An official statement of purpose for the ongoing massive protest was recently released.
It's title is “The Declaration of the Occupation of New York city." It is important for everyone as we see our world being held hostage in so many ways by the power elite. What I love about the declaration is that it is so inclusive—so inclusive, in fact, that animals are on the list of injustices. So often the many protests for human rights sadly exclude animals even though the rights of both are so intricately interconnected. But this time, we see a wider view being taken. Here is part of the statement. (To learn more, go to http://www.nationofchange.org/.)
“As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
“As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.”
What follows the introduction is a list of atrocities. Two of the items on that list are:
• “They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
• “They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.”
It is so heartening to see human rights groups such as this acknowledge the suffering of animals as an intrinsic part of the struggle for an end to oppression in general. Animal rights are human rights. There is no separation. We cannot have one without the other.
Wars, oppression, slavery, and all forms of violence toward people will end when we become nonviolent as a species, and when that bright day of higher consciousness arrives there will also be no more war, oppression, slavery, or any form of violence toward animals or the earth.
In our prayers and thoughts as this awakening of the people continues, let us carry these heroic activists in our hearts and--
May all beings be happy. May all beings be free.
It's title is “The Declaration of the Occupation of New York city." It is important for everyone as we see our world being held hostage in so many ways by the power elite. What I love about the declaration is that it is so inclusive—so inclusive, in fact, that animals are on the list of injustices. So often the many protests for human rights sadly exclude animals even though the rights of both are so intricately interconnected. But this time, we see a wider view being taken. Here is part of the statement. (To learn more, go to http://www.nationofchange.org/.)
“As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.
“As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power. We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.”
What follows the introduction is a list of atrocities. Two of the items on that list are:
• “They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
• “They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.”
It is so heartening to see human rights groups such as this acknowledge the suffering of animals as an intrinsic part of the struggle for an end to oppression in general. Animal rights are human rights. There is no separation. We cannot have one without the other.
Wars, oppression, slavery, and all forms of violence toward people will end when we become nonviolent as a species, and when that bright day of higher consciousness arrives there will also be no more war, oppression, slavery, or any form of violence toward animals or the earth.
In our prayers and thoughts as this awakening of the people continues, let us carry these heroic activists in our hearts and--
See the change and be the change.
Peace is possible for all life everywhere.
Together we can do this.
May all beings be happy. May all beings be free.
