I promised some information in regards to speciesism in another post and am following through with that today. A wonderful resource for questions and additional information is Olympia Animal Rights(OAR) which can be contacted at

olympiaar@gmail.com

I am happy to offer additional information or suggested reading to those who wish it and am likely to refer other questions to OAR.

Speciesism has been discussed on OlyBlog in context with sexism, for which a great resource is the book, The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol Adams. This slide show offers an additional glimpse of Adam's work.

Another context in which speciesism has been discussed is in relation to racism and I think that Breeze Harper does an excellent job discussing that at her Sistah Vegan Anthology Site. She mentions a book called The Dreaded Comparison by Marjorie Spiegel, which discusses racism and speciesism in the context of oppressor's privilege. It's a short read and I highly recommend it for those wishing to know more about how animal rights relates to social justice issues.

Here is an anarchist's discussion of speciesism in Anthropological Basis and History of Anthrarchy.

There will be a vegan potluck at Sunny Tree Vegetarian FoodMart
on Saturday, Jan. 12 starting at 3pm.
Join us for some great food!!
Bring a vegan dish and your own plate, silverware, etc.
Organic juices and teas may be purchased at Sunny Tree.

Please pass on the invitation to other interested parties and we hope to see you there!

Sunny Tree Vegetarian FoodMart
131 Decatur St. NW, Oly
(360) 943-9633
(360) 943-9727
Map to Sunny Tree
What is a vegan? (from the American Vegan Society)
VEGANS (pronounced VEE-guns) Live on products of the plant kingdom.
Veganism is compassion in action.
It is a philosophy, diet, and lifestyle.
Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and all other foods of animal origin.

-- Practice Peace on your plate...go vegetarian!
Vegetarian Starter Kit

"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."
ADA Position Paper on Vegetarian (including Vegan)Diets

"Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems," senior UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official Henning Steinfeld said. "Urgent action is required to remedy the situation."
Livestock's Long Shadow

From the Action For Animals newsletter:

Vegans take personal responsibility for making the world a better place by giving up meat, dairy products, eggs, and other animal-derived items. By doing so they don't contribute to the needless suffering of animals.

Living a vegan lifestyle is one of the best things you can do to help animals. On average a person switching from the standard American diet to a vegan diet will prevent the abuse and killing of over 100 animals per year.

If you are not already vegan please resolve to cut all meat, egg and dairy products out of your diet. If you don’t feel you can go vegan “cold turkey,” resolve to reduce your animal product consumption by a set amount every week, until you are completely vegan. Please also resolve to stop buying all leather, wool, and down and any household and personal care products that have been tested on animals. Products and clothing you already own could be used up or worn out, no need to toss out these items. Remember as far as the animals are concerned – future choices are what matter.

If you would like more information on why and how to become vegan please request a free vegan starter pack from AFA at
Action For Animals Vegan Starter Kit

Please also listen to the Veganism in a Nutshell audio for great information and motivation:
Mercy For Animals Kit

PETA:
Veg Kit from PeTA

Compassion Over Killing: