Society and freedom

Sin Piel (no Fur) is a demonstration that takes place every year, to raise public awareness about the cost of the manufacturing of fur coats in terms of animal suffering. This year it was done in the steps of Plaça del Rei in Barcelona. In this Reuters photo the activists are preparing for the activity. Fabiola was one of the organizers (in black on the left side):

The demonstration is organized by Anima Naturalis, an international NGO for the promotion and defense of animal rights.

See also photos and coverage in the press.

Heifer whines could be human cries
Closer comes the screaming knife
This beautiful creature must die
This beautiful creature must die
A death for no reason
And death for no reason is murder

And the flesh you so fancifully fry
Is not succulent, tasty or kind
Its death for no reason
And death for no reason is murder

And the calf that you carve with a smile
Is murder
And the turkey you festively slice
Is murder
Do you know how animals die ?

Kitchen aromas arent very homely
Its not comforting, cheery or kind
Its sizzling blood and the unholy stench
Of murder

Its not natural, normal or kind
The flesh you so fancifully fry
The meat in your mouth
As you savour the flavour
Of murder

No, no, no, its murder
No, no, no, its murder
Oh ... and who hears when animals cry ?

Meat is Murder, The Smiths, 1985.

¡Congratulations! it is time to swing the pendulum back. One of the most appealing facts of the US election results, at least to me, is a sharp division between the future and the past. Old people always vote conservative (¡duh!) but in this presidental election this was really evident.

I have seen change and happiness arrive before. In my case it was October 5th, 1988 when a referendum stated that we wanted democracy and not dictatorship in Chile. It was all joy and happiness, but actually very little changed: those who proposed change became the stronger advocates of the past.

It does not have to happen this time. The fact that young people gave the US Democrats their victory is a great reason for hope. But change will not come for free, and this is just a first step. A quote by abolitionist Frederick Douglass is perhaps appropriate:

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what a people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. Men may not get all they pay for in this world; but they must pay for all they get. If we ever get free from all the oppressions and wrongs heaped upon us, we must pay for their removal. We must do this by labor, by suffering, by sacrifice, and, if needs be, by our lives, and the lives of others. (Frederick Douglass in 1857)

The Inalienable Rights Enforcement Initiative is an initiative that could end up in the November'08 ballot in California. It calls for legalizing the growth, sale, and possession of marijuana, collecting taxes on its through a system of stamps and licenses.

Here is the proposition to end the prohibition:

This initiative will amend the Constitution of California to defend and safeguard the inalienable rights of the People against infringement by governments and corporations, providing for the lawful growth, sale, and possession of marijuana. Marijuana will be taxed through a system of stamps and licenses--a $5 stamp will be required for the sale of an eighth ounce of marijuana and a $50 annual license will be required for the growth of one marijuana plant. To protect participants and encourage participation in the system, such licenses and stamps will be available anonymously in stores where marijuana is sold. Valid possession of such a license or stamp will entitle possessors to protection against infringement of their inalienable rights by governments and corporations with respect to the lawful growth, sale, or possession of marijuana. This system will be financed by 10% of the revenues generated by the sale of stamps and licenses. The remaining 90% of revenues will be divided equally-30% to finance the costs of drug treatment, 30% to invest in job training and new jobs, and 30% to be spent at the local level. Any excess shall be redistributed equally among the People, except those in a household making more than five times the median salary.

The Declaration Of Independence From Marijuana Prohibition:

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for the People to assume the power to throw off a harmful and unconstitutional exercise of power by the federal government, and to provide new laws designed to promote, defend, and safeguard their inalienable rights and best interests, a decent respect to the opinions of humankind requires that they should declare their reasons.

We hold these truths to be self-evident--That all people are by nature equal, with inalienable rights, including the rights to life, liberty, reasonable privacy, reasonable property, and a fair opportunity to learn, prosper, and be reasonably happy, healthy, safe, and secure--That the powers and privileges of governments and corporations are granted by the People and are limited to promoting, defending, and safeguarding the inalienable rights and pursuing the best interests of the People--That whenever these powers or privileges become destructive of the rights and best interests of the People, the People have the power to alter or to abolish the power or privilege, and to take the steps necessary and proper to promote, defend, and safeguard their inalienable rights and best interests against government or corporate infringement.

We also hold these truths to be self-evident-That, as an intoxicant, marijuana is far less harmful to the health and safety of the People than alcohol--That, as a smoking substance, marijuana is far less addictive or harmful to the health of the People than tobacco--That, even though alcohol
is harmful to the health and safety of the People, the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933 only increased the harms associated with alcohol use: criminals seized control of the alcohol market, crime and violence increased greatly, and poverty, unemployment, and corruption flourished, while otherwise lawful alcohol drinkers were treated as "criminals" subject to detention, arrest, and incarceration, even though they had not harmed the rights of anyone-- That, as with alcohol prohibition, the prohibition of marijuana has only increased the harms associated with the use of marijuana: criminals control a multi-billion dollar market, crime and violence have increased greatly, and poverty, unemployment, and corruption flourish, while otherwise law-abiding marijuana smokers are treated as "criminals" subject to detention, arrest, and incarceration, even though they have not harmed the rights of anyone-That the history of marijuana prohibition is a history of repeated injuries and infringements upon the inalienable rights, powers, and best interests of the People.

Despite the harms of marijuana prohibition, politicians persist in imposing and upholding marijuana prohibition, because these politicians are not working for the People--they are working for the corporate executives who financed their campaigns, such as corporate executives in the alcohol industry who want to protect their monopoly on intoxication, corporate executives in the tobacco industry who want to protect their monopoly on smoking, corporate executives in the pharmaceutical industry who want to protect their monopoly on expensive medicines, and corporate executives in the many industries threatened by competition with hemp. These corporate executives pull the strings of the government to perpetuate marijuana prohibition despite its harms, because they do not care about the inalienable rights and best interests of the People--they care about taking as much money from the People as possible. These corporate executives also use their control of the mainstream media to make it seem like marijuana prohibition is a failed attempt to serve the interests of the People, censoring the idea that marijuana prohibition is a successful attempt to serve corporate interests at the expense of the People. For these corporate interests, politicians sacrifice the inalienable rights and best interests of the People. This corruption and corporate influence is worse at the national level, where the People can least afford political influence and the media is most effective at manipulating public debate. Because of this corruption, it is futile for the People to turn to the federal government for protection--because the federal government is the source of the harm. The repeated attempts by the People to reduce the harms of marijuana prohibition have been answered only by repeated injury. The harm from marijuana prohibition is ongoing and the need for relief is urgent. Such is the suffering of the People, and such is the necessity that constrains us to alter our former systems of government. A government with a character marked by every act that defines a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Therefore, appealing to humankind for the rightness of our intentions--

We, the People, do hereby solemnly publish and declare that we are and of right ought to be free and independent from the prohibition of marijuana, free to provide for the lawful growth, sale, and possession of marijuana, free from any power or privilege that unreasonably infringes upon our inalienable rights, and free to take the steps and exercise the powers necessary and proper to safeguard our inalienable rights and best interests against government or corporate infringement.

Via: Laist. See the full text of the initiative, or visit NORML.org.

In under 20 minutes, "The Story of Stuff" explains what is wrong with keeping consumption of goods at the top of our list of priorities. This short film explains clearly the impact of our "consumer society" in the environment and in our own lives.

There is a substantial amount of research that was done for this film, and all claims are supported by appropriate citations available in the fact sheet in the website's resources page.

A Spanish version of the video is available in ecosofia.org.