Where Animal Rights has lost / is losing it's way.....
Gobby | 14.01.2009 15:41 | Animal Liberation | Bio-technology | Social Struggles | South Coast | World
Elitism.
Elitism has infected Animal Rights. It is elitism that causes sexism, homophobia, racism and speciesism in the first place. The Animal Rights "movement" has been infected with a form of class snobbery and elitism that must be got rid of. There are thousands of Animal Rights activists in the UK yet very few of these go on demos or to meetings....Here's why :
Elitism has infected Animal Rights. It is elitism that causes sexism, homophobia, racism and speciesism in the first place. The Animal Rights "movement" has been infected with a form of class snobbery and elitism that must be got rid of. There are thousands of Animal Rights activists in the UK yet very few of these go on demos or to meetings....Here's why :
While it is true that some of these people keep a low profile as they are active within the Animal Liberation Front or Animal Rights militia there are others who stay away for other reasons. They might feel uncomfortable because of homophobia or the more usual problem of classism / snobbery that keeps alot of people away. I was once told "not to bother" giving a group of men leaflets by another activist in an anarchist uniform because she believed these men to be "white trash". Having done the SHAC stall for many years I have learned and found that activists / helpers come in all sorts of packages and you should never ever judge. In fact one of the men was very interested in getting involved.
I've come across this with other activists who again told me not "to bother" giving a group of Black teenagers leaflets for the same stupid reasons as the [white] middle class anarchist who doesn't like "white trash".
Until we get away from these attitudes the "movement" will only ever be made up of a small number of white, privileged, middle class people who look down their snotty noses at everyone else and will never get anywhere. most of these elitist types spend all day in their mates' squats before going home to their very comfortably off mummies and daddies homes for dinner and then bed...most have never fended for themselves [unless it was travelling on their gap year with access to their parents' bank accounts...] and don't have a fucking clue about the real world yet expect to change it! Wake up and smell the fucking shit with the coffee! Yes it's true that at least you're "doing something" but how effective is that something exactly?
The labs are still open. They are still being built. This is partly because our entire society is built on elitist attitudes that make it "OK" to use and abuse other sentient, human and non human beings and partly because "the movement" will never grow as long as these elitist attitudes are employed within it.
Please don't accuse me of "inverted snobbery"....I have alot of repect fro very intelligent, educated Dan Wadham and SHAC's Gavin, both of whom I know personally and support 110%....and I expect they probably agree with me about the above article. Before you say "oh I know who this is and she / he does nothing"...I don't do "nothing" I'm just not stupid enough to tell you about it when I do and I'm one of those "trash" people who keeps away...
We need to change this and fast.
I've come across this with other activists who again told me not "to bother" giving a group of Black teenagers leaflets for the same stupid reasons as the [white] middle class anarchist who doesn't like "white trash".
Until we get away from these attitudes the "movement" will only ever be made up of a small number of white, privileged, middle class people who look down their snotty noses at everyone else and will never get anywhere. most of these elitist types spend all day in their mates' squats before going home to their very comfortably off mummies and daddies homes for dinner and then bed...most have never fended for themselves [unless it was travelling on their gap year with access to their parents' bank accounts...] and don't have a fucking clue about the real world yet expect to change it! Wake up and smell the fucking shit with the coffee! Yes it's true that at least you're "doing something" but how effective is that something exactly?
The labs are still open. They are still being built. This is partly because our entire society is built on elitist attitudes that make it "OK" to use and abuse other sentient, human and non human beings and partly because "the movement" will never grow as long as these elitist attitudes are employed within it.
Please don't accuse me of "inverted snobbery"....I have alot of repect fro very intelligent, educated Dan Wadham and SHAC's Gavin, both of whom I know personally and support 110%....and I expect they probably agree with me about the above article. Before you say "oh I know who this is and she / he does nothing"...I don't do "nothing" I'm just not stupid enough to tell you about it when I do and I'm one of those "trash" people who keeps away...
We need to change this and fast.
Gobby