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
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