1 00:00:00,340 --> 00:00:04,900 Most 12 year old kids go to school, come home, maybe play video games or an after-school 2 00:00:04,900 --> 00:00:09,620 sport, go to the movies with their friends and work on homework. And then there’s Thomas 3 00:00:09,620 --> 00:00:14,670 Ponce, who, by the age of 12 had formed his own lobbying organization and was active in 4 00:00:14,670 --> 00:00:19,100 local government, meeting with congressmen and officials and providing a voice for the 5 00:00:19,100 --> 00:00:23,180 animals. With corporations and the animal products industry having some of the loudest 6 00:00:23,180 --> 00:00:28,010 lobbyist around, Thomas is working to level the playing field and ensure that the animals 7 00:00:28,010 --> 00:00:33,050 are heard. Having started his path to animal activism at the age of 4 years old, Thomas 8 00:00:33,050 --> 00:00:37,390 is no ordinary kid. He’s a veritable force to be reckoned with. 9 00:00:41,930 --> 00:00:46,649 Hi it's Emily from Bite Size Vegan and welcome to another vegan nugget. I’m so excited 10 00:00:46,649 --> 00:00:51,950 and honored to introduce to you, Thomas Ponce. Thomas has received countless awards and accolades 11 00:00:51,950 --> 00:00:57,969 including FARM's National Animal Rights Young Activist Award for 2013 and The Animal Hero 12 00:00:57,969 --> 00:01:02,680 Kids ‘Kind to All’ Award, earning him a feature in the book Animal Hero Kids: Voices 13 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:08,090 for the Voiceless, PETA’s Compassionate Kid Award when we was eleven, and oh yeah, 14 00:01:08,090 --> 00:01:14,009 no less than TWO awards from the President. Thomas is the second Animal Hero Kid I’ve 15 00:01:14,009 --> 00:01:16,529 interviewed with serious White House connections. 16 00:01:16,529 --> 00:01:18,149 Pretty soon it’ll be time for… 17 00:01:22,439 --> 00:01:23,170 Moving on... 18 00:01:23,170 --> 00:01:27,740 Thomas received a grant from the Pollination Project to make his lobbying organization, 19 00:01:27,740 --> 00:01:32,099 Lobby for Animals, a reality. Never one to stop there, Thomas is now a member of their 20 00:01:32,099 --> 00:01:36,969 grant advisory board for environmental and animal rights related grants. Most recently, 21 00:01:36,969 --> 00:01:41,889 Thomas just had an article published in AV Magazine of the American Anti-Vivisection 22 00:01:41,889 --> 00:01:45,829 Society, which you can find the link to on the blog post for this video, which is 23 00:01:45,829 --> 00:01:47,900 linked below in the video description. 24 00:01:47,909 --> 00:01:52,319 Thomas just turned 15 and remains passionate about the importance of young people getting 25 00:01:52,319 --> 00:01:57,329 involved in activism. Just so you know, the audio at times isn’t too stellar, so if 26 00:01:57,329 --> 00:02:02,259 you want you can always turn on the captions. I really urge you to listen to his words. 27 00:02:02,259 --> 00:02:04,999 This is one incredibly bright young man. 28 00:02:04,999 --> 00:02:08,020 I think it’s important for young people to get involved in their communities. It’s 29 00:02:08,020 --> 00:02:12,849 we that are growing up in this world and we need to get active and involved. And we can’t 30 00:02:12,849 --> 00:02:16,769 expect things to get better if we don’t try to change them. 31 00:02:16,769 --> 00:02:21,700 You know, if we address issues in our communities and the world we live in, it’s each of our 32 00:02:21,700 --> 00:02:25,909 personal responsibilities to do so. If you see something wrong that is happening, speak 33 00:02:25,909 --> 00:02:30,939 up, question, don’t just go with the flow because it’s been the same thing for a long 34 00:02:30,939 --> 00:02:34,099 period of time, you know because it’s a tradition. 35 00:02:34,099 --> 00:02:40,049 If we listen to our heart, if we listen to our brain, then we can do right all the time, 36 00:02:40,049 --> 00:02:44,250 we can make a difference. If we get involved with our communities, that’s one of the 37 00:02:44,250 --> 00:02:48,879 best ways to do so. Finding something you’re passionate about, Googling it, researching it. 38 00:02:48,879 --> 00:02:53,340 Doing whatever you can to get the most information about that subject then act with 39 00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:58,069 that information. Knowledge is the most power you can have in this world, and when you use 40 00:02:58,069 --> 00:03:00,780 it correctly you can make a huge difference. 41 00:03:00,780 --> 00:03:04,560 I asked Thomas about how he got started in his activism. 42 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,790 I got started in my activism when I was about 4 years old. Throughout this time I’ve always 43 00:03:08,790 --> 00:03:14,189 had a love and respect for animals. That love that I had turned to activism when I made 44 00:03:14,189 --> 00:03:17,999 the connection of where our food comes from and the horrors that animals have to go through 45 00:03:17,999 --> 00:03:20,489 every day in order for that to happen. 46 00:03:20,489 --> 00:03:25,469 Once I had that realization, the turning point to become vegetarian was a very simple decision. 47 00:03:25,469 --> 00:03:30,939 As I got older, and as I learned more, I learned that just because I wasn’t eating meat didn’t 48 00:03:30,940 --> 00:03:35,100 mean that I wasn’t still contributing. So, I decided to become vegan, 49 00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:36,900 which would completely cut that off. 50 00:03:36,939 --> 00:03:41,819 Throughout that entire time, I had been attending protests, I’d been signing petitions, I’d 51 00:03:41,819 --> 00:03:47,439 basically been doing anything to spread the word of animal rights, and I was determined 52 00:03:47,439 --> 00:03:51,059 to open people’s eyes to the idea of animal rights. 53 00:03:51,060 --> 00:03:56,060 Lobbying isn’t the most common form of animal activism you hear of, so I asked Thomas how 54 00:03:56,060 --> 00:03:59,080 he found his way to the legal side of animal rights. 55 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:03,340 When I heard about FARM’s National Animal Rights Conference, I said, “that is something 56 00:04:03,349 --> 00:04:08,590 I need to go to.” So, I was in Washington, DC, it was great, fantastic. I met an attorney 57 00:04:08,590 --> 00:04:12,969 there and she basically, she talked to me about lobbying. It was like a light bulb went 58 00:04:12,969 --> 00:04:20,949 off in my head, and when I got home I started researching more about lobbying. And I actually 59 00:04:20,949 --> 00:04:28,750 took a class through the Humane Society about lobbying and from there on out, I’ve been 60 00:04:28,750 --> 00:04:33,789 hooked. And that’s when I decided to create Lobby for Animals. Basically my purpose with 61 00:04:33,789 --> 00:04:38,120 that is to give people the tools necessary to succeed in the lobbying field. 62 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,560 In case you have no idea what we’re talking about, I asked Thomas to explain lobbying. 63 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:47,539 Lobbying is basically talking to your legislators it’s, whenever you want to make a change 64 00:04:47,539 --> 00:04:54,050 in law. Let’s say there’s a bill that will completely stop animals in entertainment. 65 00:04:54,050 --> 00:04:59,389 There will be no more animals in entertainment from then on. You can talk to your legislators, 66 00:04:59,389 --> 00:05:04,680 you can call them, email them, write them letters, and schedule a conference with them. 67 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:10,319 And you can let them know your position on this. Because they’re our legislators, they’re 68 00:05:10,319 --> 00:05:14,990 here to listen to us, it’s their job. And if we don’t let them know how we feel, if 69 00:05:14,990 --> 00:05:17,810 we don’t let them know what we want to see in office, then 70 00:05:17,810 --> 00:05:19,740 they have no way of doing their job correctly. 71 00:05:19,750 --> 00:05:23,470 With all the available forms of activism out there, I asked Thomas why he chose 72 00:05:23,470 --> 00:05:25,030 lobbying for his mission. 73 00:05:25,030 --> 00:05:30,580 We can definitely, we can go to protests, we can sign petitions, we can do everything, 74 00:05:30,580 --> 00:05:35,210 but - when we go towards the laws we’re striking it at it’s core. So, we are hitting 75 00:05:35,210 --> 00:05:39,889 the subject right in the center. Laws like the ag-gag bills, and it’s everything like 76 00:05:39,889 --> 00:05:46,240 that that can be combated with lobbying. It can be very much so combated with lobbying. 77 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:51,030 I asked Thomas to share what victories he’s had in his time lobbying for the animals. 78 00:05:51,030 --> 00:05:55,190 A lot of the victories that I’ve had, I wouldn’t even call them victories, it’s 79 00:05:55,190 --> 00:06:04,020 more like small wins. Whenever I see people who actually get it, whenever I see - let’s 80 00:06:04,020 --> 00:06:08,820 say I schedule an appointment to talk to a congressman, and I’m talking to them and 81 00:06:08,820 --> 00:06:11,639 I know that they’re actually starting to think a different way, or that I’ve at least 82 00:06:11,639 --> 00:06:14,780 opened their eyes up to thinking a different way, then that’s a personal victory. Let’s 83 00:06:14,780 --> 00:06:19,830 say they’re for a bill that’s for vivisection, and then I talk to them, and then they change 84 00:06:19,830 --> 00:06:23,949 their mind and they flip that stance, that’s a personal victory, in my opinion. 85 00:06:23,949 --> 00:06:28,419 During our interview, Thomas and I discussed the power kids and young people have in affecting 86 00:06:28,419 --> 00:06:33,590 change. And how they’re often underestimated in their abilities and what they can handle. 87 00:06:33,590 --> 00:06:36,780 As you’ll see, Thomas proves his own point beautifully. 88 00:06:36,780 --> 00:06:41,470 We do not, and as I’ve said this before, we do not give kids enough credit. They have 89 00:06:41,470 --> 00:06:47,289 the most creativity, they have the best ideas that you can ever see. As you said, adults 90 00:06:47,289 --> 00:06:55,409 have this preconception that, you know, this person’s 6, 7, 10, 11, they are not ready 91 00:06:55,409 --> 00:06:59,009 to see this type of information, they’re not ready to see what’s out in the world. 92 00:06:59,009 --> 00:07:04,490 They definitely are. If they’re passionate about something, don’t stifle it and don’t 93 00:07:04,490 --> 00:07:08,189 assume because they’re kids they can’t understand it and they can’t handle it. 94 00:07:08,189 --> 00:07:12,069 Because there are a lot of kids out there that can definitely comprehend this stuff. 95 00:07:12,069 --> 00:07:17,370 We need to allow our kids to go into the field that they’re interested in, to be passionate 96 00:07:17,370 --> 00:07:21,120 about what they want to be passionate about. Let them research about it, let them learn 97 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:27,159 about it, let them be interested in what they care about. If we instill the idea of compassion, 98 00:07:27,159 --> 00:07:32,119 then they’ll carry that on with them throughout their lives, they’ll carry that on to their children. 99 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,629 I want to leave you with part of Thomas’ acceptance speech when he received the Animal 100 00:07:35,629 --> 00:07:41,030 Hero Kids Kind to All Award. Mind you, he was 12 years old when he gave this speech. 101 00:07:41,030 --> 00:07:45,669 “Each time you make the choice of what to eat or wear, which products to buy, whether 102 00:07:45,669 --> 00:07:50,329 to attend a circus or marine park, and which companies you choose to support, you have 103 00:07:50,329 --> 00:07:54,340 to realize that your decisions affect more than just you. Remember, there are other 104 00:07:54,340 --> 00:07:59,340 lives at stake, the lives of animals, and one life should not be held more valuable 105 00:07:59,340 --> 00:08:03,509 than another. Just because you are not committing the act yourself, doesn’t mean it’s not 106 00:08:03,509 --> 00:08:09,300 happening or that you are not contributing to it. As a consumer, if you are not making 107 00:08:09,300 --> 00:08:14,759 ethical, cruelty-free choices, you are still fueling the demand. If you do not speak up, 108 00:08:14,759 --> 00:08:19,799 buy differently and demand things be changed, you are contributing to the problem. 109 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:24,720 It takes proactive people to bring about change. People who will take the time to learn about the 110 00:08:24,729 --> 00:08:28,610 ways in which they can get involved and make a difference for animals, as well as for the 111 00:08:28,610 --> 00:08:34,040 world we live in. The information and resources are out there for whomever wants to learn. 112 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:39,050 I am a firm believer that knowledge is definitely power and when you speak with knowledge and 113 00:08:39,050 --> 00:08:43,390 from your heart, people will listen, regardless of your age.” 114 00:08:43,390 --> 00:08:47,960 One way to get started is to visit Thomas’ website www.LobbyForAniamls.org, where you 115 00:08:47,970 --> 00:08:53,000 can find guidance in getting active and contacting your legislators. Thomas welcomes emails and 116 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:57,860 is always ready to help. You can also connect with him on Facebook. See his links below. 117 00:08:57,860 --> 00:09:02,610 I hope you enjoyed hearing Thomas’ story. I’m totally blown away by his activism and 118 00:09:02,610 --> 00:09:07,480 all of the young people I’ve had the pleasure and honor of working with in this Animal Hero Kids series 119 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:13,160 and my kids interview series. Never think that your age, or anything about you can hold you back. 120 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:17,360 If you were inspired by Thomas, do give the video a thumbs up and share it around to help 121 00:09:17,370 --> 00:09:21,440 show what kids can accomplish. If you’re new here, I’d love to have you as a subscriber. 122 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:26,480 I put out fresh content covering all aspects of veganism every Monday, Wednesday and some 123 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:30,620 Fridays. To help support Bite Size Vegan’s educational efforts, please see the support 124 00:09:30,630 --> 00:09:35,310 links below or click on the Nugget Army icon or the link in the sidebar. Now go live vegan, 125 00:09:35,310 --> 00:09:38,270 lobby for the animals, and I'll see you soon. 126 00:09:38,270 --> 00:09:42,950 Interviewing so many young people who have accomplished so much so early in life... 127 00:09:44,130 --> 00:09:47,130 really makes me feel like I haven't done much. 128 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,740 Where was the internet when I was a kid?!