My name is Jodi, and this is my arena for venting. If you don't like it, leave it... if something I say sparks your attention, welcome aboard. I'll discuss Abolitionist Veganism, Animal Rights, Paganism, Politics, and all the other taboo's we're just not suppose to talk about.
This past weekend was the 2nd Annual Mid-Summer Mountain Triune Faire, at Abrams Creek, in Mount Storm, WV. We left Friday afternoon, and just returned a few hours ago. It was 48 hours of complete relaxation and bliss. Friday opened with a blessing, and then Saturday there were workshops on Wicca 101, Getting in contact with the Goddess inside, and how to work with energy. A Reiki Master is a member of the coven and was doing healing treatments, there were a few tarot readers, and one woman converted one of the cabins into a store! I ended up buying The Witches Almanac, a nice pentagram ring, and a beautiful Ouija board. This board is unlike any other I've seen before. The letters and numbers are randomized making it much more liar proof!
ShadowDancer, I took your picture to use for this because I don't have a camera other than the one on my Blackberry and it just wasn't giving me a picture that would show this boards true beauty!
I also made a youtube video. It's just a compilation of video's shot from my phone from around Abrams Creek. Take a look at it:
Jim and I also had an information table set up about Animal Rights, and we tried to do some outreach at the event. A few people decided to come take a look and the children loved the stickers. We had a few interesting conversations, and I was able to explain some of the evils of PETA to a vegan, whom was utterly shocked~
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I got some much needed rest and relaxation, and was able to connect with nature again without having to worry about the everyday hustle and bustle.
I found this video while surfing youtube tonight. This is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart- Feral Cats. At my workplace we had a colony of feral cats that were being looked after by numerous employee's and other concerned citizens that lived in the area. Other numerous businesses in the area helped feed and look after the colony of about 16 that lived in the area. We had watched several cats grow from babies into adults, and worried about them through the winter, most of whom made it through and as the spring returned, we were happy to see many of our loved ones back out and about.
A business that was two buildings down changed hands, and the new owner started complaining about the numerous cats running about. She decided to try to trap these magnificent beings and take them to the pound. She was quite unsuccessful, and her impatience grew- claiming that these cats were a nuisance to her customers. She then contacted the County Administrator and animal control. An order was issued to trap this colony. A concerned person contacted animal control and inquired about their policy on feral cats. Indeed, the policy was to "exterminate" said cats, in other words MURDER healthy innocent lives, who's only crime was trying to live a life after their "loved one's" or so called guardians had dropped them off, and were left to fend for themselves.
Several people banded together and we mounted a mission to rescue these cats from their certain deaths. We were lucky enough to have an animal rescue group that brought up numerous Have A Heart traps to aid us in getting these cats to safety. Over the weekend, this new business owners saw our traps and started causing another rash of bullshit to the county. I was then contacted by the City Police who given the task of "mediating" between the rescue group and animal control. We asked that we would be given the opportunity to try a TNR program, which stands for "Trap, Neuter, and Release", but this request was denied. I was then threated that if we were caught trying to feed or capture any of the ferals we would prosecuted for Trespassing on private property and for "stealing county property". The county now looked at these cats as if they were their property since an order for trap and execution had been put in place. This is an egregious misuse of government power, and is a disgrace.
In the end, we ended up rescuing several cats, all of which went into labor and had babies within their first week of being rescued, and now we face the monumental task of finding them all loving homes where they will live their lives out in safety and love. I know these lives were saved from facing certain execution, and this is an example that there is no limit as to what a few people can do to make a difference to the lives of a number of individuals.
There are multiple reasons why I believe so strongly in TNR programs, and why killing healthy feral cats is completely immoral. Population control through murder will never work, it hasn't worked in all of the time that animal control has existed and their sick and torturous policies have been in place.
Number 1- Inherent moral wrong. To kill a healthy cat is morally unjust and no sentient being deserves to be executed for the simple reason of being left to survive on their own. What if we were promulgate policies to execute all children rendered to the state by parents who felt they were unable to care their child? This would cause an outrage! Why is it socially acceptable to kill a species that is unable to communicate with us, or is different from our own? This is blatant specieist and no different from any other form of discrimination.
2. Cats are territorial animals. A cohesive feral cat colony will hold their territory and keep it free from invasion. When a cat colony is eradicated by the method of trapping and murdering, their once held territory is now open. Cats from the surrounding area's will come into this now open territory, breeding will sharply increase as there isn't as much competition for territory and food. Within a few months, there will be a high population of feral cats in the said area. Female cats can have two liters of kittens within the first year of their lives, and 3 liters of cats each year there after. The "problem" therefore is not solved, but rather delayed, and will then lead to the trapping and killing of more cats, and the vicious cycle continues.
TNR programs work because once the ferals are trapped, they are then spayed or neutered, to keep the population of ferals from increasing at exponential rates. After a day of having been spayed or neutered, the cats are then returned to their home territory where they will hold their territory, and over time the population of cats will decrease as they age and die. It is important that TNR continues to be implemented as new cats find their way and acceptance into a colony so the rate of population does not increase. This only takes some time, patience, and love from one or two committed individuals, which isn't so very hard. A looked after colony can live to have full, happy, and healthy lives.
Studies have shown that in cities such as San Fransisco, CA and other counties in numerous other states that have adopted TNR policies instead of inhumane and unnecessary murder policies, the feral cat population steadily decreases by numerous percentages, and when No Kill policies are put into place, an almost overnight decrease in kill rate of 75%, and the eventual decrease of 92% in kill rates.
The unnecessary murder of healthy feral cats is not necessary, and if the ferals that were rescued from my workplace would be able to communicate with humans, I'm sure they would agree that their lives are just as important as any other.
There are a few particular people that I have been very honored to cross paths with in the past few months to year...
First, Rob and Angie Bowen. Rob has a fantastic podcast The Angry Hippie and Angie has a wonderful Zine Dissension. They have paired up to found the monumental 1 Million Mad march which will take place on March 15th, 2009 at every State Capitol and in Washington DC. I'm very honored to be the coordinator of the march taking place in Charleston, WV!!! I'm so excited to finally jump back into my arena, the political platform. Thank you very much Rob and Angie for giving me this opportunity!
Click on the pics below to check out all their fantastic websites, and sign up to march with us in solidarity as we demand our voices back, and corporate interests eradicated:
Dissension:
The Angry Hippie's Podcast and Blog:
The 1 Million Mad March:
I also want to give mad love and props to some Vegan Freaks... Bob and Jenna Torres... I found their website and podcast Vegan Freak Radio while in the very beginning of my transition to veganism. This was a time that although I knew I was doing the right thing, I felt so alone. I was doing this all by myself... people would mock me, and offer me pizza with cheese, or tell me, "oh you could have this if you weren't going vegan." Jim hadn't decided to go vegan yet, and he would eat meat, but limit it around me so I wasn't staring at it every day. I felt at this point that No One understood me, and that everyone was looking down on me... Bob and Jenna helped me so much!!! After a couple of episodes, the fire was burning to brightly under my ass, that shit was on fire! I had more confidence and knew that I was doing the right thing, and everyone else could not bring me down! Thanks so much Bob and Jenna! Please check out their website as well. It is very informative, educational, and thought provoking! Click on the pic below to check them out as well!
My path to Veganism started when I was a young teenager. I was constantly writing school papers on the plight of whales, seals, and other sentient beings. Back then I was fooled by the whole B.S. Peta campaign, but they are who started providing me information about animal rights, and it was through them I started to become who I am today, for this I will always be thankful, but I do find numerous flaws in their approach to animal rights and human rights, but I digress.
I begged and begged my parents to let me switch to a Vegan lifestyle, but for some reason, it wasn't going to happen. While writing one of these papers, my parents found me crying over the images of a battered baby seal. I was told that I was "torturing" MYSELF (!?!?!?) and that this had to stop. Shortly after, we started going back to church where we were told animals were here for our survival, to be used as food, clothing, and other ends to human needs. Unfortunately over time I lost the compassion that was once so strong.
About two years ago I moved in with my current companion. He was renting a small house out on a huge farm. I loved being out in nature, and started to grow bonds to the farm animals that were around all of the time. My consciousness soon returned, and I realized that to fully live out my ethics I had to rid myself of any and all animal by-products.
Since then I have done tons of research and saw the horrors of what happens to these live, sentient beings as they are being tortured, raped, and murdered. It's a sight that is forever burned into my soul.
I will never forget the look of fear on a cows face as her throat was being sliced and she was left to bleed out. I will never forget the downed cow having a chain put around her body, and watching the tractor trailer take off so that the cow would be tied in place and her weak, broken body would come crashing down to the ground. I will always remember the baby male chicks as they were thrown into a grinder while they were alive, cut to pieces, feeling the blades tear up their bodies, because they were not profitable due to their gender. The list goes on and on. These are not occasional practices they happen everyday, thousands and thousands of times, all over the place. How could I truly call myself enlightened, but allow these horrendous things to continue to happen in my name and for my money? I couldn't and I won't. Never again will I be the agent of death.
It's been a while since I've had a blog... I checked in on the last one I use to have here... leggallymouthy, but I guess I was inactive for too long and the account was deleted. So I'm starting over from scratch. Here I will post all things related to my Vegan, Hippy, Witchy rantiness. This is not for the closed minded nor for the trolls who don't have the balls to get up and do something about the things, but would rather piss on someone else's day.
I have a degree in Political Science, and use to voice quite loudly my dislike for the direction my country was headed in; a few things happened in my personal life, and I stepped back from the internet scene for a few years. I've been very lucky recently to meet new people, have started getting more involved once again, and am looking forward to getting my voice back out there. I'm feeling a little bit rusty so you'll have to excuse me as I pull out the tin can and get my mental gears all oiled up and running again.
Number of animals killed in the world by the meat, dairy and egg industries, since you opened this webpage. This counter does not include the billions of fish and sea animals killed annually.
