“I am the voice of over 70 billion non-human animals that are tortured and murdered every year on our lands! I am running for the Office of the President of the United States of America so that I can represent the voices of the voiceless. ” — Clifton Roberts, CEO of the Humane Party.
The Humane Party was established in 2009 and it is the United States’ very first political party that is committed to rights for all animals. It is also a platform for peace, nonviolence, and rights for humans. Clifton Roberts, CEO of the Humane Party, a United States citizen, was born at Yokota Air Force Base in Japan. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and currently resides in Sacramento, California. He has over two decades of corporate organizational experience in industries ranging from health care to financial services and currently serves as Ethics and Legal Compliance Manager for the world's largest semiconductor producer.
First of all, how do you feel as a vegan presidential candidate who defends nonviolence in this crazy political atmosphere of the U.S.?
I ‘feel’ so much. I feel honored that so many citizens have trusted me to represent their voices. I feel excited that this campaign is creating awareness at a national level. I feel hopeful that our efforts are inspiring intelligent, clever, and skilled citizens to run for federal offices in the future. I feel inspired with the hope to save our non-human friends. I feel hopeful in creating a movement for a lasting peace.
How did you become involved in politics? Could you elaborate a bit on your experience with The Humane Party?
Dwight D. Eisenhower was quoted as saying that “Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.” So, as a citizen, I’ve always been very interested in politics, but never participated in the processes available to us. In May of 2015, I accepted a position with the Humane Party as its Chief Executive Officer. My commitment to Humane Party supporters was to help make politics easier to understand; to get skilled candidates into office; and to grow this party. As CEO, I also sought additional exposure on a global scale. Ultimately, the Humane Party Board of Directors saw it fit to nominate me as its first every Presidential Candidate. As I stated in my nomination acceptance speech, although I’ve never been a politician, I’m fully vested in the direction of this country and I own, just as much as those currently in power, the management and outcomes of our political, social, and economic discretion.
“EVERY ANIMAL IS AN INDIVIDUAL AND DESERVES THE RIGHT TO HAPPINESS”
I chose a vegan lifestyle when my compassion for animals collided with my exposure to common sense, logic, and science. I realized that not only was my personal consumption of animals deteriorating my health but that my consumption of secretions from animals was unnatural—that consuming the milk of a cow, which is genetically designed for her own baby, was an insult to my common sense. So, at the age of 30, I made the decision to go vegan, and I’m so pleased with where my decision has led me.
To me veganism is not just a way of reducing suffering; it is a commitment to justice and and refusal to participate in animal slavery. How do you define your animal rights philosophy?
I agree. I believe that every animal is an individual and deserves the right to happiness, as does any human being. Therefore, it is my intention to seek, through legislation and the introduction of existing proposed amendments that I both sponsored and support, the end of the slaughter and mutilation of non-human animals and grant legal person-hood to all sentient beings.
How did you go from being vegan to speaking out on behalf of animals?
I’ve advocated on behalf of animals for a very long time. The difference now is that of scale. When I first developed the sense and courage to become vegan 18 years ago, I was very vocal, but my audience was limited to my immediate sphere of influence: friends, family, and the like. As I evolved as a human, I knew that with the continued murder of innocent beings, I needed a larger platform to speak on their behalf.
The Humane Party is the United States’ very first political party that is committed to rights for all animals. Could you describe its vision?
The Humane Party has a grand vision for the future. We envision a lasting, secure peace and cooperative relationships with all other nations. The party envisions a population that is both healthy and educated; envisions a legal system where all beings are free from being exploited and abused; and envisions a government led by public servants who are moral, ethical, and represent integrity.
You say that The Humane Party recognizes that the most ethical path is also the most practical path for America. Could you explain it a bit?
This simply means that being ethical is always the most practical. For instance, avoiding the consumption of muscles and fluids of other mammals, practically speaking, will reduce the risks associated with sickness and disease.
“ELECT SKILLED CANDIDATES INTO CONGRESS SO THAT REVOLUTIONARY BILLS AND LAWS CAN BE INTRODUCED AND VOTED ON!”
The Humane Party has some big plans for the future such as abolishing animal slavery, cruelty and killing through existing political and legal systems, as well as working to pass legislation that protects the rights of sentient beings. How are you going to manage to do it in this capitalist system that abuses animals in almost every sector?
Our strategy is to elect skilled candidates into congress so that revolutionary bills, laws, and constitutional amendments can be introduced and voted on. You see, today, there is no lack of proposed laws and constitutional amendments. We just don’t have the friends in congress or the executive branch to introduce the bills to be voted on. We often hear stories about citizens who have written their representatives in congress, to no avail. Well, if we have Humane Party representatives in congress, in the White House, you better believe that the voices of our citizens, with the animals’ best interest at heart, will be heard.
It really makes me happy that now there’s a vegan political party in the U.S.! Do you think Americans will trust it, considering that its citizens are far from pleased about how the government system works?
Absolutely! I’ve always said that our compassionate intelligence is a competitive advantage. The reception I’ve received from social media alone presents us with data that a citizen will trust an entity committed to non-violence and reforming campaign finance; that Americans will trust a party who is committed to demonstrating that we can significantly alter the shape of the political landscape. It will take some time, but I am confident that we can do it and continue to harvest the trust and confidence of the American public.
“THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA HAS IGNORED OUR EFFORTS BUT SOCIAL MEDIA HAS TREATED THIS CAMPAIGN WITH EXCITEMENT!”
The mainstream media has ignored our efforts, thus far. However, ‘social media’ has treated this campaign with excitement, enthusiasm, and vigor! I receive hundreds of messages every day, from all over the world, that share words of encouragement and support, which in turns inspires me to be courageous and be consistent in creating, welcoming, and embracing dialogue and conversation.
When Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Labour Party in the U.K. said, “I would never use nuclear weapons If I were PM,” the mainstream UK media responded with its typical furor. What kind of reaction did you get from the media and the American people when you stated, “I am the voice of over 70 billion non-human animals that are tortured and murdered every year on our lands,”?
Of course, the reactions from media and citizens in favor of animal rights were very positive. Surprisingly, a few animal rights activists wrote stories that we are simply ‘wonderful people wasting our time.’ I have also received hateful and belligerent messages and emails from carnists who looked at my statement solely from a ‘food’ perspective. These folks chose to look at my efforts to save innocent lives as one human telling another human how and what to eat. It just reminded me how hard we must all work to shift the perspectives of humans to eliminate tradition, culture, and habit from the compassion equation.
First, there is an overall ignorance by politicians to root cause. I’ve heard our current President say that he supports hunting. Naturally, if support of murder at this level is the example for other politicians, we have a problem that demonstrates nativity to root cause issues. Second, our democracy is tainted because of existing components like the Electoral College and Citizens United. When you have a political system that suppresses democracy in any form, it limits the voice of the people and politics becomes an arena filled with so called elite insiders. The Humane Party recognizes this, and plans to change it.
I think animal rights is now the leading social justice issue since the abolition of human slavery in the world. But we’re still living in a society where violence has been very present at the most intimate levels. How hopeful are you that one day animal cruelty will be seen the same and given the same justice as human cruelty?
I am running for the Office of the President of the United States of America so that I can represent the voices of the voiceless. So I am extremely hopeful. I’ve built a career in enterprise as a person who manages outcomes and I have every intention of leveraging this expertise to alter the outcomes associated with violence towards animals. I plan to embody the voice of your readers and the citizens of the world to manifest our unwavering desire to change our course. It is my hope and dream to personify a shared vision of a compassionate world and to realize the whispers of a world that leverages the collective intelligence of all people and encourages our leaders to lead with intellectual power Instead of coercive strength.
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