Penalty too tough
July 2019
The NSW Government’s proposed punishment of animal activists with fines of up to $220,000 and jail sentences for individuals entering farming businesses and slaughterhouses is nothing short of draconian.
It is just over 200 years ago that a public outcry was raised in England over the squalid and nauseating conditions the mentally ill were subjected to in asylums.
The appalling treatment of residents was only brought to light because of the tenacity of vigilant activists, who revealed a catalogue of horrors, sometimes gaining entry to asylums only by force, often at personal risk due to the unsanitary conditions.
Their efforts brought about government reform, not a crippling debt and a criminal record.
Keith Smith
Care for farm animals
May 2019
"Shooting the messenger," indeed. Many will support Jacqi Will's cogent argument against heavy handed legal response to vegan protesters for their recent bio-security trespass of factory farms and slaughterhouses.
Protesters' mission to expose the inconvenient, hidden truth about what happens to animals at these places drew quick retaliation from those who don't want the community to know.
The law protects animal exploiting businesses because what they do is legal.
Traditional animal husbandry was characterised by free range farming.
Those better times for animals have given way to massive industrialisation which treats billions of animals like machines more than intelligent, sensitive, feeling creatures.
The films Dominion and Cowspiracy show evidence of the inhumanity of animal agriculture as well as its immense destructive impact on the health of the planet.
Deforestation, native species and habitat loss, water depletion, land degradation, in addition to being the largest single contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, and consequently climate change, are all results of animal agriculture.
It is not sustainable.
Consuming dairy foods in the knowledge that dairy cows are artificially forced to keep giving birth to produce milk, while the mother baby bond, a natural relationship all mammals share, including us, is violated in the dairy industry where calves are torn away from their grieving mothers so we can take their milk. No one with a conscience for animals can be party to this when there are plenty of non dairy alternatives.
The science and evidence are clear and our choices have impacts for good or for bad.
The cultural shift to plant based diets, the "kind food" movement is now the fastest growing animal justice, environmental, ecological, ethical movement across the world.
Animals deserve to live in conditions suited to their species-specific needs, to have freedom to live a good life, to be treated with respect and kindness.
We have an obligation to free them from factory farms.
Simone Hunter
Production and profit ahead of animal welfare
April 2019
The article, “Vegan: They’re ruining the name of something beautiful,” was about the opinion of M. Bontemelli who abides by one simple rule “Respect all life”.
As do all vegans, although as in all human interaction, people with identical views find different ways of expression.
I understand their frustration as I am a long-time vegan who has peacefully held placards, rallied, marched, written letters and emails to politicians and newspaper editors for many years and have seen no change.
Now animal activists have spent years producing the free online Australian documentary, Dominion, which shines a light on the darkness behind animal industries.
Those who chose to eat them owe it to the animals to watch.
Farmed animals are exempt from the Animal Welfare Laws.
They only have industry instigated “codes of practice” that promote production and profit over animal protection from cruelty.
Diane Cornelius
Thank goodness for young people
May 2019
I agree with Jacqi Will. Thank goodness there is a strong movement among the younger generation to move to a kinder world...kinder for all beings.
This is a move in keeping with a general disaffection of Australian society for the sort of society we are creating, with materialism, greed and fear.
We need to understand that when we abuse any being, whether child, pig, emu, we are actually abusing ourselves, by damaging our capacity to be compassionate, to be the best human we can be.
The vegan movement is built on kindness.
Who can argue with that?
Alice Shore
Not all Dandy
April 2019
Thanks to Jenny Moxham for her letter "Blinded by anger" when she said the reason for animal activists' actions is being ignored due to the talk of "extreme terrorism."
Anyone, by using Google Maps can highlight farms anyway. We have written letters to politicians and editors, rallied, emailed, and marched, as so many before us have done for years, to try to expose cruel injustices to farmed animals.
As Jenny said, "We have been cleverly duped into thinking everything is fine and dandy on the farm, but the documentary Dominion shows a far darker and crueller side to the industry.
Fay Mathews
Politicians need to listen to activists’ message
April 2019
I’m sure people know history dictates that no necessary change has ever been achieved without the use of our worthwhile ability to demonstrate.
A few examples are women’s suffrage, slavery and civil rights. It is what sets us apart as civilised countries, from tyrannical rule. Animal advocates have repeatedly rallied, held placards, written letters and emails to politicians and newspaper editors for decades with no cessation of animal suffering in intensive factory farming.
World-wide our populations are exponentially growing and drinking water is scarce. It is about stopping unnecessary breeding of billions of thirsty, hard hooved, environmentally damaging animals for unnecessary food. Our politicians need to support farmers to diversify into more sustainable farming, rather than misinterpret activists’ important message.
As Jenny Moxham said in her letter, “As a society we condemn injustice.”
Diane Cornelius
Activism up to everyone
April 2019
We can't keep duck shoving responsibility, Frances Klein. In your Our View you admit farmers "take away the freedom and the quality of life" for the animals you profess to love. You should also have added, of course, that they then kill virtually every one of them at a very young age.
But you then claim that they need not make any changes because it's all legal. Would you have accepted that defence from slave owners and traders a few hundred years ago?
Once we see that it's not fair to treat animals the way they are being treated we become vegan. It's then up to us vegans to get others to see the unfairness too. It's the responsibility of all of us to be activists.
Mike O'Shaughnessy
Vegan activists bring peace
April 2019
I can't let the letter from J&J Cameron pass without correcting their unjustified accusations about vegan animal advocates.
The free online documentary Dominion is an accurate account of what happens in Australia in intensive factory farming and slaughterhouses.
Please watch the efforts of these brave people who, over years, documented so many atrocities that the industries condone and cruel workers inflict on gentle farmed animals.
They only have the industry constructed “Codes of Practice” to protect and these promote production and profit before animal welfare, so in this case, dairy farmers J&J Cameron have vested interest in keeping the status quo.
Vegans all believe in non-violence, they are passionate about bringing awareness to consumers so they can make informed choices about bringing about kinder, more sustainable changes.
Diane Cornelius
Ignore the nonsense claims about veganism
April 2019
Re "vegan will have us on Centrelink eating Chinese,” what nonsense!
Vegans refrain from eating, wearing or using animal products because they believe killing other life-loving sentient beings unnecessarily is cruel and unjust.
They have no policies regarding climate change or anything else. Whatever views vegans hold on other issues are their own personal views and nothing to do with veganism.
Jenny Moxham
Farmers’ boss gets it wrong on animal activists
April 2019
The article by Farmers’ Federation president Fiona Simson is full of outrageous claims about what animal advocates are bringing to the public’s attention – the intrinsic cruelty in intensive factory farming.
Stating that animal advocates would stop people from having pets is ludicrous.
Family homes are situated far from stinking piggeries and feedlots, so children are not involved.
The activists are aware of biosecurity issues and they dress to prevent any harm to the animals.
If these overcrowded, faeces-ridden facilities had “nothing to hide”, the brave activists would not be there.
Farmed animals are not covered by the animal welfare Act. Instead, they have only industry-influenced “codes of practice” that are all about production and profit and nothing about animal protection.
Please take the time to watch the free online documentary Dominion, which has taken dedicated animal lovers years to produce, for clarity and the truth.
Diane Cornelius