this dot.org is the effort of one singer/songwriter: renessance. i hope that the songs and discussion here will arouse your interest...perhaps even your own renaissance.
here are the issues i want you to know about:
go veg!
going veggie or vegan is healthier, saves animals, the environment and reduces world hunger. even if you just reduce your meat consumption, you'll be helping yourself and others. there's a site called meatoutmondays.org which can get you started eating cruelty-free on mondays. for a more in-depth look, please see goveg.com.
prevention of farm animal cruelty act
please visit humanecalifornia.org to learn about the prevention of farm animal cruelty act.
YES on A.B. 1634
millions of california dogs & cats need your support letters and calls. write to your legislators now!
no puppy mills!
please don't buy a pet at a pet store! use petfinder or adopt from a rescue group outside most petcos and petsmarts. you probably read about the beverly hills pet store selling puppy mill dogs. they are only one of thousands profiting from this cruel business. don't give them your business!! please see the humane society's effort to end this cruelty: stoppuppymills.org. and sign their pledge!
protect the bald eagle
one of my schools chose the eagle as its mascot, whence came my eagle song. the bald eagle was endangered, has been de-listed, but is protected by the bald and golden eagle protection act. we still need to protect the eagle. please write to your governor to get american eagle day (june 20) recognized in each state. california, my home state, is not on the list! also, check out woody's eagles, fantastic photos there.
more
want more? please see my page of links.
thank you for whatever you can do.
— renessance
my path to animal advocacy:
in 2007 i worked very hard to support california A.B. 1634, a spay/neuter bill for dogs and cats. my video and song, "not born to die" were to help that bill, please feel free to email the link to your friends. i photographed
the animals in that video in one afternoon trip to three shelters. each one is unique and beautiful, yet undoubtedly half of them were euthanized not long after i visited them, simply because they weren't adopted within a quick matter of days. the bill, after enduring numerous amendments over a 2-year period, failed.
nonetheless, being involved with that legislation i gained a heightened awareness to so many other animal issues beyond our pets: that of wildlife and farm animals. i read books and articles, looked at videos, and attended an animal rights conference. a voice for many years was calling me to be a vegan, and in august 2007, at last, i followed that calling. "and yet i rise" marks my rite of passage, and refers to animal cruelty on the fronts of factory farming, lab testing, dog abuse, hunting and land management. by the way, going vegan is not as hard as you may think. it's a mindset, and when your mind is ready, your lifestyle follows. you absolutely can get every nutrient you need as a vegan, and other lifestyle changes--like avoiding leather and fur--are just natural outcomes when you get in touch with your own compassion for animals.
as with my art, i will use music to help animals. while i do sell and donate my art to help animals, the music should be properly recorded before i think about selling it. for now, i'll use it to raise awareness.