Happy Birthday Gary Francione!
Today is Gary Francione‘s birthday, and to express my gratitude for all he has done, I will match, dollar-for-dollar, the first $1,000 in cash donations to Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary in his name.* Peaceful Prairie is the only abolitionist farmed animal sanctuary in the country, and is run entirely by volunteers. Read the stories of the residents, look at the spectacular photos and check out their vegan-as-moral-baseline-philosophy. Professor Francione has and is so impressed that he asked his readers to support them earlier this year.
Though I have always been an abolitionist, I, like many of you, used to think that abolition would come about through incremental reforms that reduced suffering. As Professor Francione would likely say, I wasn’t an abolitionist at all–I was a new welfarist
(.pdf download–and worth it). But thanks largely to Professor Francione’s books and website, I have altered my personal focus, my activist focus and my philanthropic focus with regard to animal rights.
If you have been similarly influenced, and you’d like to express your gratitude to the most significant voice in abolition, make a donation to Peaceful Prairie (press the "Make a Donation" button on the sidebar, and type "Happy Birthday Gary Francione" in the "Payment for" space at the top). Send Professor Francione an e-mail (gfrancione@kinoy.rutgers.edu) and tell him about the difference he’s made in your thinking, eating and activism. And of course, wish him a Happy Birthday.
Matching gifts are an important vehicle to motivate potential donors to either give at that moment (when they were perhaps thinking about giving at another time), or to give more than they ordinarily would. Please use my offer as an incentive to give as much as you can to a vegan organization that directly helps farm animal every day of the year.
I’m going to visit Peaceful Prairie to deliver my donation in person and spend some time with the people and the animals. Naturally, I’ll let you know how that goes.
*Professor Gary Francione had nothing to do with this birthday gift idea.
Hi Mary, have you looked at the site for Pigs Peace Sanctuary in Washington? (pigspeace.org) I know they don't go into veganism/abolition on their site but they own and run the only vegan store in that state. I have read just about everything on the Peaceful Prairie site & downloaded their excellent PDFs. It does sound like a wonderful place.
Also, please check out http://www.animalplace.org/food.html. As you'll see, this sanctuary has a campaign to get local humane societies to be consistent in their treatment of all animals (as in not serving animals at fundraisers to help other animals), and they have a "Go vegan" page as well.
This is a wonderful idea, Mary. Thanks for doing this.
I have started a thread about this on the Vegan Freaks forum: http://veganfreaks.net/forum/showthread.php?p=309619#post309619
Hey Mary, Thanks so much for this generous and thoughtful offer! Your readers are responding enthusiastically – Thanks Everybody, for supporting our work!
From All of us at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary,
Happy Birthday Professor Francione!
Thank you, Mary, for knowing me well enough to think of a present that would be meaningful to me.
After listening and reading everything I can on Gary Francione, I could never return to that person, who sometimes, has cream with her coffee or sneaked enjoyment from samples of cheese when market shopping.
Just last week I bought shoes. There in the aisle I stood with sandals in my hands that were prettier and cheaper than non leather. I was presented with another choice. My paradigm shift is becoming complete. I am very happy with my
non leather sandals. I need to go now and empty out my bathroom.
Happy Birthday to you Gary.