that’s me in Dodger Stadium on the
pitcher’s mound it’s the middle of the
ninth inning and the game is tied three
to three I’m standing next to a major
league pitcher Kenley Jansen and judging
by his expression he isn’t too thrilled
that I’m there because if it isn’t
obvious already I’m not a professional
baseball player in fact that was the
very first time I ever went to a
baseball game and I honestly can’t tell
you who won because thirty seconds after
this picture was taken my sign was
ripped out of my hand
I was tackled by security guards
handcuffed and dragged off the field all
on live TV
I was then stuffed into the back of a
patrol car arrested by the LAPD and I
spent the next four hours being held in
custody and questioned by the police
this was one year ago and I was 14 years
old now many people ask how in the world
my friends and I were able to get out to
the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium
well we spent over an hour dodging
security guards believe it or not but we
had bought the cheapest tickets in the
entire stadium so we were way way up at
the top and we had to sneak past
security guard after security guard
after security guard until finally we
were at the bottom level and then we
would walk down the aisle towards the
field and if we would see anyone look at
us weird we would turn around like we
had simply lost our way we waited for
the exact moment when no one was looking
and hopped over the railing and ran onto
the field as fast as we possibly could
and no I wasn’t it and no I wasn’t there
because I thought it was cool fun or
exciting in fact I knew that my actions
would be frowned upon by most people
because viewers would see me as being
disruptive or rude after all I was
breaking the law right there in front of
them and taking the consequences for all
to see but the thing is I knew in my
heart that I had something very
important to say and I knew from
personal experience that most people
just don’t want to hear it the reason I
was in Dodger Stadium that day is
because the hotdogs they serve in the
concession stands are being produced by
a meat supplier that uses particularly
cruel methods on animals
nobody wants animals to suffer but still
I knew that most people in that stadium
didn’t want to hear about the hotdogs
and the gruesome truth behind each bite
but they did hear about it and so did
the people watching the game on TV and
so did the people watching the viral
internet clips of us getting handcuffed
and dragged off the field and maybe some
of you here in this room don’t want to
hear about it either and I understand
that it’s easier to look away sometimes
it’s easier to plug your ears or change
the channel because there are some
things that we all prefer to pretend are
not occurring in this world because
otherwise we’d have to consider the fact
that maybe we as a society are a part of
a process that’s ugly and painful and
cruel there are many issues like this in
the world issues were the only way to
get people to listen is to take bold
action sometimes even risking one’s own
life to influence the minds of others
the issue that I care so much about that
I was willing to get tackled by security
guards live on television with a crowd
both cheering and jeering is the plight
of animals particularly farmed animals
they are flesh and bone just like you
and me but our society treats them like
machines sometimes even products cheap
disposable products to be manufactured
in NASA the fact is the plight of
animals is something most of us try to
push as far from our minds as possible
after all the system is set up that way
ensuring that consumers never have to
look an animal in the eyes and confront
the fact that is sensitive intelligent
and social creature is looking back at
them but we need to think about it and
talk about it and accept that it’s
happening I learned about the plight of
animals when I was 11 years old and I
felt an urgent need to become involved
in the animal rights movement in fact I
felt so strongly about this issue that I
founded my own nonprofit happy Hen
chicken rescue which is now a 40 acre
farm the animal sanctuary right here on
the Central Coast of California
spending time with the victims of animal
agriculture has changed my life it has
made me willing to sacrifice just about
anything to end their suffering I feel
that when there is an important issue of
injustice being ignored whether it’s
animal exploitation racism homophobia or
whatever is important to you that we
have a moral responsibility to do
something about it we have a
responsibility to put it into the
forefront of everyone’s minds whatever
cause is important to you isn’t going to
progress or win without nonviolent
consistent and bold acts of protest in
order to create change you need a
movement yes one person can make a
difference absolutely but thousands of
people can change the world so next you
might ask how would one inspire a
movement well I believe it’s through
acts of courage and sacrifice and I know
that might sound like a corny line out
of a military movie but seriously acts
of courage and sacrifice makes
sympathizers wonder why am I not out
there – and you know what they might
just show up to your next event and that
is why I have taken actions that many
would consider drastic I’ve had people
tell me to give up I’ve even been
assaulted and threatened by members of
the opposition yes it’s scary and
daunting after all I am trying to fight
an industry that spends billions trying
to make sure that people like us feel
disconnected from the flesh on our
plates there are 56 billion land animals
being killed every single year for food
56 billion worldwide and so few of us
are talking about it it is time to take
direct action I like to think of myself
and other animal rights activists as
following in the footsteps of people
like Emmeline Pankhurst Rosa Parks and
Martin Luther King jr. they all
succeeded by taking bold actions
that like mine many considered extreme
at the time but in retrospect seem
reasonable and necessary but like all
hard work sometimes things don’t go the
way you planned I’ve certainly made a
fool of myself during protests I’ve been
to let’s say forceful while handing out
vegan literature one man said he
couldn’t take the leaflet but he didn’t
have time and I blocked him in his path
and insisted he take it he did it I’ve
organized protests poorly – one time I
organized a Sunday protest to add a
grocery store that’s closed on Sundays
it was awkward explaining that to my
fellow activists to say the least but
I’ve learned a lot and every day I push
myself to become the most effective
activist I can be because we only get
one life and so we must use our time
efficiently as to make the greatest
difference possible I have held so many
animals in my arms as they have died and
I feel that I owe them that if nothing
else I recently spoke to the Los Angeles
Animal Services commissioners about
ending the religious ritual slaughter of
chickens the night before this photo was
taken I protested the rituals and ended
up getting sprayed with mace there were
dozens of police officers there standing
in military form after they left and I
could finally walk around without the
fear of being arrested
I found buckets of blood and dirty white
feathers in this ritual the chickens are
swung around by their wings their
throats are cut and they bleed out their
dead bodies are then stuffed into trash
bags the images haunt me to this day and
the ritual has yet to be banned and I
continue to wonder what kind of world do
we live in were activists like me are
treated like criminals
while animal abusers get away with so
much but the thing is when most people
are finally educated
and consider what is happening to
animals they will help bring about
change
I am confident in that that is why I
feel activism is generally successful we
live in a society that tells us from the
moment we are born to be kind when
someone is being hurt most of us want to
help them that is why I believe if we
can get the issue of animal rights onto
the table and help people truly see
animal agriculture for what it is we can
and we will ban the consumption of meat
dairy and eggs and give animals the
rights that they deserve for example my
friends in Berkeley rallied petitioned
and marched demanding an end to the sale
of fur they were loud and they used
dramatic visuals like fake blood but
they grabbed people’s attention and they
started important conversations and they
won they successfully banned the sale of
fur in the City of Berkeley now banning
fur in one city may not seem like a big
deal but in reality it was a huge
victory it will pave the way for cities
around the world to do the same thing
and possibly even more importantly it
provided the movement with an inspiring
victory just like rescuing one animal
from a farm may seem minor in the grand
scheme of things it can actually give
hope to thousands and on that note I
want to tell you while one last story
this is sleepy a hen I rescued from an
egg farm when we saved her she was
unconscious for two weeks she was in a
coma
we didn’t think sleepy was going to make
it but she did after being caged for two
years she finally got to run around in
the sunshine spread her wings socialize
and explore and although I am so glad
that she got to spend the last two years
of her life at my sanctuary
she still deserved so much better and
you may say that she was just the
chicken that her life didn’t have much
meaning and value beyond
dollar sign but it did we know from
scientific studies and observation the
chickens feel fear pain love and
contentment they desire peace and
happiness just like we do if you have
ever spent time with a chicken then
you’ve probably seen this for yourself
it is individuals like sleepy who I
think about when I protest at grocery
stores and restaurants it is their
stories they keep me on my feet and yes
it’s driven me to take actions that some
of you might even roll your eyes at but
let’s just know that because of these
actions I was invited to speak here and
I just got to educate all of you about
animal rights for 10 minutes so that’s
something
but in all seriousness if you take one
thing away from this talk I hope you
take away courage courage to do what’s
right no matter what others will think
of you if there is an injustice that you
feel must end then don’t sit at home and
watch others attempt to end it for you
get out there be brave take a bold
action if we all do this we can create a
kind and just world thank you
[Applause]
pitcher’s mound it’s the middle of the
ninth inning and the game is tied three
to three I’m standing next to a major
league pitcher Kenley Jansen and judging
by his expression he isn’t too thrilled
that I’m there because if it isn’t
obvious already I’m not a professional
baseball player in fact that was the
very first time I ever went to a
baseball game and I honestly can’t tell
you who won because thirty seconds after
this picture was taken my sign was
ripped out of my hand
I was tackled by security guards
handcuffed and dragged off the field all
on live TV
I was then stuffed into the back of a
patrol car arrested by the LAPD and I
spent the next four hours being held in
custody and questioned by the police
this was one year ago and I was 14 years
old now many people ask how in the world
my friends and I were able to get out to
the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium
well we spent over an hour dodging
security guards believe it or not but we
had bought the cheapest tickets in the
entire stadium so we were way way up at
the top and we had to sneak past
security guard after security guard
after security guard until finally we
were at the bottom level and then we
would walk down the aisle towards the
field and if we would see anyone look at
us weird we would turn around like we
had simply lost our way we waited for
the exact moment when no one was looking
and hopped over the railing and ran onto
the field as fast as we possibly could
and no I wasn’t it and no I wasn’t there
because I thought it was cool fun or
exciting in fact I knew that my actions
would be frowned upon by most people
because viewers would see me as being
disruptive or rude after all I was
breaking the law right there in front of
them and taking the consequences for all
to see but the thing is I knew in my
heart that I had something very
important to say and I knew from
personal experience that most people
just don’t want to hear it the reason I
was in Dodger Stadium that day is
because the hotdogs they serve in the
concession stands are being produced by
a meat supplier that uses particularly
cruel methods on animals
nobody wants animals to suffer but still
I knew that most people in that stadium
didn’t want to hear about the hotdogs
and the gruesome truth behind each bite
but they did hear about it and so did
the people watching the game on TV and
so did the people watching the viral
internet clips of us getting handcuffed
and dragged off the field and maybe some
of you here in this room don’t want to
hear about it either and I understand
that it’s easier to look away sometimes
it’s easier to plug your ears or change
the channel because there are some
things that we all prefer to pretend are
not occurring in this world because
otherwise we’d have to consider the fact
that maybe we as a society are a part of
a process that’s ugly and painful and
cruel there are many issues like this in
the world issues were the only way to
get people to listen is to take bold
action sometimes even risking one’s own
life to influence the minds of others
the issue that I care so much about that
I was willing to get tackled by security
guards live on television with a crowd
both cheering and jeering is the plight
of animals particularly farmed animals
they are flesh and bone just like you
and me but our society treats them like
machines sometimes even products cheap
disposable products to be manufactured
in NASA the fact is the plight of
animals is something most of us try to
push as far from our minds as possible
after all the system is set up that way
ensuring that consumers never have to
look an animal in the eyes and confront
the fact that is sensitive intelligent
and social creature is looking back at
them but we need to think about it and
talk about it and accept that it’s
happening I learned about the plight of
animals when I was 11 years old and I
felt an urgent need to become involved
in the animal rights movement in fact I
felt so strongly about this issue that I
founded my own nonprofit happy Hen
chicken rescue which is now a 40 acre
farm the animal sanctuary right here on
the Central Coast of California
spending time with the victims of animal
agriculture has changed my life it has
made me willing to sacrifice just about
anything to end their suffering I feel
that when there is an important issue of
injustice being ignored whether it’s
animal exploitation racism homophobia or
whatever is important to you that we
have a moral responsibility to do
something about it we have a
responsibility to put it into the
forefront of everyone’s minds whatever
cause is important to you isn’t going to
progress or win without nonviolent
consistent and bold acts of protest in
order to create change you need a
movement yes one person can make a
difference absolutely but thousands of
people can change the world so next you
might ask how would one inspire a
movement well I believe it’s through
acts of courage and sacrifice and I know
that might sound like a corny line out
of a military movie but seriously acts
of courage and sacrifice makes
sympathizers wonder why am I not out
there – and you know what they might
just show up to your next event and that
is why I have taken actions that many
would consider drastic I’ve had people
tell me to give up I’ve even been
assaulted and threatened by members of
the opposition yes it’s scary and
daunting after all I am trying to fight
an industry that spends billions trying
to make sure that people like us feel
disconnected from the flesh on our
plates there are 56 billion land animals
being killed every single year for food
56 billion worldwide and so few of us
are talking about it it is time to take
direct action I like to think of myself
and other animal rights activists as
following in the footsteps of people
like Emmeline Pankhurst Rosa Parks and
Martin Luther King jr. they all
succeeded by taking bold actions
that like mine many considered extreme
at the time but in retrospect seem
reasonable and necessary but like all
hard work sometimes things don’t go the
way you planned I’ve certainly made a
fool of myself during protests I’ve been
to let’s say forceful while handing out
vegan literature one man said he
couldn’t take the leaflet but he didn’t
have time and I blocked him in his path
and insisted he take it he did it I’ve
organized protests poorly – one time I
organized a Sunday protest to add a
grocery store that’s closed on Sundays
it was awkward explaining that to my
fellow activists to say the least but
I’ve learned a lot and every day I push
myself to become the most effective
activist I can be because we only get
one life and so we must use our time
efficiently as to make the greatest
difference possible I have held so many
animals in my arms as they have died and
I feel that I owe them that if nothing
else I recently spoke to the Los Angeles
Animal Services commissioners about
ending the religious ritual slaughter of
chickens the night before this photo was
taken I protested the rituals and ended
up getting sprayed with mace there were
dozens of police officers there standing
in military form after they left and I
could finally walk around without the
fear of being arrested
I found buckets of blood and dirty white
feathers in this ritual the chickens are
swung around by their wings their
throats are cut and they bleed out their
dead bodies are then stuffed into trash
bags the images haunt me to this day and
the ritual has yet to be banned and I
continue to wonder what kind of world do
we live in were activists like me are
treated like criminals
while animal abusers get away with so
much but the thing is when most people
are finally educated
and consider what is happening to
animals they will help bring about
change
I am confident in that that is why I
feel activism is generally successful we
live in a society that tells us from the
moment we are born to be kind when
someone is being hurt most of us want to
help them that is why I believe if we
can get the issue of animal rights onto
the table and help people truly see
animal agriculture for what it is we can
and we will ban the consumption of meat
dairy and eggs and give animals the
rights that they deserve for example my
friends in Berkeley rallied petitioned
and marched demanding an end to the sale
of fur they were loud and they used
dramatic visuals like fake blood but
they grabbed people’s attention and they
started important conversations and they
won they successfully banned the sale of
fur in the City of Berkeley now banning
fur in one city may not seem like a big
deal but in reality it was a huge
victory it will pave the way for cities
around the world to do the same thing
and possibly even more importantly it
provided the movement with an inspiring
victory just like rescuing one animal
from a farm may seem minor in the grand
scheme of things it can actually give
hope to thousands and on that note I
want to tell you while one last story
this is sleepy a hen I rescued from an
egg farm when we saved her she was
unconscious for two weeks she was in a
coma
we didn’t think sleepy was going to make
it but she did after being caged for two
years she finally got to run around in
the sunshine spread her wings socialize
and explore and although I am so glad
that she got to spend the last two years
of her life at my sanctuary
she still deserved so much better and
you may say that she was just the
chicken that her life didn’t have much
meaning and value beyond
dollar sign but it did we know from
scientific studies and observation the
chickens feel fear pain love and
contentment they desire peace and
happiness just like we do if you have
ever spent time with a chicken then
you’ve probably seen this for yourself
it is individuals like sleepy who I
think about when I protest at grocery
stores and restaurants it is their
stories they keep me on my feet and yes
it’s driven me to take actions that some
of you might even roll your eyes at but
let’s just know that because of these
actions I was invited to speak here and
I just got to educate all of you about
animal rights for 10 minutes so that’s
something
but in all seriousness if you take one
thing away from this talk I hope you
take away courage courage to do what’s
right no matter what others will think
of you if there is an injustice that you
feel must end then don’t sit at home and
watch others attempt to end it for you
get out there be brave take a bold
action if we all do this we can create a
kind and just world thank you
[Applause]
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