By Doug Draper
If the city won’t let you promote your ad on the side of its buses, then spread that message across a billboard sign.
The first of a number of ads a Niagara animal advocacy group is posting on billboards across the region. Photo by Doug Draper.
That is what the citizens group Niagara Action For Animals has done with a sign it hopes will get people to think about getting away from eating meat and consider going vegetarian.
NAFA has turned to billboards to promote its ‘go vegan’ message in response to a decision St. Catharines, Ontario’s transit commission made last winter not to allow the message to be displayed on its buses with other advertising, even though the group was prepared to pay for space on the city’s buses. The commission ruled at the time that the ad NAFA wanted to display was too controversial.
The ads, which the group is having displayed this July and again this coming October on billboards in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland, are virtually the same as those it wanted to display on the buses. They feature a kitten and a chicken in one case, or a puppy and a piglet, with the question; “Why love one but eat the other?” and the tagline; “Choose compassion – go vegan.”
“By sponsoring these billboards, NAFA hopes to encourage people to think critically about their food and to make more ethical and compassionate choices,” the group’s outreach coordinator Kimberly Costello told Niagara At Large as the first of the billboard ads went up at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Martindale Road in St. Catharines. “We want people to recognize that animals called ‘food’ are just as sentient as animals called ‘pets’, and yet we continue to exploit billions of farm animals each year with little respect given to their equal capacity for sentience.”
“In regards to animal rights,” added Costello, “the most effective way to advocate for
non-human animals is to encourage people to adopt a vegan lifestyle. This ethical and compassionate lifestyle undeniably benefits the billions of exploited non-human animals worldwide, world hunger, health and well being, and the environment. I can’t think of any other change that an individual can make to have such positive effect on the world.”
For more on Niagara Action For Animals, visit the all-volunteer group’s website at www.niagaraactionforanimals.org.
(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary
Just to clarify Doug, I think NAfA, with its Go Vegan billboard, is not trying to “get people to think about getting away from eating meat and consider going vegetarian,” but trying to get people to consider going vegan.
There’s a big difference between vegetarianism and veganism, whereas vegetarianism still supports the exploitation and slaughter of millions of sentient beings, for example, the egg and dairy industries, and veganism is a lifestyle based on non-violence and respect for other sentient beings.
If people truly care about animals, they shouldn’t eat them. And if people choose vegetarianism because they love animals, then they really need to go vegan.
Oh yes, and I’d also like to congratulate NAfA for their billboard. Kudos to NAfA!
The pet industry is now huge, taking over huge areas of stores.
Home grown, small producers are not to be included in this ad.
They should be targeting just the big factory produced meat.
They should also turn their attention to automobiles. Road kills are severe, including humans.Millions of injuries too.
This is such a great and positive step in this region. I hope many give this more than just a passing thought!
Sorry Myna, but all violence, exploitation and slaughter should be abolished, not justified or rationalized. Size doesn’t matter.
What’s the difference between killing a few and killing a lot? It’s still taking the life of someone who, if they had a choice, would rather live than die.
Killing is wrong, period; it makes no difference whether you kill millions or just a few hundred.
Yes, Dan! And Myna, the ‘meat industry’ is not the only target! Vegans don’t use any animal products. The cruelty and death involved in dairy and egg farming is equal to that of meat. Watch some of the videos. Small and large scale ‘pet’ breeding is also unconscionable. We should all adopt, not shop, until every cage is empty!
I have been around long enough to see a lot and to consider issues well.
I have seen Vegans with little kids whose teeth were rotted at 6 years of age.
I had my own daycare in the 70s and 80s and felt sorry for the poor little kids.
The macrobiotics were not allowed fruit for a snack and the raw food kids could not have rice crackers or anything other than raw food.
Guess what those kids craved and tried to trade.
If someone brought a birthday cake made lovingly with their own fresh the farm eggs and all organic ingredients, those little vegan/macro/or rawfood kids couldn’t have any.
I can’t forget the looks on their little faces..
Let’s not get too fascist about food, ok!?
You people are not addressing issues I mentioned, such as GE/GMO in veggies, pesticides, herbicides, and the value of integrated ecosystem management on family farms, and especially organic farms.
Interesting that I don’t hear these farmers telling you what not to eat.
Industrial agriculure must be attacked for sure, but please leave small farms out of this attack.
I am extremely grateful to my parents for the wild duck, antelope, wild food and home raised chickens they fed us.
As well as vegetables, and saskatoon berries and honey.
Rabbits and deer are pests on the Westcoast. Scientists have adequate research on the devastation they do to ecosystems. I commend the people who cull by shooting and eating them.
In Australia, several years ago, scientists reported several species of birds eliminated because of cats dropped off in the wild.
Think holistically ,please!!!
Myna I think you are unfortunately equating things with veganism, that do not pertain to it. Vegans abstain from animal products, much in the same way you abstain from eating or wearing human flesh. We can both suffer, and in both instances, to inflict such suffering without need is unnecessary. A microbiotic diet, or a raw food plant based diet are diets that may or may not overlap with the diet of someone who is vegan, however, that is a dietary concern, not a “rights” concern. I know many healthy vegan babies myself and definitely do not think the picture you portray here is a reflection of children raised in the vegan/animal rights community. As for what you have to say about “holistic” thinking, please re-read my definition of veganism. There is nothing holistic about eating the flesh and secretions of other species. I am sure you would agree with and endorse the laws of ecology, as such, to inflict harm on animal is to inflict harm on yourself.
you should seriously check out:
1)how what you eat is grown
2) the food that pets eat
There seems to be no point tho in attempting to get you to see the flaws in your arguments.
Myna just because I believe in the rights of animals does not mean I do not seriously look into how the food I eat is grown. On the contrary. I buy fair trade and organic products at every chance I can, I do not eat GMO food and I do not use harmful chemicals in my household. My dog is a vegan, my cats are not (obligate carnivores) however they are fed “holistic” food and my responsible pet ownership, along with the foster/rescue work I do, ensures that I am not adding to the horrendous cycle of the pet population. If there is something I am missing in that equation, please inform me. I am aware that I cannot 100% remove myself from animal products (i.e. fossil fuels, fertilizer, cat food, etc) However, that does not mean I cannot do my best to reach that goal, nor does it mean that eating animal products is somehow “holistic” for human beings who do not need animal products. If you are interested I would be willing to lend you copies of my cookbooks by Jae Steele, she is a registered holistic practitioner and dietician and all of her recipes are vegan.
no need for recipes, have had plenty over the years and some of my best friends are vegans ..and some of them aren’t.
as for your dog and cats, do you think everyone should be able to have as many pets as you?
i have addressed that problem before,in a previous post.
starving kids yet the pet industry thrives.
the nice thing about my vegan friends is.. they don’t put down others for what they eat when those persons are producing their own food, in a non industrial and certified organic.
I have met fascist vegans and there it is a waste of time to try to have a discussion with them
The END!
“Fascist?” Wow. If you don’t want to read any of Jae Steele’s cookbooks, then maybe I can interest you in Charles Patterson’s “Eternal Treblinka.” I am sure that would change your perception of using that word towards animal rights activists (who by the way throughout centuries of protest, have never killed a human being or harmed an animal i.e. non violence).
Myna, I do not support the animal breeding industry. All of the animals that are in my care come from rescue/shelter adoption/abandonment cases. That is the entire point behind my post of not adding to the pet population.
Why stop at that criticism though? How much arable land is wasted in growing crops that are fed to animals, so that they can be consumed as food? How much water? How much oil? You may be shocked to find out it is quite massive in comparison to the pet food industry (which runs off of the scraps of the larger slaughter industry).
Dear Myna. I understand your frustration. You’re being challenged to think in a different way about the world and its inhabitants than you’re used to. But if we are to progress as a species, then we need to think differently. You can’t be against violence, and then advocate violence.
You wrote: “I don’t hear these farmers telling you what not to eat,” although I see it in ads every day. But vegans aren’t telling people what to eat or what not to eat; they’re simply saying people shouldn’t eat other animals. It’s the same as saying, you shouldn’t steal, commit adultery, and so on.
If your actions cause harm to someone else, you shouldn’t do it. Pretty simple eh? That’s what vegans are preaching. Compassion, respect and non-violence. How can anyone be against that?
And I think your example of vegan children with rotted teeth is either an isolated, rare instance, and/or a case of incompetent parents. Should we ban automobiles because some people are killed by them? Millions have died from diseases linked to eating meat, so why do you still endorse meat-eating?
Bottom line is this: killing is wrong. You can justify it all you want, or use other words for it like “culling”, but in the end, you’re taking a life that isn’t yours.
If you’re so concerned about the devastion of ecosystems, why don’t you promote the culling, harvesting, whatever you want to call it, of human beings? We’re more destructive to the planet than all other species combined.
The way we’re running the planet (and treating other animals) is unconscionable. Nor is it working. We need a new approach. Veganism IS that new approach. Instead of criticizing it, why not open your mind, and your heart, and try it!
Yes, we should ban automobiles because people are killed by them. It is the #1 cause of death in youth aged, 9 to 21 worldwide.
Millions are injured. Our air is fouled and the noise is horrendous. It is violence. I see automobiles as our weapons of mass destruction.
If we can’t ban them, then we need to regulate and limit the use of them.
Since you are so concerned for animals, I suggest you check out the stats on road kills, excluding people ofcourse, millions of creatures are killed each year.
I have tried out veganism, somedays my diet is just that, a vegan diet. But sometimes I have an organic egg salad sandwich made from fresh eggs from pampered hens who have a wonderful environment to roam and peck about in.
Now, when it comes to living beings, I consider my plants as living beings.
And I eat them.
And some of them I pull out ruthlessly if they are choking my carrots, beets,spinach, etc.
Plants are sensitive too. They like classical music, and if you check with Scientific America a recent article proves they are quite alive.
Why don’t you try a fried grasshopper?
Your perspective is just too limiting
Everything in nature competes for survival.
Myna, please tell me when you find the central nervous system of a carrot. Praytell, what happens to males born to these “pampered” chickens? Garbage bags or incinerators? If you want to be a car-free, holistic vegan you would actually fit in in this community. Believe me.
I am car free and I am a part time vegan but I don’t agree with your approach.
my kids were raised mostly on beans, grains, veggies and fruit and sometimes dairy added.
I would dearly like to be part of a carfree community but not a righteous vegan one that illustrates intolernce to others ., especially towards organic growers.
Excuse me, I have some flies and slugs to attack.
Kill!!!
Myna, again I think you are confusing what veganism is. There is no such thing as “part time” veganism. Just as if I told you I was a part time cannibal, it would make little sense to you. Myna, in all seriousness, you have insinuated that I am a “fascist.” I can’t think of anything more intolerant than throwing that word around at anyone you disagree with. Also, when did I ever put down organic fruits, vegetables, beans, etc?
“Your perspective is just too limiting.” – Myna Lee Johnstone
I think that’s it in a nutshell Myna. You don’t want to be “limited” to just fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and all the many other non-animal products this planet provides, and you don’t want anyone else making you feel bad about it.
You want your animal products but you also want to think you’re eating holistically.
And I assume you also want to be taken seriously, and then write: “Excuse me, I have some flies and slugs to attack. Kill!!!”
Good luck with that.
look, if you want to eat what you do, you are free to do so.
i don’t put you down for eating what you do.
i think it’s great.
actually, i rarely eat animal products, other than a bit of cheese and some occasional butter on my toast and an egg or 2 per week. and some fish,wild and not endangered.
you can’t make me feel bad for what i eat, but i detest your ads.
i detest traffic and the pet industry as well.
Monsanto has shown itself to be a devil in our agricultural world, so check out what’s in pet feeds, and anything you may eat, because there is no mandatory labeling yet. You would be doing the world a better service to get on these other causes than you are with your vegan harrangue.
We have too many” pets” everywhere too.
This is my last comment on this post.
Hello Myna I hope you are enjoying your swim with sharks. However you are wasting your time. If you would actually like to help animals then join and support a hunting and fishing club where they advocate responsible use and stewardship of our wildlife and environment. We are no so righteous as the animal right orgs and have a more realistic approach to survival.
NAfA supporters are actually a small but very vocal group of people that for the most part I have found to be frigid, emotional and intolerant. The hunters and anglers on the other hand are reclusive by nature but would welcome your passion with open arms.
As for the billboard “Why love one but eat the other?” is it not obvious? Kittens and puppies would not digest without discomfort. Any meat eater knows that pigs and chickens are food animals and we also know that NAfA would prefer no one be allowed to keep the other two for pets. I was surprised to see their puppy and kitten were not depicted as slaves in over-sized chains.
Myna by continually responding to their arguments you are only furthering their argument which they will provide no end and will never concede defeat. Watch as they bash me now and I don’t respond. Myna lets go fishing sometime and whoever catches dinner can relax while the other one cooks it.
Oh Niagara Fishing.
If you would like to actually help animals, come torture, maim and murder them. Wow. That’s SOME logic.
Your approach to “survival” is about 5,000 years outdated. You hunt animals because you take pleasure in the hunt and in preforming masculinity. There is no need. There is no survival tactics.
As for meat digestion being different among different species, I think you should spend some time brushing up on Asiatic cultures who have traditionally eaten cats and dogs for centuries. You consider it deplorable, much as they would consider much of our customs to be. No meat digests well in the body, I am sure as you get older you will learn the correlation between colon cancer and meat consumption.
Your understanding of NAFA policies are deficient. The group encourages responsible pet ownership and does provide adoption services for homeless and abandoned cats, as well as Trap/Neuter/Release for feral cats and Spay/Neuter programs for low income families. I suggest you learn more about these policies before you speak as an authority on them in a public forum.
You are killing animals for pleasure and feel entirely justified in doing so. To try to position yourself as the moral authority in this comments section is absurd. Real men are kind to animals.
This is very much a generational battle which you should be aware you are going to lose. Tradition is dwindling and is no match for compassion.
Okay Dan, I’ll take the bait (pun intended!). You and I have had this conversation before, and although we disagreed on some things (and agreed on some things too), we did so with mutual respect and civility. Now you’re insulting those who care about animals and promote a kinder, less violent lifestyle.
Kudos to Dylan for pointing out the flaws in your arguments, but your own comments are just as damaging. You wrote: “If you would actually like to help animals then join and support a hunting and fishing club where they advocate responsible use and stewardship of our wildlife and environment. We are no so righteous as the animal right orgs and have a more realistic approach to survival.”
Say it like it is buddy, instead of employing euphemisms. If you mean killing, then say killing. If you’re proud of what you do, why hide behind words like “responsible use and stewardship”?
And let’s face it Dan, you’re not Grizzly Adams trying to survive on the top of a mountain. You kill animals for “sport”. Okay, maybe you eat some of them too, but it’s primarily a recreational activity. Killing for the fun of it.
Instead of just concentrating on the species, try thinking about the individuals. All animals fear death and all animals wish to live. Your “hobby” robs them of that life. Wildlife stewardship could just as easily be accomplished by a group of nature photographers. You don’t have to kill animals to save them.
But you’re correct about one thing. We (meaning those of us who believe in peace) will never concede defeat. That’s because we’re right. Unpopular for the moment, but right nonetheless.
Oh why did I have to come back and look?
Dan once again you and your kind accuse me of “sport” hunting and enjoying the killing. Why must you outright lie to get your point across Dan? I am a food hunter and I loath the kill. I take no pleasure in killing but have never sugar coated it for my children as accused by Draper. I kill for food and I teach my kids the importance of bleeding out the animal quickly for both humane and food quality reasons.
Dan I think you can’t accept that there are people willing to do these things themselves. I could just as easily order a steak in a restaurant which would warrant the execution of an animal. Yes I am a cold blooded killer when it comes to survival and I will keep these skills sharp and will not judge the vegan. I applaud them. See you in February/March Daniel. Perhaps we can go on a nature walk and you can find us some food in the wild.
I do not hunt for sport or pleasure and I admit I kill animals. Get it through your head and get a realistic argument.
Hey Dan,
Interesting that you see yourself as a cold-blooded killer, then write that you take no pleasure in the killing. ???
Anyways, I’m going to try, one last time, to explain what is “wrong” with your arguments, in the most basic way.
Why, if you loathe killing animals, do you do it? I’m assuming the answer is because you like the taste of their flesh. Since it’s not necessary to maintain good health and nutrition by eating animal flesh, I consider this cruel – causing unnecessary suffering and taking another’s life – the eating of animal flesh for pleasure.
And by the way, you ARE judging vegans. But that’s not a bad thing. Everybody judges everybody and everything. It’s human nature. What is “bad” is defending unnecessary violence.
So sorry my friend, I will not see you in February/March and I will not take you for a nature walk so you can find more animals to kill. Capisci?