This article is by Nicole Huber, a translator/writer and fledgling animal liberation activist from Germany.
The views expressed in this article are the authors and may or may not reflect the views of the Non-Humans First Movement.
If you only read ONE book this year, make it this one!
“#uncensored: Inside the animal liberation movement” by Camille A. Marino, speaks to the reader on many different levels: It is the inspiring tale of a woman who kept her integrity and even grew stronger in the face of incredibly adverse circumstances. It is an eye-opener for anyone who may harbor remnants of the illusion that the legal system is by and large fair, or that the state generally functions to protect its citizens’ rights and interests. It provides insight into the vivisection industry. And last, but by no means least, this book can also be read like a manual for effective activism.
Ms. Marino has come a long way: from a traumatic childhood, through money-obsessed, fast-living investment banking, to being a tireless, dedicated and effective activist against the legitimate heirs of Josef Mengele, the evil vivisection complex. In fact, so dedicated and effective that the industry eventually strikes back, using the full power of an utterly corrupt legal system that it has at its disposal. While such is to be expected, Ms. Marino was totally unprepared for a much, much worse blow soon to follow: the betrayal by her best friend and confidante, a prominent figure of the animal liberation movement. This man not only let her take the fall-out for his actions, he orchestrated a comprehensive online bullying campaign against her, he ruthlessly abused the law to silence her at all costs, and he didn’t even shy away from taking the side of the vivisectors. It is no wonder that these events let to what Ms. Marino in retrospect describes as a nervous breakdown, and it is a testament to her integrity and honesty that, rather than painting herself as a saintly victim or pitying herself, she unflinchingly describes her own mistakes in dealing with this onslaught. Luckily, Ms Marino managed to turn her experience into an opportunity to grow and become stronger.
Yet, throughout all of this, and throughout the book, Ms. Marino never loses sight of her goal: to be a voice and fight for the nonhuman animals who are enslaved, sadistically tortured and killed by one of the most evil industries in the world, the vivisection industry. The stories of individual victims and descriptions of torture methods she relays in her book are but a glimpse into a bottomless abyss of sadism and evil, but they are enough to leave the reader shaking with tears. Which leads to another very important aspect of the book. In it, Ms. Marino discusses her thoughts on animal liberation and how it can be achieved. And she provides us with the tried and tested examples of her own activism. So, while 2018 is still young, I can say with absolute certainty that this is one of most important books of the year.
