(written 8 Oct. 1999)
Hi, everyone.
The trial for two Compassion Over Killing activists stemming from arrests last April as a result of our participation in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus ended today. We had been charged with unlawful entry (refusing to leave), and the jury found us both guilty.
Sean Day prepared and executed an incredible defense for us and we certainly gave the jury, the prosecutors, the judge, and all of the other people in the courtroom much to think about in regards to animal rights and the dedication of nonviolent activists.
Sentencing will be next Wednesday.
The prosecution recommended the following: two days in jail, one year supervised probation, community service, and a stay-away order from *any* circus.
I read the following statement to the judge:
Thank you for this opportunity to speak.
Everywhere we look, in virtually every aspect of our daily lives, are products of exploitation: the exploitation of humans, the environment, and, most pervasively, the exploitation of nonhuman animals.
Several years ago, I asked myself the difficult question of why, if I’m concerned enough about violations of basic human rights that I would protest against apartheid in the mid-80s and speak out on behalf of battered women and demonstrate against violence and war; and, if I’m concerned enough about violations against the earth that I would recycle and live simply and encourage others to do the same; then why would I continue to perpetuate the needless suffering and deaths of billions of animals for human use each and every year.
The answer was simple: I just never thought about a nonhuman animal’s right to live free of suffering and exploitation.
I’ve since educated myself to the countless ways—the painfully simple ways—I can choose compassion over killing. From the clothes I wear to the toiletries I use to the food I eat, and, yes, to the "entertainment" I enjoy. And I’ve dedicated my life to educating others to live in harmony with all of our companions on this earth.
Through public awareness outreach campaigns, peaceful protest, and, at times, nonviolent acts of civil disobedience, I ask people to take a closer look into the choices they make and encourage them to make informed decisions before choosing death and suffering over kindness and respect.
If you read a story in The Washington Post about dozens of newborns ripped from their families in Asia or South Africa, shackled through infancy, and beaten repeatedly until their spirits were broken and they learned there was no use struggling against their oppressors, you would be shocked. If you then read that these same children—now toddlers—were shipped across the ocean in poorly ventilated cargo holds only to arrive in a land as far removed from their natural environments as can be imagined, just to be routinely hit and deprived of the most basic fundamentals of life, and left to spend up to 20 hours each and every day chained—released only to cater to their master’s wishes, you would be outraged. My question is this: how is the exploitation of these children any different if they are human babies or elephant babies?
Alice Walker said it so eloquently when she wrote: "The animals of this world exist for their own reasons. They were not created for humans any more than blacks were created for whites, or women for men."
I have only one single regret from my actions on April 4, 1999, and that is that my participation in nonviolent civil disobedience was not enough to stop the needless suffering of the animals abused and exploited by Ringling Bros. to perform unnatural tricks for our "entertainment" and to line their coffers
Thank you.
____________________
Sean volunteered his services and spent countless hours on our case. Please make a donation to support him and his efforts to defend animal rights activists and our actions on behalf of the voiceless.
Please make checks payable to Sean Day and send to:
Sean Day Compassion Over Killing
P.O. Box 9773
Washington, DC 20016
____________________
To learn more about the CD, please visit: http://www.cok-online.org/abolit/seven/rbbb.htm
For total liberation, Miyun