Just a quick memo to all of you getting ready to head back to school.
A great venue for leafleting is on your high school or college campus. On a big college campus there are almost always hundreds of kids wandering about, their minds clogged with calculus and Spanish lessons, who might welcome some literature that they actually wonʻt be tested on.
If any of you feel that you could spend just 15 minutes of your time--seriously, thatʻs all it takes, the leaflets practically disappear from your hands--please consider adopting a college, and it doesnʻt even have to be your own! If you feel funny leafleting with friends around, just head on over to a local college campus and try your hand at distributing great little booklets depicting the horrors of animal agriculture.
To order free literature for distribution, visit Vegan Outreach.
Tip: A good way to approach people when leafleting is to say, ʻInformation about animal abuse?ʻ.
Thanks for all you do to help the creatures of this world, both human and non.
Have a compassionate day!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Expectations Squish Soymilkʻs Hopes
Have you ever offered soymilk to a friend, or tasted it for the first time yourself? You or your friend are consoled that it really isnʻt that bad, and you really enjoy it with your breakfast cereal, your vegan cookies, or just on its own. Cautiously, you or your friend sniffs the glass, puts it to their lips, and takes a sip. They make a disgusted face. Why? Oh, the answer is simple...
...THEY EXPECTED IT TO TASTE JUST LIKE THE COWʻS MILK THEY ARE USED TO!!
Hello, do the words ʻsoymilkʻ and ʻcowʻs milkʻ sound the same to you? Because maybe my hearing is just bad, but they sure sound different to me. Donʻt ya think that should tell ya something about the two products? Oh how about just the fact that they ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Duh! And just because they donʻt taste the same doesnʻt mean that one is delicious and the other disgusting. Well, the cowʻs milk may start tasting disgusting to the educated after they learn what kind of pus and blood comes out of a cowʻs infected udders along with her milk.
And thatʻs another thing--itʻs her milk. At what point did the cow consent to giving the milk to us to drink? Hmm. Iʻm not aware of that ever happening.
Please think before you drink.
...THEY EXPECTED IT TO TASTE JUST LIKE THE COWʻS MILK THEY ARE USED TO!!
Hello, do the words ʻsoymilkʻ and ʻcowʻs milkʻ sound the same to you? Because maybe my hearing is just bad, but they sure sound different to me. Donʻt ya think that should tell ya something about the two products? Oh how about just the fact that they ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Duh! And just because they donʻt taste the same doesnʻt mean that one is delicious and the other disgusting. Well, the cowʻs milk may start tasting disgusting to the educated after they learn what kind of pus and blood comes out of a cowʻs infected udders along with her milk.
And thatʻs another thing--itʻs her milk. At what point did the cow consent to giving the milk to us to drink? Hmm. Iʻm not aware of that ever happening.
Please think before you drink.
Donʻt Kill Someone for their Cookie
Just had a thought -- well, I thought of a pretty accurate analogy for meat-eating. Listen --
You see someone who has a huge, gooey chocolate chip cookie. You want that cookie. So you kill the person who has the cookie, so you can take it from them.
Completely savage, right? Now you tell me how this is any different:
You see a cow with large muscles that you know would make a great, tender steak. You want that steak. So you kill the cow who has the muscle, so you can take it from him.
And that, my friends, is considered very acceptable. See something wrong with this??
Please think about what you are doing when you eat. More accurately, think about what you are paying someone to do for you so you can distance yourself from the situation and not have to face your victim.
Does hiring a hitman make a person any less responsible for the death of the victim? I think not.
You see someone who has a huge, gooey chocolate chip cookie. You want that cookie. So you kill the person who has the cookie, so you can take it from them.
Completely savage, right? Now you tell me how this is any different:
You see a cow with large muscles that you know would make a great, tender steak. You want that steak. So you kill the cow who has the muscle, so you can take it from him.
And that, my friends, is considered very acceptable. See something wrong with this??
Please think about what you are doing when you eat. More accurately, think about what you are paying someone to do for you so you can distance yourself from the situation and not have to face your victim.
Does hiring a hitman make a person any less responsible for the death of the victim? I think not.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Why Wool is Bad News
Many times when people think about veganism, they only think about food. True vegans do not use animal products of any kind, and thus leather, wool, fur, silk, and down are all out. Sheep are often factory farmed for their wool coats. Here is an excerpt from PETA's website:
What’s Wrong With Wool?
Shearing sheep involves more than just a haircut. Sheep need the wool that they naturally produce to protect themselves from temperature extremes.
Because shearers are usually paid by volume rather than by the hour, they often work too fast and disregard the animals’ welfare. Sheep are routinely punched, kicked, and cut during the shearing process.
Much of the world’s wool comes from Australia and New Zealand, where almost 140 million sheep each year undergo a gruesome procedure called mulesing, in which shears are used to slice dinner-plate-sized chunks of skin off the backsides of live animals without anesthetics.
Millions of sheep raised for wool in Australia and New Zealand are shipped to the Middle East for slaughter. These animals are placed on overcrowded, disease-ridden ships with little access to food or water for weeks or even months. During their grueling journeys, they suffer through weather extremes, and temperatures on the ships can exceed 100°F. Many fall ill when they become stuck in feces and are unable to move, and many others are smothered or trampled to death by other sheep.
Intensive sheep farming, especially in Australia, is responsible for the degradation of natural waterways and land habitats and for the emission of greenhouse gases, such as methane, into the atmosphere.
When you buy wool products, it is likely that you are buying wool from sheep who were raised in Australia or New Zealand, and since most wool is routed through China or Italy for processing, product labeling rarely indicates where the wool originated.
Visit SaveTheSheep.com for more information on the wool industry.
And please, take the pledge to 'Go Faux for Fall', avoiding all fashion that does not show compassion.
What’s Wrong With Wool?
Shearing sheep involves more than just a haircut. Sheep need the wool that they naturally produce to protect themselves from temperature extremes.
Because shearers are usually paid by volume rather than by the hour, they often work too fast and disregard the animals’ welfare. Sheep are routinely punched, kicked, and cut during the shearing process.
Much of the world’s wool comes from Australia and New Zealand, where almost 140 million sheep each year undergo a gruesome procedure called mulesing, in which shears are used to slice dinner-plate-sized chunks of skin off the backsides of live animals without anesthetics.
Millions of sheep raised for wool in Australia and New Zealand are shipped to the Middle East for slaughter. These animals are placed on overcrowded, disease-ridden ships with little access to food or water for weeks or even months. During their grueling journeys, they suffer through weather extremes, and temperatures on the ships can exceed 100°F. Many fall ill when they become stuck in feces and are unable to move, and many others are smothered or trampled to death by other sheep.
Intensive sheep farming, especially in Australia, is responsible for the degradation of natural waterways and land habitats and for the emission of greenhouse gases, such as methane, into the atmosphere.
When you buy wool products, it is likely that you are buying wool from sheep who were raised in Australia or New Zealand, and since most wool is routed through China or Italy for processing, product labeling rarely indicates where the wool originated.
Visit SaveTheSheep.com for more information on the wool industry.
And please, take the pledge to 'Go Faux for Fall', avoiding all fashion that does not show compassion.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
'But we need animal products for the vitamins and minerals they contain'
NOT!
Many people think animal products are necessary for obtaining several different vitamins and minerals that are essential for human health. They are under a misconception -- one that the meat, dairy, and egg industries are not about to soon clear up.
People need to drink cow's milk for calcium, right? Nope.
Oh but iron is only found in meat. Actually, no.
Plants don't have B12, so we for sure need animal products. Not at all true.
Protein! What about the precious nutrient that I obsess over and count grams in my sleep?! Plants can cover that too.
Calcium is a mineral. Minerals come from the ground. Therefore, cows get their calcium from the ground in the foods they eat--which, as a matter of fact, are plants--and SO CAN WE. Collard greens, broccoli, sesame seeds, almonds -- all have a healthy amount of calcium. Adult cows don't drink milk or eat any animal products, and they still get their calcium.
Iron is abundant in spinach, and, by the way, multivitamins. Never fear an iron definciency if you just take your daily multivitamin.
B12 does not form in animals or their secretions. B12 forms on bacteria. Yes, bacteria. And where does one find bacteria? Dead animals sounds rather appetizing to a few million bacterial colonies. A B-vitamin supplement sounds rather tasty right about now, doesn't it?
Protein -- the nutrient worshipped in America like some pagan idol. Please realize that your body only needs 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and more than that can cause bones to lose calcium, thus putting the protein-worshipper at a greater risk for osteoporosis.
So realize that you can turn to the Earth for the essential nutrients. And if you don't feel like eating your veggies for vitamins/minerals, a good ol' daily multivitamin has got you covered.
Many people think animal products are necessary for obtaining several different vitamins and minerals that are essential for human health. They are under a misconception -- one that the meat, dairy, and egg industries are not about to soon clear up.
People need to drink cow's milk for calcium, right? Nope.
Oh but iron is only found in meat. Actually, no.
Plants don't have B12, so we for sure need animal products. Not at all true.
Protein! What about the precious nutrient that I obsess over and count grams in my sleep?! Plants can cover that too.
Calcium is a mineral. Minerals come from the ground. Therefore, cows get their calcium from the ground in the foods they eat--which, as a matter of fact, are plants--and SO CAN WE. Collard greens, broccoli, sesame seeds, almonds -- all have a healthy amount of calcium. Adult cows don't drink milk or eat any animal products, and they still get their calcium.
Iron is abundant in spinach, and, by the way, multivitamins. Never fear an iron definciency if you just take your daily multivitamin.
B12 does not form in animals or their secretions. B12 forms on bacteria. Yes, bacteria. And where does one find bacteria? Dead animals sounds rather appetizing to a few million bacterial colonies. A B-vitamin supplement sounds rather tasty right about now, doesn't it?
Protein -- the nutrient worshipped in America like some pagan idol. Please realize that your body only needs 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and more than that can cause bones to lose calcium, thus putting the protein-worshipper at a greater risk for osteoporosis.
So realize that you can turn to the Earth for the essential nutrients. And if you don't feel like eating your veggies for vitamins/minerals, a good ol' daily multivitamin has got you covered.
Laugh, Love, and Go Veg!
The gruesome photos of the reality of factory farming don't hit ya where it hurts? I can't believe that, but anyway, if you'd like to take a different approach to going veg, try humor. Yes, it is indeed a topic that you would not expect to be associated in any way with factory farming--and you're right, because there really is nothing at all funny about animal exploitation and suffering.
Where the humor lies is in the consumers. Ignorance is a word that comes to mind....
So if you'd like to experience a humorous, but compelling and true, list of reasons to go vegan, check out comedian Dan Piraro's website and laugh yourself towards compassion. Dan's syndicated cartoon, 'Bizarro', occasionally touches on animal issues in attempts to get the message through to the public that EXPLOITING ANIMALS FOR ANY HUMAN DESIRE IS WRONG. Check out his site and see some samples of his extremely funny cartoon!
Where the humor lies is in the consumers. Ignorance is a word that comes to mind....
So if you'd like to experience a humorous, but compelling and true, list of reasons to go vegan, check out comedian Dan Piraro's website and laugh yourself towards compassion. Dan's syndicated cartoon, 'Bizarro', occasionally touches on animal issues in attempts to get the message through to the public that EXPLOITING ANIMALS FOR ANY HUMAN DESIRE IS WRONG. Check out his site and see some samples of his extremely funny cartoon!
Be a 'Caring Consumer'
'An animal dies in a government-mandated toxicity test every two seconds in this country. There is a way to stop this, and you can help.'
Make sure you are buying products that are NOT tested on animals. Check out specific companies at CaringConsumer.com.
And please TAKE ACTION to stop animal testing!!
Thanks for all that you do to alleviate animal suffering, and have a compassionate day!
--Sarah
Make sure you are buying products that are NOT tested on animals. Check out specific companies at CaringConsumer.com.
And please TAKE ACTION to stop animal testing!!
Thanks for all that you do to alleviate animal suffering, and have a compassionate day!
--Sarah
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
'Meet Your Meat'
I basically have to insist that everyone who visits this page watches this video (about 10 min.) before they continue to take another bite of animal products. Please really think about what you see:
The Despicable Arguement 'We were meant to eat meat'
The answer, short but sweet.
Just because we have the ability to do something doesn't mean we have any right to.
Think about it.
Just because we have the ability to do something doesn't mean we have any right to.
Think about it.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
The 'Code'...cracked
Just a quick something for you to consider...
When an animal is dead, its 'muscle' and 'flesh' is called 'meat'.
When a pig is dead, it is called 'ham' or 'pork'.
When a cow is dead, it is called 'beef'.
When a chicken is dead, its 'leg' is called a 'drumstick'.
When a force-fed goose is dead, its 'liver' is called 'fois gras'--a 'delicacy'.
And when a turkey is dead, it is called 'Thanksgiving dinner'.
Let me tell ya, I'm guessing that the turkey isn't feeling very thankful.
People need to realize that everyone has the capability to see animals as they really are--living, feeling beings who experience emotions just as we do. In an attempt to turn their heads to this fact so that they can continue to eat and exploit animals for their convenience, people must first turn them into mere 'objects'. That is, I think, why all the above terms for animal products exist at all--How appetizing would it be if you when to a restaurant and on the menu you saw the terms 'chicken corpse', or 'ground cow buttocks', or 'pig flesh'--it doesn't sound like something anybody would order, now does it? Yet people eat those exact things every day.
Don't be brainwashed. Think about what it actually is that you are putting into your body.
When an animal is dead, its 'muscle' and 'flesh' is called 'meat'.
When a pig is dead, it is called 'ham' or 'pork'.
When a cow is dead, it is called 'beef'.
When a chicken is dead, its 'leg' is called a 'drumstick'.
When a force-fed goose is dead, its 'liver' is called 'fois gras'--a 'delicacy'.
And when a turkey is dead, it is called 'Thanksgiving dinner'.
Let me tell ya, I'm guessing that the turkey isn't feeling very thankful.
People need to realize that everyone has the capability to see animals as they really are--living, feeling beings who experience emotions just as we do. In an attempt to turn their heads to this fact so that they can continue to eat and exploit animals for their convenience, people must first turn them into mere 'objects'. That is, I think, why all the above terms for animal products exist at all--How appetizing would it be if you when to a restaurant and on the menu you saw the terms 'chicken corpse', or 'ground cow buttocks', or 'pig flesh'--it doesn't sound like something anybody would order, now does it? Yet people eat those exact things every day.
Don't be brainwashed. Think about what it actually is that you are putting into your body.
Friday, August 3, 2007
The Language of Prejudice
Do you ever consider how harmful language can be towards a certain group? Women, African-Americans, homosexuals, and animals?
Now pause for a sec. Think about it: what was your reaction when you saw 'animals' grouped above along with women, blacks, and homosexuals? Some (too many) people would be very offended to see women and blacks and gays grouped with animals. That right there shows how far we look down at animals as beings much less than ourselves. And even those who consider themselves ethical feminists, for example, may still be offended (or maybe be even more likely to be offended) at the concept of placing animals and women in the same list. Well to that I say ANIMALS DESERVE JUST AS MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT AS HUMANS, whether those humans are female or male, African-American or Hispanic or Asian or White, homosexual or bisexual or transexual or heterosexual.
And by saying that, I do not lower women, blacks, or homosexuals to the perception of animals as 'dirty' or 'beasts'; instead I raise animals to the perception of women, blacks, and homosexuals as equal and worthy of respect.
Now, think for a moment about the language we use daily, almost always without realizing the demeaning words we speak.
I ask you, please, think about the phrases you use, and try to eliminate the chauvinistic, racist, and SPECIESIST lingo from your personal word bank. Here are some phrases to consider -- think about the demeaning quality they have towards the animals, and please work to break the habit of including them in your vernacular:
'Bird brain'
'Flip the bird'
'Kill two birds with one stone' -- Do we have it out for birds or what?!
'Go ape"
'As blind as a bat'
'Loaded for bear' -- Think about this one in the context of hunting...evil!
'Have a bird'
'Have a cow'
'For the birds'
'Get the bird'
'Bullshit'
'Cock and bull story'
'To shoot the bull'
'Scardy cat'
'To kill the fatted calf'
'Chicken' -- implying afraid, cowardly
'Chicken out'
'Brush colt' -- an illegitimate child
'Eating crow' -- to take back your words
'My dogs are barking' -- your feet hurt (implying feet are like dogs)
'A dog's chance' -- very little chance
'Bird dog' -- someone's buttocks
'Ass' -- While actually a member of the horse family, frequently used as a derogatory term
'Crooked as a dog's hind leg' -- dishonest
'Dogged me' -- 'bothered me'
'Duck soup' -- easy
'Dead duck' -- certain to fail
'Sitting ducks' -- vulnerable
'Shooting fish in a barrel' -- too easy
'Got bigger fish to fry'
'Separate the sheep from the goats' -- again, why are goats bad? They never did anything wrong!
'Cook someone's goose'
'Be a hog' -- to take more than one's share
'Call hogs' -- snore
'Beating a dead horse'
'So hungry one could eat a horse'
'Like a lamb to the slaughter' -- without resistance
'Have a monkey on one's back'
'Make a monkey of' -- make someone look like a fool
'Drunk as a boiled owl' -- that's just gross
'Owly' -- cranky, negative
'Vain as a peacock'
'Fat as a pig'
'Pig out'
'Dirty rat' -- immoral person
'Smell a rat' -- think there's a traitor
'Black sheep' -- troublesome person
'Ugly as a toad'
'Turkey' -- something that fails, dud
'Weasel' -- a treacherous person
'Wolf' -- a grabbing, fiercefully cruel person or thing
'Like a chicken with its head cut off'
'No room to swing a cat' -- small space
'Scapegoat'
'Quit cold turkey'
'There's more than one way to skin a cat' -- Skinning cats, swinging cats...what's the matter with people!!
'Gets your goat' -- makes you mad
Now please, DON'T BE PREJUDICE, AND DON'T USE THESE TERMS -- they really imply that animals are less than us, which really isn't the case at all. All animals, both human and non-human, are feeling, emotional creatures and deserve utmost respect!
Now pause for a sec. Think about it: what was your reaction when you saw 'animals' grouped above along with women, blacks, and homosexuals? Some (too many) people would be very offended to see women and blacks and gays grouped with animals. That right there shows how far we look down at animals as beings much less than ourselves. And even those who consider themselves ethical feminists, for example, may still be offended (or maybe be even more likely to be offended) at the concept of placing animals and women in the same list. Well to that I say ANIMALS DESERVE JUST AS MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT AS HUMANS, whether those humans are female or male, African-American or Hispanic or Asian or White, homosexual or bisexual or transexual or heterosexual.
And by saying that, I do not lower women, blacks, or homosexuals to the perception of animals as 'dirty' or 'beasts'; instead I raise animals to the perception of women, blacks, and homosexuals as equal and worthy of respect.
Now, think for a moment about the language we use daily, almost always without realizing the demeaning words we speak.
I ask you, please, think about the phrases you use, and try to eliminate the chauvinistic, racist, and SPECIESIST lingo from your personal word bank. Here are some phrases to consider -- think about the demeaning quality they have towards the animals, and please work to break the habit of including them in your vernacular:
'Bird brain'
'Flip the bird'
'Kill two birds with one stone' -- Do we have it out for birds or what?!
'Go ape"
'As blind as a bat'
'Loaded for bear' -- Think about this one in the context of hunting...evil!
'Have a bird'
'Have a cow'
'For the birds'
'Get the bird'
'Bullshit'
'Cock and bull story'
'To shoot the bull'
'Scardy cat'
'To kill the fatted calf'
'Chicken' -- implying afraid, cowardly
'Chicken out'
'Brush colt' -- an illegitimate child
'Eating crow' -- to take back your words
'My dogs are barking' -- your feet hurt (implying feet are like dogs)
'A dog's chance' -- very little chance
'Bird dog' -- someone's buttocks
'Ass' -- While actually a member of the horse family, frequently used as a derogatory term
'Crooked as a dog's hind leg' -- dishonest
'Dogged me' -- 'bothered me'
'Duck soup' -- easy
'Dead duck' -- certain to fail
'Sitting ducks' -- vulnerable
'Shooting fish in a barrel' -- too easy
'Got bigger fish to fry'
'Separate the sheep from the goats' -- again, why are goats bad? They never did anything wrong!
'Cook someone's goose'
'Be a hog' -- to take more than one's share
'Call hogs' -- snore
'Beating a dead horse'
'So hungry one could eat a horse'
'Like a lamb to the slaughter' -- without resistance
'Have a monkey on one's back'
'Make a monkey of' -- make someone look like a fool
'Drunk as a boiled owl' -- that's just gross
'Owly' -- cranky, negative
'Vain as a peacock'
'Fat as a pig'
'Pig out'
'Dirty rat' -- immoral person
'Smell a rat' -- think there's a traitor
'Black sheep' -- troublesome person
'Ugly as a toad'
'Turkey' -- something that fails, dud
'Weasel' -- a treacherous person
'Wolf' -- a grabbing, fiercefully cruel person or thing
'Like a chicken with its head cut off'
'No room to swing a cat' -- small space
'Scapegoat'
'Quit cold turkey'
'There's more than one way to skin a cat' -- Skinning cats, swinging cats...what's the matter with people!!
'Gets your goat' -- makes you mad
Now please, DON'T BE PREJUDICE, AND DON'T USE THESE TERMS -- they really imply that animals are less than us, which really isn't the case at all. All animals, both human and non-human, are feeling, emotional creatures and deserve utmost respect!
Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating
Hey if anyone out there reading this is not yet vegan, go to Vegan Outreach and request the pamphlet 'Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating'. It's a great myth-debunker, recipe source, and nutrition advisor. After looking through this booklet, you'll realize that there is really no ethical reason to eat meat.
And while you're at it, try order several of Vegan Outreach's other leaflets and do some leafleting in your neighborhood!
And while you're at it, try order several of Vegan Outreach's other leaflets and do some leafleting in your neighborhood!
Calcium is a Mineral! So get it from the source (not cows)!
Great realization yesterday --
Sesame seeds (1/4 cup) has MORE CALCIUM than a cup of fortified soymilk and *shudder* cows milk. Plus protein and healthy fats.
Talk to Colleen from Compassionate Cooks and she'll remind you that calcium is a mineral, and minerals come from the ground. The only reason cow's milk has any calcium is because COWS EAT PLANTS which contain minerals! So instead of getting our calcium from cows and inflicting unnecessary and inhumane suffering upon those creatures for the pleasure of taste or in the name of 'health' (misconception!), go right to the source. Cows can get their calcium from the grounds, from the plants, and so can you!
Other good sources of calcium:
Tofu (set with calcium) -- 120 to 300 mg in 1/2 cup
Blackstrap molasses -- 187 mg in 1 TBSP.
Collard greens -- 178 mg in 1/2 cup cooked
Sesame seeds -- 176 mg in 2 TBSP.
Vegetarian baked beans -- 128 mg in 1 cup
Navy beans -- 128 mg in 1 cup
Broccoli -- 50 mg in 1/2 cup cooked
Almonds -- 50 mg in 2 TBSP.
Kale -- 47 mg in 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds (1/4 cup) has MORE CALCIUM than a cup of fortified soymilk and *shudder* cows milk. Plus protein and healthy fats.
Talk to Colleen from Compassionate Cooks and she'll remind you that calcium is a mineral, and minerals come from the ground. The only reason cow's milk has any calcium is because COWS EAT PLANTS which contain minerals! So instead of getting our calcium from cows and inflicting unnecessary and inhumane suffering upon those creatures for the pleasure of taste or in the name of 'health' (misconception!), go right to the source. Cows can get their calcium from the grounds, from the plants, and so can you!
Other good sources of calcium:
Tofu (set with calcium) -- 120 to 300 mg in 1/2 cup
Blackstrap molasses -- 187 mg in 1 TBSP.
Collard greens -- 178 mg in 1/2 cup cooked
Sesame seeds -- 176 mg in 2 TBSP.
Vegetarian baked beans -- 128 mg in 1 cup
Navy beans -- 128 mg in 1 cup
Broccoli -- 50 mg in 1/2 cup cooked
Almonds -- 50 mg in 2 TBSP.
Kale -- 47 mg in 1/2 cup
Leafleting
As many of you probably know, Vegan Outreach provides several colorful and VERY informative leaflets that you can order for free or with a small donation to VO. Great venues to pass out leaflets are county fairs, concerts, festivals, sporting events, etc. -- pretty much any high-traffic event. Sign up for VO's newsletter to get weekly activism updates!
House Votes to Protect Horses and Pets!
Hey, great news! I just got a notice from HSUS regarding the Agriculture Appropriations bill that has been in the House of Representatives. Horses and pets will rejoice, as I'm sure all of you will too! Here's the article:
- HOUSE APPROVES PROTECTIONS FOR HORSES AND PETS
The House of Representatives has approved an
amendment to its Agriculture Appropriations bill that will help
stop the practice of American horses being hauled to slaughter
plants for human consumption.
Read More...
It's the latest advance for us on animal issues in Congress.
Last week, the House approved an animal protection amendment to
the Farm Bill. This amendment would prohibit the use in research
of dogs and cats obtained from random source Class B dealers,
who may steal pets or fraudulently obtain them through "free to
good home" ads. It would also ban the use of live animals in
sales demonstrations of medical devices.
Read More...
Thanks to the actions of dedicated animal advocates like you,
we're making great progress for animals in this Congressional
session. We still have much work to do, but I know with your
continued support, we will realize even more victories for
animals this year.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Unlikely Victims of Dog Fighting
Usually people think of the poor pit bulls used in dog fighting when they think of the dogs abused in dog fighting. But what people don't realize is that other animals are harmed as well. People's pet dogs and cats are snatched from their yards and used as 'bait' animals -- essentially, animals that the fighting dogs 'practice' on. Watch this video:
Podcasts
Just wanted to let everyone know that a great way to stay up to date on all the vegan news -- aside from visiting my blog, of course -- is to visit iTunes and download some podcasts. Some good ones are VeganFreak Radio, VegCast, Food for Thought, and Vegan Radio. If you don't have iTunes, try visiting the websites for those podcasts and you can download them from there. Happy listening!
Definition of 'Vegan'
Okay, so I realized that there may be some of you who stumble across this site not having any idea what a vegan is! So I found this good definition from the Australian magazine so tastefully titled 'Vegan Voice' -- no, there is no affiliation. So anyway, here's the definition they provide:
Vegan [vee-gn]: Veganism denotes a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, nonhuman animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, nonhumans and the environment. Vegans avoid all animal produce: meat (including chicken and fish), eggs, animal milks, honey, and their derivatives.
Vegan [vee-gn]: Veganism denotes a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, nonhuman animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, nonhumans and the environment. Vegans avoid all animal produce: meat (including chicken and fish), eggs, animal milks, honey, and their derivatives.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Welcome to the Vegan Voice Blog!
Hey thanks tons for visiting the Vegan Voice blog! No, I'm not going to go all 'vegangelical' on you right away. I just want to first applaud you all for even CONSIDERING visiting a blog dedicated to the wonderful lifestyle of veganism. Even if you think you don't, it shows that you care. And really I think that everyone on this planet DOES care about animal suffering and cruel exploitation, but many are just not ready to admit it to one person--themselves.
So please admit to yourself that it is in your nature to care about other living beings! Compassion is our true nature, and to speak or behave otherwise is just going against who we truly are and what we are meant to do. And really the only reason you are doing so is because you enjoy that little 'safe haven' called denial. Please, I ask you stop shielding yourself from the truth, even if just for the time you visit this blog.
Okay, enough of me telling you about yourself.
I'm not going to pretend that I know you better than you do. I just want to help you consider things that you may never have considered before, or just never let yourself consider.
So please, read my blog with the mindset that maybe what you've been believing as true all your life has in fact been wrong. And even if you don't like what you read, please don't brush me off as some weird conspirator for the soy industry or something. Trust me--I'm against big buisiness of any kind.
Now that you're primed and ready to read on, be prepared to encounter some awesome recipes, funny stories, great articles, and random-ass rants, in addition to all the uncomfortable truths about factory farming and animal agriculture.
And remember, if you disagree with me, let me know! Post a comment (in that case, argument) about any of the postings I put on the site. And hey, it never hurts to tell me if you agree with something I say too! All comments, suggestions, arguements, questions and random messages can be posted as a comment or emailed to me at hawaiianwahine@wi.rr.com .
Have a compassionate day! With love,
Sarah
So please admit to yourself that it is in your nature to care about other living beings! Compassion is our true nature, and to speak or behave otherwise is just going against who we truly are and what we are meant to do. And really the only reason you are doing so is because you enjoy that little 'safe haven' called denial. Please, I ask you stop shielding yourself from the truth, even if just for the time you visit this blog.
Okay, enough of me telling you about yourself.
I'm not going to pretend that I know you better than you do. I just want to help you consider things that you may never have considered before, or just never let yourself consider.
So please, read my blog with the mindset that maybe what you've been believing as true all your life has in fact been wrong. And even if you don't like what you read, please don't brush me off as some weird conspirator for the soy industry or something. Trust me--I'm against big buisiness of any kind.
Now that you're primed and ready to read on, be prepared to encounter some awesome recipes, funny stories, great articles, and random-ass rants, in addition to all the uncomfortable truths about factory farming and animal agriculture.
And remember, if you disagree with me, let me know! Post a comment (in that case, argument) about any of the postings I put on the site. And hey, it never hurts to tell me if you agree with something I say too! All comments, suggestions, arguements, questions and random messages can be posted as a comment or emailed to me at hawaiianwahine@wi.rr.com .
Have a compassionate day! With love,
Sarah
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