Brandi H.

St Louis, MO

Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

Bidding Change.org Farewell and Embarking on the New

Team Vegan has a nice ring, but in my head, it's definitely the Dream Team. Like Gary said, the internet has introduced me to many incredible AR bloggers, but I am excited to be able to read some of my favorite bloggers/writers all in one place.
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

Jane Goodall and Fundamentalism

Regardless of how admirable someone is, I believe no one is above reproach. I think "the biggest problem in the world" is not "fundamentalists," but the masses who don't have critical thinking skills and who blindly follow whatever ideolgoy/religion/ect. they were exposed to at an early age.

I think Dr. Goodall (and for that matter, anyone who uses the "extreme" label) wouldn't look so ignorant if she were to read this (Is she kidding giving Stewart her blessing to eat a hamburger in one sentense and mentioning the issue global warming in another....wow!!):

http://animalrights.change.org/blog/view/animal_rights_is_a_mainstream_movement

"Animal rights is mainstream. Animal rights, at its heart, is the most unextreme philosophy I can imagine. It is about nonviolence. It is about compassion. It is about not harming and not causing suffering and not killing when we don't have to. That's it. It is really, truly that simple. Indeed, perhaps it is even that simplicity that causes so many to mock the animal rights movement or dismiss it as silly or radical--because if they can marginalize it, they don't have to acknowledge the simplicity of it or truly ask and answer why they don't support it too."

"If compassion and nonviolence are not mainstream values, it is a sad world. If an individual's choice to extend compassion in ways that, for example, contribute far less to mass suffering and death, contribute far less to environmental destruction and global warming, contribute far less to the problem of world hunger, and contribute far less to myriad health problems is extreme, we need to reconsider the definition of that word."
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

Animals in the News: Herds of Bad Judgment

It's telling that the animal welfare blog is so enraged at the death of these thousands of animals, meanwhile, in the US, millions are killed every day for our food and you're just fine with that. sigh.
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

Old MacDonald Had a Farm (Until Agribusiness Forced Him to Sell)

"Whether or not you agree with me on that, is there a reason, even as a vegetarian or vegan, to support agribusiness over local farmers?"

Absolutely not. But your post is mostly about small local farms that raise animals for meat and dairy and blanket statements are made without any caveats. There have been multiple cases in my area where small family farms are as bad as factory farms.

And just because we don't hear about it on the news, doesn't mean abuse isn't happening. Do we really think welfare laws are being enforced regularly?
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

5 Things That Make Animals Thankful

Lily-

I'm not going to look up the exact numbers, but something like 80 to 90% of the crops we currently grow are used to fatten farm animals--not an efficient way of feeding the world. The US could feed the entire world if these crops weren't fed to cows and pigs (without increased land use). Your statement is absolutely incorrect, but if you only read animal "welfare" blogs you wouldn't know this, now would you?

So, yes, *veganism* can save the world more than any other personal choice can. (And this isn't even accouting for the myriad of other issues associated with eating meat--water use and pollution (which is quickly going to become a serious serious crisis), benefits to our own health, ethical implication, etc.)
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

The Change.org Pack is Growing

I didn't say that animal welfare is responsible for CAFOs--I'm sorry if that wasn't clear. I said we've had animal welfare laws on the books for 200 hundred years and after 200 hundred years, things have only gotten worse with the advent of CAFOs. Animal welfare laws don't help animals. Does anyone really believe the chickens in CA are going to care about an extra inch added to their cages in 2014 (or whenever)?

Greg-I don't think you'll find one AR supporter who believes that animals should have equal rights to animals, so perhaps you're not quite aware of what AR philosophy is about. I don't want cows to be able to own property or drive cars. We simply believe animals should have the right to not be exploited because you like the way they taste or your kids think it's funny to see elephants balancing on a ball.

I think there is a difference in presenting an argument or a different viewpoint and trolling. Perhaps I could have been more polite in my comments here, but I don't intend, and I'm sure other AR folks agree, to let happy meat be discussed without a counter. I'll try to sans full on snark in the future, but I've learned alot from opposing viewpoints--they help me refine my own beliefs and arguments. Does anyone ever learn anything surrounding themselves with people they agree with? And I think welfarists have a lot to learn. ;)
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

The Change.org Pack is Growing

I don't care where you hang out, but the reason many AR folks will be ever present here is to counter welfarist views and since the AR blog gets no play on the front page anymore, to make people who stumble on to this cause aware of those other views. There is alot of content over there that provides solid counters to "welfare." But mostly, welfare has been around for hundreds of years and look where that got us (CAFOs, etc.).

Another place you ought to check out; a place that sums up quite nicely why we scoff at your happy, free-range, humane schtick--

humanemyth.org
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

The Change.org Pack is Growing

Sorry, new Stephanie, we were posting at the same time. However, whether it's at a large scale dairy or a "small" farm, the process is still the same--rape, tear baby away for veal, milk cow for human use, repeat cycle. This is still inherently harmful to the cow.
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

The Change.org Pack is Growing

Shouldn't a new animal welfare blogger know this? How can a new animal welfare blogger have any credibility when discussing animal issues when the basic biology of cows has to be explained to her on day one? Until reading that I was actually pleasantly suprised at the content of most of your blogs.

You can spell out your idea of the difference between rights and welfare all you want, but when you get right down to it, the difference is rightists are consistent in the application of their philosophy--we are able to see without blinders and do the morally right thing. While welfarists (or slow or sustainable people) find creative ways to make themselves and others feel okay about letting their taste buds rather than their critical thinking skills make decisions. Would you eat your dog, new Stephanie? Then why is it okay to eat pigs?

Other questions for you--

How do you killl with compassion and respect? Excuse me sir, while I slit your throat.

How would environmental issues push you from animal rights to animal welfare? Logically, it goes the other way around.

"Animal welfare tends to look at what's best for different species." How, in any world, is dying what's best for cows and other farm animals?

Sorry if I don't seem as polite as you do when you kill animals to eat, but thanks to old Stephanie, you're going to have a bunch of very educated vegans and animal rightists questioning your bull shit logic every step of the way...Welcome.
Brandi commented on the article | over 2 years ago

The Change.org Pack is Growing

So, you don't expect the bickering here....are you serious?