"Be Our Voice" by Irena Schulz

The song "Be Our Voice" was written within two weeks of seeing photographs of the largest animal cruelty case in history on the Harris County Attorneys Office Facebook page. I wrote it for my own peace of mind. I had to untie the knots in my stomach created by those pictures, and writing "Be Our Voice" was the therapy I needed.

Soon thereafter, I stumbled upon an ASPCA announcement with Sarah McLaughlin singing and narrating it. So why not take "Be Our Voice" to the next logical step...an animal cruelty prevention video? But I would need a celebrity to narrate it. I had a few in mind, but one name continued to tower above the others because of her respect for both animals and nature. Sy Montgomery, national best-selling author and naturalist, wrote her own narration to provide scientific facts with sensitivity, and created a plea for a call to action as a result.

But before I could create this video, I needed the photographs that inspired this entire project. This project would be meaningless without them for this was what the project centered on. I contacted Linda Geffen, the Chief Prosecutor on this case at the Harris County Attorneys Office in Houston, Texas. I was granted permission to use the evidence photos for the video. So I waited to release this video until the appeal had been heard and the trial ended with a verdict.

I expect mixed reactions to my project...mostly due to political conviction. Those who favor human rights may have a very different opinion than those who favor animal welfare. Because this project came from my own heart, the song and video express what I hold in my heart as my personal belief without sway from political sentiment.

Each of us are molded by the events in our lives, the people we admire and aspire to be, the pain and suffering we live through and learn from, and the laughter and love which heals and holds us together. "Be Our Voice" is simply a result of my own journey in life. -Irena Schulz

"Animals are more than ever a test of our character, of mankind's capacity for empathy and for decent, honorable conduct and faithful stewardship. We are called to treat them with kindness, not because they have rights or power or some claim to equality, but in a sense because they don't; because they all stand unequal and powerless before us." - Matthew Scully

Coming soon: www.BeOurVoice.org

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