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View Full Version : AR Leaflets - Not Accessible Enough?



TofuFooYung
May 13th, 2006, 11:35 PM
Just wondering what everyone thinks of the average AR leaflet.

Although turning a stranger vegan/vegetarian and/or more compassionate towards animals would be wonderful, lets face it, it's too slow a process to rely on.

Take something like shutting down a laboratory... the average leaflet just doesn't seem accessible enough for the average person. If they cared about animals enough to make a decent enough stand for anti-vivisection etc, then surely they'd be vegetarian. I know many 'animal lovers' who still enjoy their steak. They'll nod their head and agree that vivisection is wrong... but what will they do? They continue to buy P & G, will NEVER write a letter or make a phonecall, STILL buy factory farmed foods.

I think rather than asking them to care about animals, we need to hammer home more of the points that affect them directly. i.e. rather than a leaflet saying 'this monkey endures agony in a laboratory... help stop this from happening', instead, have an image of a human who has suffered as a result of animal-tested drugs and say "You could be next" or anything, to at least get through to people that the AR activists aren't just fighting for animals, but for them and their loved ones too.

i.e. say for instance, a large animal-unfriendly business is set to open up in a town with low employment with X amount of jobs opened up the locals... telling them to feel sorry for lab animals isn't going to cut it. Leaflets objecting to environmental damage, noise pollution, congestion, tax payers money being wasted etc may do the trick better?

Don't mean to sound negative :-) I know a picture of a dissected monkey breaks our hearts, but some people are too far removed to care. And some people will even admit they'd be hypocrites to care given that they eat meat in the first place.

Your thoughts, peeps.

ravenfire
May 14th, 2006, 02:36 AM
I think too many people have fallen into the trap of believing that "this is just how the world works and there's nothing I can do about it". Look at what my fellow Americans are letting happen to their country. Most of us don't have any healthcare, 25% of our children live in poverty, we've essentially lost our right to privacy and many other freedoms seem close behind. Yet the majority does nothing because "that's just the way the world works". I, personally, don't see that the world is working too well and think that we need to drastically change it! We need to figure out how to get the majority to wake up and want to make the world a better place.

pat sommer
May 14th, 2006, 10:10 PM
one day at at a time, my children. We only have 'access' to those we make eye contact with each day. A message T-shirt, a carrier bag, ordering a vegan sandwhich are all opportunities to connect and show the world what we care about. And ain't it great to have the right brochure to hand to the curious aquaintence! Right, who's going to have a go at desktop publishing?

Span
May 14th, 2006, 11:03 PM
I'm actually right with you on this one TofuFooYung. I've met far too many people who say 'yes it's sad but......'. The dissected monkey horrifies us, but I know people who watch AR videos without flinching, who see factory farming and will go and cook a bacon sandwich. It just doesn't affect them.

However, I truly think that we should market this life style slowly but in a capacity that is relevant to them. Target cancer statistics, childhood illnesses and vaccinations, numbers of people who died because of useless animal testing, the ACTUAL health dangers that happen due to fast food or ready meals. Tell them what parabens and SLR's are and what they do to you (and show them what to buy instead and where to but it). The money spent on the health service due to obesity (and what it could be spent on instead). If they have kids, target that, elderly parents, target that. Give them real remedies to cancer/diabetes etc.

I think if we could steer people away from Cancer research etc, and tell them the truth about that kind of stuff, both the dietary statistics and animal testing flaws etc. If the population stopped lining their pockets out of absolute fear and learnt the truth, it could make a huge difference. (obviously it is an individuals choice, but the facts should be made common knowledge)

I think the 'heart' strategy doesn't always work, it only works on compassionate people, who are probably the ones who are already making life changes and investigating the truth. The' head' strategy needs to be deployed. That it affects them right now, not 'just animals'. I think that could make the biggest changes of all.