Animal Rights

When I mention or talk about animal abuse and animal activism, I can almost hear the silent *sighs* that people exhale in their minds. In my opinion, there's a bizarre paradox that exists when it comes to animal rights. The issue is seen as a "tired" discussion topic and is avoided by many people because it's been brought up too many times. For example, when I was participating in public speaking competitions in high school, my teachers instructed us to avoid over used ideas, such as abortion, capital punishment, and especially animal rights. This might have been for the purposes of our evaluation, but I think this a good example of how people don't want to hear about animal rights anymore. On the other hand, I say it's a strange paradox because so many people are ignorant about this topic, despite it being "over used". As an animal rights activist, I like to keep myself updated and "in the know" about the latest news, experiments, controversies and issues in the world of animal abuse. When this topic comes up in casual conversations, I always take the chance to share a little bit of what I know and I am always surprised at how little people actual know or are aware of with regards to the animal industry. On top of that, people seem unwilling to accept the truth that I share, possibly because it seems to ludicrous and cruel to be true.

What I've just described here is why I believe we are still fighting the fight of animal abuse. Not enough people are aware of what's happening to animals. I'm not asking that people go hard-core vegan, I'm simply asking people to educate themselves on the issue. In turn, this might lead to more people lending their voice to the cause and doing something to fight for animals. What I have learned about the animal industry has truly shocked me and often disturbed me, but I know that I am a more compassionate person and that I am a better citizen of the world for knowing it.

Here are some good organizations to look into:

When I have my own classroom, I hope that I'll have the chance to talk about animal rights with my students and to instill in them a love for animals. We may not be permitted to keep classroom pet anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't find ways to incorporate the topic in my classroom.