navigated through the foundations of these traditions, detailed the debates, 00:32:40.500 --> 00:32:46.451 legislation, opinions, and studies, I re-focused the issue entirely—because in the end, it's 00:32:46.451 --> 00:32:50.500 not a religious issue, it's a human issue. 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:54.639 This is another purposeful approach I utilize within my activism, especially when dealing 00:32:54.639 --> 00:32:57.080 with divisive, inflammatory topics. 00:32:57.080 --> 00:33:01.549 I first make sure to take the time to be as respectful and accurate as possible, helping 00:33:01.549 --> 00:33:06.549 my intended audience to lower their defensive guards from the default "up" position. 00:33:06.549 --> 00:33:11.710 Once I've "zoomed in" to sometimes granular levels of detail, I "zoom back out" to what 00:33:11.710 --> 00:33:15.190 is universally applicable: the human condition. 00:33:15.190 --> 00:33:16.870 I'm now quoting again from the video: 00:33:16.870 --> 00:33:21.179 "The myth of humane slaughter reaches beyond any religion. 00:33:21.179 --> 00:33:25.990 Humanity as a whole consistently strives to excuse and justify the enslavement, torture, 00:33:25.990 --> 00:33:27.370 and murder of sentient beings. 00:33:27.370 --> 00:33:32.100 There’s a level of absurdity with how much time, energy, detail, government money, and 00:33:32.100 --> 00:33:36.100 paperwork goes into finding just the right way to kill. 00:33:36.100 --> 00:33:40.750 We point fingers at inexcusable abuse in other countries, cultures, religions, and specific 00:33:40.750 --> 00:33:46.190 companies, erupting in righteous outrage and conveniently avoiding any assessment of our 00:33:46.190 --> 00:33:51.269 own complicity in the deaths of the animals on our plate." 00:33:51.269 --> 00:33:55.640 Before closing, I want to touch on the use of language and approach when presenting undercover 00:33:55.640 --> 00:33:56.850 exposés. 00:33:56.850 --> 00:34:02.049 As I mentioned, undercover footage is of vital importance in the fight for animal liberation. 00:34:02.049 --> 00:34:07.590 Our systematic exploitation of non-human animals thrives in darkness—undercover footage shines 00:34:07.590 --> 00:34:11.700 a light on these horrific realities, giving voice to the victims. 00:34:11.700 --> 00:34:16.290 Learning the truth is one thing—seeing it is something else entirely. 00:34:16.290 --> 00:34:21.930 However, just as the impact of what say depends on how we say it, the impact of what we show 00:34:21.930 --> 00:34:24.850 depends on how we frame and present it. 00:34:24.850 --> 00:34:28.970 We don't have time to delve into this in depth, but I'd like to draw attention to an issue 00:34:28.970 --> 00:34:32.470 I've seen time and again in publicized accounts of undercover exposés. 00:34:32.470 --> 00:34:37.390 Let's take, for example, all of the times undercover footage has captured workers—from 00:34:37.390 --> 00:34:40.950 one country or another—tossing live baby chicks into a grinder. 00:34:40.950 --> 00:34:45.180 Every time, news outlets dramatically recount the unbelievable cruelty. 00:34:45.180 --> 00:34:48.870 And every time the public is appalled, outraged, and disgusted. 00:34:48.870 --> 00:34:52.930 They wonder how any person or industry could be so barbaric. 00:34:52.930 --> 00:34:57.380 And they continue to eat eggs, not realizing that they have just answered their own question. 00:34:57.380 --> 00:35:02.170 Ultimately, the message these exposés convey to the public is contingent upon the manner 00:35:02.170 --> 00:35:04.340 in which they are presented. 00:35:04.340 --> 00:35:10.170 When codified, standard practice—like the worldwide live-grinding of an estimated 3.2 00:35:10.170 --> 00:35:16.090 billion baby chicks every year—is reduced to a sensationalist media sound bite, it undermines 00:35:16.090 --> 00:35:18.900 the power and necessity of exposing the truth. 00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:23.620 Often, it's what’s not said in these exposés that's the most damaging. 00:35:23.620 --> 00:35:28.370 When we fail to explain and emphasize that the horrors depicted in the videos are not 00:35:28.370 --> 00:35:34.461 only legal, but actually government-sanctioned, humane-legislation-dictated practices, we 00:35:34.461 --> 00:35:38.041 leave the public with the impression that this was an isolated incident—the result 00:35:38.041 --> 00:35:41.350 of a few malicious, sociopathic workers. 00:35:41.350 --> 00:35:46.060 Far from considering veganism, the public is left thinking that "luckily, the perpetrators 00:35:46.060 --> 00:35:48.460 were exposed and will surely be punished. 00:35:48.460 --> 00:35:52.500 Thank goodness the eggs WE eat aren't contributing to that kind of barbaric behavior." 00:35:52.500 --> 00:35:57.840 A final example comes from an undercover investigation at a pig breeding farm in Iowa—the state 00:35:57.840 --> 00:35:59.170 in which I currently live. 00:35:59.170 --> 00:36:03.220 I covered this more thoroughly in my essay and video on bestiality. 00:36:03.220 --> 00:36:07.130 Footage and detailed notes from the investigation catalogued routine abuse of pregnant mother 00:36:07.130 --> 00:36:11.970 pigs—including beating, kicking and violent sexual violation. 00:36:11.970 --> 00:36:15.770 Workers were also captured cutting off the tails and tearing out the testicles of piglets, 00:36:15.770 --> 00:36:20.580 all without any anesthetic—sometimes resulting in scrotal hernias, causing the piglet's intestines 00:36:20.580 --> 00:36:22.110 to protrude from the incision. 00:36:22.110 --> 00:36:27.550 In one of the offenses most-cited by the media, workers were shown slamming sick or deformed 00:36:27.550 --> 00:36:31.580 piglets against the ground, leaving them to die slowly, their “skull[s]-crushed...twitching 00:36:31.580 --> 00:36:36.050 [and] gasping for air, as others were piled on top of them in giant bins.” 00:36:36.050 --> 00:36:40.370 Most of this talk, I've emphasized the power and impact OUR language choices have in conveying 00:36:40.370 --> 00:36:46.870 our message—but the language choices of others also serve as invaluable teaching tools. 00:36:46.870 --> 00:36:52.170 An NBC News article covering the Iowa exposé included comments from Temple Grandin, described 00:36:52.170 --> 00:36:54.300 as “a leading animal-welfare expert." 00:36:54.300 --> 00:36:59.050 Referring to the abuses I've listed thus far, Grandin was quoted as saying that "while those 00:36:59.050 --> 00:37:03.910 are standard industry practices, the treatment of the sows on the video was far from it,” 00:37:03.910 --> 00:37:06.520 calling it “atrocious animal abuse.” 00:37:06.520 --> 00:37:09.660 In my video, I pause to highlight the absurdity of her statement. 00:37:09.660 --> 00:37:10.660 I'm now quoting: 00:37:10.660 --> 00:37:17.140 "Just to clarify—in case it wasn’t obvious—beating and violating the mother pigs was the “atrocious 00:37:17.140 --> 00:37:18.150 animal abuse.” 00:37:18.150 --> 00:37:22.740 The 'standard industry practices' Grandin refers to are the unanaesthetized mutilation 00:37:22.740 --> 00:37:28.310 of newborn piglets and brutal slamming of 'defective' babies against concrete. 00:37:28.310 --> 00:37:33.171 Not only are these practices legal, they are government-sanctioned methods within, but 00:37:33.171 --> 00:37:37.200 not limited to, the United States, Canada, Australia and the European Union." 00:37:37.200 --> 00:37:40.070 To drive home the illogicality of it all, I added: 00:37:40.070 --> 00:37:44.040 "See, that's the great thing about standard practices—I don't know about you, but if 00:37:44.040 --> 00:37:48.620 I was shown that video and asked what was abuse and what was routine, I’d have gotten 00:37:48.620 --> 00:37:50.340 it totally wrong!" 00:37:50.340 --> 00:37:55.740 I hope that this talk has helped illustrate the incredible power of language, given you 00:37:55.740 --> 00:38:00.990 some ideas of how to walk in the grey, and encouraged you to be at least a little more 00:38:00.990 --> 00:38:05.890 uncertain in your activism, so that you may approach each interaction, each individual, 00:38:05.890 --> 00:38:07.650 each situation anew. 00:38:07.650 --> 00:38:11.880 In essence, may you think a little more Autistically. 00:38:11.880 --> 00:38:15.400 Thank you so very much for having me, I really appreciate it. 00:38:15.500 --> 00:38:26.220 [Applause]