Would You Crawl Into A Cage for the Animals?
Cesar Asebedo reporting LIVE for Jane Unchained News Network at home with Ellen Andrea Dent co-founder of Animal Save Movement group Animal Alliance Network. Today Ellen is taking the Coronavirus Confinement. Challenge along with activists around the world in solidarity with the billions of animals worldwide who are confined their whole lives 24/7 365 days a year! Tune in, share, and try taking the challenge at home. Get creative: use a box, bathtub, closet, or tape off an area if you don’t have a cage. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #CoronavirusConfinementChallenge! This is an amazing way to take action and raise awareness with powerful imagery right from your own home on your social media!
I can tell you as an animal rights activist that this Coronavirus Confinement Challenge was possibly one of the hardest that I have ever done. The physical act of confining myself into a cage for a little over an hour was not the most difficult part. Although it was uncomfortable and my body ached during and afterward, the true pain I felt stemmed from the knowledge that billions of animals worldwide were in the same or similar predicament, and they would never be free. As I sat in this cage with about 828 square inches to call my own I imagined the 12 chickens that would be crammed into a cage similar to this one, and the 67 square inches they are given individually to live out their entire lives.
I knew that after my hour was up I was free to pop the top off of this kennel and resume my life. I could go to the bathroom, decompress in a warm shower, and eat some warm fresh food. None of these liberties would be afforded to the animals who have been forced to live this by our species. Instead, they are left to wallow in their own filth in cages even less comfortable than this one with its clean smoothly textured plastic bottom. These animals may be thrown, beaten, kicked, and stomped on by their oppressors. The only daylight they may ever see is on the vehicle transporting them to slaughter where their internal light will be forever extinguished.
As my body displayed signs of stress my hands and feet became clammy, my legs, back, and neck cramped, and my toes fell asleep. I thought to myself my incredible fortune of being born a human animal. My wealth is in the form of freedom and the ability to live out my life as I see fit. The same liberties that should be a birthright to all animals. I thought of how our species entraps and tortures other species for our consumption. We exert our power over our fellow animals because we think that we have the right to their bodies, and that is simply not the truth. We have violated the rights of other beings for too long. This challenge made me realize even more how wrong our treatment of animals is. The need for our species to evolve past this violence has never been more apparent until now.
As we experience this Coronavirus crisis together and our lives have been confined to our homes, we have been given this life-changing opportunity to make better choices as a species. All research points to the origins of this coronavirus (COVID-19) and other similar viruses of the past like Swine Flu (H1N1), Bird Flu (H5N1 and H7N9), SARS (SARS-CoV), and more illnesses are caused by humans producing and consuming animal products. In the case of this most recent virus, it has been attributed to a wet market in Wuhan, China. As a species, we can put an end to this and prevent the next zoonotic outbreak by treating our fellow earthlings with the same respect that we would want extended to us. All beings deserve to be free to live, love and be loved. Our practices have made these simple freedoms impossible for other animals.
The Coronavirus Confinement Challenge provokes us to take our current confinement in our own homes as part of the worldwide quarantine to the next level. It sheds light on the dark truth that industries like animal agriculture, animal experimentation, fashion, and zoos do not want you to see. It empowers activists to make a powerful statement without having to leave their homes. Our current quarantine confinement pales in comparison to what other animals endure their entire lives. Hopefully, as activists from around the world show what humans look like in somewhat comparable conditions we force animals to endure, they will be able to make the connection so we can evolve as a species that respects all other life on this planet, including our own.
Take the Challenge!
Step 1: Decide which cage/crate you want to use (battery cage, gestation crate, calf hutches, etc.). Step 2: Get creative and measure the living space for any farmed animal in your own home (tape lines on the floor, use cardboard boxes, a sheet of paper, shower, bathtub, closet, etc.). Step 3: Choose how long you will stay confined (I hour, 6 hours, 24 hours, etc.).
Step 4: Create a post, video or live stream to share on your social media platforms. Use this opportunity to educate, inspire, and reflect.
Step 5: Tag @thesavemovement and 3 friends you would like to take the challenge as well. Make sure to use the hashtags:
#CoronavirusConfinementChallenge #switchtoplantbased
Check out these other brave activists who participated in The Coronavirus Confinement Challenge:
Attend a weekly vigil after the quarantine is lifted with Los Angeles Animal Save on Sundays and with Animal Alliance Network on Wednesdays.
Connect with your local Animal Save Movement chapter to attend a vigil and get involved.
Cesar Asebedo reporting for JaneUnchained News Network.
Photos courtesy of Cesar Asebedo.
Edited by Celia Asebedo.
