Chrsity Turlington is a vegetarian supermodel.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Celebrity: Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the former, and one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America. He was a vegetarian.
Restaurant Fiasco
Three nights ago I went to a vegan restaurant with my friend. She was not too into the whole vegan thing, and the first thing she asked the waitress is if they have any pork at all. When the waitress, appalled, said "No, we only carry vegan food," my friend said, "ok well I guess I'll just have the chicken." Needless to say, I won't be going back there anytime soon!
Comic: Plants or Animals?
In the dialogue, it talked about the differances between eating animals and eating plants. This comic shows this argument from the view of a plant.
What do Luna, Auguste and Oscar think about becoming vegan?
Dialogue One
Huck is sitting on the stairs to his front porch when Finn comes running up to him.
Finn - Hey Huck!
Huck (grimly) - Hi Finn.
Finn - Why so glum kiddo?
Huck – I just don’t get it. My little brother, Jack, stole my ball, so I slapped him, and now I’m in trouble and can’t come out and play.
Finn – Well of course you got in trouble. Ya’ can’t just go around slappin people.
Huck – Why not? My papa slaps and whips his slaves all the time.
Finn – Its ok to treat a black slave like that, but not your little brother.
Huck – Whats the difference between my little brother and a slave?
Finn – My papa told me slaves have no feeling, emotions, or thoughts like white people do.
Huck – So they’re different from us?
Finn – Yeah, they’re not human, so they don’t have rights.
Huck – Do you have to be human to have rights?
Finn – Yeah, obviously.
Huck – But then what does it mean to be human?
Finn – Well you have to be white, and talk and think and have feelings like a white man.
Huck – Well my little cousin is disabled, so he doesn’t look or think or talk like us, but he still gets treated awfully nice. If he’s different then us, they how come he still gets treated like a human?
Finn (flustered) – Boy, you ask too many questions. Wanna come play some ball with me?
Huck – Maybe later.
Finn – Ok, see you later.
Huck – Bye
End of first dialogue.
Dialogue Two
Ms. Wilemina – Good morning class! I am announcing a new project this morning. I would like to discuss the morality of eat meat with you in a weeks time. I have eaten meat for many years, but have recently became a vegetarian. I am going to put each of you in pairs, and one of you will be exploring why humans should eat meat, and the other will be exploring why humans should be vegetarians. Auguste and Luna, you are partners. Auguste, you are defending meat, and Luna, you are defending vegetarianism.
Auguste – Do you want us to write a report on it?
Ms. Wilemina – No, next week I will meet with both of you, and we will sit down and debate the topic. I will mark you on your debate.
(lunch bell rings).
Ms. Wilemina – Have a nice day class!
Luna and Auguste – You too! Bye!
End of dialogue two.
Dialogue Three.
Luna and Auguste are sitting down together in the cafeteria.
Luna – So what do you think about our project?
Auguste – Yeah it should be cool. I’m pretty sure I’ll win the debate though. Sorry you had to get vegetarianism.
Luna- What makes you so sure its ok to eat meat?
Auguste – Well a lot of people eat meat, so it must be the right this to do.
Luna – Why is it the right this to do?
Auguste – It’s healthy for our bodies to eat meat, we need the protein, Iron, and B12.
Luna – There are other ways to get protein and vitamins you know, its just harder.
Auguste – Well if its harder, then why wouldn’t you just eat meat?
Luna – I would never eat meat because it was one a living animal, and to eat it would be morally wrong.
Auguste – What is morality?
Luna – Morality is what is right and what is wrong.
Auguste – Well I think its right to eat animals. So does that mean that it’s morally right to eat animals?
Luna – But its not morally right to eat animals.
Auguste – Why’s that?
Luna – Because I don’t think its morally right to eat animals.
Auguste – So morality is just a matter of opinion?
Luna – No, its not. I’m right. And I’ll prove it to you.
Auguste – Luna, people from all over the world eat animals. Why do you seriously think that ever single one of them is wrong, and you and a handful of other people are right?
Luna – People believe what they are taught to believe. My parents are Christian because they were brought up that way. But I guarantee you that if you asked them why they go to church every Sunday, they would have no idea. They would tell you they do it because they do.
Auguste – How does that work?
Luna – People believe and behave how they are taught to believe and behave. We are all products from our society, and until we take a step back and examine our values, we will never know what is truly right and what it truly wrong.
Auguste – I think I get what your saying.
Luna - Do you think its ok to kill a cow or a pig?
Auguste - sometimes.
Luna - why only sometimes?
Auguste – I think it’s ok to eat an animal when you are going to eat it or use its fur, but its not ok to kill an animal just for fun.
Luna – Do you think it would be ok to kill a human?
Auguste – No! Never.
Luna – Well would be ok to kill a human if you were going to eat it?
Auguste – No, its still not ok.
Luna - Would it be ok to kill a kitten or a dog?
Auguste – No.
Luna – Not even sometimes?
Auguste – Not unless you were stranded on a desert island and you would die if you didn’t eat the kitten or the dog.
Luna – what if there was a cow or pig on the desert island?
Auguste – Oh, well it would be ok to eat the cow or the pig. And then if you absolutely had to, I guess it would be ok to eat the cat or the dog.
Luna - why do the other animals have to get eaten before the kittens or the dogs?
Auguste – It’s not ok to eat kittens or dogs, but it is ok to eat other animals
Luna - Why is it morally right to kill some animals but not others?
Auguste – I have never thought about it…
Luna - This is because you have been taught by your society to believe that it is ok to eat some animals, but not others.
Auguste – I still thinks that its ok to eat animals
Luna – Why do you think its ok to eat animals, but not humans?
Auguste – Animals are different from humans, they don’t have feeling or emotions or fears or thoughts like humans do.
Luna - Isn’t that sort of like what the people in that movie said about slaves?
Auguste – Well that that was different, all humans should have rights.
Luna - Why should all humans have rights, but all animals shouldn’t?
Auguste - Because they are animals and we are humans, we are different.
Luna - That is just like saying black people shouldn’t have the same rights as a human, because some are white and some are black.
Auguste – Black people are just like white people and should be treated equally. All people have feelings and thoughts and emotions, no matter what the color of their skin is. But we don’t know if animals have the same feelings or emotions as people do.
Luna - Do you think that a living being has to have all of the characteristics of an adult human to have rights?
Auguste – Well you have to be able to think to have rights.
Luna – Does that mean it would be ok to eat people who are mentally ill?
Auguste - Definitely not!
Luna - Austguste you’re contradicting yourself.
Auguste – No I’m not!
Luna - But if living organisms are given rights based on their mentality, then why wouldn’t it be ok to eat babies or mentally ill people?
Auguste – It’s ok to eat animals because they are animals, and it’s not ok to eat humans because they are humans.
Luna - What does it mean to be human?
Auguste – To be a human you have to look like a human and act like a human.
Luna - Auguste you’re contradicting yourself again because you said that black people are the same as white people even though they don’t look the same, and that mentally ill people and babies have the same rights as a adult human simply because they are all human, but then you said that you have to look like a human and act like a human to be a human.
Auguste (frustrated) – Luna, what are your beliefs?
Luna – I believe that you should treat all living organisms with respect, even if they have different ways of showing emotion or if they think in a different way or if they don’t think at all.
Auguste - Does that you can’t eat anything?
Luna - No, I can still eat fruits and vegetables.
Auguste – Well fruits and vegetables are living organisms too, so why is it ok to eat them, but not animals?
Luna - They don’t think or have feelings, they are just fruit.
Auguste - Exactly, just like how people once thought black people have no thoughts or feelings.
Luna – I don’t know what to say…
Auguste – Do you now think it is morally right to eat fruit and vegetables?
Luna - I think its ok to eat fruits and vegetables, but it’s not ok to animals or humans.
Auguste - Why do you think it is morally right to eat fruits and vegetables?
Luna – I think that there is now no definite right or wrong answer to this question.
Auguste - Why not?
Luna – I believe that it is wrong to kill any living organisms, but if I never killed any living organisms, I would die, which means I would have just killed a living organism. Therefore, there is no definite right or wrong.
Auguste – Does that means that morality does not exist?
Luna - Maybe morality isn’t a list of definite rights and wrongs.
Auguste – Well now we’re back at the same question: what is morality?
Luna – Maybe morality is what we apply to our decisions to decide what is wrong and what is right. For example, if someone asked me if it was morally right to eat a cow, I could say it is not, because I know that I do not have to kill that cow. I could eat tofu and soy beans instead.
Auguste – But then you are still killing the soy beans and tofu.
Luna – But if I didn’t kill the tofu and soy beans, I wouldn’t be able to survive, so I have to make a decision on whether I would kill the cow or kill the vegetables. Killing living organisms is part of the circle of life.
Auguste - Why would you always choose to kill the cow, wouldn’t it make more sense to even it out? Isn’t this all part of the balance of life?
Luna – Yeah, I guess it is.
Auguste - this is why you should eat a balanced diet. It is part of the circle of life, and it is the way that the earth is meant to function.
Luna - If the world is designed so that we have to kill living organisms for us to survive, then why wouldn’t we eat other humans?
Auguste – It is morally wrong to kill or to eat other humans.
Luna - Where does this morality come from?
Auguste – I have been taught from a very young age that its not ok to hurt other humans.
Luna – Does this mean that morality comes from our society?
Auguste – I think our values are ingrained into use by our society, but that morality is something that is an integral part of human nature, and we have to use that morality to evaluate whether or not our society’s values are just.
Luna - I have been taught by my parents that it is ok to eat meat, but I re-evaluated these values and decided that it was not ok to kill a living organism for food. However, after talking to you, I realized that I have to kill living organisms to survive. So, I have decided that a balanced diet is the best way to live ones life morally. However, I still do not believe that one should kill for sport, and that one should always value the life of the creature being eaten.
Auguste – Did you know that humans are one of the only species in the entire world that kill each other? I think that we go against nature by killing one another, so if we ate each other it would also be going against nature. Thus, I think that humans should not be eaten. However, I also think that it is ok to eat other animals and other living organisms because otherwise humans could not survive. This is all part of the circle of life.
Oscar comes in and sits down at the table with Auguste and Luna.
Luna – Hey Oscar!
Auguste – Whats up man?
Oscar – Hey guys, nothing much. What are you guys talking about?
Luna – The morality of eating meat.
Oscar – Awesome. Yeah, I was thinking a lot about that project,
Luna – Would you like to discuss it with us?
Oscar – Yeah for sure. I’ve been a vegan for two and a half years now, so I feel pretty strongly about the subject.
Luna – Oh really? Well I have always been a vegetarian, but Auguste pointed out that there is no point, because I’m still killing plants. So no matter what I eat, I’m still killing a living organism.
Oscar – Oh yeah, I considered that too. But then I did some research and learned that plants do not have nervous systems or anything structural that perceives pain. Also, more plants are cut down to feed farm animals than to feed humans, so by being a vegan, you are still killing fewer plants than as a meat-eater.
Luna – I had never thought of that.
Auguste – No no no! We would be offsetting the balance of life by not eating meat. Animals eat other animals, so we should be able to eat animals too.
Oscar - Animals kill too survive, and humans simply don't need to do so because we have modern resources that allow us to avoid animal products and still survive. If we were to imagine ourselves back in the wild, without any of the modern world, we wouldn't be part of the same food chain with chickens and cows. It's more likely we would be eating vegetables, fruits, grains, and the occasional small animal like squirrels and other rodents. Besides, if we are going to ask this question, shouldn't we then make ourselves use the same methods for killing animals as other animals? That would mean we would need to hide behind bushes and hunt the animals, slaughter them ourselves, and process them. Our food system has nothing to do with nature's original purpose.
Auguste – But humans are meant to be carnivores. We are going against nature by not eating meat.
Oscar – We learned in science class that human bodies are actually very different from the bodies of carnivores. Carnivores have short digestive tracts, sharp claws, and curved fangs; humans have long digestive tracts for vegetable matter, flat thin nails made for protection from dings, and flat teeth for grinding at plant protein. Even human canine teeth are far flatter than those on carnivores.
Auguste – Well even if I’m not meant to eat animals, they still taste good. I love steak. Why should I even care about eating animals?
Oscar - Most people would feel bad upon seeing a domestic animal like a cat or dog suffer, and would never consider harming one themselves, but they don't stop to think twice about eating a farm animal. Farm animals feel pain and emotional stress the same as humans, and certainly as domesticated pets. Their suffering is no less intense just because they don't speak English or walk on their hind legs or live in our house with us. As Peter Singer covers in Animal Liberation, just because we enjoy the taste of some animals doesn't mean that we should be freely allowed to eat them whenever we please. Humans aren't free to exercise any of their desires anytime they want, and food choices should be the same. Even if you didn't physically kill the animal yourself, you paid for the killing when you bought the animal product at the store.
Luna – Do you not eat meat because you don’t like the idea of supporting the killing of an animal, or is it because you don’t like how the animals are treated?
Oscar – I choose not to eat meat because I don’t like killing animals, but I don’t use animal products because he doesn’t like how the animals are treated.
Luna – So does that mean you will eat free range meat or eggs?
Oscar - The term "free-range" has been badly misused in the food industry. Many people believe they are ensuring that the animals they are eating have lived a fulfilled life, when in fact their life is no different than any other farm animal. A product can be labeled as "cage-free" or "free-range" if the animal had access to the outside, no matter how unrealistic that access is for the animals. In most cases, the access is a tiny door to a tiny yard that the animals never use because their feed is located inside the barn. There are many ways that farmers get around using terms that make people feel more comfortable with their support for the farming industry. The only truly safe way to avoid supporting the factory farming industry is by avoiding eating animals at all.
Auguste – Well that can’t be right because farmers must treat their animals well so that they will produce good eggs and milk.
Oscar - Contrary to popular belief, animals are not raised on old-fashioned farms where they walk around on grassy fields, make babies when they are ready, and crow to wake up the farmers. Modern farms (commonly called factory farms) are made to process animals as quickly, cheaply, and efficiently as possible. Animals are never given medical care, are often genetically engineered, and are fed hormones, antibiotics, and medicine. They are not treated well, by any stretch of the imagination.
Luna – Well isn’t it ok to drink milk?
Auguste – Oh yeah, its good for cows to be milk.
Oscar – Not necessarily. Cows produce milk in the same way that human’s do- when they have a baby. In nature, the calf would drink his mother's milk and then she would no longer have a supply of milk. On factory farms, dairy cows are impregnated so they constantly have milk. They then have their calf taken away from them immediately after birth and are made into either veal cows (males) or future dairy cows (females.) Also, dairy cows are given growth hormones so that they produce much more milk than they would have in nature. Once they are no longer able to produce a large amount of milk they are slaughtered.
Luna – Oh my gosh, that’s awful!
Auguste – Well fine, but eggs are fine because hens naturally provide eggs.
Oscar - The egg laying hens go through some of the worst abuse of any factory-farmed animal. These hens are packed into cages with numerous other hens, and those cages are stacked several layers high. As the hens on the top defecate, the poop falls into the cages below. The hens are unable to stretch their wings or legs, and often develop severe bone disorders. When the chickens die, they are often left in the cages where the other hens trample them as they begin to grow around the wires. Of the eggs allowed to hatch, the females become laying hens. The males are useless, so they thrown into a trash heap where they suffocate or are crushed, or they are ground up alive.
Auguste – My sister told me something like that once. She’s a vegetarian, she only eats fish.
Oscar – Now that’s something that I’ve never really understood. Fish have brains and nervous systems just like other birds and mammals, so they can feel pain. Their mouths and tongues are used like mammals use their hands. Research also shows that fish have a sense of fear, showing bursts of adrenaline and breathing rates when they are threatened. I don’t think a true vegetarian can eat fish, and a vegan definitely cannot.
Luna – Oh my gosh, theres so much to think about. I don’t know what to believe anymore!
Auguste – Yeah, I’m not sure what to believe anymore. I don’t think I could go completely vegan, it would just be too hard. But maybe I’ll become vegetarian because I really don’t want to support the farming industry. The way that they treat the poor animals sounds terrible.
Oscar – Well I’m glad I could open your eyes to the reality of the farming industry.
Huck is sitting on the stairs to his front porch when Finn comes running up to him.
Finn - Hey Huck!
Huck (grimly) - Hi Finn.
Finn - Why so glum kiddo?
Huck – I just don’t get it. My little brother, Jack, stole my ball, so I slapped him, and now I’m in trouble and can’t come out and play.
Finn – Well of course you got in trouble. Ya’ can’t just go around slappin people.
Huck – Why not? My papa slaps and whips his slaves all the time.
Finn – Its ok to treat a black slave like that, but not your little brother.
Huck – Whats the difference between my little brother and a slave?
Finn – My papa told me slaves have no feeling, emotions, or thoughts like white people do.
Huck – So they’re different from us?
Finn – Yeah, they’re not human, so they don’t have rights.
Huck – Do you have to be human to have rights?
Finn – Yeah, obviously.
Huck – But then what does it mean to be human?
Finn – Well you have to be white, and talk and think and have feelings like a white man.
Huck – Well my little cousin is disabled, so he doesn’t look or think or talk like us, but he still gets treated awfully nice. If he’s different then us, they how come he still gets treated like a human?
Finn (flustered) – Boy, you ask too many questions. Wanna come play some ball with me?
Huck – Maybe later.
Finn – Ok, see you later.
Huck – Bye
End of first dialogue.
Dialogue Two
Ms. Wilemina – Good morning class! I am announcing a new project this morning. I would like to discuss the morality of eat meat with you in a weeks time. I have eaten meat for many years, but have recently became a vegetarian. I am going to put each of you in pairs, and one of you will be exploring why humans should eat meat, and the other will be exploring why humans should be vegetarians. Auguste and Luna, you are partners. Auguste, you are defending meat, and Luna, you are defending vegetarianism.
Auguste – Do you want us to write a report on it?
Ms. Wilemina – No, next week I will meet with both of you, and we will sit down and debate the topic. I will mark you on your debate.
(lunch bell rings).
Ms. Wilemina – Have a nice day class!
Luna and Auguste – You too! Bye!
End of dialogue two.
Dialogue Three.
Luna and Auguste are sitting down together in the cafeteria.
Luna – So what do you think about our project?
Auguste – Yeah it should be cool. I’m pretty sure I’ll win the debate though. Sorry you had to get vegetarianism.
Luna- What makes you so sure its ok to eat meat?
Auguste – Well a lot of people eat meat, so it must be the right this to do.
Luna – Why is it the right this to do?
Auguste – It’s healthy for our bodies to eat meat, we need the protein, Iron, and B12.
Luna – There are other ways to get protein and vitamins you know, its just harder.
Auguste – Well if its harder, then why wouldn’t you just eat meat?
Luna – I would never eat meat because it was one a living animal, and to eat it would be morally wrong.
Auguste – What is morality?
Luna – Morality is what is right and what is wrong.
Auguste – Well I think its right to eat animals. So does that mean that it’s morally right to eat animals?
Luna – But its not morally right to eat animals.
Auguste – Why’s that?
Luna – Because I don’t think its morally right to eat animals.
Auguste – So morality is just a matter of opinion?
Luna – No, its not. I’m right. And I’ll prove it to you.
Auguste – Luna, people from all over the world eat animals. Why do you seriously think that ever single one of them is wrong, and you and a handful of other people are right?
Luna – People believe what they are taught to believe. My parents are Christian because they were brought up that way. But I guarantee you that if you asked them why they go to church every Sunday, they would have no idea. They would tell you they do it because they do.
Auguste – How does that work?
Luna – People believe and behave how they are taught to believe and behave. We are all products from our society, and until we take a step back and examine our values, we will never know what is truly right and what it truly wrong.
Auguste – I think I get what your saying.
Luna - Do you think its ok to kill a cow or a pig?
Auguste - sometimes.
Luna - why only sometimes?
Auguste – I think it’s ok to eat an animal when you are going to eat it or use its fur, but its not ok to kill an animal just for fun.
Luna – Do you think it would be ok to kill a human?
Auguste – No! Never.
Luna – Well would be ok to kill a human if you were going to eat it?
Auguste – No, its still not ok.
Luna - Would it be ok to kill a kitten or a dog?
Auguste – No.
Luna – Not even sometimes?
Auguste – Not unless you were stranded on a desert island and you would die if you didn’t eat the kitten or the dog.
Luna – what if there was a cow or pig on the desert island?
Auguste – Oh, well it would be ok to eat the cow or the pig. And then if you absolutely had to, I guess it would be ok to eat the cat or the dog.
Luna - why do the other animals have to get eaten before the kittens or the dogs?
Auguste – It’s not ok to eat kittens or dogs, but it is ok to eat other animals
Luna - Why is it morally right to kill some animals but not others?
Auguste – I have never thought about it…
Luna - This is because you have been taught by your society to believe that it is ok to eat some animals, but not others.
Auguste – I still thinks that its ok to eat animals
Luna – Why do you think its ok to eat animals, but not humans?
Auguste – Animals are different from humans, they don’t have feeling or emotions or fears or thoughts like humans do.
Luna - Isn’t that sort of like what the people in that movie said about slaves?
Auguste – Well that that was different, all humans should have rights.
Luna - Why should all humans have rights, but all animals shouldn’t?
Auguste - Because they are animals and we are humans, we are different.
Luna - That is just like saying black people shouldn’t have the same rights as a human, because some are white and some are black.
Auguste – Black people are just like white people and should be treated equally. All people have feelings and thoughts and emotions, no matter what the color of their skin is. But we don’t know if animals have the same feelings or emotions as people do.
Luna - Do you think that a living being has to have all of the characteristics of an adult human to have rights?
Auguste – Well you have to be able to think to have rights.
Luna – Does that mean it would be ok to eat people who are mentally ill?
Auguste - Definitely not!
Luna - Austguste you’re contradicting yourself.
Auguste – No I’m not!
Luna - But if living organisms are given rights based on their mentality, then why wouldn’t it be ok to eat babies or mentally ill people?
Auguste – It’s ok to eat animals because they are animals, and it’s not ok to eat humans because they are humans.
Luna - What does it mean to be human?
Auguste – To be a human you have to look like a human and act like a human.
Luna - Auguste you’re contradicting yourself again because you said that black people are the same as white people even though they don’t look the same, and that mentally ill people and babies have the same rights as a adult human simply because they are all human, but then you said that you have to look like a human and act like a human to be a human.
Auguste (frustrated) – Luna, what are your beliefs?
Luna – I believe that you should treat all living organisms with respect, even if they have different ways of showing emotion or if they think in a different way or if they don’t think at all.
Auguste - Does that you can’t eat anything?
Luna - No, I can still eat fruits and vegetables.
Auguste – Well fruits and vegetables are living organisms too, so why is it ok to eat them, but not animals?
Luna - They don’t think or have feelings, they are just fruit.
Auguste - Exactly, just like how people once thought black people have no thoughts or feelings.
Luna – I don’t know what to say…
Auguste – Do you now think it is morally right to eat fruit and vegetables?
Luna - I think its ok to eat fruits and vegetables, but it’s not ok to animals or humans.
Auguste - Why do you think it is morally right to eat fruits and vegetables?
Luna – I think that there is now no definite right or wrong answer to this question.
Auguste - Why not?
Luna – I believe that it is wrong to kill any living organisms, but if I never killed any living organisms, I would die, which means I would have just killed a living organism. Therefore, there is no definite right or wrong.
Auguste – Does that means that morality does not exist?
Luna - Maybe morality isn’t a list of definite rights and wrongs.
Auguste – Well now we’re back at the same question: what is morality?
Luna – Maybe morality is what we apply to our decisions to decide what is wrong and what is right. For example, if someone asked me if it was morally right to eat a cow, I could say it is not, because I know that I do not have to kill that cow. I could eat tofu and soy beans instead.
Auguste – But then you are still killing the soy beans and tofu.
Luna – But if I didn’t kill the tofu and soy beans, I wouldn’t be able to survive, so I have to make a decision on whether I would kill the cow or kill the vegetables. Killing living organisms is part of the circle of life.
Auguste - Why would you always choose to kill the cow, wouldn’t it make more sense to even it out? Isn’t this all part of the balance of life?
Luna – Yeah, I guess it is.
Auguste - this is why you should eat a balanced diet. It is part of the circle of life, and it is the way that the earth is meant to function.
Luna - If the world is designed so that we have to kill living organisms for us to survive, then why wouldn’t we eat other humans?
Auguste – It is morally wrong to kill or to eat other humans.
Luna - Where does this morality come from?
Auguste – I have been taught from a very young age that its not ok to hurt other humans.
Luna – Does this mean that morality comes from our society?
Auguste – I think our values are ingrained into use by our society, but that morality is something that is an integral part of human nature, and we have to use that morality to evaluate whether or not our society’s values are just.
Luna - I have been taught by my parents that it is ok to eat meat, but I re-evaluated these values and decided that it was not ok to kill a living organism for food. However, after talking to you, I realized that I have to kill living organisms to survive. So, I have decided that a balanced diet is the best way to live ones life morally. However, I still do not believe that one should kill for sport, and that one should always value the life of the creature being eaten.
Auguste – Did you know that humans are one of the only species in the entire world that kill each other? I think that we go against nature by killing one another, so if we ate each other it would also be going against nature. Thus, I think that humans should not be eaten. However, I also think that it is ok to eat other animals and other living organisms because otherwise humans could not survive. This is all part of the circle of life.
Oscar comes in and sits down at the table with Auguste and Luna.
Luna – Hey Oscar!
Auguste – Whats up man?
Oscar – Hey guys, nothing much. What are you guys talking about?
Luna – The morality of eating meat.
Oscar – Awesome. Yeah, I was thinking a lot about that project,
Luna – Would you like to discuss it with us?
Oscar – Yeah for sure. I’ve been a vegan for two and a half years now, so I feel pretty strongly about the subject.
Luna – Oh really? Well I have always been a vegetarian, but Auguste pointed out that there is no point, because I’m still killing plants. So no matter what I eat, I’m still killing a living organism.
Oscar – Oh yeah, I considered that too. But then I did some research and learned that plants do not have nervous systems or anything structural that perceives pain. Also, more plants are cut down to feed farm animals than to feed humans, so by being a vegan, you are still killing fewer plants than as a meat-eater.
Luna – I had never thought of that.
Auguste – No no no! We would be offsetting the balance of life by not eating meat. Animals eat other animals, so we should be able to eat animals too.
Oscar - Animals kill too survive, and humans simply don't need to do so because we have modern resources that allow us to avoid animal products and still survive. If we were to imagine ourselves back in the wild, without any of the modern world, we wouldn't be part of the same food chain with chickens and cows. It's more likely we would be eating vegetables, fruits, grains, and the occasional small animal like squirrels and other rodents. Besides, if we are going to ask this question, shouldn't we then make ourselves use the same methods for killing animals as other animals? That would mean we would need to hide behind bushes and hunt the animals, slaughter them ourselves, and process them. Our food system has nothing to do with nature's original purpose.
Auguste – But humans are meant to be carnivores. We are going against nature by not eating meat.
Oscar – We learned in science class that human bodies are actually very different from the bodies of carnivores. Carnivores have short digestive tracts, sharp claws, and curved fangs; humans have long digestive tracts for vegetable matter, flat thin nails made for protection from dings, and flat teeth for grinding at plant protein. Even human canine teeth are far flatter than those on carnivores.
Auguste – Well even if I’m not meant to eat animals, they still taste good. I love steak. Why should I even care about eating animals?
Oscar - Most people would feel bad upon seeing a domestic animal like a cat or dog suffer, and would never consider harming one themselves, but they don't stop to think twice about eating a farm animal. Farm animals feel pain and emotional stress the same as humans, and certainly as domesticated pets. Their suffering is no less intense just because they don't speak English or walk on their hind legs or live in our house with us. As Peter Singer covers in Animal Liberation, just because we enjoy the taste of some animals doesn't mean that we should be freely allowed to eat them whenever we please. Humans aren't free to exercise any of their desires anytime they want, and food choices should be the same. Even if you didn't physically kill the animal yourself, you paid for the killing when you bought the animal product at the store.
Luna – Do you not eat meat because you don’t like the idea of supporting the killing of an animal, or is it because you don’t like how the animals are treated?
Oscar – I choose not to eat meat because I don’t like killing animals, but I don’t use animal products because he doesn’t like how the animals are treated.
Luna – So does that mean you will eat free range meat or eggs?
Oscar - The term "free-range" has been badly misused in the food industry. Many people believe they are ensuring that the animals they are eating have lived a fulfilled life, when in fact their life is no different than any other farm animal. A product can be labeled as "cage-free" or "free-range" if the animal had access to the outside, no matter how unrealistic that access is for the animals. In most cases, the access is a tiny door to a tiny yard that the animals never use because their feed is located inside the barn. There are many ways that farmers get around using terms that make people feel more comfortable with their support for the farming industry. The only truly safe way to avoid supporting the factory farming industry is by avoiding eating animals at all.
Auguste – Well that can’t be right because farmers must treat their animals well so that they will produce good eggs and milk.
Oscar - Contrary to popular belief, animals are not raised on old-fashioned farms where they walk around on grassy fields, make babies when they are ready, and crow to wake up the farmers. Modern farms (commonly called factory farms) are made to process animals as quickly, cheaply, and efficiently as possible. Animals are never given medical care, are often genetically engineered, and are fed hormones, antibiotics, and medicine. They are not treated well, by any stretch of the imagination.
Luna – Well isn’t it ok to drink milk?
Auguste – Oh yeah, its good for cows to be milk.
Oscar – Not necessarily. Cows produce milk in the same way that human’s do- when they have a baby. In nature, the calf would drink his mother's milk and then she would no longer have a supply of milk. On factory farms, dairy cows are impregnated so they constantly have milk. They then have their calf taken away from them immediately after birth and are made into either veal cows (males) or future dairy cows (females.) Also, dairy cows are given growth hormones so that they produce much more milk than they would have in nature. Once they are no longer able to produce a large amount of milk they are slaughtered.
Luna – Oh my gosh, that’s awful!
Auguste – Well fine, but eggs are fine because hens naturally provide eggs.
Oscar - The egg laying hens go through some of the worst abuse of any factory-farmed animal. These hens are packed into cages with numerous other hens, and those cages are stacked several layers high. As the hens on the top defecate, the poop falls into the cages below. The hens are unable to stretch their wings or legs, and often develop severe bone disorders. When the chickens die, they are often left in the cages where the other hens trample them as they begin to grow around the wires. Of the eggs allowed to hatch, the females become laying hens. The males are useless, so they thrown into a trash heap where they suffocate or are crushed, or they are ground up alive.
Auguste – My sister told me something like that once. She’s a vegetarian, she only eats fish.
Oscar – Now that’s something that I’ve never really understood. Fish have brains and nervous systems just like other birds and mammals, so they can feel pain. Their mouths and tongues are used like mammals use their hands. Research also shows that fish have a sense of fear, showing bursts of adrenaline and breathing rates when they are threatened. I don’t think a true vegetarian can eat fish, and a vegan definitely cannot.
Luna – Oh my gosh, theres so much to think about. I don’t know what to believe anymore!
Auguste – Yeah, I’m not sure what to believe anymore. I don’t think I could go completely vegan, it would just be too hard. But maybe I’ll become vegetarian because I really don’t want to support the farming industry. The way that they treat the poor animals sounds terrible.
Oscar – Well I’m glad I could open your eyes to the reality of the farming industry.
Study Party and Vegan Chili
I'm in the middle of exams right now, but who said that studying for exams can't be fun? Tonight I'm having a large group of kids over for a "study and chili" party. Little do they know that this chili is cruelty-free!
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/8-1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 15-ounce cans beans (see note above), drained
3 green onion, sliced (for garnish)
Prepare the butternut squash (see discussion above), and set it aside. Heat a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat, and add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft, about 7-9 minutes. (You may add a little water to prevent sticking.) Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Add all the seasonings, and stir well to coat the vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes (and their juice), water, squash, salt, and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add the beans, and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Cover and cook until the squash is tender but not falling apart (about 40 minutes). Serve in bowls, garnished with green onions.
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/8-1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 15-ounce cans beans (see note above), drained
3 green onion, sliced (for garnish)
Prepare the butternut squash (see discussion above), and set it aside. Heat a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat, and add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft, about 7-9 minutes. (You may add a little water to prevent sticking.) Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Add all the seasonings, and stir well to coat the vegetables. Stir in the tomatoes (and their juice), water, squash, salt, and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
Add the beans, and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Cover and cook until the squash is tender but not falling apart (about 40 minutes). Serve in bowls, garnished with green onions.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
A letter to Stephen Harper
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister Harper:
I am writing to express my condemnation of the commercial seal hunt.
It was apparent that the Liberal Government held no regard for the welfare, or the very survival of the harp and hooded seals species, but I am hoping that the Conservatives will have a different approach.
I was horrified to learn of the 2001 report produced by an international team of veterinarians, which concludes that up to 42% of seals are skinned alive. It is deplorable that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans received this report, and still has refused to address the problem. Furthermore, I am aware that more than 660 thoroughly documented violations of the Canadian Criminal Code and Marine Mammal Regulations, including the skinning of live seals, have been submitted to the DFO - and that they have refused to lay a single charge in response.
It is absolutely unacceptable that the federal government of Canada has so deliberately and recklessly encouraged the decimation of a wildlife population that is beloved by people all over the world.
Recent polling clearly shows that close to 80% of Americans and Europeans oppose the seal hunt, with a substantial number willing to boycott Canadian products and tourism as a result. Certainly, your recent actions will guarantee a severe international backlash.
I demand that you act according to the will of the majority of Canadian people, 85% of whom believe that seals under a year of age should be protected from all hunting. End this cruel and unsustainable hunt for harp and hooded seals permanently.
Sincerely,
Kate Wallace
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister Harper:
I am writing to express my condemnation of the commercial seal hunt.
It was apparent that the Liberal Government held no regard for the welfare, or the very survival of the harp and hooded seals species, but I am hoping that the Conservatives will have a different approach.
I was horrified to learn of the 2001 report produced by an international team of veterinarians, which concludes that up to 42% of seals are skinned alive. It is deplorable that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans received this report, and still has refused to address the problem. Furthermore, I am aware that more than 660 thoroughly documented violations of the Canadian Criminal Code and Marine Mammal Regulations, including the skinning of live seals, have been submitted to the DFO - and that they have refused to lay a single charge in response.
It is absolutely unacceptable that the federal government of Canada has so deliberately and recklessly encouraged the decimation of a wildlife population that is beloved by people all over the world.
Recent polling clearly shows that close to 80% of Americans and Europeans oppose the seal hunt, with a substantial number willing to boycott Canadian products and tourism as a result. Certainly, your recent actions will guarantee a severe international backlash.
I demand that you act according to the will of the majority of Canadian people, 85% of whom believe that seals under a year of age should be protected from all hunting. End this cruel and unsustainable hunt for harp and hooded seals permanently.
Sincerely,
Kate Wallace
Vegan Grocery List
1. Steel cut oats or oat bran
2. Flax seeds or flax meal
3. Dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, cherries, blueberries
4. Pears
5. Chickpeas
6. Vegetable Stock
7. Onions
8. Carrots
9. Lettuce
10. Olive oil
11. Garlic
12. Whole Wheat Bread
13. Balsamic Vinegar
14. Dijon Mustard
15. Tomatoes
16. Banana pepper
17. Fresh Basil
18. Pinto Beans
19. Bananas
20. High-fiber cereal (we like Nature's Path and Kashi brands)
21. Black Beans
22. Green Pepper
21. Red onion
22. Soy milk
23. Fresh spinach
24. Almonds
25. Mango
26. Crackers (tasty and healthy ones are Mary's Gone Crackers brand)
27. Nut-butter--just nuts crushed, not the kind with added ingredients (peanut or almond)
28. Whole Grain pasta
29. Tempeh
30. Kale
31. Lasagna Pasta
32. Firm or Extra-Firm Tofu
33. Broccoli
34. Berries
35. Whole wheat pita bread
36. Bulgur
37. Quinoa
38. Cannellini Beans
39. Green onions
40. Canteloupe
41. Fresh parsley
42. Fresh mint
43. Whole wheat spaghetti
44. Green lentils
45. Brown Rice
46. Butternut squash
47. Apples
48. Oranges
49. Sweet potatoes
50. Canned Tomatoes
*For me many of these have to be purchased gluten free, but for anyone who can eat gluten, regular VEGAN products will be fine.
2. Flax seeds or flax meal
3. Dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, cherries, blueberries
4. Pears
5. Chickpeas
6. Vegetable Stock
7. Onions
8. Carrots
9. Lettuce
10. Olive oil
11. Garlic
12. Whole Wheat Bread
13. Balsamic Vinegar
14. Dijon Mustard
15. Tomatoes
16. Banana pepper
17. Fresh Basil
18. Pinto Beans
19. Bananas
20. High-fiber cereal (we like Nature's Path and Kashi brands)
21. Black Beans
22. Green Pepper
21. Red onion
22. Soy milk
23. Fresh spinach
24. Almonds
25. Mango
26. Crackers (tasty and healthy ones are Mary's Gone Crackers brand)
27. Nut-butter--just nuts crushed, not the kind with added ingredients (peanut or almond)
28. Whole Grain pasta
29. Tempeh
30. Kale
31. Lasagna Pasta
32. Firm or Extra-Firm Tofu
33. Broccoli
34. Berries
35. Whole wheat pita bread
36. Bulgur
37. Quinoa
38. Cannellini Beans
39. Green onions
40. Canteloupe
41. Fresh parsley
42. Fresh mint
43. Whole wheat spaghetti
44. Green lentils
45. Brown Rice
46. Butternut squash
47. Apples
48. Oranges
49. Sweet potatoes
50. Canned Tomatoes
*For me many of these have to be purchased gluten free, but for anyone who can eat gluten, regular VEGAN products will be fine.
Scenes from a Seal Hunt
* The use of 22 caliber rifles to shoot seals has been outlawed for humane reasons - the guns are not powerful enough to kill seals quickly.
* When mothers are killed and their newborn pups abandoned on the ice, there is no chance of survival for the pup. In every case, the baby seal would have starved to death slowly.
"Prior to March 8/98 most females were killed with the pup inside them. I seen seven pups threw over the side after the female was pelted. I took two out myself. Me and another sealer even agreed that this was shocking and there should be another way to hunt seals. We were in the whelping on March 10/98 because I observed that eight of tens pans of ice had young pups with the after birth and other debris from the birth on the ice. There was once I can remember the young seal watching his parents being hoist aboard. He watched the boat as we steamed away. The pups were not killed but left by themselves on the ice." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 10/98
"I did see some mother seals killed and the pup fall out on deck still alive. (Deleted) told me to throw it overboard and I did. It crawled up on a pan of ice. The mother was full of milk, the milk ran out on deck when the pup fell out." Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 24/98
"I was present when female Hood seals were pelted and did see pups fall out of the female on deck. I seen this happen twice and know that it happened eight to ten times during the first trip. I knew this happened because of conversations with the crew. The two pups that I saw on deck were alive. The pups were threw over board and on one occasion I did see one of these pups swimming in the water. I don't know what happened to the pups." Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 3/98, 15:33 hrs
"I seen a female being pelted and the pup came out of her when they cut her open, the pup was dead. This seal was killed for a while. This was on the day we got one hundred and seventy. Someone passed the comment, 'If Green peace were only here to see this.'" Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 22/98, 15:15 hrs
"We did take female Hoods and leave the pups on the ice. I was on deck when a pup fell out of a female Hood seals and I pelted the seal along with two other crewmembers. I can't recall who they were. The pup was alive when it fell out. I killed the pup and threw it over the side." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 6/98, 3:51 pm
"We were hunting for adult seals and on several times we took the old seals and left the pups on the ice. The Hood seals pupped while we were out there hunting. We did take seals before they had pups on one occasion. I did see a pup fall out on deck while the female was being pelted. This pup was alive and it was threw overboard. The pup was alive and swimming in the water. The pup crawled up on the ice." Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 6/98, 11:11 AM
"My job was pelting seals and using the gun. I was present when the female Hood was being pelted and young pup fell out of her onto the deck, This happened eight or ten times. There were lots of comments made for example, 'If we only had a video camera we would make a fortune' and 'We should never be allowed out killing them'"
"There were lots of times that the male and female were killed and taken on board and the pup left on the ice, sometimes the pup had blood on it as it was just born. We had approximately five hundred and fifty seals for the trip, approximately four hundred were hood seals of which at least one hundred and fifty were females."
"The seals were always in a net bag in the speed boat, when they were hoist on board there were numerous 22 caliber rifle casings among the seals. They were often kicking around the deck of the longliner, I seen the observer Rex Hodder pick them up and throw them over aboard. He had to know that the 22 guns were being used. They even make a different sound to the heavier gun. There was an effort to hide these guns from Rex Hodder. They were passed down through the vents in the engine room. They were kept in cases while in the two speed boats. We landed something over three thousand seals fro the trip. We got in somewhere around the 21st of April, 1998. I don't think that the 22 caliber rifle is powerful enough to kill even a beater seal. I often seen seals alive after we hoist the seals them out of the speed boats. We would finish them off with a hakapik." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 24/98, 19:40 hrs
"All the females we took, the pups were left on the ice. The pup was left on the ice after the female was killed and taken on board." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 14/98
"Sometimes he told me to kill the make and female and sometimes to kill the male only. The pup was always left. It seemed he told me to kill everything when seals were scarce. Sometimes the seals were not that old because there was blood where they were born."
"At the end of the day everyone would lend a hand pelting seals. There were two or three cut out of the female while she was being pelted, they were killed and threw over aboard. There was a lot of talk as to weather this was right or a good thing to be doing. Everyone was aware of it."
"The best day we done, we took approximately one hundred and eighty. We wee taking make and females that day and this was towards the end of the trip. There were a lot of pups around and they were all left on the ice. The following day we killed some females that were accompanied by the male and pup."
"The four of us were present when the pups were cut out of the female, (deleted) were aware of this also. We had approximately eight hundred seals for the trip and about one quarter or better would be females." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 10/98, 19:15 hrs
"During the second trip we left fifteen or twenty pups alone after taking the family. There were mistakes made by killing pregnant female hoods, this happened approximately six times but they never came out on deck. I am an experienced sealer so I knew they were pregnant. We were not saving the meat so the pup went over aboard with the carcass." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, August 11/98, 16:50 hrs
"There were a few occasions when we took the make and female Hood seals and left the pup on the ice. I observed on two occasions for the trip pups falling out of the female while being pelted on deck. The two pups I observed were alive and were thrown over the side. I seen these pups crawl up on the ice after we threw them over aboard."
"I probably killed three to four hundred seals with the 22 caliber rifle…There was conversations between the skipper and myself and the crew to make an effort to hide the 22 rifles from the observer." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 29/98, 10:45 hrs
"After the females were pelted and pups fell out onto the deck the pups were thrown over the side. I did see a couple move around in the water behind the boat. They appeared to be alive and swimming. We watched a seal that came out of the old one on deck try to get up on a pan of ice. It did not get up to my knowledge. This did bother me to see seals flapping around in the water and trying to get up on the ice." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 28/98, 16:30 hrs
* When mothers are killed and their newborn pups abandoned on the ice, there is no chance of survival for the pup. In every case, the baby seal would have starved to death slowly.
"Prior to March 8/98 most females were killed with the pup inside them. I seen seven pups threw over the side after the female was pelted. I took two out myself. Me and another sealer even agreed that this was shocking and there should be another way to hunt seals. We were in the whelping on March 10/98 because I observed that eight of tens pans of ice had young pups with the after birth and other debris from the birth on the ice. There was once I can remember the young seal watching his parents being hoist aboard. He watched the boat as we steamed away. The pups were not killed but left by themselves on the ice." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 10/98
"I did see some mother seals killed and the pup fall out on deck still alive. (Deleted) told me to throw it overboard and I did. It crawled up on a pan of ice. The mother was full of milk, the milk ran out on deck when the pup fell out." Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 24/98
"I was present when female Hood seals were pelted and did see pups fall out of the female on deck. I seen this happen twice and know that it happened eight to ten times during the first trip. I knew this happened because of conversations with the crew. The two pups that I saw on deck were alive. The pups were threw over board and on one occasion I did see one of these pups swimming in the water. I don't know what happened to the pups." Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 3/98, 15:33 hrs
"I seen a female being pelted and the pup came out of her when they cut her open, the pup was dead. This seal was killed for a while. This was on the day we got one hundred and seventy. Someone passed the comment, 'If Green peace were only here to see this.'" Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 22/98, 15:15 hrs
"We did take female Hoods and leave the pups on the ice. I was on deck when a pup fell out of a female Hood seals and I pelted the seal along with two other crewmembers. I can't recall who they were. The pup was alive when it fell out. I killed the pup and threw it over the side." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 6/98, 3:51 pm
"We were hunting for adult seals and on several times we took the old seals and left the pups on the ice. The Hood seals pupped while we were out there hunting. We did take seals before they had pups on one occasion. I did see a pup fall out on deck while the female was being pelted. This pup was alive and it was threw overboard. The pup was alive and swimming in the water. The pup crawled up on the ice." Sealer's statement, taken by Cyril Furlong, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 6/98, 11:11 AM
"My job was pelting seals and using the gun. I was present when the female Hood was being pelted and young pup fell out of her onto the deck, This happened eight or ten times. There were lots of comments made for example, 'If we only had a video camera we would make a fortune' and 'We should never be allowed out killing them'"
"There were lots of times that the male and female were killed and taken on board and the pup left on the ice, sometimes the pup had blood on it as it was just born. We had approximately five hundred and fifty seals for the trip, approximately four hundred were hood seals of which at least one hundred and fifty were females."
"The seals were always in a net bag in the speed boat, when they were hoist on board there were numerous 22 caliber rifle casings among the seals. They were often kicking around the deck of the longliner, I seen the observer Rex Hodder pick them up and throw them over aboard. He had to know that the 22 guns were being used. They even make a different sound to the heavier gun. There was an effort to hide these guns from Rex Hodder. They were passed down through the vents in the engine room. They were kept in cases while in the two speed boats. We landed something over three thousand seals fro the trip. We got in somewhere around the 21st of April, 1998. I don't think that the 22 caliber rifle is powerful enough to kill even a beater seal. I often seen seals alive after we hoist the seals them out of the speed boats. We would finish them off with a hakapik." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 24/98, 19:40 hrs
"All the females we took, the pups were left on the ice. The pup was left on the ice after the female was killed and taken on board." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 14/98
"Sometimes he told me to kill the make and female and sometimes to kill the male only. The pup was always left. It seemed he told me to kill everything when seals were scarce. Sometimes the seals were not that old because there was blood where they were born."
"At the end of the day everyone would lend a hand pelting seals. There were two or three cut out of the female while she was being pelted, they were killed and threw over aboard. There was a lot of talk as to weather this was right or a good thing to be doing. Everyone was aware of it."
"The best day we done, we took approximately one hundred and eighty. We wee taking make and females that day and this was towards the end of the trip. There were a lot of pups around and they were all left on the ice. The following day we killed some females that were accompanied by the male and pup."
"The four of us were present when the pups were cut out of the female, (deleted) were aware of this also. We had approximately eight hundred seals for the trip and about one quarter or better would be females." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, July 10/98, 19:15 hrs
"During the second trip we left fifteen or twenty pups alone after taking the family. There were mistakes made by killing pregnant female hoods, this happened approximately six times but they never came out on deck. I am an experienced sealer so I knew they were pregnant. We were not saving the meat so the pup went over aboard with the carcass." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, August 11/98, 16:50 hrs
"There were a few occasions when we took the make and female Hood seals and left the pup on the ice. I observed on two occasions for the trip pups falling out of the female while being pelted on deck. The two pups I observed were alive and were thrown over the side. I seen these pups crawl up on the ice after we threw them over aboard."
"I probably killed three to four hundred seals with the 22 caliber rifle…There was conversations between the skipper and myself and the crew to make an effort to hide the 22 rifles from the observer." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 29/98, 10:45 hrs
"After the females were pelted and pups fell out onto the deck the pups were thrown over the side. I did see a couple move around in the water behind the boat. They appeared to be alive and swimming. We watched a seal that came out of the old one on deck try to get up on a pan of ice. It did not get up to my knowledge. This did bother me to see seals flapping around in the water and trying to get up on the ice." Sealer's statement, taken by Fergus Foley, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, June 28/98, 16:30 hrs
Warm Vegan Asparagus Soup on a Cold Winters Day!
Vegan Asparagus Soup
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, tough ends trimmed
3 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups onion, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
1 T. lemon juice
1 cup cold water
1 1/2 T. cornstarch or arrowroot
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
3 T. freshly chopped basil
1/2 t. sea salt
1/8 t. white pepper
1 cup soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
3 T. nutritional yeast flakes
Garnish: thin slices of lemon
Cut the tips off the asparagus, place them in a steamer basket, steam them for 2-3 minutes or until tender, and set aside. Thinly slice the stems diagonally, place them in a steamer basket, steam them for 4-5 minutes or until tender, and set aside. Measure the water left over from steaming the asparagus, add additional water to measure 7 cups, and place it in a large pot. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a blender or food processor, place the cold water and cornstarch, and blend well to combine. Strain the cooked vegetables from the broth, reserving the cooking liquid, transfer the cooked vegetables to the food processor, and return the cooking liquid to the pot. Add the fresh herbs to the cooking liquid and stir well to combine. Add half of the reserved steamed asparagus stems to the food processor and puree the mixture until smooth. To the pot containing the herbed cooking liquid, add the pureed mixture, reserved steamed tips and stems, and the remaining ingredients, and stir well to combine. Remove the pot from the heat and set the soup aside for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. Serve hot or cold and garnish individual servings with a thin slice of lemon.
Yield: 3 Quarts
My Recommendation: Try making half of this recipe, its huge! Or make a full batch, and freeze half of it.
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, tough ends trimmed
3 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups onion, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
1 T. lemon juice
1 cup cold water
1 1/2 T. cornstarch or arrowroot
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
3 T. freshly chopped basil
1/2 t. sea salt
1/8 t. white pepper
1 cup soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
3 T. nutritional yeast flakes
Garnish: thin slices of lemon
Cut the tips off the asparagus, place them in a steamer basket, steam them for 2-3 minutes or until tender, and set aside. Thinly slice the stems diagonally, place them in a steamer basket, steam them for 4-5 minutes or until tender, and set aside. Measure the water left over from steaming the asparagus, add additional water to measure 7 cups, and place it in a large pot. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a blender or food processor, place the cold water and cornstarch, and blend well to combine. Strain the cooked vegetables from the broth, reserving the cooking liquid, transfer the cooked vegetables to the food processor, and return the cooking liquid to the pot. Add the fresh herbs to the cooking liquid and stir well to combine. Add half of the reserved steamed asparagus stems to the food processor and puree the mixture until smooth. To the pot containing the herbed cooking liquid, add the pureed mixture, reserved steamed tips and stems, and the remaining ingredients, and stir well to combine. Remove the pot from the heat and set the soup aside for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. Serve hot or cold and garnish individual servings with a thin slice of lemon.
Yield: 3 Quarts
My Recommendation: Try making half of this recipe, its huge! Or make a full batch, and freeze half of it.
True or False? The Myths of the Canadian Seal Hunt Uncovered
Myth: People in favor of the Canadian seal hunt may argue that, although more than 365,000 seals are slaughtered, they are at least killed in a humane manner.
Truth: Over the past five years, the International Fund for Animal Welfare has submitted video evidence of more than 660 violations of the Marine Mammal Regulations - including the dragging of conscious seal pups across the ice with sharpened boat hooks, the stockpiling of dead and dying animals, beating and stomping seals, and skinning seals alive - to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. To date, not a single charge has been laid in response.
Myth: Some people may justify the seal hunt by saying that all Canadians are in favour, and that it is a part of Canadian history.
Truth: Living in teepees was a strong part of Canadian History too, but do we still do that? No, we don't. According to an Angus Reid Group poll released in September, 1997, 85% of Canadians oppose the killing of seal pups under a year old, 82% object to the trade in seal penises, and 75% oppose government subsidization of the hunt, including a majority of Newfoundlanders.
Myth: People often justify the seal hunt by saying that it is humane because only the old seals are killed, not the baby seals.
Truth: 85% of Canadians define a baby seal to be under one year of age. Today, more than 95% of the seals killed in the hunt are under 3 months of age. And while harp seals are protected until they shed their white coats (at about 12 days of age), one hundred sealers (including one third of the 1996 Executive and a former President of the Canadian Sealer's Association) have faced charges for illegally selling the skins of protected seal pups.
Myth: The most common argument in favour of the Canadian seal hunt is that it is important to the economy of Atlantic Canada.
Truth: It is estimated that the total value of the seal hunt to Atlantic Canada equals the annual revenues of one McDonald's outlet. According to the industry's own figures, commercial sealing only accounted for 0.06% of Newfounland's GDP in 1997.
And that, my friends, is the terrible reality of seal hunting. Not only doesCanada
Truth: Over the past five years, the International Fund for Animal Welfare has submitted video evidence of more than 660 violations of the Marine Mammal Regulations - including the dragging of conscious seal pups across the ice with sharpened boat hooks, the stockpiling of dead and dying animals, beating and stomping seals, and skinning seals alive - to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. To date, not a single charge has been laid in response.
Myth: Some people may justify the seal hunt by saying that all Canadians are in favour, and that it is a part of Canadian history.
Truth: Living in teepees was a strong part of Canadian History too, but do we still do that? No, we don't. According to an Angus Reid Group poll released in September, 1997, 85% of Canadians oppose the killing of seal pups under a year old, 82% object to the trade in seal penises, and 75% oppose government subsidization of the hunt, including a majority of Newfoundlanders.
Myth: People often justify the seal hunt by saying that it is humane because only the old seals are killed, not the baby seals.
Truth: 85% of Canadians define a baby seal to be under one year of age. Today, more than 95% of the seals killed in the hunt are under 3 months of age. And while harp seals are protected until they shed their white coats (at about 12 days of age), one hundred sealers (including one third of the 1996 Executive and a former President of the Canadian Sealer's Association) have faced charges for illegally selling the skins of protected seal pups.
Myth: The most common argument in favour of the Canadian seal hunt is that it is important to the economy of Atlantic Canada.
Truth: It is estimated that the total value of the seal hunt to Atlantic Canada equals the annual revenues of one McDonald's outlet. According to the industry's own figures, commercial sealing only accounted for 0.06% of Newfounland's GDP in 1997.
And that, my friends, is the terrible reality of seal hunting. Not only does
Celebrity: Alice Walker
"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men."Alice Walker
What are you wearing?
Every year, millions of animals are poisoned, blinded, and killed in cruel tests to evaluate the toxicity of consumer products and their ingredients. Rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and other innocent animals are forced to swallow or inhale huge quantities of a test substance or endure the pain of a chemical eating away at their sensitive eyes and skin . This is a list of all the companies that sell products that have been tested on animals, compliments of PETA.
- Arm & Hammer (Church & Dwight), P.O. Box 1625, Horsham, PA 19044-6625; 609-683-5900; 800-524-1328; www.armhammer.comwww.armhammer.com
- Bic Corporation, 500 Bic Dr., Milford, CT 06460; 203-783-2000;t www.bicworld.com
- Boyle-Midway (Reckitt Benckiser), 2 Wickman Rd., Toronto, ON M8Z 5M5 Canada; 416-255-2300
- Braun (Gillette Company), 400 Unicorn Park Dr., Woburn, MA 01801;t 800-272-8611; www.braun.comwww.braun.com
- Chesebrough-Ponds (Fabergé, Ponds, Vaseline), 800 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632; 800-743-8640; www.pondssquad.comwww.pondssquad.com
- Church & Dwight (Aim, Arm & Hammer, Arrid, Brillo, Close-up, Lady’s Choice, Mentadent, Nair, Pearl Drops), P.O. Box 1625, Horsham, PA 19044-6625; 609-683-5900; 800-524-1328; www.churchdwight.comwww.churchdwight.com
- Clairol (Aussie, Daily Defense, Herbal Essences, Infusium 23, Procter & Gamble), 1 Blachley Rd., Stamford, CT 06922; 800-252-4765; www.clairol.com
- Clorox (ArmorAll, Formula 409, Fresh Step, Glad, Liquid Plumber, Pine-Sol, Soft Scrub, S.O.S., Tilex), 1221 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612; 510-271-7000; 800-227-1860; www.clorox.comwww.clorox.com
- Colgate-Palmolive Co. (Ajax, Fab, Hills Pet Nutrition, Mennen, Palmolive, SoftSoap, Speed Stick), 300 Park Ave., New York, NY 10022; 212-310-2000; 800-221-4607; www.colgate.comwww.colgate.com
- Coty (Adidas, Davidoff, Glow, The Healing Garden, JOOP!, Jovan, Kenneth Cole, Lancaster, Marc Jacob, Rimmel, Stetson), 1325 Ave. of the Americas, 324th Fl., New York, NY 10019; 212-389-7000; www.coty.com
- Cover Girl (Procter & Gamble), One Procter & Gamble Plz., Cincinnati, OH 45202; 513-983-1100; 800-543-1745; www.covergirl.comwww.covergirl.com
- Del Laboratories (CornSilk, LaCross, Naturistics, New York Color, Sally Hansen), 178 EAB Plz., Uniondale, NY 11556; 516-844-2020; 800-952-5080; www.dellabs.comwww.dellabs.com
- Dial Corporation (Purex, Renuzit), 15101 N. Scottsdale Rd., Ste. 5028, Scottsdale, AZ 85254-2199; 800-528-0849; www.dialcorp.comwww.dialcorp.com
- Erno Laszlo, 3202 Queens Blvd., Long Island City, NY 11101; 718-729-4480; www.ernolaszlo.com
- Gillette Co. (Braun, Duracell), Prudential Tower Bldg., Boston, MA 02199;t 617-421-7000; 800-872-7202; www.gillette.comwww.gillette.com
- Helene Curtis Industries (Finesse, Salon Selectives, Thermasilk, Unilever), 800 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632; 800-621-2013; www.helenecurtis.comwww.helenecurtis.com
- Johnson & Johnson (Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, ROC), 1 Johnson & Johnson Plz., New Brunswick, NJ 08933; 732-524-0400; 800-526-3967; www.jnj.comwww.jnj.com
- Kimberly-Clark Corp. (Cottonelle, Huggies, Kleenex, Kotex, Pull-Ups, Scott Paper), P.O. Box 619100, Dallas, TX 75261-9100; 800-544-1847; www.kimberly-clark.com
- Lever Bros. (Unilever), 800 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632; 212-888-1260; 800-598-1223; www.unilever.com
- L’Oréal U.S.A. (Biotherm, Cacharel, Garnier, Giorgio Armani, Helena Rubinstein, Lancôme, Matrix Essentials, Maybelline, Ralph Lauren Fragrances, Redken, Soft Sheen, Vichy), 575 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10017; 212-818-1500; www.lorealcosmetics.comwww.lorealcosmetics.com
- Max Factor (Procter & Gamble), One Procter & Gamble Plz., Cincinnati, OH 45202; 513-983-1100; 800-543-1745; www.maxfactor.com
- Mead, 10 W. Second St., #1, Dayton, OH 45402; 937-495-6323; www.meadweb.comwww.meadweb.com
- Melaleuca, 3910 S. Yellowstone Hwy., Idaho Falls, ID 83402-6003; 208-522-0700; www.melaleuca.comwww.melaleuca.com
- Mennen Co. (Colgate-Palmolive), 191 E. Hanover Ave., Morristown, NJ 07960-3151; 973-631-9000; www.colgate.comwww.colgate.com
- Neoteric Cosmetics, 4880 Havana St., Denver, CO 80239-0019; 303-373-4860
- New Dana Perfumes, 470 Oakhill Rd., Crestwood Industrial Park, Mountaintop, PA 18707; 800-822-8547
- Noxell (Procter & Gamble), 11050 York Rd., Hunt Valley, MD 21030-2098; 410-785-7300; 800-572-3232; www.pg.comwww.pg.com
- Olay Co./Oil of Olay (Procter & Gamble), P.O. Box 599, Cincinnati, OH 45201; 800-543-1745; www.oilofolay.comwww.oilofolay.com
- Oral-B (Gillette Company), 600 Clipper Dr., Belmont, CA 94002-4119;t 415-598-5000; www.oralb.comwww.oralb.com
- Pantene (Procter & Gamble), One Procter & Gamble Plz., Cincinnati, OH 45202; 800-945-7768; www.pantene.comwww.pantene.com
- Pfizer (BenGay, Desitin, Listerine, Lubriderm, Plax, Visine), 235 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10017-5755; 212-573-2323; www.pfizer.comwww.pfizer.com
- Physique (Procter & Gamble), One Procter & Gamble Plz., Cincinnati, OH 45202; 800-214-8957; www.physique.com
- Playtex Products (Baby Magic, Banana Boat, Ogilvie), 300 Nyala Farms Rd., Westport, CT 06880; 203-341-4000; www.playtex.comwww.playtex.com
- Procter & Gamble Co. (Clairol, Cover Girl, Crest, Giorgio, Iams, Max Factor, Physique, Tide), One Procter & Gamble Plz., Cincinnati, OH 45202; 513-983-1100; 800-543-1745; www.pg.comwww.pg.com
- Reckitt Benckiser (Easy Off, Lysol, Mop & Glo, Old English, Resolve, Spray ’N Wash, Veet, Woolite), 1655 Valley Rd., Wayne, NJ 07474-0943; 973-633-3600; 800-232-9665; www.reckittbenckiser.comwww.reckittbenckiser.com
- Richardson-Vicks (Procter & Gamble), One Procter & Gamble Plz., Cincinnati, OH 45202; 513-983-1100; 800-543-1745; www.pg.com
- Sally Hansen (Del Laboratories), 178 EAB Plz., Uniondale, NY 11556; 800-645-9888; www.sallyhansen.comwww.sallyhansen.com
- Schering-Plough (Bain de Soleil, Coppertone, Dr. Scholl’s), 1 Giralda Farms, Madison, NJ 07940-1000; 201-822-7000; 800-842-4090; www.sch-plough.com
- S.C. Johnson (Drano, Edge, Fantastik, Glade, OFF!, Oust, Pledge, Scrubbing Bubbles, Shout, Skintimate, Windex, Ziploc), 1525 Howe St., Racine, WI 53403; 800-494-4855; www.scjohnson.comwww.scjohnson.com
- SoftSoap Enterprises (Colgate-Palmolive), 300 Park Ave., New York, NY 10022; 800-221-4607; www.colgate.com
- Suave (Unilever), 800 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632; 212-888-1260; 800-782-8301; www.suave.comwww.suave.com
- 3M (Post-It, Scotch), 3M Center, St. Paul, MN 55144-1000; 651-733-1110; 800-364-3577; www.3m.com
- Unilever (Axe, Calvin Klein, Dove, Helene Curtis, Lever Bros., Suave), 800 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632; 212-888-1260; 800-598-1223; www.unilever.com
Thursday, December 3, 2009
South African Farm Animals: A Documentary
In an internationally award-winning documentary aired in 2005, local television programme Carte Blanche and the HET revealed to the public exactly what animals in South Africa are forced to endure at the hands of humans.
To me, one of the most horrifying scenes was of half-dead horses being carted off for slaughter in the back of a truck. There were three layers of the beleaguered beasts. A layer of corpses at the bottom, a second layer of those too weak to stand and a third who had survived the ordeal, trampling the others. They were subject to further physical abuse by workers. “We constantly delude ourselves we are proudly South Africans, but we cannot even be proudly human in this type of treatment of animals. They’re as vulnerable as small children. But children have our instant outrage when they’re hurt or abused”.
I was appalled at the treatment of South African farm animals. Until I watched this movie, I had no idea it was this bad. This movie is inspiration to all of us to stand up for farm animals rights.
Celebrity Vegan: Mahatma Ghandi
‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated’.
- Ghandi
Celebrity Vegan: Alec Baldwin
With his new movie out, everyone is talking about Alec Baldwin. But did you know that he is a vegan? Now there is a reason to be talking.
"Every time we sit down to eat, we make a choice. Please choose vegetarianism. Do it for … animals. Do it for the environment, and do it for your health."
What has your food been through?
Where is your food coming from?
This is yet another reason why not to eat cafeteria food. Better yet, why not cut meat out of your diet all together?
Food for Thought (no pun intended).
Here are some facts for you to think about as your eating dinner tonight.
At the beginning of this year, the Ward Egg Ranch in California killed approximately 30,000 of its hens that were no longer productive by throwing them into wood chippers.
When Cypress Foods began experiencing financial difficulties at the beginning of last year, the company did not feed more than one million chickens on its farms in Florida and Georgia for more than two weeks. About 20,000 of the birds died, and more than 180,000 of them ended up being euthanized.
So-called "broiler chickens" are selectively bred and given growth hormones so the birds will have especially large thighs and breasts. These practices do create plumper chickens and thus maximize profits, but also make birds so heavy that their bones cannot support them.
Turkeys also are selectively bred and given growth hormones, and as a result often die before becoming 1 year old if they’re not slaughtered beforehand.
Severe overcrowding in pens often causes pigs, which are very intelligent and social creatures, to fight amongst themselves and in some cases kill each other.
To help ensure that pregnant sows will not be harmed, they usually are confined in gestation crates, which prevent them from not only turning around, but lying down comfortably.
Many cows never get out of the barns in which they’re kept.
Since few farms are adequately prepared for emergencies, many animals die during heat waves, natural disasters, power outages and so on.
Turkeys also are selectively bred and given growth hormones, and as a result often die before becoming 1 year old if they’re not slaughtered beforehand.
Severe overcrowding in pens often causes pigs, which are very intelligent and social creatures, to fight amongst themselves and in some cases kill each other.
To help ensure that pregnant sows will not be harmed, they usually are confined in gestation crates, which prevent them from not only turning around, but lying down comfortably.
Many cows never get out of the barns in which they’re kept.
Since few farms are adequately prepared for emergencies, many animals die during heat waves, natural disasters, power outages and so on.
Every time you bite into a piece of meat, you support animal cruelty.
The Age Old debate. Soy: Good or Bad?
After an extensive amount of research, I have made a conclusion about Soy Products. Many people believe that soy products are not good for you, however, I have found out that in the right quantity and with the right products, soy can actually be very good for ones health.
Choosing traditional and less processed forms of soy (such as tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame and even soy milk) over highly processed soy foods (such as soy cheeses, soy meats, and soy protein isolates) is likely to be a safer choice, as well. We all need our treats sometimes and the research does not support the conclusion that eating a little vegan soy cheese on your pizza is going to cause health problems, so go ahead and allow yourself some indulgences every now and then if you want to. Just don’t make soy cheese and soy sausage casserole the mainstay of your diet.
Fresh
Click here to view the rest of the menu: http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/
One of my goals was to get a group of my friends to go to a vegan restaurant. They are all highly opposed to being vegetarian, nevermind being vegan. So, I told them I found a great burger place. Which is true, Fresh has got the best vegetarian burgers around. At first they were a little mad that they were being forced to eat "bird food," but in the end they loved the food, and we are planning to go back next week. Success!
Here is a review for my favorite Vegan Restaurant, Fresh.
"Fresh - a name of a restaurant that's appropos to what they serve. Fresh entrees that's vegetarian and quite delicious. This is not your mom's vegetarian meals. Fresh serves up gourmet vegetarian dining experience out of wholesome ingredients & delicious, non-traditional recipes. The cuisine is influenced by the flavors and styles of many cultures around the world and the ambiance is relaxed. All the juices, dishes nd desserts are vegan, with dairy options throughout the menu. I like Fresh's extensive juice bar offering of mouthwatering vital fluids, energy elixirs, power shakes, super power shakes, lassis (mango one is a must-taste), fruit smoothies and vegetable cocktails."
Celebrity Vegan: Charlotte Ross
You know, we all oppose animal cruelty. But sometimes we forget that animals on farms suffer and feel pain like all other animals. They, too, deserve to be protected from harm and cruelty."
Apple Bake Recipe
This is my moms wonderful Apple Bake Recipe, with a few minor changes so that its animal cruelty-free!
Apple Bake
- 2 cups chopped apples
- 1/2 cup dry oatmeal
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1 t nutmeg
- 1/2 cup water OR apple juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F
Place ingredients in greased baking dish, cover with foil if the dish has no lid.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft and it's all steamy & brown.
Stop the Glue Traps!
"Horrified parents of students attending K-12 schools in Philadelphia recently contacted PETA upon learning that the School District of Philadelphia was reportedly using glue traps to kill mice in its buildings. We immediately alerted school officials to the extreme cruelty of these types of traps and asked that they remove the traps immediately and instead explore humane rodent-control methods. School officials responded saying that they have no intention of removing the traps. In the meantime, we are concerned that glue traps are currently being set out in various Philadelphia area schools!" When PETA emailed me with this terrible piece of information, I knew something had to be done. So what better way to encourage schools to get rid of their glue traps than writing a letter?
Recipients
Arlene C. Ackerman Ed.D.
Tomas Hanna
I was dismayed to learn that the School District of Philadelphia reportedly uses cruel glue traps to kill rodents in its buildings. Glue traps are one of the cruelest products on the market, causing immense and prolonged suffering to panicked, trapped animals who struggle desperately, tearing flesh, breaking bones, and becoming more entangled in the adhesive. Then they die--exhausted, terrified, and injured--from shock, dehydration, asphyxiation, or blood loss. Research indicates that death does not come quickly, taking more than 24 hours for some animals. And terrified, ensnared animals frequently lose control of their bodily functions, thereby contributing to the spread of disease in schools. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically warns against the use of these cruel devices, stating, 'We do not recommend using glue traps .... These traps can scare mice that are caught live and cause them to urinate. Since their urine may contain germs, this may increase your risk of being exposed to diseases.'
I respectfully urge you to join the many school districts--such as Princeton Regional Schools in New Jersey, Knox County Schools in Tennessee, and Virginia Beach Schools in Virginia--that have sworn off using these cruel devices. Please do the right thing and remove all glue traps from the district's buildings immediately.
Sincerely,
Kate Wallace
The Abelard Apetite Fiasco
My friends often joke that they are going to make me a t-shirt reading "I'm lactose intolerant. I'm allergic to Gluten. Oh yeah, and I'm a vegan. Have fun feeding me!" So when the Abelard Apetite (a very complex monthly bake sale) came around, I knew I would have to bring an appetizer that was vegan, gluten free, lactose free, peanut free, healthy, reflects Middle Eastern culture and tasted good. Hmmm... now what in the world fits that criteria? After trying a number of different recipes, I finally found the answer to my prayers.
Curried Chickpea Spread
From The Vegan Chef-makes a big batch!
2 - 15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, and drained
1/4 C. chickpea cooking liquid, water, or vegetable broth
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. freshly chopped cilantro
In a food processor, place the chickpeas, liquid, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt, and process until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer the curried chickpea spread to a bowl. Serve as a dip or spread for vegetables, crackers, pita crisps, or bread, or as a sandwich filling.
Yield: 4 Cups
Through this experience I learned that people with lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance and who are vegan are forced to pray to God with strange requests during school bake sales.
Celebrity Vegan: Alicia Silverstone
"Once people spend time with farm animals in a loving way ... a pig or cow or a little chicken or a turkey, they might find they relate with them the same way they relate with dogs and cats. People don't really think of them that way because they're on the plate. Why should they be food when other animals are pets? I would never eat my doggies."
Recipe for Buddha's Delight
Buddha's Delight with Tofu, Broccoli, and Water Chestnuts
Submitted by Courtney From Cooking Light
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (14-ounce) package water-packed extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
5 cups small broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch) diagonally sliced carrot
1/2 cup peeled, chopped broccoli stems
1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
1 (14-ounce) can whole baby corn, drained
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
4 cups hot cooked brown rice
Combine first 4 ingredients, tossing to coat; cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving marinade. Cook broccoli florets, carrot, and broccoli stems in boiling water 1 1/2 minutes; drain. Plunge into ice water. Drain.
Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and spray with cooking spray. Add tofu; stir-fry 5 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides. Stir in onions, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in broccoli mixture, snow peas, corn, and water chestnuts; stir-fry 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture, reserved marinade, and salt to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 1/2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve over rice.
Response from letter to Breast Cancer Charities
This is a letter I received in response to my letter to breast cancer charities.
Dear Kate,
the use of animals in research. We respect your viewpoint on this issue and
hope that the following information addresses your questions.
While Susan G. Komen for the Cure does not conduct research, it does fund
innovative and responsive research projects in leading institutions
worldwide. Komen for the Cure has a long history of funding groundbreaking
research to fulfill its promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever.
Komen funds scientific research as well as community breast health education
and outreach programs across the country through our 122 Affiliates in the
U.S. Our research portfolio addresses areas such as prevention, survivorship,
cancer cell biology, and cancer etiology.
Komen has strict controls to maintain the integrity of the grant application
and review process. Komen's Grant Program adheres to a peer-review process
that is recognized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). All research
funded by Komen's Grant Program is developed and conducted under the
direction of the primary investigator who is applying for the grant.
The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that any new
pharmaceutical compound be tested on at least two different animal models to
be considered for approval for use in humans. Therefore, some investigators
must conduct animal testing in order to comply with FDA regulations for drug
development. In order to be eligible for Komen research grant funding,
investigators must provide proof of pre-approval of study design and animal
care methods from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at
the institution where they will be conducting research. In accordance with
U.S. federal law, the IACUC may permit some investigators to use laboratory
animals, usually genetically bred mice, in their search to identify more
effective ways to prevent and treat breast cancer. Researchers are also
required to file an Investigator Assurance Statement to ensure all procedures
are in compliance with National Institute of Health and (NIH) and U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations.
We hope this answers your questions. We respect your viewpoint on this issue
and thank you for sharing your concerns.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Thompson, Vice President, Health Sciences
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
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