Every weekend for me is a very vegan weekend. Actually that’s misleading. I don’t think one weekend is ever more vegan than another, they’re all vegan, so I don’t think I can label any of them as very vegan. But this is all semantics.
This weekend was a great one for the sake of the animals in my small city in central Mass. It started on Saturday with an effective animal advocacy workshop by Alexis Fox of the Humane Society. Alexis is HSUS state director for Massachusetts, which means she oversees all of our legislative and lobbying activities. Being new to the activist scene, I have a lot to learn when it comes to procedures with legislative lobbying as well as simply what’s effective, and this workshop was a concise but informative way to get my foot in the door. The presentation drew an impressive crowd of about 20 people. Given the demographics of the city this is pretty incredible.
Alexis began the talk by explaining the Humane Society’s roles. They organize rescues from both natural and man-made disasters, enforce animal protection laws, and work on legislation. She emphasized that their work on legislation is incredibly important in the advocacy circle because it legitimizes animal protection issues, raises these issues to the public, and gives activists solid ground to stand on. She then went on to explain how the legislative system works in general and how to decide whether the issue at hand is a federal or state responsibility.
The take-home point of Alexis’ presentation was that citizen advocates have power. To me, this is an encouraging message. It’s easy to feel like your word is lost in the shuffle and that the effort to make changes on a governmental level is useless, but hearing an inside perspective changed those views. I want to share with you a few tips from the workshop that I found helpful. And these apply to any form of advocacy, not just animal rights.
1. More time taken is more meaningful in the eyes of your legislator. The more you inconvenience yourself to lobby your views, the more seriously you’ll be taken. A visit to your legislator means more than a phone call which means more than an email.
2. Do whatever you have time for. If you can’t find time to visit your legislator personally, make the phone call. Every little bit helps. In fact, despite the little interest with which a phone call or email is often met, each contact about a particular bill is a checkmark in your column. Often a legislator will base a decision on which side had the most votes from those he or she represents.
3. Get the public involved. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper, attend public meetings and state your opinions. Do whatever it takes to get people talking and get your legislator listening.
4. Know the bill number and name. In Massachusetts currently there are over 8000 bills on the table. The bill number is an extremely important piece of information to make sure your opinion is heard and also to boost credibility.
5. Be clear and concise. State your opinion in an intelligent manner and don’t vent. Maintain your credibility.
6. Get to know your legislator. People are willing to do more for those they know, so get to know your legislator. Personal touches are always welcomed and remembered. Thank them for work on past bills that you supported. Develop that relationship so you’re memorable and your voice stands out.
Alexis was well-spoken and personable. I left feeling like animal activism is not a radical and impossible battle front but an attainable and worthy cause, and I have a newfound respect for the Humane Society and their work.
After the workshop, which was held at the Loving Hut, it was time for a vegan Chinese food buffet. What better way to celebrate animal activism by eating a compassionate meal?
While I really appreciate Loving Hut for their animal rights advocacy message, and you can’t beat a $10 buffet, the likeness of the food to meat is actually a bit disconcerting. Don’t get me wrong, I downed three plates of the stuff, but I much prefer my plants to taste and feel like plants. Not to mention my displeased tummy, but it’s nothing a lot of vegetables and fermented foods can’t fix.
In all, a successful weekend for me on my journey to animal advocacy. Why would I not want to advocate for this gorgeous girl?
What did you do this weekend?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Posted your article on wellolistic–vegan social network, also followed you on Facebook
Thanks! I’ll definitely have to check out the Wellolistic community
Awww, little Latte is so cute! That meal looks so good! The talk you went to sounds really interest. Glad you enjoyed it!
Isn’t she precious?