Download “Thinking Critically About Animal Rights”
I’m keeping this post featured here for a while, until I think of something more interesting to do with it.
Here’s the pamphlet (Download TCAAR5.pdf), and here’s my suggestion: If you like it, great! If you hate it, use it as a prototype for what not to do and make your own, and learn from all of my mistakes.
As you know, the message that animals aren’t ours to use is, well, short. Oh, and then there’s the reality that most people won’t agree, although they’re not sure why (they’re just protecting their lifestyle), hence the discussion about common misconceptions. If someone is going to tell me it’s okay to use animals, I at least want them to know what all of that use entails.
UPDATE: It looks fabulous on 11 x 17 (8.5 x 11 when folded) on 100# paper. The cost difference between that and 80# or 28# laser is negligible. I will also lay it out to be smaller, using 8.5 x 11 paper.
Thank you Mary. I like the pamphlet. This can only help abolitionists. As you say, we will all benefit from reading/evaluating it… and seeing how people react to it (which I'm sure you will write about at sometime in the future). Definitely let us know what you learn about printing it.
I love the pamphlet, Mary! It's very informative, especially given all of the misinformation about "happy meat and eggs" and "humane" slaughter.
Thanks Mary, your pamphlet is great. I am planning to do a similar Australian version.
Thanks Mary, looking forward to having a read of it. What size is it meant to be by the way?
Thinking Critically About Animal Rights (TCAAR) was revised twice yesterday. Specifically, something that wasn't supposed to be italicized was normalized, and I changed three words on the first page after speaking with Gary Francione. ("Most people think animal rights . . . ." was changed to "Most animal rights advocates think animal rights . . . ") The term animal rights has, in practice, come to mean something different from what it means (/is supposed to mean) in theory, and I think it's time we take back the term. The right to not be used by another–that's what animal rights has meant to me for 20 years. (Again, what happens with that in practice is largely contradictory.) If you downloaded TCAAR3, you have the correct version.
TCAAR will, I'm sure, be revised again in the future. As for the printing, Kinko's would've charged $8/pamphlet, and that's not even with great paper, and they couldn't even do it for some reason (I didn't stick around long enough to find out why). Kinko's isn't a great place to print anything when you're concerned with minimizing costs anyway.
I have two appointments with printers today to work it all out. My intention was an 8 1/2 x 11 pamphlet. I'll print a sample smaller one to see if it is easy to read. If so, that could solve a couple of problems.
Okay, Sir Speedy is definitely the place.
Paper-11 x 17, 100# is stylin', and 28# laser is less stylin' but remarkably similar in price. I find in my non-animal nonprofit work, the nicer the brochure or package, the less likely it will be tossed in the garbage, and the more likely it'll be treated like a magazine and sit in the house somewhere where guests can check it out. But that's me. I also get information at smaller, more intimate gatherings. Never by walking by someone on the street.
100 copies = $3.40, 500 = 2.32, 1000 = 2.02 each.
I'm going to check out making them smaller, so 8.5 x 11 paper can be used. I might have to redo the layout or font, but if it makes it less expensive and more people can use them, I'm happy to do that.
Finally, this is for a gorgeous, full color semi-glossy pamphlet with great, substantial stock, and I'm sure making it black and white will halve the price. I'll check that out, too.
Mary – that is a beautiful pamphlet which I will consider a 'landmark' document. Thank you for mentioning the Iditarod and Yukon Quest, two of the biggest exploiters of 'Man's best friend.' You are truly great.
Okay, I did change the first section from Abolition, to Animal Rights, which makes more sense as Animal Welfare is next and it makes the distinction clearer. There's rights, and there's welfare. and then there's "For the purposes of this brochure, animal rights . . . This is also known as abolition, which is a nonviolent . . . ."
You'll recall way, way back, that For the purposes of this brochure was my original intro to the idea. I feel more comfortable with it this way.
Excellent, Mary! Very informative and well-written.
Mary,
Your pamphlet is well written. You are an excellent advocate and spokeswoman for animal rights. I do not agree with all that you wrote. However, no one could have done a better job portraying the AR message to the public at large while ‘deconstructing’ the often misused common terms that are association with your laudable cause.
There is one update that you might consider revising. From page 4 of your pamphlet: “As of this writing, horses are still slaughtered here for human consumption elsewhere.”
I think that is over now but horses are still shipped to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. Perhaps you should clarify that statement so any detractors cannot question your facts:
End Horse Slaughter Permanently
http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/citizen_lobbyist_center/help_end_horse_slaughter.html
I've changed the bit about horse slaughter, so as not to mess up the layout, to: horses are still transported out of the country to be slaughtered for human consumption overseas. I realize that might change. Thanks, everyone.