Arkangel

NEW: See the Barry Horne memorial website at http://barryhorne.org/

Barry Horne was an ordinary man possessed of extraordinary courage and strength of conviction; he was not as the media would have you believe, a violent fanatical extremist.

This website has been set up to put the record straight and to let people decide for themselves having seen the real facts. Was he a terrorist as the government and media would have you believe, or was he a caring compassionate individual who wanted a fairer society for humans and non-humans alike. You decide...

The website you're about to enter has been set up in order to focus on the issues surrounding animal rights and how they can affect individuals like Barry Horne who believe that animals - human and non-human alike - should have an equal right to live out their lives free from suffering and servitude.

It attempts to show how and why the lives of activists become inextricably linked to the movement, and how we all - whether we have sympathies with the cause or not - are affected by the manipulation and misinformation generated by the government, the animal abuse industries, and the media who see to it that the image of animal rights is one of extreme people-haters.

Contrary to this myth, the animal rights movement does not just strive for the rights of animals; on a broader level - ethics aside - it is very much about pragmatism, the sustainability of resources on the planet and assuring a future for our children and our children's children ; we have a responsibility to our own species as well as all other life forms on this planet.

This website is designed to present the facts about the animal abuse industries, to dispel the misinformation they generate and to show how the public are manipulated into accepting that animal abuse is a "necessary evil".

The withholding of information or the distortion of facts are commonly used media tools - for example, how many members of the public are aware that 3 animal rights campaigners - one of them a 15-year old boy - have already died at the hands of animal abusers? Who is the terrorist, and who the terrorised?

"Terrorism" is a term commonly employed by the media, the industry and the government to discredit the movement - a label that strikes fear and suspicion in the heart of the public - particularly since the events of Sept 11th, 2001. Using the power of emotive language and name-calling is far easier than presenting and confronting the real facts or entering into a reasoned and unbiased debate.

It is no coincidence that derogatory language has become an all too familiar form of abuse; using terminology that suggests violence serves to divert attention away from the real perpetrators of violence who thus become the implied victims, masking their often brutal assaults on peaceful campaigners. Another propaganda ploy used by the animal abuse industries is to accuse animal rights campaigners of posing a threat to their civil liberties - be it the hunter, the vivisector, etc ; this enables them to play the victim card on yet another level.

The truth is that animal rights campaigners believe this IS a question of civil liberties where it seems one law applies for those involved in animal abuse, and another - completely different one - for everyone else, including you. All too often, civil liberties, democratic laws and individual rights are ignored and violated in the fight by the animal abuse industries to conceal the true images and disturbing facts hidden behind their public face. The true facts seldom reach a public forum.

We believe the public should be allowed to make an informed decision on the animal rights debate, and that means hearing both sides of the argument. This website allows you to disentangle the lies and to make up your own minds.