farm sanctuary speech

Hi, recently I spoke at Farm Sanctuary's Walk for Animals in Central Park. I wanted to post up my speech for all to read. It's the first speech I ever gave. I was so nervous. I can jump around like a monkey on stage and entertain people but public speaking- oh boy- another story. But I did it, in the rain, and some of my good friends like Thunder and June came out to support so that made it easier.

Here it is:

It is a great honor to stand up here and speak in support of Farm Sanctuary. Thank you. What an incredible organization this is. I am continually touched by the efforts of the Sanctuary, whether it’s their efforts in taking in slaughterhouse survivors, or working hard to change legislature like Prop 2 which is a measure to prevent abusive factory farming practices, Or rescuing pigs during the flood in the Midwest who had been left to die after being tortured by the worst living conditions.

I’m going to start with a honest confession. I am a vegan, a RAW vegan, who sometimes struggles with wanting to eat chocolate. Milk chocolate. And let me tell you what I think about when I look at that ubiquitous Snickers bar that tempts me from pretty much every single minbar all over the world when I’m on tour: I think about the dairy cow who must stand on metal slats on the ground 24 hours a day, who must be literally raped by big machines that inseminate her to keep her pregnant so she is constantly pregnant; I think about how her baby is ripped away from her so that the tiny baby can become veal, chained up so he can’t move so he can be more tender, i.e without muscles; and when I think about the yummy caramelly center of the Snickers bar I think about how the dairy cow only lives a miserable 4 or 5 years max instead of the 25 she is supposed to live, collapsing at the end of her life exhausted and in shock.

Another thing is, I love shoes. Sometimes if I see a really nice pair of Manolos I think ooh maybe just one pair. And then, I have to remind myself – where does leather come from? Most leather comes from India. They don’t really like to kill cows in India. So they have to take the cows on a horrible death march to a nearby county where they can kill them. The cows are herded onto trucks without food or water for trips that take days, then they are marched to their demise- sometimes cayenne is rubbed in their eyes or they are whipped so they will keep walking, and then finally they are slaughtered, sometimes with a blunt knife slicing across their necks very slowly as they bleed to death.

So, I don’t get the shoes.

The point is, we human beings are wanting machines. I am no exception. We want our food to taste good, We want to look good, we want this we want that. And we want it NOW. But what are we actually doing? What are the consequences of our actions? Does fulfilling our wants create suffering or does it create harmony?

Wanting CAN indeed create harmony-We all want good things- we all want peace, we want joy for ourselves and others (well sometimes for others..) we all want to be happy. That is pretty much universal, whether you are a human being or an animal being. Even a little worm will inch its way out to the sunshine.

I am sure you all know the Gandhi quote Be the Change you wish to see in the world. We all want to end war, we all want peace we all want non-violence. How do we manifest that? By stopping all war and violence in ourselves. If we eat meat or dairy or use animal products like leather we are a part of the violence, cruelty and horror of modern life. WE are at war. Our personal actions DO make a difference in profound ways and it is up to us to start living up to our own personal potential of inner peace, harmony and love.

My amazing teachers Sharon Gannon and David Life of Jivamukti yoga taught me this Sanskrit
prayer : Lokah Samasta Suki Noh Bavantu, May all beings everywhere be happy and free and may my thoughts words and actions Contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all. Let our actions contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all-

The month of October is world vegetarian month so this is perfect timing- I’m going to pause for a minute and everyone close your eyes. Please take one moment and consider what one thing you can leave out of your diet or your wardrobe or maybe one action you could take that will make your world -and consequently OUR world- a better place.

I promise I won’t ever eat a Snickers bar again. Thank you so much and thank you Farm Sanctuary for all the amazing work you do and for making such a difference in the world!