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Notes from Vegan
Outreach
As we continue to profile our top
Adopt
A College leafleters,
this week we turn to Richmond, VA
activist, Jeff Boghosian. During
the 2004 – 2005 school year, Jeff
handed out a total of 4,997 Vegan
Outreach booklets directly to college
students. When not leafleting at
colleges by himself, Jeff is actively
involved with Compassionate
Action For Animals out of Richmond
and also involves himself with human
rights causes. Below are some excerpts
from our interview with him:
What made you decide to start
leafleting and if you were nervous
the first time, how did you get
over it?
I decided to start leafleting because
I was searching for new ways to
reach people in an effective and
direct way...
I was definitely very nervous in
the beginning. Regrettably, my first
box of Why Vegan? booklets
sat in my closet for close to a
year before I started. I got over
my nervousness by realizing that
it's just something that has to
be done if we want more people to
go vegan. I recognized that the
VO brochures were accurate and effective,
and also that there is nothing wrong
with offering people information
in a friendly way. I think most
people don't want to cause animal
suffering, and even though they
may 'like the taste of meat,' they
will be open for change if we present
it the right way.
In my first time leafleting, I started
small. I first searched for a place
where I'd feel comfortable. I leafleted
from the side of the sidewalk, skipping
anyone who was in a hurry or who
looked even remotely intimidating,
and especially looking for people
who made eye contact. I found that
some people were curious and wanted
to take a brochure regardless of
what it was, while others didn't
want one. Once I started, the nerves
(mostly) went away.
What would you say to individuals
hesitant about leafleting?
... I was also personally
hesitant because I know learning
about factory farming will undoubtedly
cause anguish and anger in people,
and I'd rather not be the messenger.
But animal suffering is real, and
needs to be addressed both for the
animals' sake and because most people
aren't living true to themselves
when they support factory farming.
So even though the brochure will
evoke uncomfortable feelings and
possibly anger, I think most people
will ultimately think it a good
thing to have personally addressed
the issue.
Read
the entire interview here!
Product of the Week: Chik'n
Both Joe Espinosa and Gil Schwartz
recently wrote to rave about Boca,
which has recently reintroduced
their Chik'n
patties and nuggets
without the eggs and milk products
they previously had.
Send your nominees for Product
of the Week to product@veganoutreach.org;
previous products can be found here.
Notes from All
Over
Vegan Outreach is on the ballot
for Favorite Website (question 36).
Go
to the Veg News homepage,
and click on the "Vote for
the 2005 Veggie Awards" icon.
by Edgar Kupfer-Koberwitz,
written in the Concentration Camp
Dachau, in the midst of all kinds
of cruelties.
"You asked me why I do not
eat meat.... I refuse to eat animals
because I cannot nourish myself
by the sufferings and by the death
of other creatures. I refuse to
do so, because I suffered so painfully
myself that I can feel the pains
of others by recalling my own sufferings.
... These creatures are smaller
and more helpless than I am, but
can you imagine a reasonable man
of noble feelings who would like
to base on such a difference a claim
or right to abuse the weakness and
the smallness of others? Don't you
think that it is just the bigger,
the stronger, the superior's duty
to protect the weaker creatures
instead of persecuting them, instead
of killing them? 'Noblesse oblige.'
I want to act in a noble way."
"Two sows are kept in farrowing
stalls, also called 'crates,' that
confine the animals and restrict
their movements. ... But hog producer
Phyllis Willis of Thornton calls
the crates unethical. ... 'I have
a problem seeing an animal locked
up like that,' Willis said."
Notes from Our
Members
I went to the Warped
Tour and was handed
the pamphlet. I had no idea this
was going on. I am now a vegetarian
and will do whatever I can to help
end this cruelty.
-LS, Northville, MI,
8/1/05
 Paul
[Francione, at right with a body-screen
TV; click on the picture for a larger
version, to see the looks on
the people's faces] and I agree
that it was our best leafleting
so far. We handed out more than
250 pamphlets in less than 1.5 hours.
At times, I couldn't even get through
the crowd anymore because it was
so packed (I took the pictures when
it was less busy). People were actually
raising their hands to make sure
that they get a pamphlet. Reaction
was pretty much the same as usual:
indignation, shock, some tears,
but also a lot of thumps-ups for
what we were doing. At any rate,
it was a smashing success today!
-Niels Feuerhahn, Montreal,
QC, 7/25/05
I learned about Adopt
a College at the
recent Animal Rights conference
here in Los Angeles. Today was my
first time leafleting at Cal State
LA, my wife's alma mater, and it
was a fantastic experience. I spent
the first hour getting reacquainted
with the campus and the second hour
giving out 191 Why Vegans,
mostly to high school kids. I couldn't
believe how polite everyone was,
especially in contrast to protests.
And it seemed like almost everyone
was reading it. One young lady carrying
some bags took one and began reading
it as she walked. When she approached
the trash can she shouted "Oh
God!" and threw something in
the garbage. When I went to get
the pamphlet out for possible reuse,
I realized that it was her chicken
lunch which she had discarded.
-SS, Burbank, CA, 7/29/05
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you can see
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