Our Hen House
Our Hen House
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Our Hen House Podcast
    • Animal Law Podcast
    • Antiracism Audio Series
    • Limited Series: Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan
  • About
    • About Our Hen House
    • Inside the Coop – Bios
    • Join the Flock
    • Suggest a Guest
    • Press Coverage
    • Policies
    • Contact
  • Learn More
    • Videos
    • Blog
      • Book Reviews
    • Hen Press
    • Why Animal Rights?
      • Animal Testing and Research
      • Clothing
      • Companion Animals
      • Dairy
      • Eggs
      • Entertainment
      • Fishes
      • Meat
      • Veganism
      • Wildlife
      • What to do?
  • Donate
Blog

What You Can Learn About Animal Activism from the Meat Industry

by Mariann Sullivan July 5, 2013
written by Mariann Sullivan

Photo: Farm Sanctuary

Photo: Farm Sanctuary


Animal rights activists, like everyone else, like to talk to people they agree with, and read the writings of AR heroes, thinkers and pundits. We all like to sharpen our knowledge, confirm our beliefs, and pick up some messaging tools from the pros.
But sometimes, it’s really useful to hear from people that you don’t agree with. And that’s not always easy. The meat industry isn’t always eager to have us at their shindigs, and they are, obviously, deeply committed to keeping much of what they do behind closed doors. When they do speak, it’s often to deliver misinformation. But it’s still interesting to hear what they’ve got to say, even if it’s only to confirm how utterly wrong they seem to be about absolutely everything. And that’s why it’s such a great thing that the Animal Interest Alliance has made available, to one and all, the proceedings of its conferences online.
The most recent of these conferences was entitled Activists at the Door: Protecting Animals, Farms, Food and Consumer Confidence. Wow! It’s all about us! Don’t you kind of, just a little, want to hear what they have to say? Alright, I’m with you. I get into such a temper when I hear the doublespeak (like, say, the part of the title that talks about “protect[ing]” animals? I mean, really? Are they aware that they are in the business of slaughtering animals, or has that escaped their notice?). But listening to the opposition and what they have to say is sometimes a whole lot more useful to becoming an effective activist than just listening to people you already agree with.
Among the presentations at this fascinating glimpse into the mindset of those who work to turn living animals into dead meat are:

  • a presentation from an administrator at the USDA on “USDA Procedures for Handling Undercover Activist Videos”;
  • a piece from a lawyer from Rose Acre Farms on ag gag laws (speaking of doublespeak, he calls them “farm protection” laws), and how they are great for animals (no, seriously, that’s what he’s talking about — check out the video below if you want to see the kind of animal treatment he thinks should be hidden from view);
  • tips from “Mommy bloggers” on how to engage mothers online (scary to think who’s reproducing out there, right?);
  • advice from the USDA and the folks at Hallmark on how not to have that happen again (key question here: do they want to avoid the illegal animal cruelty, or avoid having anyone find out about the illegal animal cruelty?);
  • and a panel called Managing Crisis: Engaging with Media on Controversial Topics (yeah, they’re going to need more and more training on how to do that).

OK, I know it’s painful. Maybe this is the kind of thing that should be done with a group of friends, with pauses taken to bitch and moan and make sarcastic comments. But there are so many reasons for us to educate ourselves on what the opposition is saying about us and saying to each other. And maybe there’s even the possibility that we will manage to get a glimpse of what makes them tick, why they think what they do to animals is OK, and why they think we’re the crazy ones. That’s got to be useful information — especially as we move forward trying to make real change for animals.

Video from the Hallmark investigation from HSUS. Warning: Contains images of horrifying, brutal animal cruelty.

Video from the Rose Acre and Rembrandt egg “farm”  investigation from HSUS. Warning: Contains images of horrifying, brutal animal cruelty.
 

Share 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Colorful Rooster at Peace
next post
Episode 182: “There comes a time when speaking one’s mind ceases to be a moral duty, it becomes a pleasure.”

You may also like

Book Review: “The Green & The Red” by Armand Chauvel, translated by...

Take a Walk on the (Really) Wild Side

The Church Potluck, Reimagined

Peppermint Patties Promote Peace

Your Mission: Figure Out What You Want to Be When You Grow...

To the Dog I Didn’t Adopt

Just Call Me “Ms. February”

Nominate An Unsung Vegan Hero for The Lisa Shapiro Award for Unsung...

Fashion and Compassion

The Best Kind of Activism

Search Episodes

Subscribe to our Shows

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherPocketCastsAmazon Music
More
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • RSSRSS
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherPocketCastsAmazon Music
More
  • RSSRSS
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts

Subscribe to OHH Emails

We don’t spam or share your email with others. Privacy policy.

Please Check Your Email to Confirm Your Subscription!

Instagram

Join us On Facebook

Join us On Facebook

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Donate & Triple Your Impact!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

@2021 - Our Hen House


Back To Top
Our Hen House
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Our Hen House Podcast
    • Animal Law Podcast
    • Antiracism Audio Series
    • Limited Series: Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan
  • About
    • About Our Hen House
    • Inside the Coop – Bios
    • Join the Flock
    • Suggest a Guest
    • Press Coverage
    • Policies
    • Contact
  • Learn More
    • Videos
    • Blog
      • Book Reviews
    • Hen Press
    • Why Animal Rights?
      • Animal Testing and Research
      • Clothing
      • Companion Animals
      • Dairy
      • Eggs
      • Entertainment
      • Fishes
      • Meat
      • Veganism
      • Wildlife
      • What to do?
  • Donate
Our Hen House
Search Podcasts
  • Home
  • Podcasts
    • Our Hen House Podcast
    • Animal Law Podcast
    • Antiracism Audio Series
    • Limited Series: Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan
  • About
    • About Our Hen House
    • Inside the Coop – Bios
    • Join the Flock
    • Suggest a Guest
    • Press Coverage
    • Policies
    • Contact
  • Learn More
    • Videos
    • Blog
      • Book Reviews
    • Hen Press
    • Why Animal Rights?
      • Animal Testing and Research
      • Clothing
      • Companion Animals
      • Dairy
      • Eggs
      • Entertainment
      • Fishes
      • Meat
      • Veganism
      • Wildlife
      • What to do?
  • Donate

Subscribe

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyAmazon Music
More
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • RSSRSS
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyAmazon Music
More
  • RSSRSS
  • Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
  • Google PodcastsGoogle Podcasts
  • SpotifySpotify
  • Amazon MusicAmazon Music
  • StitcherStitcher
  • CastBoxCastBox
  • Player.fmPlayer.fm
  • TuneInTuneIn
  • PocketCastsPocketCasts

OHH NEWSLETTER

We don’t spam or share your email with others. Privacy policy.

Please Check Your Email to Confirm Your Subscription!

 
Sign In

Keep me signed in until I sign out

Forgot your password?

Password Recovery

A new password will be emailed to you.

Have received a new password? Login here