Letter from Susan Houston about Animal Exploitation and Confronting Others - 22 Jul 2006
Letters From All-Creatures.org and The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman Family Foundation

Letter from Susan Houston about Animal Exploitation and Confronting Others - 22 Jul 2006

Also, I start with the easier things to "fix"---- informing people about the exact cruelties in the fur trade, veal raising, lamb, foie gras. Of course, pet overpopulation, animal fighting, treatment in circuses, etc. I have trouble getting to the more difficult, vegetarianism, myself, although there's no doubt, that this is a level I must get to. You know how it is, there are crappy vegetarians/vegans and kind and generous carnivores, who really spend a lot of money and time helping animals, so we have to meet people where they're at. Obviously, you were people on the right path, before you got there, and your inner knowing started you, alongside things you saw and read and heard, I bet.

I have a friend who is a cattle rancher, I live in Texas, and because of me and her own heart, she's practicing more kindness with cattle raising and encouraging others. It makes a difference. She also is trying to stop with the cruel "Hog-dogging" you may have read about (if not, you should look this up on Internet) that is prevalent in many farming/ranching areas and is nothing but a cruel blood sport in both it's forms.

I can't get many friends here to stop wearing fur, and I cannot chastise them, because they'll just turn me off. It's a fine line between expressing your thoughts and advocacy that is threatening to some. Every person responds differently. I am definitely in a social strata where fur wearing is commonplace and it physically sickens me to sit near one such as this. I know that Jane Goodall ( I know her) is kind to all those, wherever they're at, and even goes to labs and tries to encourage more humane treatment of the creatures, and it makes a difference.

She, like we all should, knows that we cannot just immediately stop the meat eating, fur wearing, animal testing, etc., by mere loud shouts and types of attacks, but through example, words here and there, and non-violent or strident action, wherever there's a need. Just as Jesus would do, and Gandhi and MLK, Jr. and others have followed his example. In my heart, I feel angry and have more difficulty in suppressing this. . . .

What do you think?

Susan Houston

Reply from Frank and Mary Hoffman

Dear Susan:

Thanks for the reply.

You guessed our background fairly well. We also know that direct confrontation doesn’t work, but we have also found that the “shock therapy” of exposing people to the horrible truth about animal exploitation and suffering, does have a life changing effect.

The only way we are ever going to stop the cruelty inflicted upon other animals is to give them the legal right not to be subjected to human exploitation.

In the Love of the Lord,

Frank and Mary

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