for the animals - a critique and 3 petitions
read it all, it's a beautiful analysis, with great advice --
"why the firebombing will not work..."
by brownfemipower
just 2 great parts amongst much goodness in the post, which also includes a pitch-perfect take on peta [see "I'm with Stupid" by bob torres as well - and while we're at it, "3 Ways to be the Revolution" and "All we have is means", because that just about encompasses the issue]:
[....] Did my community need or even want these protests?
Did they even know that they were supposed to be protesting?
Did they have any say in formulating the ‘goal’ I personally decided on for them?
With animal rights activists, answering these questions is harder for the obvious reasons. Thus, rather than focusing on empowering animals and allowing animals to speak for themselves (which is what my revelation was after working through the responses to the previous questions), I think animal rights organizers need to focus more on changing a culture that does not consider the needs of animals on any level at all. For example: why is it that when 99% of the people in the U.S. by a new product, they do not ask themselves, how would/does this product affect animals? Would things change for animals if this *was* one of the first questions asked?
Changing cultural beliefs does NOT happen by firebombings. Violence as a strategy has NEVER changed cultural beliefs for the better–indeed, as many post colonial and radical women of color activists would argue, it actually *reinforces* cultural beliefs, turning what once was a pain in the ass cultural standard that could be ignored or only ‘performed’ in certain spaces to shut up the complainers, into a standard that is severely (and usually violently) enforced and highly policed in the name of ’showing solidarity’ against violence.
[...] The problem is, when you need a mass base of power to create change, but you are only preaching to the converted–you are not creating a base of power–thus you are not ever going to create change.
To bring this back to the firebombers–the fallout of the action consists of those who are already converted being forced into a corner by the non converted–that is, instead of continuing action and base building that *does* bring about change, animal rights groups have to stop and answer questions and reassure and promise that they are not really like *that* group.
On the other side, the non converted are making new laws that make it harder for ALL animal liberation folks to protest, not just the extremists. They are calling animal liberation minded folks “crazy” and equating them to terrorists. They are distancing themselves from not just the extremist actions of a few animal liberation folks–but from the entire concept of animal liberation period.
Is that what’s going to stop violence against animals? Detracting those who are doing legitimate grassroots basebuilding from their work and completly alienating the unconverted?
There are many many compelling moral and ethical reasons for not engaging in violence as a form of protest. I have talked about those reasons before–and for me, my belief non-violence is primarily a moral and ethical choice based in feminist principles. At the same time, there are sound practical reasons why engaging in violence as an organizing strategy simply doesn’t work. You have to know a thing or two about social justice movements to understand this, however, and unfortunately, it seems that far too many organizers feel that reading and talking and contemplating historical strategies of social justice movements are not legitimate forms of ‘action’.
[...] My advice: if you are person that is truly interested in creating meaningful change–then start researching social justice movements. [...] Pay attention to what strategies have been successful for other organizations and what has not been. Do outreach to organizations in your own community. Be mindful of the work they’re dong so that you aren’t repeating their work or writing over it.
4 comentarii:
the brownfemipower post is just excellently written, thanks for sharing :) I've just noticed there is a part 2 of this:
Gorillas and why firebombing won’t work: continued
i know, right?! that's some truth-telling there, for sure... i wish i could say the stuff that's in my head like that. 'cause i agree 2000% and i've thought those thoughts before.
thanks for the other link, part 2 is also pretty great!
... and then there's the analysis that hadn't quite occurred to me before, but it's SO much food for thought. like:
I knew upon reading all of this information that zoos were something I could no longer support–and yet when I came over to U.S. media/activism/discussions, what did I find–except tons and tons of discussions over whether or not animal rights activists are crazy and how can we best punish those who act out.
How could that be?
So many tragedies within the period of about two weeks–and I couldn’t find one mainstream discussion on animal rights that didn’t some how center *tactics* rather than the animals themselves.
Do you see what’s wrong with this?
*Tactics* can not become more important than those who are at the *center* of your organizing–once beings are no longer at the center–you have lost.
so true.
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