It all began last Thanksgiving when I chose to adopt, not eat, a turkey. I sent 15 dollars to Farm Sanctuary in New York in order to save a turkey from a commercial turkey hunt. About a month later I got a picture of my adopted turkey in the mail. Her name is Nila, and she is living peacefully at the Farm Sanctuary in California. It really brought tears to my eyes, she was so beautiful, and I was so happy to be her "adopted mother." I felt proud because I had saved a life that Thanksgiving day.
Ever since that day, I've received quite a few animal rights brochures and cries for help in the mail. I became overwhelmed, wanting to send my money and support to every single animal rights agency. Whenever I receive a plea for help in the mail concerning an animal rights issue, or a bill trying to make it to senate, I am quick to write letters to senators, companies, and agencies, whoever I need to convince or encourage. But when it comes to money, my financial state is quite unlike my ability to write. While the first just ceases to exist, the other comes easily and with gusto. Oh yes, I can and WILL convince them to give animals the rights they deserve, just please don't ask me to send any money!
It's quite a dilemma for a girl like myself, who is currently un-employed, saving money to travel to Hawaii, and who spends a small fortune each week on organic produce. So what's a person to do? I know I don't have the money to give to every agency that asks for help whenever they ask for help. The problem is that I still end up feeling guilty, as if an innocent dog, cat, mouse, cow, pig or other dear animal may be suffering because of MY lack of involvement in their liberation from the ugly throngs of animal abuse. And in reality, this is true. Every little effort helps. And every lack of effort contributes to the mass of people who just don't care about making a difference. But what I've come to realize is that money isn't the only way to make changes, or express my beliefs on animal rights. All hail to the power of the pen!
Whenever the opportunity arises, I write senators and congressmen voicing my concern, or in many cases my support of their efforts to ban animal cruelty and create laws that protect animals from lives of torture and abuse. Usually animal rights agencies need money. For instance, a few months ago I got a letter in the mail from the Animal Legal Defense Fund asking for my signature on a petition as well as my financial support. Well, I hadn't yet given any money to an agency (excluding saving Nila last Thanksgiving), so I sent them what I could, 10 dollars. I also wrote a long letter to the congressman specifically trying to do away with a key animal rights bill. I felt that I had done my part for the day.
I find that the easiest thing to do is to send loving vibrations to all animals everywhere, to ask for their healing and an end to their suffering. This I can do all hours of the day, with only a little effort. Now, if I had somehow landed a huge amount of cash, this essay would have taken a much different angle. Be happy to do only as much as you CAN do in any given moment, and never give up!
Anna was the winner of the "How I Went Raw" Essay Contest 2003. Read her story.
