Below is my first column for On The Rag. Since I haven’t quite figured out how the E-Zine works yet, I thought I would post it in my personal blog. Enjoy…

As our first column for the On The Rag E-Zine, we were asked to just write about ourselves a bit, if we were comfortable with that. Which caught me at an interesting place. Most everything I write is in some way about myself, or my beliefs, or my politics, but I am usually discussing a certain topic other than “myself” while giving personal opinion or experience examples. Then the piece usually ends up helping me figure out something about myself, or my beliefs, or my politics… some sort of self discovery through personal critique of issues in modern society seems to be the way it goes. So, going about actually just writing about myself in a descriptive manner, feels strange, even though I technically write about myself all the time, just in round about manners.

So, let us dissect that which is me. I am a bit neurotic, so please, bare with me through this first column (and all the rest to come), I just felt it would be best to lay out some things right at the beginning of all of this, to pave the way for future pieces that I may write, give an idea of what the inner workings of my mind might look like and where some of my opinions may come from. Though I went most of my life not wanting to conform to many titles or classifications, that has drastically changed. I take pride in the political and social titles that I subscribe to and the lifestyle that I lead. I am a very open individual and not a whole lot is off the table or off limits with me. Some things are still a little ambiguous and up for debate, but there are many things of which I am certain.

First and foremost, I am vegan (the “animal liberation” kind of vegan). That aspect about myself, shapes a great deal of my beliefs, opinions and politics. I have a firm belief that my being human does not give me the right or the authority to choose another beings course of life or another beings course of death (fair warning: I am positive that this will be a very commonly discussed topic in my column). I am also straight edge, which tends to influence the places I go and the people I surround myself with, so in turn, also shapes my opinions, beliefs and politics. I classify as a feminist, and an anarchist… or an anarcha-feminist, when I am feeling verbally lazy. Liberty, equality and class struggle are very real issues in my eyes. Though I do not believe in a god, at this point in my life, I have not referenced myself openly to being an atheist (this is mostly do to my past history of a strong belief in a higher power and probably fear of condemnation from certain loved ones). This aspect of me is still shifting, changing and developing, but I guess it would be safe to say that I much more atheistic, than theistic. You know what… I really am not theistic at all… Some would call that confusion agnosticism, but that feels so indecisive. So, for definitive purposes, we shall say that I am an atheist. I have not felt the presence of a god inside me or anywhere around me in quite a few years now. Another ambiguous part of me would have to be my sexuality. Though I have only partaken in heterosexual “relationships” in the romantic sense, I have been intimate and have had strong attractions and connections to others of my same gender. Just as my religious or spiritual confusion goes, I have, as well, never openly referenced myself to be bisexual, because I am still on that journey of finding myself sexually. But I guess it would be safe to say that bisexuality is another category in which I would easily fall into. I am actually uncertain as to why I have never referenced myself to just be openly bisexual thus far in my life, seeing as how for much of my life I have not been drawn to specific anatomy and most of my late teen and early adult life thus far, it is very commonly asked of me, if I am a lesbian (I guess I must give off of a super rad vibe).

You know what… lets break both of these ambiguities down right now. Though I have always had a carefree view of trying not to let other people’s opinions or views hinder my own lifestyle choices, I strongly believe that my never claiming atheism or bisexuality would be due to fear of judgment by certain family members, friends or lovers. I am not really sure why I have let certain things be held back and other not, but what better time than now to just let all that out, right? Right.

Alright, so let us recap. Vegan. Straight Edge. Feminist. Anarchist. Atheist. Bisexual. Damn, that is a lot of weight to carry. But I am honored and proud to carry it all.

Another thing I will point out is that I am a musician. I know that does not sound like something that would mean a lot in a political description of a person, but it has played a very large role in the development (or should I say… lack thereof) of my political consciousness, which I plan to go into much greater detail at a later date.

For disclaimer purposes, I guess I could mention that I am female and that I am white. The privileges, and lack thereof, that I was presented at birth, as well, play a role in my opinions, beliefs, and politics. This is a part of me that I am trying to learn more about and get a little better in check, as the idea of “privilege” is a new idea to my ever expanding little mind. I feel like I am viewed to be in some sort of a “comfortable” limbo in this field. Some view me as an oppressed individual because I am a female while others do not, because I am white. View me as you will, I feel oppressions in my daily life. I feel the strains and the stresses of this patriarchal world everyday that I am breathing. Though, it is not only patriarchy that dampens my inspiration and will at times… it is a pretty big part of it… Capitalism gets me down too (Oh, Anarchy, when will shine your beautiful light upon us and overthrow this fucked up system? Soon, you say? Sweet! …Damnit, I got side tracked. That anarchy thing, it always gets me off topic. Do forgive me.)

There is, obviously a lot more to me… I would hope there would be a lot more to anyone. A lot that a simple title, classification or single words in a document could not express or explain, and for that, I guess a reader would just have to continue coming back, and letting the words that come off my fingertips and into my articles piece together the puzzle and fill in all the gaps and missing pieces.

I am at a state in my life of truly yearning to understand myself, the world around me, and the other beings who inhabit it. I am on a bit of a quest for knowledge and self discovery right now, therefore a lot of my ideas, opinions, beliefs and politics are still in the works. A lot of what I think is in dire need of molding, and I can recognize and appreciate that. Not everything I say is going to be spot on. Fuck, I am nearly positive most of it will not. Not everything I think is going to match the next person in that category of thought. Not everything I know is sufficient to even discuss half the things that I am sure I will try to tackle. But I will be honest in my own thought, and I will put myself out there. Vulnerability can be a painful but beautiful way to grow. So be forewarned, that just like the next person, I am nowhere near perfection, and have a long way to come. And I truly believe and hope that this endeavor of regularly writing for a seemingly radical audience to read and/or critique will be a huge learning process for me. And I hope to come out at the end with a great deal of extended knowledge, some thicker skin, and confidence in what I do and what I think.

About a year ago, I was going to hang out with some friends. I needed to get gas, and they needed to stop somewhere else really quickly, and were to meet me at the gas station in a couple of minutes. It was after midnight, and I have never liked going to gas stations alone at night, but my friends were on their way, so I thought it would be alright. I went about things normally, paid… put the pump in my tank… waited… But as I was waiting, I noticed a man behind the building. He was watching me, and he looked a little suspicious, but I live in downtown Riverside, and I am use to that. So I continued what I was doing, and I paid him no notice. After my gas was done pumping, I got back in my car and I started my engine. I buckled my seatbelt and then turned my headlights on to get ready to drive. But when I turned my lights on, I found myself paralyzed. All I could see was that suspicious man… he was standing in front of my car, staring me in the eyes, with the creepiest look on his face. And if that was not enough, his dick was out, and he was masturbating. I was so startled that I did not know what to do. I was too scared to drive but too scared to do anything else. I wanted to run that fucker over… but I refrained. So I, as calmly as I could, shifted to drive, and I drove down the street back to my apartment. I sat in my car and I cried. A couple minutes later, my friends called and asked where I was. I told them, with shaky voice, that I was back at my place because I was scared and I told them what had just happened. They felt terrible for not being there when it happened, and they came right to me to make sure I was ok. I felt embarrassed for letting it bother me so much, I felt like it was not that big of a deal, and that I needed to suck it up. Plenty of womyn go through much worse situations, and I should not be crying over something so small. So I put on my big girl face, and I said I was fine, and we continued on with our evening. As I followed them to their house, I called my best friend. Because of the late hour, and a feeling in her heart, she answered the phone with a worried sound in her voice saying “Cupcake, what’s wrong?!” and I told her the whole story and broke down crying even harder. I told her I was sorry for bothering her and that I know it should not bother me, but that I needed someone. She assured me that I had every reason to be scared and every reason to cry and she would sit on the phone with me as long as I needed. But we were arriving at our destination, so I wiped my tears away, thanked her for her comfort, hung up the phone, and exited my car with whatever strength I had, and I continued the night as normally as I could.

Ever since this incident, I have not been able to go to gas stations alone at night. I either wait until the next day or I have to bring someone with me. And that makes me feel weak.

This was not the only incident that I felt violated by, or afraid of a man, but it is one that sticks out in my mind, and it was one of the only ones that I ever held onto for more than a day. Plenty of things have happened to me that I never felt were worth mentioning to anyone, or never felt were “bad enough” to make a big deal out of. Such as this event… I never really told many people about it, and I never made a huge fuss about it. It happened. That was that. And I kept moving.

Recently, more than ever, I have been inspired to understand and learn more about womyn’s struggles in history. I have wanted to get involved with feminist groups and event organization, but I have had some reservations. Partially because I am not nearly as angry as the other womyn in these groups… I see them as these towers of aggression and strength, and I just have not had that in me… I feel uninformed next to them. I feel less radical next to them. And it has put me off to organizing or giving my opinion or help, even when I want to. I look up to these womyn, but I fear them at the same time. It has felt to me that I need some traumatic experience to happen in my life, to have value in that space. But I am realizing now, that is not the case at all.

See, just earlier this week on Wednesday February 8^th 2012, I was doing my every morning walk with my dogs. I usually take them out around 6:00am before I start getting ready for work. It is usually dark and I live in a very sketchy part of town. I am use to there being people out who heighten a sense of fear in me, but I just keep walking, and nothing too bad ever happens. A cat call here and there, a awkward attempt at a conversation from time to time… but nothing substantial. Well this morning, I was walking and I noticed a man coming my way. I was turning the corner to head back to my apartment and he started crossing the street coming right in my direction and looking at me. I felt a little uncomfortable but I did not want to make any assumptions about him so I just kept walking. But there was a weird fear in me that I had not felt in a while, so instead of walking to my gate on the other side of the complex, I walked into the main gate entrance, which is right in front of my brother, and my friend Ashley’s apartment. As I was just acting like I was bringing the dogs back into the complex and walking around waiting for this man to pass so I could leave and go to my side of the complex… he stopped at the gate and started trying to talk to me. He was asking me if I had ever gone on a boat or a plane, if I had gone here or there… asked me how old I was… and trying to sound sexy. I kept telling him I could not talk right now, that I needed to go inside and get ready for work. But he kept insisting on a conversation. He told me that “we all need someone to talk to sometimes and you feel special to me” and he walked into the gate. He started telling me how he could take me to all these places if I just went with him. He said that he could give me all these things, if I just went with him right then. He got out his ID to try to show it to me, saying “look, it’s legal”… and he kept getting closer to me. This whole time, I was telling him I could not talk and I was not answering any of his questions, and I was clearly and visibly uncomfortable. As he got closer, I walked up to my brothers door, hoping it would be unlocked, but it was not… so I started knocking. Even this did not give the man the hint. He just kept getting closer, until he was sitting on the steps next to me. As I am pounding on the door begging someone to let me in… he was still sitting next to me, telling me all the things he could give me if I just left with him. Luckily, he did not touch me… and as he heard someone unlock the door he quickly got up and left. Ashley let me in immediately after she realized it was me, and she let me hide in there until he was out of sight. Ten or fifteen minutes later I peered out the window to see if the coast was clear, I got my puppies, and I walked to my apartment. I crawled into bed, I called my boyfriend, and I cried on the phone to him for about a half hour. And just like the previous incident, I kept apologizing for bothering him, and that I should not be crying over this. But he reassured me that I had every reason to be scared and I could cry as long as I needed to, that I should not hold in whatever feelings I was feeling at that moment.

After I got off the phone with him, I emailed my work, told them I would be late, and I curled up into a ball, and I cried for a while, and then I fell back to sleep for a couple hours to shake it off. I got to work later and explained the situation to my supervisor (who happens to be my aunt) and she was very concerned and told me that I could go stay with her for a little while if I needed to. She told me she would be bringing me pepper spray next week. And all day at work, I was a little off. And I felt like I did not really have anyone to talk to about it, because most of my old close friends do not speak to me anymore… So I felt really alone on top of feeling scared and weak. And then a friend texted me, who I know through the feminist groups and events that I mentioned earlier. And she invited me to come to a meeting that was happening that night to start planning LadyFest. I told her that I had been thinking about going and that my boyfriend had actually recommended that I go because of an incident that happened to me earlier in the day (he thought it would be a good way to gain back some empowerment) but I also told her that I did not really feel comfortable being around people that day. She immediately offered to talk to me and help me in any way she could. She told me a little bit of her story and about how getting involved in a feminist collective had helped her. I told her that it was not some crazy or traumatic experience, that plenty of womyn go through much worse, but that it was scary to me and so I told her the story. She responded by telling me that the situation I faced that morning sounded traumatic to her and that survivor’s could not and should not compare circumstances. That response hit me pretty hard. I realized that I was always downplaying whatever happened to me, just because I know other people have suffered much worse. But doing this, has made me feel weak and not worthy of certain things, such as being a part of radical groups that focus on empowering womyn. See, the womyn in these radical, feminist groups have felt all different sorts of oppressions. They are informed of so many different things that womyn go through in their lives. They know that these are situations that are regular, and they want to provide a place for other womyn to go to to feel empowered and to be encouraged and comforted. And I am finally understanding that. It does not matter what you have been through, you deserve to feel comfort.

Now, see these past few days, I just feel angry. I feel enraged. There is nothing setting me off, but I feel like a fucking firecracker, ready to explode. I want to show my strength, because I did not show it that morning. I want to show that I am not weak, because I have been living like that for years. I have started realizing things about myself…such as… I walk with my head down… I have very little confidence and I put myself down a lot. All things that I can change within myself.

I do not need to walk with my head hung low and with a sense of fear or embarrassment. I can walk with my head held as fucking high as a mountain, and I can have a look of strength on my face. I do not need to compare myself or my abilities or experiences to anyone else, I am fucking amazing just the way I am, and when I feel the desire to grow, I can do that at my own pace. I can be confident in myself without being uppity or putting anyone else down. These are changes that may seem easy, but they are not, and it will take time. But at least I am starting to see these things and that I can change them. For once, I finally feel angry enough to take a stand for myself as a womyn. Not as an activist for another cause, though that will never change about me, but as an activist for myself, for my own rights, for my own sanity, for my own safety and for my own comfort.

I had made the decision recently to start going to school soon, and I knew that I wanted to study different social struggles and I knew that womyn’s study was going to be a big part of that… but now, more than ever, I feel the desire to focus on womyn’s study (as well as feeling the desire to get involved with feminist groups and event organization). I want to feel empowered. I want to know where I come from. I want to know what others have done. I want to empower womyn like myself, who feel lesser to their own kind. It should not have to take someone being raped or assaulted to make them feel the desire to fight for who they are or to have confidence or comforts in their own life. I see that now. We should not measure our experiences next to someone else’s, we should feel ours with everything we have inside of us, and run with those feelings… and charge straight on, heart first… into strength.

This is the start of an essay I’m working on… it touches on oppressions faced by animals and oppressions faced by humans… and how they really aren’t that far apart. It also talks about my personal introduction to oppression and to politics.  I hope to continue to expand it as I continue to gain knowledge.  Some of this may seem juvenile and uninformed, because in some cases, I am… but it’s a start… it’s part of what I know right now… and I hope it’s only the beginning. Read if you are interested, and if you do… I hope it reaches you in some way.  Thanks.

<3 Breezy

“All my life I have know there was something wrong. I have felt that there was an imbalance somewhere. But for most of my life, I pretended not to notice. I acted as though I did not care, that I was not involved. My voice made no difference and my feelings had no gravitational weight. But see, one can only go so long with this frame of mind. Though I guess there are plenty of people who go their whole lives without making a stand for anything… I could no longer be one of those people. You see, I never cared for politics, I never understood much about “the system.” I knew nothing about oppression or exploitation, other than what I had felt in my own life (which is close to nothing compared to what others face). I was blind to the issues and for a while, I was fine with that.

It all started with animals for me… animals are what introduced me to politics, and generally forced me to start becoming aware of my own existence and that of those around me, before me, and still to come. Actually, that is kind of a lie… I guess there may be a little more history there for myself… going back to my beginning of being a female musician in a generally male dominated music scene. That was where I first got introduced to oppression (and undoubtedly, exploitation). Though, at the time of my introduction, I did not know what it was or what it meant. I was 16 years old and all I wanted was to be accepted in my music scene. Though my band always had the worst set placement, the shortest set time, and the least respect among other bands, solely due to my being the “front WOMAN” instead of the “front MAN”… that is until we played. I constantly found that I had to prove my worth among other musicians because I was a devalued member of that society, even though my abilities were equal, if not above many of the men I shared the stage with. At the time, I didn’t realize what was going on and I could not see the big picture. All I knew was that I was treated differently in my music scene because I was the only female on the stage. And the real weight of that situation did not become apparent to me until some years later, and after my introduction to animal rights.

I can’t even begin to explain how much animals have taught me about life. I’ve always had a deep love for them, hence my decision at a pretty young age not to consume them. Though it was a little later in life that the real issues started surfacing for me. I started becoming aware of the ways that animals are treated, the value their lives have in our modern society and the lives that they lead in order to accommodate human wants and desires. Animals have become a commodity in today’s culture. They are no longer living beings. They are the least valued member of this society (if even considered a member of it at all)… and it was that realization that began to open my eyes to human struggles, and more personally, feminism and womens status in society, including my own.

Now, maybe it was the closet anarchist inside me working its way out earlier on in my life, but one day I just asked myself… who am I to think that I have the authority or the right to decide another beings course of life or another beings course of death? I have a strong belief that I am no greater than the next living being, be them human or non human animal, male, female, trans, queer, straight, black, white or any other shade you can think of. I do not measure the importance of life based upon species, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identification, age, class, or ability. I do not believe there should be such measurements. Though, just as everyone else on this planet, I am guilty of placing judgments on others based on these factors, even when I do not mean to or sometimes even realize that I am doing it… we all do it subconsciously, whether we will admit it or not. But I do everything in my power to try not to, because in my eyes, all beings really are equal and deserving of, at the very LEAST, the right to live a life free of oppression, exploitation, and torture. For decades, we as human beings have been fighting for these issues among human cultures, be it due to racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. But one thing that has yet to be granted the same sense of notoriety or level of importance, is speciesism.

So tell me now, how are the oppressions and exploitations faced by animals any different than the ones faced by humans? How is judging a being based upon what species they were born as any different than judging a human based on what color their skin is, what gender they identify with, what class they fall into, or what abilities they have? Depending on your own personal opinion of the relevance of animal life, one could argue that animals face even worse situations than humans could ever imagine if it were placed upon them. The horrors seen in factory farms around the world today are beyond what most of us could ever fathom our own lives to be. Living in extreme confinement, being physically abused, repeatedly raped, forcefully inseminated (then have your children stolen from you at birth), starved and pumped full of chemicals, tortured and tormented, and eventually put to a very early and inhumane death. (Keep in mind, this doesn’t even begin to cover all the oppressions animals face, such as animals kept in captivity for “entertainment” purposes or those enslaved in laboratories for “scientific” purposes.) If these circumstances were placed upon human beings, it would be seen as mass genocide… cruel… unacceptable and illegal, among many other things. But because it is an animal, it does not matter. Because it is a less valued member of our society, we don’t care. Because it is not us, we do nothing.

So let’s go back sometime, not too long ago in our history and remember when people of a certain ethnicity were considered such a lower level of society that they were made to live their lives as slaves for the white man. Enslaved, tortured, abused, and stripped of their own dignity.

Let’s also go back to a time when one man convinced a nation that it was in their best interest to rid the world of a specific group of people, and in turn made light of one of the most prominent instances of mass genocide known in our recent history and gave birth to a new, extreme fascist and nationalist culture.

And let’s come back a little more recently in our history to a time when people of a certain gender identification were considered a lower level of society and therefore did not have the same rights as another. No work. No home for themselves. No vote. No independence.

Not to mention the other countless groups of people (who are actually extremely worth mentioning) who have been facing, and still face social injustices daily, such as the GLBTQ Community, people with disabilities, the homeless, and even everyday youth. (I know I’m leaving out a lot, but I can only process so much at one time… I hope to drastically expand this essay to touch on everything I am currently leaving out one day in the near future.)

Let’s not forget as I move forward that these platforms in history have shaped the way our minds work today. These oppressions have not disappeared. I do not care what your history book tells you, you can easily and clearly see them in your everyday life if you just open your eyes and your mind to what is really going on around you. But they have gotten better because of the people who decided it was worth it to fight… and people who still think it is worth it to fight. We would still be living the ways of the past if no one ever tried to change it.

Now, lets come back to today, where certain species are considered the lowest level of society and are subjected to a life of not only enslavement and no voice or status, but also no matter whatsoever. Being’s sentenced to a life of torture and early, planned and systematic execution because there is another species out there that sees themselves as better, higher, more deserving and more worthy.

So, even though human struggles have come a long way from what they once were, they are not gone. Just as animals live a certain standard of life, so do marginalized human beings. Regardless of the progress we have made to change these things, there is a certain inset frame of mind that the majority of us have yet to escape from, even when we try our hardest. Because of the history we are taught and the values of our own cultures, we’re all programmed a certain way. To see someone else in a negative light is natural, unfortunately. It’s even considered ok in many circumstances. It’s considered understandable for someone to walk down the street and clutch their bag tight if a man of color is walking by. It is considered acceptable for a woman to be chosen second to a man in the workplace. It is seen as a public service to rid a neighborhood of its homeless society. It is considered commonplace for an animal to be tortured and slaughtered for human consumption. But if a man of color were to clutch his bag when I walked by, I would find it offensive. If a woman were to be chosen before a man, it would be considered extraordinary. If the upper class were forced out of their homes to make the lower class feel more comfortable, it would be seen as unspeakably absurd. If a human were to be eaten by an animal, it would considered a tragedy.

Why is everything so much different when it’s flipped upside down or read backwards? Why should any of it be any different? I’m not going to say that I want to see the day when we are all colorblind, when we do not see gender and when species is not a factor. I do not want to see the day that we are blind to individuality and uniqueness, rather I want to see the day when those things are fully accepted, cherished and even celebrated. I want to see the day when empowerment stems from empowerment rather than empowerment coming about through devaluing another. Oppression is oppression, no matter who is feeling it, it is felt the same way. Torture is torture, no matter who the victim is, they still feel the same pain. And we should be doing anything and everything in our personal power to fight those structures that hold them it place and even the natural tendencies we have in our own lives to subject another being to any less valued treatment. I don’t want to get all elementary on you here, but there was a wise rule we were all told as children that we should all take a little more seriously throughout the remainder of our lives… “Treat others as you would like to be treated” no matter what characteristics or privileges (or lack there of) that they were granted upon their birth. I know it is much easier said than done, but we can at least try our best and hope that means something one day. Not everyone can fight for a cause or stand up to an injustice, but everyone can check themselves and make personal changes in their own lives to help change this messed up sense of a society we currently live in.”

I know I complain a lot about how much I despise my job… how unhappy it makes me… that I wish I could quit… and though all those statements may be true, I have to admit that I am very lucky to have my job.  Especially with the state of the economy lately.  Despite my distaste for it, my job has given me a certain sense of security, and though it may not be a comfortable level for me all the time, I know that it is a lot more than a lot of other people can say they have.  And for that, I am very grateful and I know I am very lucky.  With that being said, I now have to explain that this sense of security I’ve relied on for so many years now is beginning to loose its high rank of importance in my life… I am becoming less and less comfortable with how unhappy I am so much of the time.  Because not only is that unhappiness taking its toll on me, it’s taking its toll on those around me as well and I feel terrible for that. 

Last night I went to a meeting for Occupy at the UCR campus with Justin.  We had to leave early because I was in so bad of a mood that neither of us wanted me to be around other people.  Justin kept asking me what was wrong and I kept not answering.  He knew I’d been having a rough time at work lately, but he could tell it was something more.  For some reason I could not bring myself to tell him that I was embarrassed for being one of the only people there who had never stepped foot on a college campus before.  Here I was, sitting with a group of people, listening to them discuss the things they are fighting for on a campus that I could have been graduating from this year… yet this was my first time there.  This state I’m in is partly due to my own choices and partly due to bad circumstances I’ve encountered… but either way… I could have been at a very different place in my life by now… but I’m not.  I’m here.  And I’m miserable the majority of the time… and I’m not comfortable with that anymore. 

School was never in my plan… I was going to be traveling the world playing music by now… that obviously didn’t happen.  But now, I have more interests and more goals, more ideas and more opportunities.  And for the first time in a long time, the opportunity to sometime soon be happy… is beginning to outweigh the little amount of security that I have in the work that I hate.  Animal rights issues have been a huge point of interest in my life… but I’d yet to piece together how I could take that anywhere in schooling… but in the past year or so, human struggles have become of particular interest to me as well. Specifically, the connections between oppressions animals face and the history of womens suffrage, civil rights, class struggles… I’m interested in understanding these topics of social struggles and I want to write an approachable article or book connecting them all together with the current state of animal oppressions and exploitation… I guess, the intersectionality between oppressions.  Now this is something schooling would definitely help me with… and it’s of great interest to me and I feel that I’d actually enjoy going to school if I’m working towards this goal… seeing as how I do anything I can to teach myself these subjects as it is… but I need more than myself for this.

So, I guess this is where I try to take on a new adventure in life… another endeavor to find some sense of peace and happiness. I’m determined to get it right one of these days.

http://animalarchy.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/introduction/

http://animalarchy.wordpress.com/

I’ve started writing a book… It’s going to be a project that takes me a long time, I’m sure, since it’s going to be a learning journey for me. But I’m really excited about it.  I’m debating on starting a blog to post entries that I write for it to get feedback and incite. It’s going to be about the connectedness between veganism, anarchy and feminism.  Eventually I’d like to interview some people who fall under those categories for a section of it.  But yeah… I might start posting about it… hopefully people are interested…

“Anarchists, as a result, seek to make people aware of their dignity, individuality and liberty and to encourage the spirit of revolt, resistance and solidarity in those subject to authority. This gets us denounced by the powerful as being breakers of the peace, but anarchists consider the struggle for freedom as infinitely better than the peace of slavery.”