Spring 2016 Volume 25, Number 4 Poultry Press Promoting the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl Celebrating 26 years of dedicated activism for domestic fowl UPC# 11656 United Poultry Concerns P.O. Box 150 Machipongo, VA 23405-0150 (757) 678-7875 UPC photo of Lucy by Karen Davis, March 3, 2015 FAX: (757) 678-5070 [email protected] Lucy came to our sanctuary in 2014 after being used with other hens for a type of research involving blood tests. Lucy loves to wait on the porch steps in the afternoon for me to come out of Visit Our Web Site: the house with kale and other treats for her and her friends. She loves sitting under the trees where www.upc-online.org little breezes ruffle her feathers on pleasant days. This photo of Lucy is featured in the Chicken Run Rescue Calendar for May 2016 in honor of International Respect for Chickens Day May 4th/Month of May. Photos are now being accepted for the 2017 calendar. TO ENTER: Send HIGH RESOLUTION DIGITAL PHOTOS to [email protected]. Include your name and your bird’s name, plus your address, phone number and email address. Include a story, in 140 words or less, about your bird’s rescue, favorite friends or pastimes. Please send each photo with its story in a separate e-mail. The stories are as important as the photographs! United Poultry Concerns www.upc-online.org Volume 25, Number 4 Animal Rights Vegan Guilt The public has rejected the animal rights By Karen Davis, Ph.D. vegan message President of United Poultry Concerns The animal rights message did not go public in the form of a burgeoning movement in the United States until the late 1970s – less than 50 years ago – and it wasn’t until the 1980s that the vegan message became established among animal rights activists. In the year 2016, this message cannot be said to have been “rejected” by the mainstream, as the animal rights vegan movement is still very new. Fifteen years ago, it could reasonably have been thought that society had already “The public needs a strong, clear message from the “rejected” the gay rights message. Add to this the fact that the public is still largely ignorant of vegan foods animal protection community.” and cuisine, and while our message is about more than food, it may be said at this point that the public cannot “They’ve heard it. They’ve rejected it.” – James have rejected what it scarcely knows. McWilliams Animal rights vegan advocates should make ethical arguments for eating animals his was history professor James McWilliams’s reply to Mary Finelli, founder of Fish Feel, Carol J. Adams, the author of The Sexual Politics in an exchange of comments relating to his of Meat and other books on the psychology of meat blogsiteT post “Beyond Veganism?” published on August culture, has observed that when you are in power, 18, 2015. The post was one of several that included you don’t have to justify what you do with logic and “A Modest Proposal” – a challenge to animal rights evidence, but when you are not in power, you have vegan advocates to “consider trying to make an ethical to. Meateaters take what they do for granted – though argument for eating animals.” on grounds much shakier than before the animal The challenge includes a call upon ethical vegans rights movement began – whereas ethical vegans and to support eating insects – grasshoppers, ants, crickets, vegetarians feel a need to explain to themselves and beetles, and others – as these animals appear unable others why they choose animal compassion over animal to experience pain, based on a lack of identifiable consumption. This is perfectly fine so long as the vegan pain receptors such as those found in birds, fish and attitude is not defensive but affirmative. Our intent mammals. In this view, oysters and clams may also be should be self-awareness, education, persuasion, and eaten. change. Those of us who contend that oysters, clams, and As an animal rights vegan activist, I do not, insects are sentient, and that, regardless, animal rights however, feel obligated to construct an ethical vegans should not be promoting animal consumption, argument for eating animals, any more than Martin are challenged to critique our “ideological purity” as a Luther King should have felt obligated to construct hindrance to helping animals, since the public doesn’t an ethical argument for why white people are justified support the animal rights vegan movement, according to in discriminating against black people. In addition, McWilliams. I think it’s insulting to animals for us to feel that we should engage in such a demeaning exercise, except as Here are my thoughts in response to these challenges: a parody. We all have internalized and rehearsed the justifications of the other side and done battle with United Poultry Concerns • (757) 678-7875 2 P.O. Box 150 • Machipongo, VA 23405-0150 Volume 25, Number 4 United Poultry Concerns www.upc-online.org them ad nauseam. Are feminists obliged to make an ethical argument for why women should be Clam denied equal rights with men? It may be hard by Mary Oliver from her book, to remember now, but in the 1960s and ‘70s the mainstream media still scoffed at women’s What Do We Know demands. Each one is a small life, but sometimes long, if its Animal rights vegan advocates should place in the universe is not found out. Like us, they support eating oysters, clams, and have a heart and a stomach; they know hunger, and insects probably a little satisfaction too. Do not mock them for their gentleness, they have a muscle that loves Oysters, clams, and insects are members of being alive. They pull away from the light. They pull the animal kingdom. As such, they deserve the benefit of the doubt. Their behavior indicates down. They hold themselves together. They refuse to sentience and awareness even if the sources open. of their feelings are elusive to science, which apparently is not the case. Neuroscientist, Lori But sometimes they lose their place and are tumbled Marino points out that there are “close to one shoreward in a storm. Then they pant, they fill million neurons in an ant or bee brain.” All with sand, they have no choice but must open the insects, she writes, “possess a complex central smallest crack. Then the fire of the world touches nervous system . and many insects show very them. Perhaps, on such days, they too begin the complex learning capacities. [and] we found terrible effort of thinking, of wondering who, and that fish and crustaceans feel pain when it was what, and why. If they can bury themselves again in assumed that was just not possible for ‘simple’ the sand they will. If not, they are sure to perish, organisms.” though not quickly. They also have resources beyond There may be ways of experiencing being alive in the flesh and the world that we do the flesh; they also try very hard not to die. not know and will never fathom. Nor is the perception of pain per se the only proof or sine qua non – an indispensable condition – of sentience. Conscious perception of nonpainful but highly distressing stimuli includes gagging, inability to breathe (dyspnea), smell of blood, apprehension, fear and more. Throughout history, various groups of humans, birds and others have been dismissed as mindless and insentient in some parts of the world eat insects and have probably until the truth showed otherwise. done so forever is no reason for activists to support mass producing crickets for human consumption. In some Muddying our message, and for what? places, people eat dogs and horses and monkeys, but we do not embrace every form of “cultural diversity.” If animal rights vegan activists take the position As soon as animal rights vegan activists start saying that oysters, clams, and insects may be farmed for that oysters, clams, and insects may be ethically farmed human food (and “farmed” means factory-farmed), we and eaten, we create one more excuse for people to are muddying our message, and for what? People don’t skip the vegan foods and head straight to the animals need to eat insects to be well fed. The fact that people that “even the vegans say are okay to eat.” Instead of United Poultry Concerns • (757) 678-7875 3 P.O. Box 150 • Machipongo, VA 23405-0150 United Poultry Concerns www.upc-online.org Volume 25, Number 4 (continued) Animal Rights Vegan Guilt Poultry Press facilitating this behavior, we should be expanding the vegan economy, proudly is published quarterly by United Poultry Concerns, Inc., promoting companies like Hampton Creek, Beyond Meat, Tofurky, Gardein, a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) The Vegg, BOCA, and other innovators that are revolutionizing the culinary organization incorporated in the State of Maryland. world and making the planet a better place. We owe our allegiance to these Federal ID: 52-1705678 companies, not to clam diggers and ant farmers. Editor: Karen Davis Courage for Animals & Food that is Animal-Free Graphic Design: Franklin Wade I remember years ago, someone talking at an animal rights conference about how great it would be if only we could get food companies to put a “vegan” label UNITED POULTRY on vegan products. It seemed wonderful back then, but unlikely, yet thanks to CONCERNS, INC. animal rights vegan zeal, it has happened. This is one example of how pushing forward with new ethical desires and demands that may seem outlandish at first Officers: pays off.