Posts tagged ‘Authors’
JSF & Ellen DeGeneres talk about stuff- I’m just tired of listening
Jonathon Safran Foer made another trip to The Ellen DeGeneres Show to talk about his book Eating Animals. So what did they talk about? Oh, you know- the prerequisite oh-my-god-where-do-you-get-your-protein crap and this:
If you were to ask people, ‘Do you think it’s right or wrong to eat animals?’, most people in our world would say, ‘Yes, it’s right.’ If you ask people, ‘Is it right to have a farm system that we know is making our antibiotics less effective?’…nobody wants that. If you say, ‘Is it right to have a farm system that we know, as a rule, is destroying our environment?’…nobody wants that. And nobody, I don’t care how much or how little you care about animals, nobody wants to keep pregnant animals in little cages for the durations of their pregnancies. So…what has been demonstrated…in audiences that I’ve been able to interact with, that if we found a good way of talking about this, that wasn’t accusatory, that wasn’t wagging of fingers, that wasn’t saying that I’m better than you-if we just talked about the facts of the matter, people would agree- this is not what we want.
I am so ever tired of hearing crap like that. So damn tired.
Listen, I’m vegan. I’m standing up for non-human animals who don’t have a voice or a choice. As a vegan I’m in the minority, my beliefs are considered fanatical, radical and/or extreme by most. And by those rationalities, it’s no wonder people get frustrated when the vegan conversation starts- there are already preconceived notions about how crazy we are in the first place.
There are some who’ll say that vegans shouldn’t talk about veganism unless others bring it up first. That, as a vegan, you must be cautious about how the subject is approached so that you don’t piss people off or appear judgmental. Okay, I get the whole “respect others” thing- my momma taught me well, but my respect doesn’t guarantee my acquiescence. It’s also important to understand, as a vegan, it’s vital that we continue to talk intelligently, respectfully, and- most importantly, consistently about the plight of non-humans.
My veganism is an inherent part of my life and to omit it from my daily conversations would be near impossible for me to do. I’m not saying that I’m free to run around and throw factory farm facts in people’s faces, far from it. I’m talking about keeping veganism in the conversation through respectful and intelligent discourse. If you are witness to animal abuse, do you talk about it? Of course you do. Why should I be any different?
I could no more watch a dog being kicked to death than I could watch a chicken get it’s head cut off. Each animal deserves that right to life. I cannot stand by silently and watch billions of non-humans are killed simply because humans want a part of them- I just can’t. But does talking about it really make me accusatory? Does that automatically mean that I’m “wagging” my finger in your face? Listen, if my so-called finger wagging (aka – me stating the facts) is bothering you- perhaps an examination of your conscience is in order.
So sometimes I’m going to say something that you don’t like, that’s okay. I hear things I don’t like all the time. But don’t let the mere fact that I brought the vegan conversation up mean that I’m sitting high and mighty, wagging my fingers at folks. What you hear is the passion that I have for the plight of these animals that are capable of feeling fear and pain. What you hear is my heart breaking each time I hear you tell me how much you love cheese. The simple fact is that eating dairy still contributes to the deaths of animals, period. I’m not accusing you of anything, I’m not wagging my finger at you- I’m just presenting the facts.
And isn’t that what JSF has said we should do, present the facts?
If I want people to stop killing animals, then I am going to tell them to stop killing animals. I’m not going to say, “please stop killing animals, when it suits your lifestlye.”
It’s about a consistent message, that’s all I’m saying.
And listen, I know that Jonathon Safran Foer has been touted as “good thing” for the animal rights movement. I like to give credit where credit is due, Foer is a great conversation starter and I know that is important. He’s articulate and insightful, and from what I’ve read of his book, interesting to read. That said, I just can’t get excited about a guy who knows what he knows, has seen what he has seen, and hasn’t made the decision to cease the use of these animals. It isn’t about taking steps towards reducing consumption or irrational emotional attachments- unnecessary killing is…well, unnecessary.
Sarah Palin Likes to Eat Kittens?
Oh, alright, she didn’t say she liked to eat kittens. But she just might according to a quote from her new book. Moby takes to his blog (love you Moby!) to discuss it.
“Ok, so Sarah Palin is releasing a book. And it’s filled with some insightful, thoughtful gems, like: ‘Here’s my philosophy on being a carnivore: If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?’ -Sarah Palin.”
Golly that girl is just so darn smart! I cannot fathom why the American people didn’t jump at the chance for her to be Vice President. It’s so baffling.
Moby goes on to say, “The problem, of course, being that other things are also made out of meat. like, well, people. And doggies and kitties. And cute little human babies. so if we follow your logic, Mrs. Palin, you are actually suggesting that god intended for us to eat humans and dogs and cats and human babies, as these things are all technically made out of meat.”
So sexy Sarah, going to cook up a roast kitten for Thanksgiving?
via moby.com
Jonathan Safran Foer is all over
Jonathan Safran Foer is all over the internet these days, isn’t he? Of course I’m talking about his latest work, Eating Animals. I’ve been pretty mum about the book because I haven’t had the opportunity to read his work, and that’s important. I have read, however, that he is not a vegan. I’m curious as to how someone could visit slaughterhouses and explore animal agriculture and not become vegan. I can’t imagine, personally, being able to justify the use of any animal products after that. But that’s me.
So like I was saying, he’s all over the internet. Everywhere you turn is another JSF article, or an article about JSF. While I have mixed emotions about “JSF-gate” as I like to call it (does it matter if he is vegan or not), one cannot deny that he is getting people to talk about the use of animals as food. It’s an important conversation, one that is not talked about nearly enough, so it’s nice to see so many mainstream news outlets starting the discussions.
I came across an article with the title, “Quitting Meat is a Process – Almost impossible to do all at once.” I didn’t realize that Jonathan Safran Foer had penned the article at the time, I didn’t care. I saw the title, thought it was a fallacy, clicked on it, with my vegan at the ready. My vegan quickly deflated as I began to read the article. It’s hard to disagree with someone when they say this:
“We don’t live our lives on the inside flaps of philosophy textbooks. We live in the world. And in the world, everyone is a hypocrite. In the world, change is not a switch but a process. Being serious about changing requires a certain amount of forgiveness. I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t draw lines in the sand, or that we should be quick to accept all of our own apologies. But if animal welfare matters to us, if the air and water matter, if swine flu and E. Coli matter, if global warming matters, if biodiversity matters, if rural communities matter, if our ability to tell honest stories to ourselves and our children matters… then we shouldn’t be distracted, intimidated or misled by someone else’s idea of purity. We should begin at the beginning, and begin now.”
That’s a pretty damn good message, don’t you think? And I think he’s on to something here. Change is a process, I agree. I don’t mind so much that he doesn’t advocate for veganism, or vegetarianism either really. He presents facts and ideas, then lets you decide what to do with them. Which, I’m all for. I applaud his self exploration into the world of animal agriculture and I appreciate his promotion of his book (exposing, by default, the horrors of animal production).
But, at the same time, JSF implies that it’s too hard to become vegan outright, that maybe we could ease into it. To know of the torture and killing of other sentient beings, and decide to ease into the halting of such practices is, barbaric, at best. And to the animals killed each year, it’s unacceptable. Unfortunately, this seems to be how the human species deals with such matters. Many a genocide we have been aware of, but yet did nothing about because of societal phenomena such as politics. The inevitable and irreversible environmental catastrophe upon us has been dismissed owing to economic pressures. Don’t get me wrong, every life spared matters. But easing into veganism with excuses doesn’t help the billions of animals every day that are slaughtered.
So please, let’s not use excuses as to why some cannot stop eating animals (and defend it by following it up with, “…we shouldn’t be distracted, intimidated or misled by someone else’s idea of purity.”). It’s insulting. Not to me- to the billions of lives lost each year. They deserved better, they deserve better. And this?
“The big deal is we’ve been eating these products since we were kids, and we digested them with stories. We got over our colds with chicken soup. We celebrated the Fourth of July with grilled burgers and hot dogs. We ate our grandmother’s brisket. These things matter. As do our cravings. As does convenience.”
That implies that our memories, food associations and convenience matter more than the life of another. And that, that is simply outrageous.
via alternet.org