Past Readings

The following is a list of past readings that was up on the old site. Feel free to browse, but we should be having new readings coming up soon. If anyone has any questions about anything specific, please post them in the comments section and we will try and answer them shortly.

READINGS:

Not all of the following readings are ideologically supported by VARI, but rather, they provide interesting philosophical insights. So, that said, if you are looking for readings which are, in VARIs view, very important and reflect our philosophical underpinnings, read the books asterisked at the bottom of this page.

2006

WEEK 1: October 19^th, 2006
INTRODUCTION TO NONHUMAN ANIMAL ETHICS
Singer, Peter. All Animals Are Equal.

WEEK 2: October 26^th, 2006
ANIMAL LIBERATION OR ANIMAL RIGHTS?
Regan, Tom. The Case for Animal Rights.

WEEK 3: November 2^nd, 2006
ANIMAL RIGHTS FRANCIONE STYLE
Francione, Gary. A Brief Intro To AR: Your Child or the Dog?

WEEK 4: November 9^th, 2006
AN INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL WELFARE VS. ANIMAL RIGHTS
Singer, Peter. The Longest Journey Begins with a Single Step: Promoting Animal Rights by Promoting Reform.

Francione, Gary. Abolition of Animal Exploitation: The Journey Will Not Begin While We Are Walking Backwards.

WEEK 5: November 16^th, 2006
ANIMALS AS PROPERTY
Francione, Gary. Personhood, Property and Legal Competence, Section 1: Legal Rights for Great Apes and Section 2: Animals as Property

ALSO, IF YOU’RE INTERESTED

Criminal Code of Canada, Part XI: Wilful and Forbidden Acts in Respect of Certain Property, Sections 444, 445, 446 and 447 Cattle and Other Animals and Cruelty to Animals

WEEK 6: November 23^rd, 2006
LAST MEETING OF 2006, NO READINGS.

2007

WEEK 1: January 17^th, 2007
FIRST MEETING OF 2007, NO READINGS

First Meeting and Poster

Our first meeting is going to be Tuesday, September 18th at 7:00 PM in the Stauffer Library basement room 020B. I sent the poster around on the list , but I am not sure if it has gone out (if not, the poster is here). In any case, if people can help out postering just send an email to the list saying which areas you are going to attack, and then we can go from there. Areas of interest are:
*Stauffer Library
*Douglas Library
*JDUC
*MacCorry
*Residences
*Cafeterias
Dunning
Kingston
Sterling
Chernoff
Ellis
Beamish-Munro (aka ILC)
Dupuis
Jeffery
Jackson
Watson

Those with an asterisk require permission. For JDUC and MacCorry head to the office just inside the Union entrance of the JDUC. Stauffer is on the second floor at the south-west corner. Douglas I cant remember. Residences and Cafeterias head to the MCRC on the first floor of Vic hall on the other side of the foyer.

VARI’s New Blog

I have been mulling over the whole website thing with regards to VARI, and decided that the gmail website really isn’t worth my, or anyone else’s for that matter, time. So, what is going to happen is this blog.

The point of the blog is simple: to talk about animal rights issues, but more specifically, the readings that we cover in meetings every week. What is great about the blog format is that not only can regular VARI members post questions and comments, but so can people who cannot make meetings or are not even in Kingston. Maybe this blog will become even more active than our meetings, which can only be a good thing.

Unlike the previous website, I am not going to be posting very much news or any other AR related articles (though this doesn’t mean that others are not welcome to post) save the readings and noteworthy pieces directly relating to them. This way it saves everyone time and energy and allows us to focus on what is important: thoughtful discussion of animal rights issues.

We haven’t yet set a date for our first meeting, nor have we even decided what we are going to do at the first meeting. I suspect that some of us will poster soon (once the poster is made, anyone?) and that a gathering will commence sometime early next week and we will simply have a meet and greet orientation type thing. If anyone has a preferred time to meet just send an email over the list (vari@lists.riseup.net), it looks as though Tuesday is a good night, but who knows.

Finally, if anyone has any suggestions about what to do for this year or what readings were good/bad just post some comments.

See everyone soon,
Peter