WELCOME TO SAGA!

"It is only by softening and disguising dead flesh by culinary preparation, that it is rendered susceptible of mastication and digestion; and that the sight of its bloody juices and raw horror does not excite intolerable loathing and disgust."                                - Percy Bysshe Shelley 

Previous Winners...

Summer 2007
Congratulations to Suzanne for winning our summer 2007 contest.  Suzanne is a dedicated animal activist and volunteers her time working with Compassion Over Killing.
 

Many animal rights activists have to deal with peers, family members and even other adults making fun of their diet and ethical choices. How do you respond when someone makes fun of your beliefs?

Suzanne, 15 years old
    One solution to opposition is to help those who disagree with you see things through your eyes. Communication is key. I ask them how they would feel if they were made fun of for something they strongly believed in. However, I never argue that they are wrong. Everyone has a right to their beliefs, which is something they should also realize in this situation. But sometimes we may simply have to agree to disagree.  
    I may give them the name of a famous vegetarian, and ask them if they look up to this person. If the answer is yes, I will point out that this celebrity has chosen the path of vegetarianism. Perhaps they will consider changing if they know the one they admire has chosen this.
    I choose to address the issue differently with family than I do friends. Sometimes family can be more supportive and understanding, even if they do not agree. Friends tend to react in an immature way if they do not agree with your beliefs. Family, in my opinion is easier to convince. It is frustrating to know that people who are different are always scrutinized, but, as I said before, opposition should always be greeted calmly, and with a good explanation of your beliefs. I would never insult anyone who does not agree with me. In no way will that convince anyone to become vegetarian, or get them to understand where I’m coming from. To get them to understand why they should not be making fun of my beliefs, I have to ask them how they would feel if I insulted them for eating meat. This, as well as explaining my side of the situation, may convince them to respect my decision, even if they are not going to convert.
    By being vegetarian, we can't get everyone to agree with us. There will always be people who don't think the way we do. No matter what, there will be some people who eat meat and don't care for animals. There will always be conflicting opinions. Therefore we can try to do as much as we can to help change people's perspectives on this issue. But just because it's going on in the world doesn't mean everyone has to participate. Each person who converts makes a huge difference. However, we do deserve respect for our decision, and in turn we should respect theirs, even if we discourage it. As vegetarians, we can only hope that sometime in the future the world will be able to see the mistake that is killing animals for food. Just because the majority does it, doesn't make it right.
    Were it not for the fact that the way animals are treated in factories is disguised, some people, if not most, would be horrified and decide to take another path, instead of continuing to eat meat. Unfortunately it takes graphic pictures to prove to the world that taking advantage of living breathing beings is wrong. So by explaining why I'm a vegetarian, and backing up my claims with images, perhaps I can change the way people think, even if they are opposed to my ideals in the beginning.

Fall 2006
Congratulations to Elijah, the co-president of his high school club Last Chance for Animals for winning the fall 2006 essay contest! Read below to see Elijah's wonderful essay...
 

Each individual can make a difference for animals starting with their own personal choices and actions. In your day-to-day life, what do you do that helps animals?

Elijah, 15 years old

        I believe that helping animals doesn't start on a global scale, a national scale, even a state wide or city wide scale, I believe that helping animals starts with you. Not that I mean to say helping animals globally, or nationally is a bad thing, no I believe it is necessary and very important to the animal rights movement but I believe that for true change to occur we must first change yourself. Like Mother Teresa said, "Peace begins with a smile." Though she wasn't talking about animal rights, the concept can be applied to anything, you must first change your personal actions before you can expect large scale change.

      One of the first personal choices I made was to become vegetarian. I believe this is very important because it removed me from a cruel and unjust system and removed my financial support as well. My personal choice also had great influence on others as my parents became vegetarian months after I did after learning why I chose to leave meat off my plate forever. Also many friends of mine have gone vegetarian with me being either a primary influence or a small influence. Personal choices do create change, even though all you did was change yourself.                                      
    In my daily life I make it a priority to not waste energy and to recycle. A fact that most people forget is animals are wild and also; we should not just be trying to protect the farm animals but also the animals that are still lucky enough to live natural lives. Well, recycling and conserving energy, besides the obvious helping the human race, also protects the habitats of countless animals and does more good then we could ever count I imagine. By simply turning off the light behind you and putting your scrap paper and empty bottles into the designated blue bins, you are actually making a WORLD of difference.      

        A choice that I have made is to no longer purchases wool, silk, leather, or fur in any form. I believe this is good personal move because it removes my financial and atheistic support from the cruel and unnecessary industries. Also, it supports the growth of animal friendly markets and products as I put money into clothes without animal products. I make it a point to read what is on my shoes to make sure no leather was snuck in! Personal choices are so easy sometimes and so powerful, we should not take them for advantage because not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to make these choices.

        Last year I started the first animal rights club in our school, it was hard work and the entire first year was mostly organizing and planning but now that we are in our second year we have been working on successful campaigns. We have educated the school of roughly two thousand students and hundreds of staff about Foie Gras, and how they can support a ban in New York State and nationally. We also have successfully added vegetarian "burgers" to the lunch menu served daily! We have empowered many people to make personal choices, educated choices, and human choices in their daily life.  Last Chance For Animals GHS has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. 

        Recently myself and my friend and co-president of Last Chance For Animals Corrina paid some money to air two commercials we made about Foie Gras on school television. As I spoke and Corrina stood in a duck costume we educated hundreds of people at once about the cruelty of Foie Gras and advertised a tabling event we are organizing in the end of December about Foie Gras and a ban on its production and sale in New York State and nationally. Our personal actions and choices helped to educate many people and change the world in ways we can't imagine. Someone we talked to could have been inspired and could one day change the face of the animal rights movement for all we know. No matter what the outcome, our personal choices have helped animals because our hearts have changed and that's the most important of all the steps.        

        So whether it be the pins and stickers I wear on my clothes and binders, or the pamphlets I hand out, or the club I founded and am co-president of, or simply not eating meat or buying animal products in my clothing, my personal choices in my daily life have helped and will continue to help animals, especially my choice to be a member of Club Saga. I hope everyone can examine the choices they make, and I hope I always can, so that I never get to caught in my ways, and always can realize when I am wrong and change, to help people, to help animals, to help existence.