FEATURE:
Paul McCartney at Eighty
IN TH IS PHOTO: Paul McCartney at a March for Our Lives sister protest in New York in 2018 to support those demanding an end to gun violence/PHOTO CREDIT: Spencer Platt
Eleven: Vegetarianism, Humanitarianism and Activism
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ALTHOUGH most of these features…
IN THIS PHOTO: Paul McCartney in 1968/PHOTO CREDIT: Linda McCartney
I am putting out ahead of Paul McCartney’s eightieth birthday in June are about his music and impact on the music world, there are areas other than that I want to explore. McCartney’s humanitarian side is something that stands out. In his career, he has written songs that highlight injustice. He wrote Give Ireland Back to The Irish after seeing footage of Bloody Sunday. I think there is always an inclusiveness in McCartney’s music. From his work with The Beatles to his later solo work, he is someone who fights for other people’s rights. From voicing his support of George Floyd’s family after Floyd was murdered in 2020, to him attending the March for Our Lives’ sister rally in New York in 2018, here is someone who wants fairness and justice for all. There is this incredible compassion and warmth that naturally feeds into his songs - though McCartney can be sharp and angry if he needs to make a point or raise an important issue through his songs. Last year, Paul McCartney, alongside other artists called for change regarding streaming platforms and artist payments. The man is someone who is always looking out for others.
Aware of the inequalities and struggles around the world, McCartney uses his platform and passion to affect change. I am going to come to his animal rights work and vegetarianism. He is deeply concerned about the climate crisis and the way we are treating the planet. Humanitarianism is at the core of Paul McCartney’s heart. This article outlines ways in which McCartney has supported charities and important causes:
“As of June 2020, Paul McCartney has supported 45 charities. Throughout his life, he has donated millions to several charities and has participated in many benefit concerts, such as Live 8 and Change Begins Within. Change Begins Within was a 2009 benefit concert in Manhattan, New York, hosted by the David Lynch Foundation. It helped raise money and awareness for at-risk youth and encouraged the use of meditation to combat stress and achieve success. Other significant charities and organizations that McCartney has supported include Adopt-A-Minefield, Cruelty Free International, Everyone Matters, Greenpeace, PETA, Red Cross and the St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters. McCartney is a patron for Adopt-A-Minefield, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the problems of landmines, raising funds to help survivors of landmine accidents and helping clear landmines. From 2001 to 2005, McCartney performed in five benefit galas for the organization. In total, he helped raise $17 million for the now-inoperative charity.
Paul McCartney is a huge advocate for providing aid for childhood diseases. McCartney has four biological children, Mary, Stella, James and Beatrice, and an adopted daughter, Heather, who is the biological daughter of the late Linda McCartney. McCartney also has eight grandchildren and used them as inspiration for his children’s book “Hey, Grandude!”, which was published in September 2019. His devotion to his own children and grandchildren is evident, but it is also apparent that he cares a great deal for the welfare of children around the world. McCartney’s humanitarian work has included donations to the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, Keep a Child Alive, Children with Leukemia and Teenage Cancer Trust. These are organizations dedicated to focusing on the needs of children affected by significant diseases or disorders. Additionally, in 2012, McCartney performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London for the Teenage Cancer Trust, helping raise over $382 million.
Paul McCartney’s humanitarian work dates back over 40 years. In 1979, McCartney was one of the lead organizers of the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, a series of concerts that ran from December 26-29, 1979 and took place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. The concerts raised awareness and donations for the victims of war-torn Cambodia (then known as Kampuchea) at the start of the Cambodian-Vietnamese War. The proceeds went directly toward United Nations agencies’ emergency relief work in Cambodia. In addition, in 1989, McCartney participated in a charity version of the song “Ferry Cross the Mersey.” The proceeds made from the single were used to aid victims of the Hillsborough disaster, a human crush that occurred at a soccer match in the Hillsborough Stadium in South Yorkshire, England, killing nearly 100 people. The song held the number one spot on the U.K. chart for three weeks after its release.
Paul McCartney supports the eradication of poverty. McCartney’s humanitarian work also includes dedicating time and money toward helping those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. His most notable involvement with an organization dedicated to ending poverty was when he performed at a Live 8 concert in 2005. Live 8 was a series of benefit concerts organized in support of the U.K.’s Make Poverty History coalition and the international Global Call to Action Against Poverty campaign. The goal of the concerts was to raise $50 billion in aid toward impoverished African countries by 2010 (the concerts raised about $30 billion). McCartney has also supported the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, Aid Still Required and the Prince’s Trust. These organizations assist people in underdeveloped countries and unfavorable socioeconomic situations.
In April 2020, Paul McCartney performed in the One World: Together at Home benefit concert. The current international COVID-19 outbreak has affected people worldwide. Global Citizen, a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty by 2030, hosted a charity special in the form of a virtual benefit concert starring many famed musicians. The concert was titled One World: Together at Home. It raised $127 million for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and for charities providing food, shelter and healthcare to those in need. McCartney sang a solo rendition of the Beatles’ song “Lady Madonna” while playing the piano”.
I think that Paul McCartney’s late wife, Linda, was especially instrumental regarding his activism and supporting animal rights. The couple were conscious about what they ate and wore. They talked to the uninitiated and, whilst not preachy, were definitely committed to animal rights and vegetarianism. They read The Animals’ Agenda to learn about current events in the animal movement and wrote protest letters to companies involved in animal abuse. Paul wrote songs inspired by or concerning animals, whilst Linda wrote cookbooks and created a vegetarian food business. Following Linda’s death in the 1990s, Paul McCartney reaffirmed his animal rights agenda and commitment. Definitely important when it comes to helping others see the benefits of a vegetarian diet, he is still so passionate when it comes to animal rights. This article lists five ways in which McCartney is a dedicated supporter of animal rights:
“1. He has been a vegetarian since the 1970s.
Following the end of the Beatles, Paul and his late wife, Linda McCartney, retreated to their peaceful and secluded farm in Kintyre, Scotland. Here, they raised a variety of animals, including horses and sheep. According to Paul, his decision to become a vegetarian was the result of an epiphany he had one day in the 1970s while eating dinner with Linda. As they cut into a roast dinner, they looked out the window to see their own lambs frolicking happily in the pastures. “I had an epiphany. I was taking animals’ lives.” That day, Paul and Linda made the connection between the animals on their plate and the animals in their backyard and went vegetarian. Paul hasn’t looked back since!
2. Paul has been the face of a meat-free diet for decades.
Ever since giving up eating meat himself, Paul has been an outspoken advocate for farm animal rights. He is the narrator of PETA’s “Glass Walls,” a short documentary that exposes the cruel treatment of farmed animals and encourages people to give up animal products altogether. Paul recently arranged for copies of “Glass Walls” to be sent to the moon, in hopes of inspiring future generations to continue to fight for animal rights.
Several years ago, Paul created Meat Free Monday, a campaign that encourages people to give up meat one day a week to reduce animal suffering, improve public health, and protect the environment from the negative effects of factory farming. By actively promoting “Glass Walls” and Meat Free Monday to his fans around the world, Paul has exposed millions of people to a plant-based diet who might otherwise have discounted it.
3. Paul has written several animal rights themed songs.
A renowned songwriter, Paul has penned several songs that center around animals and animal rights. As early as 1968, Paul demonstrated his love for animals in his song “Martha My Dear,” a song written not about a woman, but about his English sheepdog, Martha. In “Wildlife,” Paul began dabbling in animal rights issues by contemplating animals who are trapped in zoos.
It was 1993’s “Looking for Changes” in which Paul first explicitly and unapologetically explored animal rights issues in his professional work. This powerful song is a statement against vivisection, in which Paul proclaims, “I tell you that we’ll all be looking for changes, changes in the way we treat our fellow creatures.” Paul recently released a short rap about going meatless and the song “Meat Free Monday” in support of his Meat Free Monday campaign, and he enlisted the support of his fans to create a music video for the song. Unlike many artists who avoid controversial issues in their work, Paul has purposefully addressed animal issues in his songs and tries to get his fans interested in the issues by involving them in the creative process.
4. He also advocates to save elephants.
In addition to advocating for farmed animals, Paul has taken a special interest in elephants and has worked to ensure their survival and humane treatment. Paul played a big role in the release of Sunder, an elephant imprisoned in an Indian temple where he was repeatedly abused by his handlers. By calling for Sunder’s release, Paul helped ensure that an international spotlight was shined on Sunder’s situation. Paul has also helped to fight ivory trafficking. In 2014, Paul donated a guitar to an auction benefitting the Nature Conservatory’s African Elephant Initiative. Paul signed the guitar and wrote an additional note on it, stating, “This guitar saves elephants!”
5. Paul supports anti-vivisection campaigns.
Paul has taken a strong stand against vivisection by supporting several notable anti-vivisection campaigns. In 2011, Paul joined with the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in calling for the European Union to ban all cosmetics that had been tested on animals. With Paul’s help, the campaign was successful – in March 2013 the European Union banned the sale of all new animal-tested cosmetics.
In 2012, Paul lent his support to Humane Society International’s Be Cruelty Free campaign, the largest effort in history seeking to end animal testing for cosmetics. In explaining his decision to support the campaign, Paul noted that “The ugly truth about testing beauty products on animals is that it causes them unimaginable pain and suffering. If every cosmetic tested on rabbits or mice had a photo on the packaging showing these animals with weeping swollen eyes and inflamed skin, I believe everyone would leave cruelty on the shelf and go for the cruelty-free option instead.” In 2014, the Be Cruelty Free campaign experienced two wonderful victories when India banned the use of animals in cosmetics testing and the import of cosmetics tested on animals”.
In June, Paul McCartney turns eighty. There will, of course, be a lot of celebration about his music and legacy. I wanted to use this run of features to look at other areas and sides of the man. His humanity and sense of morality is not only what makes him so loved as a human. McCartney has used his songwriting to talk about the environment, animal rights, race, human rights and so much more. I was going to put together a playlist of songs that demonstrate this, though there will be a few I’d miss! There is no doubting the fact the man has…
A heart of gold.