Vegetarian Summerfest – SAEN Takes Animal Rights on the Road
Stop Animal Exploitation NOW! staff were active participants in
Vegetarian Summerfest 2009, which was held on the campus of the
University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown. SAEN brought the animal rights
message to a receptive audience of over 600, leading presentations on
topics from animal experimentation to biblical perspectives on animal
rights.
On the first full day of Summerfest, SAEN’s Executive Director,
Michael Budkie, led a moving session titled The Grief of Dealing
with Animal Issues. Despite being scheduled simultaneously with
two of the conference’s most popular speakers, this session overflowed.
Michael’s presentation opened by discussing the enormity of animal
issues – 20 million die in labs annually, 10 billion die for food, etc.
The focus then shifted to the isolating and depressing nature of the
issues we focus on. Michael shared experiences from his training as an
animal care technician – hearing rabbits scream, feeling a mouse die in
his hand, etc. Then the session was opened up to allow all of the
attendees to share their own feelings. The presentation ended with
Michael urging activists to keep fighting for the animals, just as they
keep fighting for their own freedom, despite their imprisonment in steel
cages.
On Friday, Michael’s presentation brought the truth about animal
experimentation to the Summerfest audience. What every Caring
Person should know about Animal Experimentation, and what they can do
equipped activists with factual information about the reality of animal
experimentation, as well as teaching the best methods for investigating
research facilities and launching campaigns to end animal experiments.
What the Bible has to say about a Plant-based Diet and Animal Rights
was a panel discussion that took place on Saturday to a packed
house. Milton Mills MD moderated the panel and presented a Christian
perspective while Roberta Schiff presented a Jewish perspective on
animal issues. Mr. Budkie’s talk focused on the overall compassionate
nature of the Christian message, using Jesus as an example of how we
should understand the true meaning of concepts like stewardship and
dominion. With Jesus’ life used as a basis for interpreting these
concepts it becomes clear that human dominion over other species should
be a dominion of service and caring, not exploitation. When the concept
of stewardship of creation is re-interpreted in light of Jesus’ New
Testament teachings, it is clear that stewardship actually means that we
are caring for a world which is NOT our property to use and
abuse. The earth belongs to the Creator and as stewards we will be held
responsible for our actions relating to both animals and the
environment. Again, stewardship does not imply license, but service.
We believe that SAEN’s involvement in the Vegetarian Summerfest 2009
conference brought the animal rights message to a sympathetic audience
that is becoming increasingly more attuned to ending the abuse of
animals in their daily lives.
