Archive for May, 2010
The Business of Killing Animals
WARNING! CLICKING ON THE MERCY FOR ANIMALS LINK WILL TAKE YOU TO A MERCY FOR ANIMALS WEBSITE THAT HAS THE UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION VIDEO – MY INTENTION WAS TO PUT IT ON THERE SO YOU CAN FIND THE VIDEO – I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE VIDEO IS ON AUTO PLAY AND STARTS AS SOON AS YOU CLICK ON THE SITE. THE VIDEO IS HORRIFIC AND GRAPHIC. VIEWER DISCRETION IS NOT ONLY ADVISED, IT IS ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I know that there will be a lot of discussion on other blogs and websites about the Mercy for Animals undercover investigation on an Ohio Dairy Farm, so I’m not going to beat the same drum- if you know what I mean. But I need to address it.
First, I’m going to admit right here and right now that I did not watch the video. I have seen enough violence from humans that I can imagine (after reading about the video elsewhere) what occurred. Hell, even Erik Markus from vegan.com could only make it through the first 20 seconds of it, and he’s watched every one he’s ever posted. So you know what? I’ll just take other people (like Bernard Rollin) at their word when they say that it is probably “the most gratuitous, sustained, sadistic animal abuse” ever seen.
The sad fact is, it’s not uncommon. Not only that, it’s subsidized by the government (US). In fact, Conklin Dairy Farms received subsidy payments totaling $35,282- of which $27,666 is due to dairy subsidies.
The outrage to this video is what you would expect it to be, but here’s the thing- is it really that outrageous that the people who are in the business of killing might abuse animals? Any farm that is used for animal production hires people to kill animals- regardless if the animals are shipped elsewhere first or they are processed on the farm, they are still killed for profit. We give these folks a license to kill sentient beings under the guise of “human need/want/desire,” then become surprised to find out that they might have abused the animals before killing them. I, for one, am not shocked- not totally anyway.
There have been many studies done showing a connection between violence towards animals and violence towards humans. I’ve mentioned it before but, “…Up to two-thirds of those who commit animal cruelty also commit at least one other criminal offense, including drug trafficking, assault, rape, theft and homicide. Most troubling of all is the strong connection between violence toward women and children and animal abuse.”
So in some twisted way, it almost makes sense that the workers in these death factories lean towards the violent. And let me clarify that for the people waiting to jump down my throat saying how Dairy Farmers Care for their Animals, I am not suggesting that every single person working in the animal industry is violent- surely that isn’t the case. But I will say this, I question how non-violent you can be if you kill a non-human simply because you want to use their skin for a new handbag or shoes (or clothing, or furniture, or food).
Remember how I am obsessed with an ex-vegan? I knew that he would have something to say on the matter, and I was right. Let Them Eat Meat had this to say (the bolding and emphasis is my own):
Conklin Dairy Farms is clearly awful, but that doesn’t mean no one should ever eat cheese again. If anything, this video shows the ludicrousness of vegan arguments that equate all animal use with sadistic torture. This video contains actual sadism — it is the gratuitous violence and not the mere fact of animal use that is upsetting here.
If the abuse documented in this video is an argument against dairy, it’s also just as compelling an argument against humans and animals ever interacting. These workers tortured cows for fun, not to get milk out of them, which is possible any time a cruel human and a relatively defenseless animal are in a room together. If this video means we should stop eating dairy, it also means no one should own pets, since dogs and cats might be tortured too (and pet owners are even less regulated than dairy farmers).
Obviously, again, we disagree. Violence breeds violence- whether you try to justify it by putting it on your plate or not.
And, of course, the Agribusiness folks have taken the opportunity to turn this into an attack against vegans. Chuck over at AGWired, a website for the industry, had this to say about the video (again, emphasis is my own):
This is a heads up in case you haven’t heard about it. Yesterday the Associated Press published a story about a video that was allegedly taken undercover at an Ohio dairy farm by the group Mercy For Animals. It is a shocking and disturbing video and whoever is actually involved should be put in jail for a very long time. If you click through and watch the video be warned. It’s graphic and bad.
Regardless of who is responsible for the violent acts in the video this will be used by animal rights activists to tarnish the image of good dairy farmers everywhere. This is a group of militant vegans with an agenda so it is good to question their credibility and motivation.
Shocking. Disturbing. Be warned. Graphic. Bad. Regardless of who is Responsible for the violent acts.
You know what Chuck? At least we can agree on that. Regardless of who is responsible for the violent acts, it is shocking, disturbing, graphic, and bad so- be warned. Question my credibility and motivation, as a vegan, as to why I would encourage the dissemination of the video. I’ll say it over and over again, so you won’t even have to guess-
Non-humans are not property. They are not a commodity. Non-humans are not property. They are not a commodity. Non-humans are not property. They are not a commodity. Non-humans are not property. They are not a commodity.
Compassion, that’s my motivation.
Iris, one who made it out alive
Vegan Unification
Recently, I posted an article titled When is a Vegan not a Vegan?, and it’s stirred up some folks. I think that’s awesome, by the way, and I enjoyed talking to so many people about the issue. As with anything that’s related to veganism, this topic brought a lot of anger to folks- mostly vegans. It seems that a few of you got the idea that I didn’t realize we are all human beings and capable of mistakes. I assure you, I am aware that you can unintentionally muck up at veganism- it still happens to me on occasion.
I guess what I’m saying is, some of you really seem to have gotten the wrong idea on the post completely. In particular, I want to speak to one comment left on the article. It was from Annie Hartnett, the original article’s author.
(I want to tell you how seriously awesome it is that Annie took the time to read and comment and how I’m super excited about it, but it makes me seem insincere- but I’m not. I am seriously excited)
Here’s her comment:
At the risk of revealing that I occasionally Google myself, I thought I’d respond to your post. I agree with you that it is not ethical to slip-up on veganism, but it does happen, either by accident or by a lapse in judgment. I think that is important to acknowledge, especially to beginner vegans.
I’m definitely not a vegan only when it is convenient. Nothing about my diet is convenient, I’m vegan with a gluten allergy! My first year of veganism, I cheated once every few months because I selfishly missed eating cheese. Surely you remember the dark days before Daiya, when all soy cheese had casein in it. Thankfully alternatives have gotten better.
The most recent cheating occurred because I had just been diagnosed with my allergy. I was so caught up in determining whether the fried eggplant has gluten in it, I didn’t notice that the salad included cheese. Since it was my mistake (and not the restaurant’s), I had the option of ordering again, paying for both salads, or eating the one with cheese in it. As I knew the salad I already ordered legally has to be thrown away, I ate it. This is an example of a truly careless mistake.
I understand your critique of my post. I agree that it is dangerous to make it sound like veganism is an exceedingly difficult diet to follow. It really isn’t, even with a food allergy. But I also think it is dangerous to ask “When is a vegan not a vegan?” and then suggest that “flexitarian” might be a better fit. We’re a small team, don’t kick people out! I’ve been a vegetarian since I was seven years old, I’ve never eaten a hamburger. I’ve been a vegan for over five years. And as soon as people make a commitment to stop eating animals, I say welcome to the club, I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you’ll stay.
I don’t doubt for one instance that Annie is a vegan, and I can agree with some of the things that she talks about. I can appreciate her story, and her mistakes- it happens. But my point isn’t about mistakes. I’m not kicking someone out of the vegan club by questioning their thoughts. I took Annie’s original thought, “And I don’t miss the way I ate before veganism, but I cheat when I’m careless or lazy,” to mean careless and lazy. Not, mistakes made. And it made me genuinely curious about where folks, particularly vegans, draw the line.
Veganism is still a new concept to people, some may not even know what a vegan is. It’s an understatement to say that there is still more work to do regarding veganism as being normal. We know that. But the vegan folks themselves are compounding the problem by sending mixed messages about what veganism really is. There are so many different variations of what vegan means to some people, some claim they are vegan until 6pm, some eat honey or bee products, some say it’s okay to eat animals if you are going to hurt someone’s feelings, the list goes on and on. And that’s a problem.
When you are talking about a problem that is so huge, so encompassing, so emotional for people- you’re talking about the core of who a person is. Veganism will almost force you to look inside and decide what kind of person you want to be. Do you want to participate in the deaths of millions billions of lives every year, or do you want to reject the violence and live with compassion? That is veganism, at it’s core.
And to clarify: I’m not disagreeing that people who reduce their consumption of animal products aren’t helping some animals. I’m not even denying that I’d prefer a world of vegetarians to a world of omnivores (even though it’s the same thing). I’m also not putting people down who choose to be vegan for reasons other than the animals, or ones who try to be vegan but who make a lot of mistakes. That hater-type of behavior doesn’t help anyone, let alone the non-humans.
What I am questioning is, why should vegans settle for a watered-down version of what being vegan means? Is it difficult to be a vegan? Sometimes, but it wouldn’t be if there were more vegans. It is a fact that companies will sell whatever the consumer wants. Vegans shouldn’t settle. It’s not about bullying people, making people feel bad for their choices, or kicking people out of a club. It’s about saying, this is what veganism is and what it means- and remain consistent about it. How is anyone (in any situation) going to be taken seriously about their beliefs if they don’t live true to their beliefs? Why would a non-vegan take a vegan seriously if the vegan would eat non-vegan food when they went out to eat simply because “it was easier.” It is the same thing if you continue to consume animals in any other way (clothing, furniture, etc.) If you set aside your own beliefs, other people will too. It’s not a bad thing (or radical, extreme, etc) to be consistent, you simply must be prepared.
Prepared to bring your own food to social situations, prepared to answer the same question over and over again, and be prepared to have people tease you with stupid stuff like “you just need a steak.” Those things are going to happen. But if you are consistent with your beliefs (I like to call that unapologetic), then over time people will learn to respect them. But you aren’t going to change anyone’s mind about anything without a consistent message. It is not okay to use non-humans in any manner that humans see fit. It is not okay. If you say that, then that has to apply to all animals (and yes, insects are animals too) in all situations.
Too often people are afraid to stick to their beliefs for fear of pissing people off. That, because we are the minority, we should to be open-armed to whatever little that someone wants to give. Vegans are expected to get excited when people can forgo meat until 6pm in the day, congratulate someone for eating a meat free meal once a week, and remain quiet about their beliefs because “people might get turned off to veganism.” Why? I am not encouraging folks to be disrespectful to other folks, that is not what I’m saying. Let’s be clear on that. Be consistent, that goes for consistently respectful as well. But it’s okay to question, to speak your mind- to remain true to your beliefs. Not only is it okay, it’s vital.
I am vegan, I understand when you tell me that it’s hard. That, some days it doesn’t seem worth the trouble. But I made a commitment to live my life treading as lightly as I can. I know I’m not going to be perfect, I will make mistakes. I can accept that. But I don’t make excuses about living for my standards. Yes, veganism can be a challenge, but it can be a joy too. Suddenly you become more in tune with your foods, with the way that we are all entwined. Once you learn the ropes, veganism isn’t all that hard. And even if it was, don’t we owe it to ourselves to take better care of us, the non-humans, and the planet? Are we that selfish of a species that we cannot look beyond what affects our own personal space? And if that’s true, what does that say about humans?
Obviously this is all coming from the ethical side to veganism. But even if you are not an ethical vegan, you will benefit from a more vegan-friendly world.
It’s time for vegans to unify and send a consistent message. We need to be unapologetic (not rude, not mean, not violently forceful, not in-your-face, not putting people down) for our beliefs. We need to remain consistent and respectful. Only then real change can come.
I am vegan and I believe it is not okay to use non-humans.
DiMaggio the goat lives at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York
The Vegan Detox Plan is in Motion
This post is a week old, or rather, I tried to write it for a week. I know, I’m late. Sorry! For those who don’t follow me on twitter (what? you don’t follow me on twitter?! why ever not? I’m so much fun on twitter!) might not know that I’ve decided to take part in the {Plate+Simple} Vegan Detox Plan for two weeks. Or that we started last week. But we did, we totally did. See what you miss by not following me on twitter?
Okay, moving on. Sigh. Before I get in to the whole detox story let me say this, my fridge broke the night before we were to start the detox. I woke up to a water logged kitchen and a freezer full of defrosted food. This might have caused a teeny bit of stress. It’s not exactly how I wanted to start my detox. But then again, who wishes for a broken fridge? Right, moving on.
I decided to do this detox because I had gotten my first cold in three years recently, and I really felt like my body needed to cleanse. And, I thought it would be fun to track it all down and share it with you. So here’s a sampling of my first week of detoxing, in no particular order…
Hot oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts
White Bean, red cabbage and carrot salad and Kombucha
Garden Salad with Tempeh
Almond Butter, Coconut flakes, Pecans, Cashews and Cinnamon
Black Bean and Corn Salad w/Brown Rice and Broccoli Guacamole
I am going to admit it right here and now that I’ve cooked and noshed on tofu the past week. The P+S Detox plan doesn’t permit the use of soy, but I am going to include it in my detox. I don’t eat processed soy-based foods, my soy consumption is in the form of tofu, tempeh, or whole soy beans. Because of this, I feel that they those foods fits in with my idea of detoxing. I’ve also decided that I am not going to eat any breads or pasta, regardless of what type of grain it’s made from. It’s not that those things aren’t healthy, they can be. But I have problems with portion control, especially with bread, and I don’t need any temptations during my detox. I’m still including whole grains such as wheatberries, quiona, brown rice, and millet into my detox. But they don’t present as much of a temptation to over indulge the same way that a big bowl of pasta does. One of the greatest benefits of the detox is that I can tailor it to fit me, you can too! (I am not, for the record, telling you to find a creative way to insist that chocolate cake should be consumed during the detox. Though, if you figure that out, hit me up. I want to know)
So I have made it into Week 2. I feel a little heavier, if you can believe that. I am attributing this to the increase in whole grain foods I’ve been eating. I do not normally eat brown rice for breakfast- smothered in almond butter, hemp seeds, and cut up fruit (delish!) and I think it’s causing my heaviness. These week I’m going to focus more on vegetables and fruits and less on the whole grains. I’m still going to eat them, I’m just not going to eat them every single morning. So, even if I want, no- crave the Everyday Breakfast I will refrain. I won’t make it a point to have a “whole grain carb” with my lunches and dinners. And that’s okay. I’m listening to my body and hearing that it wants more vegetables. Good news for me, I’ve recently developed an insane addiction/craving for brussel sprouts. Insane. I love those delicious, savory little cabbages. Remember, Friends don’t let Friends, Not Like Brussel Sprouts.
I know some of you are doing the detox with Hilary and I, how’s it going for you?