Five takeaways from the dramatic evidentiary hearing that happened this week in our attempt to appoint a special prosecutor to charge Ridglan Farms with animal cruelty.

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

Chapter 1) 00:00-7:07 The First Takeaway from the October 23rd Evidentiary Hearing to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Ridglan Farms in Wisconsin: powerful testimony from whistleblowers that worked at Ridglan Farms

Chapter 2) 7:08-10:09 The Second Takeaway: informative testimony from many experts on dogs about normal/abnormal behavior & living conditions

Chapter 3) 10:10-14:19 The Third Takeaway: the state & federal government have repeatedly failed to enforce animal cruelty laws against Ridglan Farms

Chapter 4) 14:20-15:56 The Fourth Takeaway: Wayne’s testimony about investigating Ridglan Farms & rescuing Julie from Ridglan Farms in 2017 

Chapter 5) 15:57-17:53 The Fifth Takeaway: the judge is taking this case seriously, you can take action to help protect the dogs at Ridglan Farms at https://www.simpleheart.org/ridglan, & thank you all for the amazing support! 

Chapter 6) 17:54- 18:09 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

Trump and Harris both support the mass killing of dogs. But there’s an effective science-based strategy for getting them – and all the other political elites – to change

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Sign up to join the Ridglan Case Support chat (& find link to sample social media posts for 10/23):

https://www.simpleheart.org/ridglan

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

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Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00-4:18 Intro: feeling the pressure of the Ridglan Evidentiary hearing on 10/23, the evidence to be presented, authorities not protecting dogs, & the political bipartisan consensus on dogs

Chapter 2) 4:19-13:23 Government funding useless lab experiments on dogs & why politicians don’t create change

Chapter 3) 13:23-21:54 How movements can create power & change

Chapter 4) 21:55-27:09 How to convince politicians to stop the mass killing of dogs, & how you can help save the dogs at Ridglan Farms (https://www.simpleheart.org/ridglan)

Chapter 5) 27:10-27:26 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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Follow Wayne & Dane4Dogs

IG: https://www.instagram.com/waynehhsiung/ 

XTwitter: https://x.com/waynehhsiung 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/dane4dogs/ 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Dane4Dogs

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Previous podcast episodes mentioned:“Can We Rescue 60,000 Tortured Dogs? (Episode 16)”https://youtu.be/z1t_J9hMuaw 

“Duncan Watts - It’s A ‘Small World’ After All”

https://www.simpleheart.org/episodes/duncan-watts 

“He Wants To Argue About Gaza. Here’s Why We Shouldn’t. (w/ Richard Burgess, aka Vegan Gains) (Ep.46)”

https://youtu.be/HAMBNYvmO3Q?si=5IUYvpIHguotlnPC 

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The Simple Heart Substack blog posts mentioned:

“How To Stop Trump From Killing Dogs”

https://blog.simpleheart.org/p/how-to-stop-trump-from-killing-dogs 

“The Government Cover-Up of the Torture of 60,000 Dogs”https://blog.simpleheart.org/p/the-government-cover-up-of-the-torture 

“Why cover-ups backfire”

https://blog.simpleheart.org/p/why-cover-ups-backfire 

“How the Average Inmate Can Be More Influential than Oprah”

https://blog.simpleheart.org/p/how-the-average-inmate-can-be-more 

“How to find community in a disconnected world”

https://blog.simpleheart.org/p/how-to-find-community-in-a-disconnected 

Books/Articles Mentioned:

“Change: How to Make Big Things Happen” by Damon Centola

"Collective dynamics of 'small-world' networks" by Damon Centola & Steven H. Strogatz (Nature, 1998)

https://www.nature.com/articles/30918 (Abstract of article)

Has Vegan Gains gone intersectional?

Richard and I discuss the merits of bringing multiple causes – from #MeToo to #FreePalestine – under the banner of a single social movement.

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Follow Vegan Gains

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegangains.real/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VeganGains

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeganGainsOfficial 

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

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Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00-10:17 Intro, opinions on current issues, & outcomes of disruptions

Chapter 2) 10:18-29:03 Wayne confronts Richard about intersectionality

Chapter 3) 29:04-58:21 Richard response & violent vs nonviolent resistance movements 

Chapter 4) 58:22-1:06:44 Purity tests of being in the vegan/animal rights movement

Chapter 5) 1:06:45-1:26:52 Wayne’s advice to Richard, Richard on vegan intersectionalists, & not banning people from the movement

Chapter 6) 1:26:53-1:39:50 Nations/state systemic violence against animals & hate speech vs disagreements

Chapter 7) 1:39:51-1:44:30 Final thoughts: how Wayne & Richard agree/disagree, & future podcasts guests & discussions

Chapter 8) 1:44:31-1:44:47 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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 Books mentioned:

“Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know” by Erica Chenoweth

https://www.ericachenoweth.com/research/civil-resistance-what-everyone-needs-to-know 

“The Path of Most Resistance: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Nonviolent Campaigns” By Ivan Marovic

https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/resource/path-resistance-step-step-guide-planning-nonviolent-campaigns/ 

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Movies mentioned:

Joker (2019)

Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

A ban on animal slaughter is on the ballot in Denver. And the fiercest opposition is coming from… the Democratic Party.

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Learn more at https://proanimal.org/ about the Denver ballot initiatives!

Denver: Vote Yes on 309: https://proanimal.org/campaigns/denver-slaughterhouse-ban/  

Denver: Vote Yes on 308: https://proanimal.org/campaigns/denver-fur-ban-308/ 

Follow Aidan (more links below)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proanimalaidan/ 

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

—

Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00-12:39 Intro, Aidan of Pax Fauna, Denver slaughterhouse ban ballot initiative, effective altruism, learning how to be an organizer, & thoughts on activist Roger Hallam

Chapter 2) 12:40-27:54 Learning from Extinction Rebellion in the UK in 2019, activism during the pandemic, research with Pax Fauna, & outreach about animals

Chapter 3) 27:55-41:17 Explaining system change to the public & more on the Denver slaughterhouse ban ballot initiative

Chapter 4) 41:18-54:55 Climate change, voting, fur banning legislation, & ballot initiative campaign fundraising comparison

Chapter 5) 54:56-1:04:38 October 9th release of investigation footage from Superior Farms slaughterhouse, emotional impacts of violence against animal, negative media coverage of both ballot measures, political opposition & endorsement of both slaughterhouse ban/fur ban ballot measures

Chapter 6) 1:04:39-1:21:31 ICYMI: Aidan’s disruption of a panel with Kamala Harris during ALC 2019, Kamala as a prosecutor/district attorney/attorney general, & mass incarceration in the United States

Chapter 7) 1:21:32-1:41:29 Kamala & other politicians on animal rights, Aidan’s first time in jail after 2016 disruption, democratic response to Denver slaughterhouse ban ballot initiative, information about Wayne’s mayoral campaign in 2020, how political power is being used, & the values of politicians

Chapter 8) 1:41:30-1:50:20 Ballot initiative campaigns in Sonoma County and Denver, & on democracy in public and behind closed doors

Chapter 9) 1:50:21-2:00:15 Aidan on victories & lessons of the Denver ballot initiatives, & final thoughts

Chapter 10) 2:00:16-2:00:32 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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Follow Aidan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aidan.cook.378 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proanimalaidan/ 

XTwitter: https://x.com/leavemeatbehind 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidan-kankyoku-6a03b322b/ 

Follow Pax Fauna

Email: [email protected] 

Website: https://www.paxfauna.org 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaxFauna 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paxfauna/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@paxfauna1360 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pax-fauna/posts/?feedView=all 

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Books/Articles Mentioned:

“Humanity” by Jonathan Glover

“Animal Rights Protester Grabs Microphone From Kamala Harris” by Katy McNally (June 4, 2019)

https://sentientmedia.org/animal-rights-protester-interrupted-kamala-harris-was-it-justified/ 

“Why I Took the Mic from Kamala Harris” by Aidan Cook (June 5, 2019)

https://medium.com/@aidan_28588/why-i-took-the-mic-from-kamala-harris-d9e87fe2d2c0 

Statement released by DxE  (June 2019):

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14dO4FHqHL4f6btUSG4YjiAjzsHaDyuSg3O4t3VCtGl8/edit?tab=t.0  

“Why Nations Fail” by Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson

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Movies mentioned:

“The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

Wandering cows, illegal raids, and threats to democracy that may imperil the future of our nation.

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://simpleheart.org!

Thumbnail photo by Adair Luhr

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Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00 The greatest threat to democracy is on our dinner plates; how Tracy Murphy’s case shows why

Chapter 2) 08:32 Aren’t there greater threats to democracy, like insurrections?

Chapter 3) 11:55 Why democracy is a good system, but how a poorly functioning one fails us

Chapter 4) 19:02 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” and why Martin Luther King, Jr. was right

Chapter 5) 24:36 Imagine a different world where relatively powerless people and animals can go up against the powerful

Chapter 6) 27:10 What each of us can do to help us achieve a more democratic society

Chapter 7) 28:39 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

Justin Marceau was lead counsel in the People v. Tracy Murphy. I speak to him about the serious misconduct we revealed in the case – & what it tells us about the broader problem of criminal justice.

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

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Contact/follow Animal Activist Legal Defense Project:

https://www.law.du.edu/content/animal-activist-legal-defense-project 

https://www.instagram.com/aaldp_du/ 

https://x.com/AALDP_DU 

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Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00-11:25 Intro, Tracy Murphy’s case & trial, Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, & the defense gets new information days before trial starts

Chapter 2) 11:26-20:56 At the dismissal: the judge reprimands defense while wrongly praising the prosecution, “poverty of low expectations” in the criminal justice system, constitutional violations against Tracy, compliments about the legal team working well together, & Tracy’s bravery to not take a plea deal

Chapter 3) 20:57-28:01 Would destruction of evidence have been enough to dismiss the case without familial relationship disclosure, & not a strong case for the prosecution in front of a jury

Chapter 4) 28:02- 36:34 Do people in the US really have presumption of innocence in the American legal system, & Tracy’s learning her legal rights to the cows

Chapter 5) 36:35-47:56 Tracy followed the law in this case, law students & lawyers should learn how to emotionally be there for their clients, intense animal agricultural opposition & disinformation against Tracy’s compassionate choices, & how Tracy has helped the authorities & community with animals abuse cases

Chapter 6) 47:57-56:24 Employees betraying Tracy, harassment against Tracy, how society & local communities are divided, & the power of the prosecution

Chapter 7) 56:25-1:13:54 Justin & Wayne working together & with the legal team for animal rights activists, & Justin’s advice to new lawyers & activists

Chapter 8) 1:13:55-1:27:14 How to make the legal system more accessible, the need for authenticity in personal & public interactions, Wayne’s proposed changes to the court, & lawyers empowering their activist clients

Chapter 9) 1:27:15-1:37:45 What Justin learned from the Asha Rescue Trial, Wayne’s arguments in court, getting to know local lawyers, final thoughts, & check out the website Animal Activist Legal Defense Project (link above)

Chapter 10) 1:37:46-1:38:02 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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Follow Justin:

https://x.com/justin_marceau

https://www.facebook.com/justin.marceau.9

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marceau-justin-97b33015/

Support Asha's Farm Sanctuary & Tracy:

https://www.ashasfarmsanctuary.org

https://www.facebook.com/@ashasfarmsanctuary

https://www.instagram.com/ashasfarmsanctuary

https://twitter.com/AshasSanctuary

https://www.tiktok.com/@ashas_farm_sanctuary?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/tracy.murphy.3572

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-murphy-4b40b410/

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Books/Essays:

Beyond Cages: Animal Law & Criminal Punishment by Justin Marceau

Carceral Logics: Human Incarceration & Animal Captivity by (Editors) Lori Gruen & Justin Marceau

Truth & Transparency: Undercover Investigations in the Twenty-First Century by Alan K. Chen & Justin Marceau

Cases & Materials on the Death Penalty by Nina Rivkind, Steven Shatz, Sam Kamin, & Justin Marceau

“Federal Habeas Corpus: Cases & Materials” by Andrea Lyon, Emily Hughes, Mary Prosser, & Justin Marceau

Death Penalty in a Nutshell by Victor Streib, Sam Kamin, & Justin Marceau

Voluntary Prosecution & the Case of Animal Rescue by Justin Marceau, Wayne Hsiung, & Steffen Seitz (Harvard Law Review)

https://harvardlawreview.org/forum/vol-137/voluntary-prosecution-and-the-case-of-animal-rescue/

Books mentioned:

The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz

Movies mentioned:

The Joker (2019)

On July 16, 2022, Tracy Murphy saw two young stray cows wandering onto her property, adjacent to a busy road in upstate New York. She gave the cows food, water, and shelter and called the SPCA. What happened in the next few years is so bizarre and outrageous – from police raids to hidden cows sent to slaughter – that it's hard to believe.

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Follow Asha’s Farm Sanctuary and Tracy Murphy!

Website: https://www.ashasfarmsanctuary.org  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@ashasfarmsanctuary 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashasfarmsanctuary 

XTwitter: https://twitter.com/AshasSanctuary 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashas_farm_sanctuary?lang=en 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracy.murphy.3572 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-murphy-4b40b410/  

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

—

Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00-10:37 Intro, how Tracy Murphy found Little Willow and Ishmael at Asha’s Farm Sanctuary in July 2022, & how Asha’s Farm Sanctuary helps abused farm animals in the local community

Chapter 2) 10:38-22:27 How the case against Tracy started, getting to know Little Willow and Ishmael at Asha’s Farm Sanctuary & Tracy’s legal rights to Little Willow and Ishmael

Chapter 3) 23:28-44:00 Tracy’s interactions with Gregson (the alleged owner of the cows) and the authorities & the defense team learning new information just before the trial was supposed to start 

Chapter 4) 44:01-54:21 Forrest Lucas & “Protect the Harvest” publicly defame Tracy, no support from authorities when 100+ people harass/block Tracy at Asha’s Farm Sanctuary, the authorities raid, arrest, & shackle(!) Tracy, & Tracy is gagged by the court -  prohibited from posting on social media - while Gregson spreads lies 

Chapter 5) 54:22- 1:03:27 Finally learning what happened to Little Willow and Ishmael from the New York Times reporting on the case, not from the authorities/court, & violations of individuals’ constitutional rights, & violations of laws by those with power

Chapter 6) 1:03:28-1:10:15 Tracy’s legal team, the judge’s ruling, how Tracy won the case, & final thoughts

Chapter 7) 1:10:16-1:10:32 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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Also mentioned:

Animal Activist Legal Defense Project

https://www.law.du.edu/content/animal-activist-legal-defense-project

As the next big right to rescue trial looms, we're republishing a blast from the past: a debate I had with a pig farmer just months after a mass open rescue at Sunrise Farms.

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

—

Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00-03:10 Intro: communicating with adversaries and on the Asha Trial starting on October 3rd with Tracy Murphy #CompassionIsNotACrime

Chapter 2) 3:11-1:17:58 Wayne Hsiung and Trent Loos: first debate from 2018

Chapter 3) 1:17:59-1:18:15 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

In one week, we face the next huge animal rights trial. Here’s what we can learn from my closing argument in one of the last ones.  #SmithfieldFoods #CompassionIsNotACrime

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at ⁠https://www.simpleheart.org⁠!

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Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00 Intro, Context of revisiting this closing argument

Chapter 2) 04:06 Piglets, Purpose, Price; Wayne sighs before starting

Chapter 3) 08:22 End of a long Friday

Chapter 4) 11:35 Using a line from an unlikely ally

Chapter 5) 14:56 Piglets

Chapter 6) 17:15 Purpose

Chapter 7) 22:08 Price

Chapter 8) 31:14 More thoughts on the value of unexpected allies

Chapter 9) 33:08 The added pressure of representing other defendants at trial

Chapter 10) 36:15 Addressing the intent to steal piglets

Chapter 11) 39:12 The first controversial line: "I don't want you to acquit us..."

Chapter 12) 41:50 The second controversial line: Animals have "given us food..."

Chapter 13) 44:32 Closing thoughts: Don't hide the ball, dive deep, and have faith

Chapter 14) 54:33 Outro videos - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

David Ramms thinks veganism has an infighting problem. Is he right? And if so, what can be done?

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Follow David:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@davidramms

Website: https://davidramms.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/davidramms/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/itsdavidramms

XTwitter: https://twitter.com/itsdavidramms

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidramms/

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The Simple Heart on Substack - Subscribe to Wayne Hsiung's newsletter to learn more about the #RightToRescue at https://www.simpleheart.org!

—

Chapters:

Chapter 1) 00:00-16:32 Intro, context for David’s speech causing controversy in the animal rights movement, going to animal rights conferences, starting DxE Barcelona, & inequality in the movement

Chapter 2) 16:33-26:05 More on David’s speech: communicating through disagreements & conflict

Chapter 3) 26:06-44:21 Racism inside & outside of the animal rights movement

Chapter 4) 44:22-57:08 Responding to racism inside & outside the animal rights movement, & David talking with people after his speech

Chapter 5) 57:09-1:09:57 Groups targeted as cults

Chapter 6) 1:09:58-1:23:27 Communicating based on facts with First Principles, David responding to questions about his speech, & David acknowledging prior behavior

Chapter 7) 1:23:28-1:38:21 David’s growth as an activist, on leaders & leadership in the movement, on Threat Inflation, & being on social media

Chapter 8) 1:38:22-1:46:21 Abolitionists & welfarist in the animal rights movement, how to be react responsibly on social media, & final thoughts

Chapter 9) 1:46:22-1:46:37 Outro video - Thank you for watching! Please Subscribe. Acknowledgments to the Podcast Team: Joe Allman, Adam Durand, & Chloe Leffakis

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Books Mentioned:

“How to Create a Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach” by Tobias Leenaert

https://www.tobiasleenaert.be/p/boek.html

Movies mentioned:

“Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America” (Documentary - 2016)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_Courtesy:_Daryl_Davis,_Race_%26_America