Have Gone Vegan

MPPs who voted in favour of Ontario's ag-gag Bill 156

As you know, the third reading of Bill 156 passed by 68-22, with 25 MPPs not voting.

It will be rightfully challenged in court, and I encourage you to support Animal Justice in their bid to overturn it. Also, read their brief to the Standing Committee on General Government, which will make this bill and its consequences even more chilling than you thought you already knew. This is scary stuff, people.

In the meantime, here are the names and email addresses* of those who helped pass this monstrous bill. It's on public record, so it's not like their privacy is being invaded. Besides, if they really believe the bill is necessary as farmers have nothing to hide, then their vote shouldn't be hidden either. Feel free to let them know why you're both angry and disappointed.

Deepak Anand- deepak.anand@pc.ola.org
Roman Baber- roman.baber@pc.ola.org
Aris Babikian- aris.babikian@pc.ola.org
Robert Bailey- bob.bailey@pc.ola.org
Toby Barrett- toby.barrett@pc.ola.org
Peter Bethlenfalvy- peter.bethlenfalvy@pc.ola.org
Stephen Blais- sblais.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Will Bouma- will.bouma@pc.ola.org
Paul Calandra- paul.calandra@pc.ola.org
Stan Cho (Willowdale)- stan.cho@pc.ola.org
Steve Clark- steve.clark@pc.ola.org
Lorne Coe- lorne.coe@pc.ola.org
Stephen Crawford- stephen.crawford@pc.ola.org
Rudy Cuzzeto- rudy.cuzzetto@pc.ola.org
Doug Downey- doug.downey@pc.ola.org
Jill Dunlop- jill.dunlop@pc.ola.org
Christine Elliot- christine.elliott@pc.ola.org
Victor Fedeli- vic.fedeli@pc.ola.org
Amy Fee- amy.fee@pc.ola.org
John Fraser- Jfraser.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Merrilee Fullerton- merrilee.fullerton@pc.ola.org
Goldie Ghamari- goldie.ghamari@pc.ola.org
Parm Gill- parm.gill@pc.ola.orgl
Mike Harris- mike.harris@pc.ola.org
Christine Hogarth- christine.hogarth@pc.ola.org
Sylvia Jones- sylvia.jones@pc.ola.org
Belinda C. Karahalios- belinda.karahalios@pc.ola.org
Vincent Ke- vincent.ke@pc.ola.org
Andrea Khanjin- andrea.khanjin@pc.ola.org
Daryl Kramp- daryl.kramp@pc.ola.org
Naatalia Kusendova- natalia.kusendova@pc.ola.org
Lisa MacLeod- Lisa.macleodco@pc.ola.org
Robin Martin-robin.martin@pc.ola.org
Gila Martow- gila.martow@pc.ola.org
Jim McDonell- jim.mcdonell@pc.ola.org
Jane McKenna- jane.mckenna@pc.ola.org
Monte McNaughton- monte.mcnaughtonco@pc.ola.org
Norman Miller (Parry Sound—Muskoka)- norm.miller@pc.ola.org
Christina Maria Mitas- christina.mitas@pc.ola.org
Caroline Mulroney- caroline.mulroney@pc.ola.org
Rick Nicholls- rick.nicholls@pc.ola.org
Sam Oosterhoff- sam.oosterhoff@pc.ola.org
Billy Pang- billy.pang@pc.ola.org
Lindsey Park- lindsey.park@pc.ola.org
Michael Parsa- michael.parsaco@pc.ola.org
Randy Pettapiece- randy.pettapiece@pc.ola.org
Rod Phillips- rod.phillips@pc.ola.org
David Piccini- david.piccini@pc.ola.org
Kaleed Rasheed- kaleed.rasheed@pc.ola.org
Jeremy Roberts- jeremy.roberts@pc.ola.org
Ross Romano- ross.romano@pc.ola.org
Sheref Sabawy- sheref.sabawy@pc.ola.org
Amarjot Sandhu- amarjot.sandhu@pc.ola.org
Laurie Scott- laurie.scott@pc.ola.org
Amanda Simard- asimard.mpp@liberal.ola.org
Donna Skelly- donna.skelly@pc.ola.org
Todd Smith (Bay of Quinte)- todd.smithco@pc.ola.org
Dave Smith (Peterborough—Kawartha)- dave.smith@pc.ola.org
Kinga Surma- kinga.surma@pc.ola.org
Nina Tangri- nina.tangri@pc.ola.org
Vijay Thanigasalam- vijay.thanigasalam@pc.ola.org
Lisa M.Thompson- lisa.thompson@pc.ola.org
Michael A. Tibollo- michael.tibollo@pc.ola.org
Effie J. Triantafilopoulos-- effie.triantafilopoulos@pc.ola.org
Daisy Wai- daisy.wai@pc.ola.org
Bill Walker- bill.walker@pc.ola.org
John Yakabuski- john.yakabuski@pc.ola.org
Jeff Yurek- jeff.yurek@pc.ola.org

* compiled by Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary

Ontario's ag-gag Bill 156

Like many of you, I'm pissed off. Royally so. A good thing too that I didn't have much hope, given that the bill passed a second reading with a unanimous vote of 100-0 (how incredibly screwed up is that?), but still. I'm angry, disappointed, upset, outraged, and sad. (Note: third reading passed 68-22, so I guess some progress was made.)

Luckily, perhaps, I can no longer log onto my Facebook account (someone complained last year that my profile was not following Community Standards, but that's a post for another day); otherwise I'd have let off some pretty angry steam on that site. I did, however, come out of a 3-year dormancy on my Twitter account yesterday, before remembering why I'd gone dormant in the first place. Because besides being an enormous time suck, you end up either preaching to the choir, or leaving angry/snarky responses to people/organizations (e.g., Ontario Pork Producers who are very concerned about the mental health of farmers unfairly victimized by abusive extremist activists) whose views are so firmly entrenched that you might as well be trying to convince a hardcore staunch Trump supporter to vote for Joe Biden.

In other words, it doesn't help. 

Especially in my part of Ontario that couldn't be bluer than blue politically, and is home to many farms and farmers. A lot of them, by the way, happen to be not only of Dutch descent (I'm a first-generation Dutch immigrant born in Holland, so have no qualms about discussing general characteristics of my own ethnic group), but also of a fairly strict and conservative Christian upbringing (as a member of this upbringing, also no qualms), and this is key.

Key because in this strongly upheld patriarchal hierarchy, God is top, Jesus is next, then comes the Holy Ghost, followed by men (literally, not mankind in general, but men), women, children, and finally, and usually reluctantly, animals. Maybe this is true for other religions and ethnicities as well, but I find it so strongly expressed that it's fairly common knowledge that domestic abuse is rife within the Christian Reformed Church. Because, you know, women have to be submissive to their fathers and husbands and all that.

I'm also reminded of a huge billboard that I saw while being driven in a more rural part of this place that not only declared abortion to be the most sinful thing anyone could do (by the way, there's a systematic campaign by members of these churches to elect government officials at all levels of government solely on the issue of whether candidates are pro-life), but that actually mocked in the same billboard anyone concerned with animal cruelty. I kid you not. Half of the billboard had an image of a fetus, the other half a puppy, with the captions more or less saying, animal cruelty okay, abortion not. I might be exaggerating slightly, but I remember being shocked, and that doesn't happen too often anymore.

So what I'm trying to say in a long-winded way, is that the notion of animals being property, and specifically, property to be used by man in any which way deemed useful or profitable, may be even stronger in this part of the woods than elsewhere.

Oh, but also in Alberta (which already has its own ag-gag law that Ontario eagerly imitated), BC and the Maritimes. And in case you think I'm making this Dutch demographic stuff up, here are some quotes from a book* I happen to own:

A look through the national poultry magazine's annual Who's Who reveals a strong Dutch presence in egg, turkey and broiler producers. p268

But it must be acknowledged that many within the Dutch Canadian community have assumed leadership positions in farming organizations. Nationally, the chair of the Canadian Egg Marketing Board in 1999 was (name omitted as it's likely out of date by now), and at the Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency, (name omitted for same reason). (Name omitted) was an executive member of the Chicken Farmers of Canada, while (name omitted) headed the department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan. p270

Now I'm not saying that only farmers of Dutch descent adhere to a "animals are ours to use" mentality, but that it may be even more strongly held or prevalent, and that would effect the industry wherever they are. And they're certainly here in Ontario!

Getting back to the bill, here it is in its entirety, and here is the submission by the influential OFA. Reading through their submission I have to admit that if I was just a casually if-at-all informed member of the public, I too might be swayed by their rhetoric and feel sorry for the poor disrespected farmers who love the animals they take good care of and are bullied by activists who aren't misguided, but plain mean. Well!

Okay, if you're a reader of this blog then I certainly don't have to tell you what this bill means, why it's atrocious, and that it's gotta go. 

But what do we do in the meantime? What do we do with our anger? (Other than posting all over farmers' and farming organization media accounts that they're parasitic scumbags who deserve to rot in hell, which I confess I'm still tempted to do.)

This is the plan for me for now:

• take the time to grieve (as this will have a huge negative impact on animals already in dire situations)
• take time to feel all my feelings (e.g., disappointment, helplessness, worry, etc.)
• take the time to feel my anger fully (without being too stupid, as that could backfire for those we're trying to help)
• figure out how to channel that anger constructively (what can I do that will make a difference? how can I help to get this bill declared unconstitutional?)
• figure out how to pace myself (make no mistake, this is gonna be a long war with many battles)
• make sure to leave some room for joy and fun to prevent burnout
• be prepared to get arrested! (only kidding, but it's probably wise for you not to know too much, again kidding, maybe...)

What about you? Any points you'd like to add to make all of us better warriors, and better equipped to deal with this colossal fuck-up?

p.s. can you tell I'm still boiling? maybe I should have calmed down a bit first?

* Uprooted: Dutch Immigrant Children in Canada 1947-1959 by Anne van Arragon Hutten, 2001.

hope is not required

Whether it's climate or another issue, you don't have to feel hope to be motivated to keep fighting for what you believe in. Find something that pushes you to do what is right even when the future looks bleak. Maybe even especially when the future looks bleak. 

Oddly enough, I found the above passage*, written by first-year Stockholm University student and organizer in the Fridays for Future climate movement, Isabelle Axelson, so freeing, that it actually made me feel more energized, and paradoxically perhaps, even a bit more hopeful. 

Because hope (defined by Wikipedia as being an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large) is something I don't really have. Not in terms of seeing a vastly improved world for animals within my lifetime, that is. And that, I believe, held me back. Almost as if I thought hope was a prerequisite for being an effective advocate, and that if I didn't feel hopeful, there wouldn't be much use in trying.

Well, forget that! Feeling hopeless doesn't preclude taking action. Take Bill 156 (as in please, take it and throw it away), an awful piece of "ag-gag" legislation that will have its final vote tomorrow. I wrote about it to my local MPP, not because I'm hopeful they'll change their mind (it was touted as an accomplishment in their spring update), but to at least let them know that not every constituent agrees. Same thing in the follow-up email I sent to their canned reply.  

Also wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper (unfortunately not yet published, if ever it will be) appealing to readers to contact their MPP as well. Again, not hopeful of results as such, but wanting to be on the record that not everyone agrees. If this bill passes, it will not be without vocal opposition, or I expect, a legal challenge.

So basically, hope is lovely, but not essential. Action, however, certainly is.

* read in the June 1-8, 2020 issue of TIME

whose lives matter?

Black Lives Matter.

And it's about time that Black Lives Matter has finally gotten the international support and solidarity it deserves. It also goes to show what can happen when the possibility of real change (and fear of what will continue to happen if the status quo doesn't change) galvanizes people into action. 

So what about All Lives Matter? Because from a vegan perspective, the idea that all lives matter (including other animals, specifically) seems to be reasonable and almost self-evident. And that notion IS what drives many vegan activists, this belief that all lives are worthy. Or to borrow from this quote:

The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world. --Paul Farmer

But we have to remember context here as the rallying cry of All Lives Matter has been used too often to dismiss the BLM message. A message often misunderstood. Black Lives Matter does not mean that ONLY black lives matter, but that black lives matter TOO. And that if black lives don't matter (with systemic racism suggesting they don't), all lives can't matter.

But for some reason this has confused people in a way that other campaigns have not. For example, those who fundraise for breast cancer won't get the pushback that they're ignoring other types of cancer. It's implied that all cancers are worthy of being eradicated, but that the particular focus here is a specific form of cancer. Same for other diseases. Campaigning for Diabetes, for example, doesn't mean Alzheimer's matters less.

So I was impressed to see Steve Jenkins from Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary thank the person who helped him understand why using the AllLives instead of the BlackLivesMatter hashtag was problematic, and state that he was willing to learn in order to be the best ally. Sadly though, I think a number of his followers didn't get that particular point of his post.

It takes humility to admit you may have been wrong, and strength of character to be open to growth. And isn't that what vegans hope nonvegans will do? Take information that may be new to them and consider it with an open mind? While I understand his followers defending him (because yes, Steve has a heart of gold and we see his values exemplified daily), it's a bit disheartening to see some followers continue to insist that saying All Lives Matter is absolutely fine, when actually, it isn't.

Also disheartening is that Canadians have been a bit ignorant (smug, even) in denying racism in our own backyard, as evidenced by Ontario premier Rob Ford declaring on June 2nd that Canada doesn't have the same systemic deep roots of racism that the United States does. Um, right. Thankfully he quickly backtracked on that comment after receiving massive criticism. 

But the belief in the absence of racism in Canada is something many Canadians share. And I can even see how they may have that perception. Take the small town I live in; so incredibly white it's rare to see someone in it who isn't. You almost couldn't even blame anyone here for not knowing what white privilege is, and that almost everyone in this town benefits from it. That is, of course, if you conveniently forget the historic (and current) treatment of Indigenous people. Or the internment of Japanese Canadians back in 1942. No, racism is definitely NOT absent in this country.

What does systemic racism in Canada look like? Here are five charts illustrating the challenges Black Canadians face in terms of income, employment, education, and hate crimes. Contrary to the claim that systemic racism doesn't exist in Canada, Black Canadians say racism is just as harmful on this side of the border.

Want to be an ally in the anti-racism fight? Here are some actions you can take to help in the fight against racism.

Two books I have read recently that personally have helped me to better understand the topic of race are: So You Want to Talk About Race by American author Ijeoma Oluo, and Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by UK author Reni Eddo-Lodge.  I highly recommend both.

The takeaway for vegans in particular, I think, is that we have to be willing to listen and learn. Just as the feminist movement was rightly criticized for being mainly relevant to white middle-class women, vegans have to listen when we're told that veganism is mainly relevant to white middle-class folk. (Did you hear the echo?) We have to listen, respectfully, when we're told comparisons between the animal rights movement and the civil rights movement may be problematic. We also have to pay attention when survivors of sexual assault tell us that having their experience of rape compared to artificial insemination of animals may be inappropriate.

We have to remember that the ultimate aim of veganism is to eliminate oppression, period. That includes racism, sexism, classism, ableism and a bunch of other isms too. While it may be tempting to say that you only care about animals, humans ARE animals, and we have to help end oppression of them as well.

And one way of doing that is to honour the fight for racial equality by not routinely saying all lives matter whenever you hear Black Lives Matter.