Animal Rights
The next topic is animal rights. Not only is every member of the
band a vegan, but they are all very strong supporters of PETA (People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals). The band has not written any songs specifically
about animal rights quite yet, but they use footage from PETA’s websites in some
of their music videos. These videos feature very graphic images of animals being
abused, mistreated, and slaughtered. They are extremely hard to watch for
animal-lovers, and could definitely sway the opinion of a carnivorous person.
After one reviewer of the band viewed one of these music videos he went on to
say “I’ll be paying more attention to my diet from now on” (Nassif), as if to
say these videos have made him think twice about the meat he is eating. This is
exactly what the band wants. The problem is not that people are consuming meat,
but that these animals are being abused and slaughtered in cruel ways and a lot
of their meat is being wasted. The best place to fix this problem is in America
because“Americans consume more meat than people in most other developed nations.
In 2009, the U.S. produced 208 pounds of meat per person for domestic
consumption, not including seafood. That’s nearly 60 percent more than Europe
(134 pounds per person) and nearly four times as much as developing countries”
(Frequently Asked Questions). We have a higher rate of wasting food than other
countries do as well, according to the author of American
Wasteland, Jonathon Bloom “Globally, at least one-third
of all food isn’t consumed. Domestically, that figure jumps to about
40 percent”(Protein Angst). America is a consumer country that is not
being very responsible with their consumerism and Rise
Against wants change to start here in hopes it will become contagious. In a
time where the young generation is focused on how much we are wasting and we
can become more efficient, Rise Against is speaking about the perfect things
to evoke a reaction and get people together to fight for a common cause.
band a vegan, but they are all very strong supporters of PETA (People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals). The band has not written any songs specifically
about animal rights quite yet, but they use footage from PETA’s websites in some
of their music videos. These videos feature very graphic images of animals being
abused, mistreated, and slaughtered. They are extremely hard to watch for
animal-lovers, and could definitely sway the opinion of a carnivorous person.
After one reviewer of the band viewed one of these music videos he went on to
say “I’ll be paying more attention to my diet from now on” (Nassif), as if to
say these videos have made him think twice about the meat he is eating. This is
exactly what the band wants. The problem is not that people are consuming meat,
but that these animals are being abused and slaughtered in cruel ways and a lot
of their meat is being wasted. The best place to fix this problem is in America
because“Americans consume more meat than people in most other developed nations.
In 2009, the U.S. produced 208 pounds of meat per person for domestic
consumption, not including seafood. That’s nearly 60 percent more than Europe
(134 pounds per person) and nearly four times as much as developing countries”
(Frequently Asked Questions). We have a higher rate of wasting food than other
countries do as well, according to the author of American
Wasteland, Jonathon Bloom “Globally, at least one-third
of all food isn’t consumed. Domestically, that figure jumps to about
40 percent”(Protein Angst). America is a consumer country that is not
being very responsible with their consumerism and Rise
Against wants change to start here in hopes it will become contagious. In a
time where the young generation is focused on how much we are wasting and we
can become more efficient, Rise Against is speaking about the perfect things
to evoke a reaction and get people together to fight for a common cause.