I am currently writing a graduate thesis on the history of humankind's treatment of nonhumans and of the need to rethink our relationship with nonhumans and evolve toward a more compassionate and empathic role with respect to the entire planet and ALL of its inhabitants.
It is my belief that all animals are endowed with an inalienable right to a
life free from pain, suffering, and cruel death. The plight of nonhumans has
always been very close to my heart, and I have always been disgusted and
horrified that countless animals throughout history have found themselves at the
mercy, and continue in this day and age to find themselves at the mercy of
sadistic, brutal, and uncaring humans. Nonhumans have been the victims of human
ignorance, apathy, over-population, and hierarchical belief systems for far too
long.
Through my research, I have come across many websites that portray the
torture that so many innocent creatures endure at the hands of humans. So many
people adopt an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude, and so I believe my thesis
will have a greater impact if I could include pictures of these atrocities. My
question is: Would it be possible to obtain permission to print and use the
photos from your website and if so, how can I go about that process? The more
people who see these horrific, indescribable images, the greater the chance for
change.
Thank you very much–I appreciate any help you can offer, and I look forward
to hearing from you.
Kindest regards,
Debbie
Reply from Frank and Mary Hoffman
Dear Debby:
Thank you very much for writing, and for picking this subject for your
graduate thesis.
As long as you are using the photos for your thesis, there is no problem with using any of the animal exploitation photos, and most are not copyrighted. There are a few that are indicated as being copyrighted. If you plan to publish your thesis to the public, you will need to get their permission. Other than that, use any of them that you want.
In the Love of the Lord,
Frank and Mary