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by Sarah Westheimer

As animal rights activists, we have established that the idea of treating animals as our property is wrong. But many of us still choose to avoid thinking about the larger systems of exploitation that animal cruelty is merely a part of. The signs are so pervasive that they often are hard to recognize. Most things that we consume are unethically produced in some way - clothing, electronics, and other products are almost always made under sweatshop conditions. Paper and wood come with widespread environmental destruction and loss of habitat for wild creatures (an animal liberation issue as well).

These are merely symptoms, measurable manifestations of the way humans feel we can treat other humans and our environment. The way that non-human animals are treated is a symptom of disrespect for all life. We need to look deeper into the roots of oppression to find the commonality between all living things, the consistency between the ways in which all living things are exploited. In investigating and abolishing oppression, we must go, in the words of José Marti, "to the root." Why has profit become the motive for most everything humans do? Life and the autonomy of other humans, other species, and the Earth become unimportant in times when our focus is on material goods and the accumulation of wealth. What happens when this is so pervasive that we no longer notice it? And how do we begin to confront and combat the unique problems that arise across the board?

Animal rights activists work hard to make factory farms, fur farms, laboratories and other places of non-human animal exploitation visible to the public eye. Places of human and environmental exploitation are hidden from the people who enjoy the items produced in these places in much the same way. We do not see sweatshops or clear cut rainforests, and we don't often see the environmentally devastating effects of strip mining or heavily polluting factories. On the same note, we won't see the negative effects of our military's pervasive presence around the world, and the industry that profits from inciting terror around the world (granted, the invisibility of these things is due to our privileged position as people who are literate, North American, and most likely educated, etc.). The media exacerbates the problem through catering to the interests of those that give them money. 

The more a person looks, the more she can find parallels in exploitation. In the same way that the USDA protects the interests of meat, dairy and egg farmers, several multinational organizations exist entirely to protect the interest of corporations before the interests of the living and that which has intrinsic value. To draw further connections, international organizations that work to combat hunger act in the interest of agribusiness to try to import factory farming to developing nations. The concept that eating lower on the food chain is a more efficient mode of food production either escapes the members of these organizations or goes unheeded in the interest of capital. The list goes on. 

So while we work towards the liberation of non-human animals, we should also look towards liberation of the Earth and other humans. In decrying domination of other species and promoting peace between species and a non-violent, plant-based diet, we are working towards peace between all living things.

Sarah Westheimer is an activist with MFA and is a senior at Miami University in Oxford, OH. She's been a delegate to Nicaragua to learn about international trade and labor issues, and supports all struggles for animal, earth, and human liberation.

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