Dear Colleagues: I am opposed to violence. I regard violence as inherently immoral. I have written about and discussed that issue often, including in essays (1,2) on this site. I recognize that many of you disagree with my opposition to violence. But that is irrelevant. Even if you believe that violence can be justified, there […]
Dear Colleagues: A number of people have written to me in response to the Commentary on “pets” to ask about the issue of non-vegan cats. It is my understanding that many cats can live healthy lives on a vegan diet but what if there are cats who absolutely need to consume animal products? In this […]
Dear Colleagues: As you know, I have since 2007 been wondering about why anyone thinks that Michael Vick is any worse than anyone else who consumes or uses animal products. (See 1, 2, 3) In any event, Vick was released from prison in May, 2009, and on July 27, 2009, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell conditionally […]
Dear Colleagues: As a result of my comments (here, on Facebook, and on the Podcast Commentary), I have been inundated with private messages that all have the same themes: (1) “but many vegans started off as vegetarians”; and (2) “advocating veganism is elitist.” As for whether many vegans started off as vegetarians, let me say […]
Dear Colleagues: In my book, Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog?, published by Temple University Press in 2000, I introduced the notion of “moral schizophrenia.” I have received comments about my use of this term and these comments fall into two groups. Some people accuse me of confusing moral schizophrenia with multiple/split […]
Dear Colleagues: The issue of “pets” is a hot button issue with many advocates. Here is something I wrote in the Appendix to my book Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Child or the Dog?: Question 3: Does the institution of pet ownership violate animals’ basic right not to be regarded as things? Answer: Yes. Pets […]
Dear Colleagues: Welcome to the Abolitionist Approach Commentary. The Commentary will consist of a series of podcasts that discuss and explore various aspects of the idea that we ought to abolish, and not merely regulate, animal exploitation. The Commentary will reflect ideas contained in this website and in my books. Animals are nonhuman persons and […]
Dear Colleagues: I just received an announcement of the Seventh Annual World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, which will take place in Rome, Italy, August 30-September 3, 2009. Take a look at the announcement. And then answer the following question: This conference: (A) is a great event because it will […]
Dear Colleagues: Many people are very unhappy with a recent decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Merced v. Kasson, in which the court enjoined officials of the city of Euless, Texas from enforcing various ordinances to stop Santería practitioners from performing animal sacrifices using goats, lambs, and other animals, […]
Dear Colleagues: Animal welfare—the notion that we should treat animals “humanely”—has been around for 200 years. It has gotten nowhere. We are using more animals now in more horrific ways than at any time in human history. The 19th century founders of animal welfare opposed human slavery but they never opposed the property status of […]