Many animal-rights groups share goal but not philosophy // Activists
have different reasons for their involvement. And although the groups
work to the same ends, members differ on views on the use of violence.
Colleen Meyer was 5 years old that Sunday when she and her family sat
down to dinner. She looked at her plate of ham, and then at her dog,
Blackie. She looked back at the ham. Then she screamed.
``I was hysterical, yelling and screaming, `Oh, my God, I can' t eat
this,' because the ham and my dog's tongue looked so much alike, ''
Meyer said of that day in Crosby, Minn., 41 years ago.
Meyer, a 10-year member of the Animal Rights Coalition, plans to protest
the International Society for Animal Genetics conference in downtown
Minneapolis this weekend.
But she and other animal-rights activists - of various philosophical
groups, many which condemn violence by other animal-rights supporters -
stress that they aren't professional protesters who hop from protest to
protest. For them, animal rights has become a lifetime cause, not a
flavor of the month.
``This is a life choice, not a fad,'' said Meyer, a saleswoman for a
Minneapolis interior design company. ``I've seen a man beat his German
shepherd with a crowbar. I've seen videos crammed with misery. I'm a
vegetarian for a reason. And I know if I can't do something every day to
help these poor abused animals, I can't sleep at night or justify my
existence on this planet.''
Freeman Wicklund started the Student Organization for Animal Rights at
the University of Minnesota after staring into the eyes of a hog about
to be slaughtered in southwestern Minnesota. Minneapolis attorney and
prominent feminist Lori Peterson became an animal-rights activist
because ``we couldn't separate the animals we rescued from the other
ones.''
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Reducing suffering
Julie Derby, 39, cofounder of Defending Farm Animals, grew up in
Rochester, Minn., and was familiar with family farms, not ``factory
farms.'' Then she read the book ``Animal Liberation'' and learned about
sows crowded into crates and slaughterhouse disasters.
``Our mission statement is to reduce farm suffering,'' she said of her
group. ``Like most Minnesotans, when I thought of farm animals, I
thought of cows grazing. But it's not all like that.
``Please tell me, what is the point of developing a chicken without
feathers? Why are animals whipped at rodeos?''
But Derby also questioned the vandalism at University of Minnesota
research laboratories last year. Smashing computers to get the public' s
attention, she said, won't win sympathy.
``That was a setback,'' she said. ``If that's the way animal-rights
groups are headed, we've got a pretty bleak situation.''
But which groups?
In the Twin Cities, an activist can join People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA), Compassionate Action for Animals, the
Animal Rights Coalition, Bridges of Respect, Defending Farm Animals, the
Upper Midwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering, Friends of Animals
and Their Environment, and Farm Animals Welfare, among others.
There are national and international groups such as United Poultry
Concern, In Defense of Animals, American Antivivisection Society and
Compassion and World Farming.
Each has its own agenda, but one of the most controversial subjects for
these groups is violence. For instance, Meyer said that she doesn' t
condone violence but that she doesn't consider property damage violent.
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Pointing fingers
Wicklund, 27, was arrested in 1996 for protesting the sale of furs at
Macy's department store at the Mall of America and, before that, for
refusing to leave the office of University of Minnesota President Nils
Hasselmo during a protest of the use of monkeys in university research.
``I used to be at protests screaming and pointing fingers,'' said
Wicklund, who now runs Compassionate Action for Animals in St. Louis
Park. ``But I've learned the best way to get your message across is
through education. These issues take time. You want people to listen to
you.''
Lori Peterson is partnering with Alex Pacheco, who founded PETA 20 years
ago, to build a sanctuary for disabled or abused animals.
She stressed that she abhors violence and vandalism. But Pacheco, when
questioned, neither condoned nor condemned such acts. ``I think it's
important to understand why they're doing it,'' he said.
Not everyone thinks so.
``You're dealing with irrational individuals to begin with, and you
can't have a rational conversation with irrational people,'' said Keith
Streff, humane agent for the Animal Humane Society of Golden Valley,
whose objective is to find homes for animals.
``Each faction . . . looks down on the next,'' he said. ``A vegan looks
down on the vegetarian, and the vegetarian looks down on the meat eater.
``There are extremists and then there are farmers, hunters and fishermen
who may think they're conservationists. And then there's the
animal-welfare groups. And each one may try to impose their beliefs on
you. Sometimes they do it violently.''
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Carried to extremes
Defending Farm Animals wouldn't work with the Animal Rights Coalition
after vandals hit the University of Minnesota research laboratories in
April 1999. Animal Rights Coalition member Colleen Meyer said her group
looks down on the Animal Humane Society of Golden Valley for not
sympathizing more with some of the activists' causes.
Peggy Gurler, another Humane Society volunteer, said, ``Violence makes
people unhappy without solving anything. But I also don't think the
protesters will ever go along with the researchers.''
No activists interviewed for this article held hope of meaningful
discussions with researchers during this conference or in the near
future.
``Not all of us have done the genetic research these scientists have
done, but do you have to be a slave owner to have been against
slavery?'' Peterson said.
``It's not fair for the scientists to demean the feelings of these
creatures. Once you've looked into their eyes, have seen them scream or
heard them bleed, you can't turn away. Ever.''
Paul Levy; Staff Writer
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