Take the quiz to see how progressive (or not) you are. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/03/progressive_quiz.html
I scored 345/400 which makes me more progressive than the average American with a score of 209.9
Goody. What does that prove?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Dear Welfarist Vegan,
When I first became vegan, I thought you - as a more "experienced" activist had the right ideas about how to forward the movement, to get the word out that using animals as food or clothing was morally reprehensible on too many levels to name. So I signed up, and I joined, and I participated in tabling events where there were PeTA brochures, stickers, DVD's, and all the other propaganda they produce. I looked into the eyes of those very people we were trying to convince to see the reality of the damage they were inflicting upon us all with the continued consumption of animal corpses. I saw them take in the PeTA connection, and shut down their very souls. They know, I know, and if you examine your heart, you'll come to know that PeTA is loathed for its blatent sexualization of the very cause they claim to promote.
Sometime later, after looking at the animal rights movement, I came to realize that the only way for the movement to succeed was by adopting an abolishionist approach. At that juncture, I stopped attending meetings and tableing events where the PeTA propaganda was present. I retracted my membership to the Yahoo! group, and I simply went about my business of quiet determination to live by example, and triage (if you will) those who asked respectful questions about my vegan life.
You wrote asking if I wanted to continue to be on the email list and I asked to be removed, and you seemed confused by my desire to be removed from the factory farming committee, a committee dedicated to “improving the welfare” of the animals. For the purpose of clarification, I offer the following:
I believe that working toward "more humane" methods of using animals for our own needs is indeed increasing demand and therefore is counterproductive. The only way we can convince anyone that the use of animals as food or for any other use is by showing them the truth, and abolishing gestation crates and battery cages just isn't enough. This page demonstrates it better, though, and I thought you might take a glimpse of some of the examples. http://www.humanemyth.org I would also like to recommend you read Making a Killing, by Bob Torres, PhD, as well as Rain without Thunder by Gary Francione. Both books are written by gentlemen who possess great powers of critical thinking as well as tremendous influential arguments for abolition over welfarism.
It is my firm belief that aligning with PeTA is a mistake. The general populace views them (and correctly so, I believe) as nutcases who use the hearts of good people such as you to generate income. I cannot in good conscience stand in front of a table with brochures from an organization who uses girl on girl action to promote a cause as important to me as animal rights. For crying out loud, PeTA can’t manage a no kill shelter! I cannot view KFC’s commitment to “happy meat” as a victory. It is not. It is clear to me that you, and the rest of the group believe you are changing things for the better, but I think in the end run, you are granting people permission to consume animal products as long as they have nice labels like “free range” eggs, which we all know is a bold faced marketing lie told to justify the egg consumption at the cost of millions of male chicks, the cost of the damage to the environment, the wholesale slaughter of millions of “spent” hens, and the inherent psychological damage to those whose jobs depend upon the slaughter and production of the “happy meat” KFC buckets at the end of the day.
I hope you know I think very highly of you, and indeed all of the members of the group for their veganism. I feel compelled to separate from the group at the crossroad of welfarism over abolition, because at its’ roots, it is little different from justifying slavery as long as the slave master treats the slaves well.
Be well and happy, and above all else, vegan.
Warm regards,
Selah
Sometime later, after looking at the animal rights movement, I came to realize that the only way for the movement to succeed was by adopting an abolishionist approach. At that juncture, I stopped attending meetings and tableing events where the PeTA propaganda was present. I retracted my membership to the Yahoo! group, and I simply went about my business of quiet determination to live by example, and triage (if you will) those who asked respectful questions about my vegan life.
You wrote asking if I wanted to continue to be on the email list and I asked to be removed, and you seemed confused by my desire to be removed from the factory farming committee, a committee dedicated to “improving the welfare” of the animals. For the purpose of clarification, I offer the following:
I believe that working toward "more humane" methods of using animals for our own needs is indeed increasing demand and therefore is counterproductive. The only way we can convince anyone that the use of animals as food or for any other use is by showing them the truth, and abolishing gestation crates and battery cages just isn't enough. This page demonstrates it better, though, and I thought you might take a glimpse of some of the examples. http://www.humanemyth.org I would also like to recommend you read Making a Killing, by Bob Torres, PhD, as well as Rain without Thunder by Gary Francione. Both books are written by gentlemen who possess great powers of critical thinking as well as tremendous influential arguments for abolition over welfarism.
It is my firm belief that aligning with PeTA is a mistake. The general populace views them (and correctly so, I believe) as nutcases who use the hearts of good people such as you to generate income. I cannot in good conscience stand in front of a table with brochures from an organization who uses girl on girl action to promote a cause as important to me as animal rights. For crying out loud, PeTA can’t manage a no kill shelter! I cannot view KFC’s commitment to “happy meat” as a victory. It is not. It is clear to me that you, and the rest of the group believe you are changing things for the better, but I think in the end run, you are granting people permission to consume animal products as long as they have nice labels like “free range” eggs, which we all know is a bold faced marketing lie told to justify the egg consumption at the cost of millions of male chicks, the cost of the damage to the environment, the wholesale slaughter of millions of “spent” hens, and the inherent psychological damage to those whose jobs depend upon the slaughter and production of the “happy meat” KFC buckets at the end of the day.
I hope you know I think very highly of you, and indeed all of the members of the group for their veganism. I feel compelled to separate from the group at the crossroad of welfarism over abolition, because at its’ roots, it is little different from justifying slavery as long as the slave master treats the slaves well.
Be well and happy, and above all else, vegan.
Warm regards,
Selah
Friday, July 04, 2008
From happytrailsfarm.org
Farm NewsUpdate On Chevaz — The Horse Who Had Colic SurgeryBy Jul 2, 2008, 13:56
Chevaz, a handsome, black, Standardbred gelding residing on an approved Happy Trails foster home showed signs of colic, and after local treatment by their field service was unsuccessful, Chevaz was rushed to the Equine Specialty Hospital. He was a good candidate for colic surgery, being healthy and sound and having a good general disposition. We decided to give him every chance that we possibly could, understanding that the surgery would be between $2,600 and $5,000.
Chevaz came through his surgery with flying colors, but he took a while to recover. Additonal nutrients were needed, and under the top-notch care of the hospital, he began to recover. and was sent back home to his wonderful foster parents, Eileen and Bob Roloff. During his recovery at home, something seemed to be still not-quite-right with the dear boy. His appetite was failing, and he seemed to want to lay down a lot.
A field service vet came out and gave him a check-up, a treatment, and said to keep an eye on him. Much to Eileen and Bob's dismay, Chevaz seemed to be getting steadily worse. A trip back to the hospital was in order.
At the hospital he was stablized, tested, treated, poked and prodded like you would expect. They kept him, monitoring him constantly for the next week. Signs pointed to a variety of causes for concern, and no amount of fluids, nutrients, diet or temptations of grass seemed to prevail. After eating, he would become distressed and needed Banamine and would need tubed.
After much consulting, discussions, and trying to figure out what was most humane for htis wonderful horse, it was determined that he was not a candidate for a second surgery, and that it would be in his best interest to help him quietly and calmly cross the Rainbow Bridge. This diffuclt task was accomplished by the kind and caring staff at the hospital.
After he crossed into the next world, a mini-necropsy was done, and it was determined that an extremely large blood clot prevented proper healing, and that no amount of additional surgeries would have helped Chevaz recover.
So as we grieve for this wonderful horse, we are also now raising the funds to cover his additional hospital and emergency room expenses. Our total bill is over $9,000 — due to unexpected complications and additional emergency care after the initial surgery.
Every donation counts! If you are able to help the sanctuary with this unexpected and overwhelming expense, your kind and thoughtful donation can be made here through PayPal, or by mailing your donation to Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, 5623 New Milford Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266.© Copyright 2004 by happytrailsfarm.org
Farm NewsUpdate On Chevaz — The Horse Who Had Colic SurgeryBy Jul 2, 2008, 13:56
Chevaz, a handsome, black, Standardbred gelding residing on an approved Happy Trails foster home showed signs of colic, and after local treatment by their field service was unsuccessful, Chevaz was rushed to the Equine Specialty Hospital. He was a good candidate for colic surgery, being healthy and sound and having a good general disposition. We decided to give him every chance that we possibly could, understanding that the surgery would be between $2,600 and $5,000.
Chevaz came through his surgery with flying colors, but he took a while to recover. Additonal nutrients were needed, and under the top-notch care of the hospital, he began to recover. and was sent back home to his wonderful foster parents, Eileen and Bob Roloff. During his recovery at home, something seemed to be still not-quite-right with the dear boy. His appetite was failing, and he seemed to want to lay down a lot.
A field service vet came out and gave him a check-up, a treatment, and said to keep an eye on him. Much to Eileen and Bob's dismay, Chevaz seemed to be getting steadily worse. A trip back to the hospital was in order.
At the hospital he was stablized, tested, treated, poked and prodded like you would expect. They kept him, monitoring him constantly for the next week. Signs pointed to a variety of causes for concern, and no amount of fluids, nutrients, diet or temptations of grass seemed to prevail. After eating, he would become distressed and needed Banamine and would need tubed.
After much consulting, discussions, and trying to figure out what was most humane for htis wonderful horse, it was determined that he was not a candidate for a second surgery, and that it would be in his best interest to help him quietly and calmly cross the Rainbow Bridge. This diffuclt task was accomplished by the kind and caring staff at the hospital.
After he crossed into the next world, a mini-necropsy was done, and it was determined that an extremely large blood clot prevented proper healing, and that no amount of additional surgeries would have helped Chevaz recover.
So as we grieve for this wonderful horse, we are also now raising the funds to cover his additional hospital and emergency room expenses. Our total bill is over $9,000 — due to unexpected complications and additional emergency care after the initial surgery.
Every donation counts! If you are able to help the sanctuary with this unexpected and overwhelming expense, your kind and thoughtful donation can be made here through PayPal, or by mailing your donation to Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, 5623 New Milford Road, Ravenna, Ohio 44266.© Copyright 2004 by happytrailsfarm.org
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The New England Vegan Ethic
Use it up, use it out, Make do, Do without – an ethic close to my New England roots, as well as my vegan life. If I don’t need it, why buy it? If I don’t use it, why not give it away to someone who can find use for it?
Applies to every aspect of life, nu?
Use it up, use it out, Make do, Do without – an ethic close to my New England roots, as well as my vegan life. If I don’t need it, why buy it? If I don’t use it, why not give it away to someone who can find use for it?
Applies to every aspect of life, nu?
Reminded today, while whipping up a few more veggie bags from scrap fabrics of how I coped with the loss of my beloved in October of 99, and how I dealt with 9/11. I was so utterly in shock, so deep in a black abyss, so dismantled by his sudden demise, and the vast amount of suffering that 9/11 wrought, words failed me, still fail me.
9/11 was a time of horror for the entire world, yet left me floundering in confusion why no one got that 10/29/99 was my 9/11. I went into rote behavior. I opened my sewing box. I began to piece together bits of fabric, with no plan, no clue what I was doing, just methodically washing, starching, cutting, and stitching together random bits of fabric. I bought dozens of yards of fabric in both yardage and “fat quarters” with no idea of how or why I’d ever use them up, in an attempt to fill an un-fillable void.
Fast forward to a time when I’ve pieced several quilts, given many away, and have still lots of fabric that may very well dry rot before I reach the bottom. Also, I’m now vegan, which translates into treading as lightly on Gaia as is conceivable.
Those first efforts at pieced nine squares taunt me. An opportunity has arisen, in the form of my offer to put together drawstring bags for my vegan friends to use for bulk beans, veggies, fruit, whatever else they see fit to stuff in them. I have encountered a cause, in the form of a horse with a surgical bill of over 8K. His name is Chavez. So, the deal became that anything over shipping cost would be donated to Chavez. The bags keep getting fancier and fancier, in the efforts to raise money for Chavez. My hope is that those receiving the bags will be wowed enough to be generous (to the degree they can.) and allow me, the woman who witnessed the second 9/11 from the other side of a sewing machine to find peace – at last.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Pretending I am Moving
I am still in the process of veganizing my surroundings. There are still shoes, purses, and a relic of a tub of honey body cream here, and I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. That said, there is also the relic of the ancient refrigerator in the living room. I’ve encountered a compassionate soul from St. Vincent de Paul Association and they have agreed to take the refrigerator even though normally they don’t accept nonworking appliances.
So I’ve sweetened the deal by going through the closets, drawers, and garage and I’ve gathered up boatloads of gently worn suits, some clothing with tags still on them (!!!) and many many many pairs of Stuart Weitzman, Coach, and Birkenstocks. They are also getting the many many many Coach purses and totes. MY theory is that to sell that stuff would cause me to be guilty of enriching myself at the expense of animals again, something that surely would not go into my karma account as a positive. And I am uber reluctant to mess with karma.
As a result of all the looking around, trying on clothing, sorting through stuff, I’ve also figured out that I can save even more electricity by moving my bedroom down to the guest room and closing off the whole top floor of the house. Why should I cool rooms that are not being used? So I’ve been clearing out the guest room to prepare for painting while I’m waiting for the charity truck, and thinking about how I’ve got, for example, a whole desk full of cosmetics I’ve not used in years. I’ve been thinking (still) about moving to Savannah, and how every time I pick something up that I don’t really need, use often, or love totally, that it should not be here to facilitate moving. With that thought, I’ve decided to paint the room, paint my great grandmother’s desk, and put my bed, the desk and the chiffarobe in that room and I’ll be set. As a bonus, I’ll be ten steps closer to Savannah.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Six Principles of the Animal Rights Position
The animal rights position maintains that all sentient beings, humans or nonhuman, have one right: the basic right not to be treated as the property of others.
Our recognition of the one basic right means that we must abolish, and not merely regulate, institutionalized animal exploitation–because it assumes that animals are the property of humans.
Just as we reject racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia, we reject speciesism. The species of a sentient being is no more reason to deny the protection of this basic right than race, sex, age, or sexual orientation is a reason to deny membership in the human moral community to other humans.
We recognize that we will not abolish overnight the property status of nonhumans, but we will support only those campaigns and positions that explicitly promote the abolitionist agenda. We will not support positions that call for supposedly “improved” regulation of animal exploitation. We reject any campaign that promotes sexism, racism, homophobia or other forms of discrimination against humans.
We recognize that the most important step that any of us can take toward abolition is to adopt the vegan lifestyle and to educate others about veganism. Veganism is the principle of abolition applied to one’s personal life and the consumption of any meat, fowl, fish, or dairy product, or the wearing or use of animal products, is inconsistent with the abolitionist perspective.
We recognize the principle of nonviolence as the guiding principle of the animal rights movement.
Gary L. Francione© 2007 Gary L. Francione
The animal rights position maintains that all sentient beings, humans or nonhuman, have one right: the basic right not to be treated as the property of others.
Our recognition of the one basic right means that we must abolish, and not merely regulate, institutionalized animal exploitation–because it assumes that animals are the property of humans.
Just as we reject racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia, we reject speciesism. The species of a sentient being is no more reason to deny the protection of this basic right than race, sex, age, or sexual orientation is a reason to deny membership in the human moral community to other humans.
We recognize that we will not abolish overnight the property status of nonhumans, but we will support only those campaigns and positions that explicitly promote the abolitionist agenda. We will not support positions that call for supposedly “improved” regulation of animal exploitation. We reject any campaign that promotes sexism, racism, homophobia or other forms of discrimination against humans.
We recognize that the most important step that any of us can take toward abolition is to adopt the vegan lifestyle and to educate others about veganism. Veganism is the principle of abolition applied to one’s personal life and the consumption of any meat, fowl, fish, or dairy product, or the wearing or use of animal products, is inconsistent with the abolitionist perspective.
We recognize the principle of nonviolence as the guiding principle of the animal rights movement.
Gary L. Francione© 2007 Gary L. Francione
Friday, June 13, 2008
Dear Omnivores who tell me Veganism is a "personal choice" Extinction Hurts ALL of Us. In fact, I'd offer up to you that since you are so self righteous about my right to swing my fist ending at the tip of your nose take a look around you... See what I see? That we are all stuck here on this tiny little planet together? So, when we successfully overfish the Mediterrainian Sea to the point of killing off six species of sharks essential to the ecosystem, will anyone else be making the connection between the "fish is not a vegetable" ? When the Condor is gone, due to lead poisoning from bullets left in dying animals by hunters you'll proudly announce that you never hunted.... you got your meat and fish served up in style on styrofoam platters wrapped in plastic. See http://www.plentymag.com/blogs/extinction/ for details.
Oh, and Dear Omnis who ask that I "spare them the lecture" yeah.... go ahead and continue your selfish squandering of the limited remaining resources while breaking your arm patting yourself on the back about what an "animal lover" you are. Yeah, go ahead, because we all know when the shitstorm ends, we'll ALL be dead and I won't be able to find you....to say "I told you so."
Oh, and Dear Omnis who ask that I "spare them the lecture" yeah.... go ahead and continue your selfish squandering of the limited remaining resources while breaking your arm patting yourself on the back about what an "animal lover" you are. Yeah, go ahead, because we all know when the shitstorm ends, we'll ALL be dead and I won't be able to find you....to say "I told you so."
Clearing Out The Clutter
In my growth as a human being, ie becoming more vegan with every passing day, I've faced conundrums like what to do with all the clothing, shoes, handbags, luggage, jewelry, cars, and other sundry items that have come to represent oppression, slavery, and worse for all sentient beings.
One of my Vegan Freak contemporaries signature says it all for me: I didn't stop eating meat because I didn't like the taste, I gave up meat because I couldn't stand the taste of suffering. This concept runs through my head every time I consider such small acts as drinking a cup of coffee. For me, a trip to Starbucks became symbolic of the oppression of the humans harvesting the beans, to their families who likely were malnourished, denied basic rights, and then presented to the world as being "the reason for starvation" because they are "not practicing birth control." To add insult to injury, my Starbux slave trade coffee would be topped off with cream. Cream stolen from a cow, who like millions of her sister cows, had been artificially inseminated only to have her baby ripped from her teat soon after birth. Baby was destined for a veal crate or a repetition of Mom's "life" of slavery, foreshortened by hormones designed to increase the speed with which her body was stripped of calcium so that *I* could "enjoy" the products of her lactation. All this "enjoyment" of a cup of coffee while wearing a diamond tennis bracelet mined by slaves, wearing shoes constructed of the skin of slaves, swathed in "beauty products" tested on slaves, with my perfectly manicured fingertips (the errant bit of polish cleared away with nail polish remover tested in the eyes of rabbits.... yup, nail polish remover still burns bunnies eyes after all these years!) *I* could stand there chatting up the new styles of Coach bags with my silk scarf tied oh so cleverly around my neck feeling ever so smug about finding an amazing bargain on a pair of gently worn Manolo Blahniks and not even think about the women and children who'd labored through 85 hour work weeks in a sweat shop to produce my Victoria's Secret lacy thong and matching bra beneath my Levi's from Cambodia, and my baby tee sporting a show dog portrait. And then I woke up.
So now - what to do with all those shoes, bags, clothes, etc.? Should I set up shop on eBay? Go the consignment route? Profit more? Create more market for these symbols that are now meaningless to me? I cannot, in good conscience. In a very feeble attempt at restitution, I've been donating them to charity. Let those who need it most get the last remaining vestiges of value from those things I should never have found any value in possessing. They were never really mine to take.
In my growth as a human being, ie becoming more vegan with every passing day, I've faced conundrums like what to do with all the clothing, shoes, handbags, luggage, jewelry, cars, and other sundry items that have come to represent oppression, slavery, and worse for all sentient beings.
One of my Vegan Freak contemporaries signature says it all for me: I didn't stop eating meat because I didn't like the taste, I gave up meat because I couldn't stand the taste of suffering. This concept runs through my head every time I consider such small acts as drinking a cup of coffee. For me, a trip to Starbucks became symbolic of the oppression of the humans harvesting the beans, to their families who likely were malnourished, denied basic rights, and then presented to the world as being "the reason for starvation" because they are "not practicing birth control." To add insult to injury, my Starbux slave trade coffee would be topped off with cream. Cream stolen from a cow, who like millions of her sister cows, had been artificially inseminated only to have her baby ripped from her teat soon after birth. Baby was destined for a veal crate or a repetition of Mom's "life" of slavery, foreshortened by hormones designed to increase the speed with which her body was stripped of calcium so that *I* could "enjoy" the products of her lactation. All this "enjoyment" of a cup of coffee while wearing a diamond tennis bracelet mined by slaves, wearing shoes constructed of the skin of slaves, swathed in "beauty products" tested on slaves, with my perfectly manicured fingertips (the errant bit of polish cleared away with nail polish remover tested in the eyes of rabbits.... yup, nail polish remover still burns bunnies eyes after all these years!) *I* could stand there chatting up the new styles of Coach bags with my silk scarf tied oh so cleverly around my neck feeling ever so smug about finding an amazing bargain on a pair of gently worn Manolo Blahniks and not even think about the women and children who'd labored through 85 hour work weeks in a sweat shop to produce my Victoria's Secret lacy thong and matching bra beneath my Levi's from Cambodia, and my baby tee sporting a show dog portrait. And then I woke up.
So now - what to do with all those shoes, bags, clothes, etc.? Should I set up shop on eBay? Go the consignment route? Profit more? Create more market for these symbols that are now meaningless to me? I cannot, in good conscience. In a very feeble attempt at restitution, I've been donating them to charity. Let those who need it most get the last remaining vestiges of value from those things I should never have found any value in possessing. They were never really mine to take.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Hypocrisy of Cage Free Eggs
Yesterday I heard an interview with Moby on Animal Talk, a segment played on my local community radio station WMNF . Moby expressed the opinion that, while he is still vegan after almost 20 years, he’s become less “militant” about it. He supports some of the work of PeTA, and the work of the HSUS. He’s of the mind that HSUS negotiating with Ben and Jerry’s to use cage free eggs in their ice cream is a step in the right direction. He thinks that cage free eggs reduce the amount of suffering.
I think he is patently and dangerously wrong.
I think free range eggs reduce the suffering of those who have a slight amount of conscience, but not enough to make them take total responsibility for their actions. I think cage free eggs merely assuage collective guilt.
The reality is that cage free hens are still hens. Which is to say that if an egg intended for a cage free egg factory is hatched out as a male (ie potential rooster – whereby valueless) it will be just as dead when it is gassed, tossed through the chick blender, or left to suffocate in a barrel with its millions of counterparts.
The reality is that the access to the outside world for a cage free chicken is still controlled by humans, humans who will capitalize on the loopholes in the rules that allow them to proclaim the reproductive byproducts “cage free” when in truth, there is a very narrow window of opportunity for the chickens to access the outside, compounded by the “weather permitting” caveat.
I think we’ll see consumption of “cage free” eggs increase. Here’s my view of what this person will look like…..
S/he will be very busy patting her/himself on the back as being “an animal lover” who is willing to spend a few pennies more for cage free eggs at the local breakfast bistro. S/he’ll be all puffed up as s/he consumes aforementioned eggs and explains his/her reasoning to his/her friends at the table all happily consuming cheese omelets and buttered (whole wheat because it’s healthier) toast. S/he’ll eschew the bacon because “it’s full of nitrites and nitrates – which, as you may know, are linked to cancer,” all the while drinking coffee harvested by slaves and lightened with ORGANIC milk – because everyone knows that the cows that give organic milk have organic lives filled with organic and bucolic fields to run around in. That’s right, organic milk comes from HAPPY meat! And s/he’ll do all this consuming with a clear conscience because some of the chickens got to run outside… maybe, once or twice, before they are “spent” and are converted into pet food.
Yesterday I heard an interview with Moby on Animal Talk, a segment played on my local community radio station WMNF . Moby expressed the opinion that, while he is still vegan after almost 20 years, he’s become less “militant” about it. He supports some of the work of PeTA, and the work of the HSUS. He’s of the mind that HSUS negotiating with Ben and Jerry’s to use cage free eggs in their ice cream is a step in the right direction. He thinks that cage free eggs reduce the amount of suffering.
I think he is patently and dangerously wrong.
I think free range eggs reduce the suffering of those who have a slight amount of conscience, but not enough to make them take total responsibility for their actions. I think cage free eggs merely assuage collective guilt.
The reality is that cage free hens are still hens. Which is to say that if an egg intended for a cage free egg factory is hatched out as a male (ie potential rooster – whereby valueless) it will be just as dead when it is gassed, tossed through the chick blender, or left to suffocate in a barrel with its millions of counterparts.
The reality is that the access to the outside world for a cage free chicken is still controlled by humans, humans who will capitalize on the loopholes in the rules that allow them to proclaim the reproductive byproducts “cage free” when in truth, there is a very narrow window of opportunity for the chickens to access the outside, compounded by the “weather permitting” caveat.
I think we’ll see consumption of “cage free” eggs increase. Here’s my view of what this person will look like…..
S/he will be very busy patting her/himself on the back as being “an animal lover” who is willing to spend a few pennies more for cage free eggs at the local breakfast bistro. S/he’ll be all puffed up as s/he consumes aforementioned eggs and explains his/her reasoning to his/her friends at the table all happily consuming cheese omelets and buttered (whole wheat because it’s healthier) toast. S/he’ll eschew the bacon because “it’s full of nitrites and nitrates – which, as you may know, are linked to cancer,” all the while drinking coffee harvested by slaves and lightened with ORGANIC milk – because everyone knows that the cows that give organic milk have organic lives filled with organic and bucolic fields to run around in. That’s right, organic milk comes from HAPPY meat! And s/he’ll do all this consuming with a clear conscience because some of the chickens got to run outside… maybe, once or twice, before they are “spent” and are converted into pet food.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Liquid Morphine – A Sestina
I forgot each past lover, all of the others
Yours is the love I believe will be my last
With velvety liquid kisses that take away my breath
Our craving, burning desire transcends
everything else in my life
We are gaping yaws of unfulfilled needs
And yet even such a love as this needs
acceptance and approval of others
those who gave me life
suspect our May December romance won’t last
My faith, my unwavering trust in you transcends
reason. I argue it will work with every breath.
If only your wife would draw her final breath
We all know it is a Morphine drip that she needs
Her release from dementia’s suffering transcends
the law laid down by judges, attorneys and others
She never thought she would out last
any useful purpose in life
Only when she is gone can we begin a new life
It will be like we are finally taking a breath
of fresh air at long last
It has been a struggle. Everyone has forgotten your needs
for love, laughter, and companionship among others
always your wife’s terminal illness transcends.
It’s about me! Yes, my motive transcends
any legal document concerned with end of life
issues drafted by lawyers, witnessed by others
Save your breath
It is only about my needs
My needs come first and last
Morphine provided a few stolen moments together. Last
night’s lovemaking so tender transcends
any thoughts of fidelity. Your wife needs
to finally surrender the tattered remnants of life
Take that rickety rattling death breath
Just like the wives of all of the others
Liquid Morphine, the last vestige of life
She needs that final sharp intake of breath
Morphine transcends the needs of others.
I forgot each past lover, all of the others
Yours is the love I believe will be my last
With velvety liquid kisses that take away my breath
Our craving, burning desire transcends
everything else in my life
We are gaping yaws of unfulfilled needs
And yet even such a love as this needs
acceptance and approval of others
those who gave me life
suspect our May December romance won’t last
My faith, my unwavering trust in you transcends
reason. I argue it will work with every breath.
If only your wife would draw her final breath
We all know it is a Morphine drip that she needs
Her release from dementia’s suffering transcends
the law laid down by judges, attorneys and others
She never thought she would out last
any useful purpose in life
Only when she is gone can we begin a new life
It will be like we are finally taking a breath
of fresh air at long last
It has been a struggle. Everyone has forgotten your needs
for love, laughter, and companionship among others
always your wife’s terminal illness transcends.
It’s about me! Yes, my motive transcends
any legal document concerned with end of life
issues drafted by lawyers, witnessed by others
Save your breath
It is only about my needs
My needs come first and last
Morphine provided a few stolen moments together. Last
night’s lovemaking so tender transcends
any thoughts of fidelity. Your wife needs
to finally surrender the tattered remnants of life
Take that rickety rattling death breath
Just like the wives of all of the others
Liquid Morphine, the last vestige of life
She needs that final sharp intake of breath
Morphine transcends the needs of others.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The Compassion Connection
Outreach today consisted of providing over the top customer service to a woman who found our system of receipts troublesome and confusing. I have this theory, you see, that if every chance I get to demonstrate compassion and empathy gives me a chance to demonstrate, by example, that vegans are vegans BECAUSE of the compassion connection. We are more compassionate by nature, and our vegan lives cause that compassionate side to expand as we live a more peaceful existence side by side with all creatures, and indeed, Gaia herself.
The lady is working with a difficult client. There have been lots of changes which translate into lots of trips to see me and my contemporaries in action. She tried to explain to me what she meant, but our vocabularies are a bit different – she is not at fault there. I thought I understood, and for the largest part of her return she was thrilled. Then I asked her a question, and she really didn’t understand, but answered “yes,” and I proceeded to do something she’d previously found confusing. She’d told me the recent experience had caused her to take a 20K sale across the street to our competition. This made me sad. I wanted to fix it. I got others involved, and by the time we were finished, she was glowing and heaping praise on us. She left her paperwork for us to sort out, and said she was going to Starbucks, and what would I like…..
“Thank you. That is very kind. I’m vegan.” I said.
“Oh, no dairy!” She said. I was thinking YES! We have someone who may have a smattering of knowledge!
“That is correct.”
“They have a chai tea thing.”
“No, thanks very much. We’re not supposed to have anything up here but water.”
So, after all was said and done, she got our full names, store number, corporate addy, and is intending to write a letter and make some calls. She got to see (and with luck connect my compassion with my veganism.) YES! My review is imminent. What could be better?
Outreach today consisted of providing over the top customer service to a woman who found our system of receipts troublesome and confusing. I have this theory, you see, that if every chance I get to demonstrate compassion and empathy gives me a chance to demonstrate, by example, that vegans are vegans BECAUSE of the compassion connection. We are more compassionate by nature, and our vegan lives cause that compassionate side to expand as we live a more peaceful existence side by side with all creatures, and indeed, Gaia herself.
The lady is working with a difficult client. There have been lots of changes which translate into lots of trips to see me and my contemporaries in action. She tried to explain to me what she meant, but our vocabularies are a bit different – she is not at fault there. I thought I understood, and for the largest part of her return she was thrilled. Then I asked her a question, and she really didn’t understand, but answered “yes,” and I proceeded to do something she’d previously found confusing. She’d told me the recent experience had caused her to take a 20K sale across the street to our competition. This made me sad. I wanted to fix it. I got others involved, and by the time we were finished, she was glowing and heaping praise on us. She left her paperwork for us to sort out, and said she was going to Starbucks, and what would I like…..
“Thank you. That is very kind. I’m vegan.” I said.
“Oh, no dairy!” She said. I was thinking YES! We have someone who may have a smattering of knowledge!
“That is correct.”
“They have a chai tea thing.”
“No, thanks very much. We’re not supposed to have anything up here but water.”
So, after all was said and done, she got our full names, store number, corporate addy, and is intending to write a letter and make some calls. She got to see (and with luck connect my compassion with my veganism.) YES! My review is imminent. What could be better?
Thursday, June 05, 2008
The Bag Lady Project
It dawned on me during a conversation about plastic bags and such that not everyone is able to make shopping bags, and I have a fabric stash of epic proportions. So, since I’ll never use it all, how about sharing the wealth and helping to reduce the amount of plastic vegetable bags that go into the landfill, where they’ll stay forever.
The bags themselves are constructed from fabrics and ribbons and such that have taken up space for way too long in my space. I figure they’ll figure out that they can not only be useful for grocery trips for fruits and veggies, but also for bulk beans, and the like. So far, bags have been mailed off to 4 recipients, and I am totally jazzed waiting to hear the reaction. This morning I made another 16 bags. I intend to send them out with love, and hope they can cover the postage, and if they choose to send me some small token of appreciation, all the better. Just passing it forward……
It dawned on me during a conversation about plastic bags and such that not everyone is able to make shopping bags, and I have a fabric stash of epic proportions. So, since I’ll never use it all, how about sharing the wealth and helping to reduce the amount of plastic vegetable bags that go into the landfill, where they’ll stay forever.
The bags themselves are constructed from fabrics and ribbons and such that have taken up space for way too long in my space. I figure they’ll figure out that they can not only be useful for grocery trips for fruits and veggies, but also for bulk beans, and the like. So far, bags have been mailed off to 4 recipients, and I am totally jazzed waiting to hear the reaction. This morning I made another 16 bags. I intend to send them out with love, and hope they can cover the postage, and if they choose to send me some small token of appreciation, all the better. Just passing it forward……
Monday, June 02, 2008
The Monkey that made me a Sandwich
As vegans, we all face the vapid “what if you were deserted on a desert island and a monkey (which previously had been used as a test sample for Proctor and Gamble) and miraculously showed up on the same episode of Vegan-Vivisection Monkey Survivor – The Unnamed Island Series” made you a sandwich question…. Ad nauseum.
I’d like to address that question in first person, drawing upon personal experience.
History: I’ve not eaten of pork, nor pork product or byproduct for over 30 years. I resumed vegetarianism (AKA halfasstarianism) in 2006. I then realized my self aggrandizing posture that I had miraculously reduced veal consumption was an all out lie – to myself and the surrounding individuals who must have endured my outrageous self-righteousness and indignation.
And I got really sick. My left arm swelled to the size of a veal calf. I have not been keen on doctors, since one killed my husband through ineptitude. However, it was painful- and getting worse. Doctor sent me to emergency room. ER diagnosed as Deep Vein Thrombosis. Following day, hospitalist told me he’d cut me loose if I filled a prescription. I caved, frantic that I’d not be able (even with so called health insurance) to pay the bills.
I went to the pharmacy, they filled aforementioned prescription to the tune of $760.00 (it was a “designer drug”). The home “health” care aide informed me the insurance would not cover her visits of over $100.00 each. I was left to figure out how to de-traumatize myself into injecting (twice daily)…
Only AFTER I’d made it through the week long regime did I read the ingredients. The monkey made me a ham sandwich. It sucked.
I’ll never let a monkey make me a sandwich again. Next time I think I’m going to die, I’ll just lay real quietly and appreciate what I’ve had, and be grateful for it all.
As vegans, we all face the vapid “what if you were deserted on a desert island and a monkey (which previously had been used as a test sample for Proctor and Gamble) and miraculously showed up on the same episode of Vegan-Vivisection Monkey Survivor – The Unnamed Island Series” made you a sandwich question…. Ad nauseum.
I’d like to address that question in first person, drawing upon personal experience.
History: I’ve not eaten of pork, nor pork product or byproduct for over 30 years. I resumed vegetarianism (AKA halfasstarianism) in 2006. I then realized my self aggrandizing posture that I had miraculously reduced veal consumption was an all out lie – to myself and the surrounding individuals who must have endured my outrageous self-righteousness and indignation.
And I got really sick. My left arm swelled to the size of a veal calf. I have not been keen on doctors, since one killed my husband through ineptitude. However, it was painful- and getting worse. Doctor sent me to emergency room. ER diagnosed as Deep Vein Thrombosis. Following day, hospitalist told me he’d cut me loose if I filled a prescription. I caved, frantic that I’d not be able (even with so called health insurance) to pay the bills.
I went to the pharmacy, they filled aforementioned prescription to the tune of $760.00 (it was a “designer drug”). The home “health” care aide informed me the insurance would not cover her visits of over $100.00 each. I was left to figure out how to de-traumatize myself into injecting (twice daily)…
Only AFTER I’d made it through the week long regime did I read the ingredients. The monkey made me a ham sandwich. It sucked.
I’ll never let a monkey make me a sandwich again. Next time I think I’m going to die, I’ll just lay real quietly and appreciate what I’ve had, and be grateful for it all.
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Sixth and Eighth Commandments
I take my religious beliefs seriously, and view my veganism as a manifestation of those beliefs. Which begs the question….how can I not be protected from harassment with regard to race, gender, creed, and religion afforded my co-workers?
For me, it begins with the Old Testament, specifically the ten commandments, as written in the books Exodus (20:13) and Deuteronomy (5:17). I’ve endeavored to live my life according to those principles, opting to not pick and choose from among those that are convenient to follow and sleeping with my neighbor’s husband because he’s cute. I’d no more cheat on my partner than commit murder. The sixth commandment reads Thou shalt not kill……. Not, thou shalt not kill other humans, thou shalt not take the life of another sentient being. The exact Hebrew wording is lo tirtzack, which accurately translates into “any kind of killing whatsoever.” [1]
Taking the life (ie stealing the life) of another is in direct violation of both the sixth AND eighth commandment – thou shalt not steal, which Requires a defense of all lawful things that further the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others and Prohibits whatever deprives our neighbor, or ourselves, of lawfully gained wealth or outward estate. So how can I possibly justify stealing the milk from a cow produced to feed her baby, or stealing the honey produced by bees to nourish their young? I’d be just as morally bankrupt to steal gas from the tank of a co-workers car based upon the misguided logic that they can just go buy more.
[1] http://www.thenazareneway.com/thou_shalt_not_kill.htm
I take my religious beliefs seriously, and view my veganism as a manifestation of those beliefs. Which begs the question….how can I not be protected from harassment with regard to race, gender, creed, and religion afforded my co-workers?
For me, it begins with the Old Testament, specifically the ten commandments, as written in the books Exodus (20:13) and Deuteronomy (5:17). I’ve endeavored to live my life according to those principles, opting to not pick and choose from among those that are convenient to follow and sleeping with my neighbor’s husband because he’s cute. I’d no more cheat on my partner than commit murder. The sixth commandment reads Thou shalt not kill……. Not, thou shalt not kill other humans, thou shalt not take the life of another sentient being. The exact Hebrew wording is lo tirtzack, which accurately translates into “any kind of killing whatsoever.” [1]
Taking the life (ie stealing the life) of another is in direct violation of both the sixth AND eighth commandment – thou shalt not steal, which Requires a defense of all lawful things that further the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others and Prohibits whatever deprives our neighbor, or ourselves, of lawfully gained wealth or outward estate. So how can I possibly justify stealing the milk from a cow produced to feed her baby, or stealing the honey produced by bees to nourish their young? I’d be just as morally bankrupt to steal gas from the tank of a co-workers car based upon the misguided logic that they can just go buy more.
[1] http://www.thenazareneway.com/thou_shalt_not_kill.htm
Sunday, April 06, 2008
The Wall O' Death
You know that grocery stores put the milk and bread in the back of the store for a reason.... right? That reason is that while you are heading back there... to what I charmingly refer to as "The Wall O' Death" aka the decomposing dead carcasses disguised as edibles on styrofoam trays that will break down in I don't know... 600 years? - you may very well add to your cart the byproducts of forced reproduction, AKA cheese, yogurt, butter, and milk, and other highly overpriced "goodies" you didn't realize you needed until they casually entered your viewfinder.... errrr eye sight.
Have you ever considered that the lowest priced generic items are NEVER placed at eye level? Have you ever thought about what they are trying to sell you? Have you given thought number one to how they compel you to buy what they want you to buy? Do you realize they are brainwashing our children in lunchrooms across the country? You are a smart person. Can I count on you to think independently? Can I ask you to think for yourself? I hope so.
Dinner on the Vegan Fly
No word yet from ApplianceRepairGuy, cryptic or otherwise, so my objective remains to not add to the spoilage. Indeed, I used the half container of extra firm tofu to its' fullest potential by slicing and saute'ing in Liquid Smoke and Tamari, thereby converting it to BACNot! Also on last night's agenda was a "roughing it" sort of Yukon Gold potato bake that impersonated those cheesy bits of goodness masquarading as food in the "easy to prepare" and "easy to get you to part with hard earned money" departments of the GrossATeria. Aforementioned easy cheesy potato bake consisted of parboiled Yukons sliced about 1/4 inch thick, combined with a shaken (not stirred) melange' of rice milk, (about one of the little tiny ones) a couple tablespoons of that flour for making gravy, three slices of vegan Jack Cheese and a bit of pepper. Add some paprika, and toss in the ubernuker, and minutes later - Voila!
So.... today's lunch was leftovers from yesterday in the form of a NOTBlt, delish! and some of the potatoes. Dinner was the rest of the potatoes (I KNOW but I can't STAND to toss food!) with a spinach salad that was topped with some more of the BACNot! and some beets, olives, and other goodies. This fridge on fritz is wearing thin.... But I'm so not bitching, I'm grateful for the opportunity to see how creative I can be. Film at eleven.
Yet Another Advantage to Going Vegan
The refrigerator is on its' last legs and the repair guy is as sharp as a bowling ball. I noticed the frozen foods were not so much frozen as just cold. I called the repair guy, and he sent his understudy, a big young man who proudly announced he'd recently consumed some McTrash of pork wrapped in fat, dipped in lard (I'd guess) and deep fried. Oh, and add a side of fat drenched potatoes on the side.
His assessment was that the defrost biz needed to be replaced. I should take all the food out, and let it defrost, and he'd have the part the next day. Well, I did what he suggested, and put the food in ice in a cooler. The next day another call produced new info that indeed - it would be Tuesday before the part was in, and I could safely put the food back in and all would be well now that it was defrosted.....
It wasn't. The good news is that although I lost some vegan sausages, patties, and a few dishes I'd made and frozen, nothing died in vain. I can only imagine how dreadful it would have been to throw away meat and dairy - to have another sentient being give up its' life only to be tossed in the trash because a refrigerator gave up the ghost.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Nursing Moms - There’s Still Time Before Next Superbowl!
We all know making good “quality” cheese takes time, right?
Now – work with me here…. Can you imagine the righteous indignation of your guests at next year’s Superbowl, when, after dipping into that delicious plate of cheesy nachos you’ve prepared for their eating pleasure you proudly announce that you made the cheese using your very own breast milk????????
How about this idea – when we get some poor woman to give her baby up for adoption, we get her to agree to using a breast pump and pay her to produce human breast milk so we can make a new line (let’s make it very expensive and put a designer label on it!!!! ) of “exclusive” cheese that we can market to “gourmands.” It’s a win win situation! Heck, things get real good, and we can PAY women to get pregnant, surrender the babies to infertile couples who want perfect Caucasian infants (we’ll have to be delicate about who we hire to birth the babies – drug testing, and the like) and then we can put a whole bunch of moms in a “dormitory” (sort of like a CAFO but with plumbing.) We’ll hook them all up to breast pumps several times a day, and we can laugh all the way to the bank! Sounds like a great plot for a horror flick, doesn’t it? Kind of like a variation on Meet Your Meat on two legs instead of four.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Decaying Flesh Begets Decaying Flesh
About a year and a half ago, I received a telephone call from my friend Carol. She was on her way to the emergency room. I met her there. Within a few hours she’d been diagnosed with Diverticulitis, an extremely painful, and dangerous infection of the digestive system, specifically the bowels. She’d thought she was “blocked up”, constipated, or something of the sort. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone in such pain. She was in hospital for a week, with a belly distended to the size of a woman pregnant with quadruplets. She was humiliated by the gas, the belching, and was unable to avoid either. She was vomiting regularly even though she was on IV fluids only.
I learned much about Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis from seeing my friend in such pain. I was determined to find out what caused it, and help her prevent another attack in the future. I also wanted to learn for my own good what the root cause and preventive measures that could be taken. Imagine my surprise when I learned that a diet high in fiber, a diet low in fats, was the answer. All those evenings we’d spent in front of a block of cheese and bowls of dip had taken their toll on Carol’s digestive tract. All those cheeseburgers dripping in mayonnaise had finally come home to roost. At that time, I was still eating meat, still consuming mass quantities of cheese – but that soon came to an end when I saw them inserting IV’s in her, saw her barfing and retching for a week. The stench was unbearable for everyone around.
They spoke of possibly “resectioning” her bowel, removing the rotted, damaged part, and reattaching the ends. I’ve got another loved one who had a resectioning like that, except it didn’t work, and now she wears a colostomy bag for the rest of her life, and endures THAT indignation.
Since adopting a vegetarian, and then vegan lifestyle, I’ve noticed a dramatic increase in my digestive health. I’m no longer feeling like I am likely to develop Irritable Bowel Syndrome, the precursor of Krohn’s Disease, and other problems. I’ve got every confidence that much of what I’ve accomplished in the realm of great health has to do with inverting that carnivorous food pyramid and putting what is important in my mouth, and learning that the decaying flesh of dead animals, the products from said animals produced through suffering and deprivation of liberty and freedom, can only cause my body to rebel against the suffering endured. But that my friend would have gotten the same message…. Alas, she’s still parked in front of those cheeseburgers, still getting sick, still blaming it on everything else but what it really is, a reaction to eating death.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The Doomed Science Project
Picture me, Selah, in ninth grade, which seems like a hundred years ago. Our school’s Science Fair loomed. I wanted to participate, and I wanted to win. I’d read the work of J.B. Calhoun, who'd written a paper called "The Effect of Overpopulation in Rats and Mice and thought that it would make a dandy of a Science project, one that surely would garner me a big honkin’ red ribbon. I put together my hypothesis and my allowance, and walked to the closest K-Mart, where I plunked down cash to buy a tiny metal cage and as many mice as I could afford.
The idea was that they’d have babies, and then more babies, and I’d be able to write a brilliant paper like Dr. Calhoun’s (only in my own words) about how the mice stopped acting like normal mice and began doing “weird stuff.” This model would then be applied to the human race and I could expound in my best fourteen year old English how this was what was happening in cities around the world…..cities I’d never even seen, and knew little about, but I digress. I was filled with excitement and anticipation while walking home with my Chinese Take Away cartons o’ mice. Upon arriving home, I set up my “laboratory” with the mouse house (my version of a miniature New York) my notebook and pencil at the ready. If I could have found a lab coat, you can bet I’d have worn it.
Within hours, the boys were fighting. No amount of discipline, pleading, scolding or harsh looks could get them to stop. There was blood, bitten ears, screeching, and horror. I hit my big brother up for some more cash and back to K-Mart I trudged to get a second cage. Within weeks I had baby mice alright, but the mommies got scared because the daddies were still in the cage so they ate them. I bought more cages. As a scientist, I think I failed. As a young girl, I believe my humanity triumphed. And now, so many years later, when, at the end of each day that I’ve eaten, and eaten well – without causing any sentient being any suffering, that young girl triumphs again.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
