on side isn’t enough: agreeing isn’t enough

Animal rights is about developing a passion for non-violence, alongside an altruistic concern for animals (mainly those we eat). Animals and humans are inextricably linked. Their fortune is our fortune. Their plight and our own plight directly depend on our becoming protectors of them, the voiceless. The animals need us and we need to learn from them how to restore our own sensitivity. The need for human liberation is more urgent than animal liberation if only because it is here that initial repair work needs to start. Admittedly, over the past thirty years we have come a long way in developing awareness of and compassion for animals, but now we need to ask ourselves – “Has this been too shallow to be of much help to them?” – “Have we seemed to be too violent to inspire others?” For animals to gain liberation we have to first prove to ourselves that we are worthy to be their representatives.