Hi everyone,
In July 2015, the OC Register featured an article about Bruno Barba, a Fullerton Joint Union High School student enrolled in FFA (Future Farmers of America) who found a home for his “project” Lola-Pig at Farm Sanctuary. Bruno resisted the “it’s what we do” conventionality that all of his peers followed, i.e. choosing life for Lola instead of slaughter. While some might consider him to be an upstander or hero, a rare high school student exercising critical thinking in order to make his own “best” or “right” decision, what was his instructor’s response? “We definitely don’t encourage it.”
Reading the article in 2015 was the first time I became aware that we had these programs in the local area. At face value it just seemed like a really bad idea: bad for humans, bad for non-humans, bad for planet earth. How could we possibly be asking children to raise and bond with animals then send them off to slaughter for financial profit? At a time of well-known looming eco-catastrophe globally, why the adherence to such an old-school model, and who is benefiting from keeping it going? Not to mention the animals themselves living in a cleaned up version of factory farming, deemed commodities, and killed at the end of the semester? All for academic credit?
After a conversation with Gene Baur (Co-founder of Farm Sanctuary), I decided to learn more about this type of agricultural curriculum being taught in the public school system. I met with Bruno and his mom, Dulce, as well as others. The more I learned, the more I felt deeply creepy-disturbed, and the more I realized I was not alone in my prior ignorance. These issues desperately needed and still need exposure. In 2016, Living Ubuntu started working with Synthian Sharp and commenced filming. Two years later, we are in the final stages of film editing. We intend to release “So Give Me An F” as a feature length documentary film later this year.
I am very happy to announce that Gene Baur, Synthian Sharp, and I will be discussing “So Give Me An F” (and screening a *new* sneak-peak clip from the film) at the upcoming Animal Rights National Conference in Los Angeles, June 28 – July 1 (early registration ends May 7). Consider joining us at the conference.
We need your support.
We need to launch a web site for the film, create promotional materials to help get the word out, pay for film festival entrance fees, and distribution costs.
Your financial contribution would be greatly appreciated — donate here.
Also, on Saturday, June 16, we will be taking a day trip, car pooling from Orange County, to visit Farm Sanctuary in Acton.
For full event details, please see Eventbrite and sign up there if you want to join us. FYI: space is limited and has been filling up very quickly.
In the spirit of Ubuntu,
Barbara English, LMFT, CBT, TRE® Certification Trainer
Co-founder and Executive Director, Living Ubuntu
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[Ubuntu] n. We belong to the greater whole.
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