I Took The Red Pill
Some days, it dawns on me that I took the red pill. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to a scene in the movie, The Matrix. The Matrix is a sci fi/fantasy/action adventure movie starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Ann Moss that came out in 1999. The scene that I'm referring to has Laurence Fishburne's character, Morpheus, offering Keanu Reeve's character, Neo, a choice. Neo can either take the red pill and be awakened to the true nature of the world around him, or he can take the blue pill and continue to live in blissful ignorance.
Going vegan has been like that for me. As an omnivore, I was sheltered from the truth of how the food got to my plate. The closest I ever came to actually seeing the animal I was consuming was the whole fried catfish I had at a local restaurant or the turkey carcass we bought at Thanksgiving. But even then, I had no real idea what horrors these animals suffered before getting to my plate. Then I took the red pill, and now I can never go back.
I'm not the only one who's thought of this parallel. GRACE put together a parody of the Matrix, entitled the Meatrix, in which Moofius and Leo investigate the myth of the family farm and expose the truth about where your eggs, milk, and meat come from.
This is a great site to gently introduce the true nature of factory farming to anyone who is interested in learning more about the topic. It's animated so the the imagery gets the message across in a less graphic manner, which will be more palatable to most people. And I believe it still gets the point across. If you haven't seen it yet, here's a link to The Meatrix. There are parodies of all The Matrix sequels here as well.
– If you haven’t signed our petition to Oprah asking her to do a piece on factory farming, please consider doing so. We can all work together to make a difference.
Earthlings — A Discourse on Compassion
Jane and I became vegans primarily for our health, but as with many other decisions one makes in life, our reasons were varied. We were happy to be doing something that is better for the environment and pleased to do our part to reduce the need for factory farming, but our primary focus was our health.
Our primary reason, better health, hasn't changed. But over time, we've become more aware of the compassionate nature of our decision. As I've mentioned in the past, Jane does most of the food preparation in our home. In our meat-eating days, I'd occasionally come home to find her "grossed-out" about the carcass she was handling. Now, when we're grocery shopping, she'll say to me "I can't imagine eating a dead animal ever again."
Recently I came home to find her crying in front of the computer. I dropped my things and ran into the room to find out what was wrong. When Jane was able to compose herself, she told me she'd been watching Earthlings, a 2003 documentary on the relationship between animals and humans, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, with music by Moby.
The video is presented in a less militant manner than the usual animal rights material. Personally, I find this to be much more effective. Rather than putting people on the defensive, it presents the facts in rational, straightforward manner which encourages thought.
We all need to understand where our food comes from. We should all understand the impact of buying our pets instead of getting them at the pound or an animal rescue. We should all be made aware of just how that new medicine (which may just combat the disease brought on by your meat-laden diet) was developed. We need to understand the environmental impacts of our actions. We all have a right to choose how we live and to choose what we eat, but we should make our choices based on all the facts. Watch Earthlings in streaming video (or click here to download Earthlings-- also available in Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, German, Hebrew, English, Estonian, Greek, Italian, Swedish, Portuguese).
Another Reason Not to Eat Meat
Let me preface this article by saying that Jane and I became vegans for health reasons. Over the course of learning about the benefits of a vegan diet, we've read literature on factory farming. And, as with most people, the more we read, the more appalled we become.
Today, watching our local CBS news affiliate, we were very disturbed by a story that was aired on animal cruelty at the Hallmark Meat Packing Company, a slaughterhouse in Chino, California. The Humane Society surreptitiously recorded the abuse of sick and injured cows, behavior designed to get the cows to walk to the slaughterhouse.
Federal and California laws have prohibited the slaughter of "downer" cattle since 1989. The term "downer" is applied to those cows that cannot stand or walk. Cattle categorized as "downer" are not allowed to enter the human food supply. This is intended to prevent both animal cruelty and the consumption of meat from unhealthy animals. "Downer" cattle are at heightened risk for infections ranging from mad cow disease, to E. coli, to salmonella.
The meat processed at Hallmark is distributed by Westland Meat Co., also based in Chino, California. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Westland sold 27 million pounds of frozen meat last year to federal food and nutrition programs, including those that furnish meals to the poor and elderly across 36 states. Westland is also a major supplier of beef to the federal school lunch program.
The Humane Society is calling for quick action from our government to guarantee the most basic level of humane treatment for farm animals and to protect Americans from potentially dangerous food.
The two employees caught abusing cattle on the Humane Society video have been fired, and their supervisor suspended. The USDA is investigating potential violations of state and federal laws, and has indefinitely suspended Westland's participation in federal food and nutrition programs.
The video below is a segment of the footage that was shot by a Hallmark Meat Packing employee who was working undercover for the Humane Society in the fall of 2007. Warning: Do not watch the video below if you are at all squeamish.
This is just another one of the growing number of reasons why we don't eat meat these days.
For additional information on this video see:
- US Department of Agriculture-- Press Release
- Westland Meat Company -- Press Release
- CBS Evening News
- CNN
- Associated Press
Cloned Meat has been Approved by the FDA
The FDA approved the cloning of cattle, swine, and goats for human consumption on Tuesday.
"Extensive evaluation of the available data has not identified any subtle hazards that might indicate food-consumption risks in healthy clones of cattle, swine, or goats," the 968-page "final risk assessment" concluded.
"Thus, edible products from healthy clones that meet existing requirements for meat and milk in commerce pose no increased food consumption risk(s) relative to comparable products from sexually-derived animals."
But the FDA said it needs more information to determine the safety of meat and milk from cloned sheep. The FDA also concluded that food from newborn cattle clones "may pose some very limited human food consumption risk."
Europe's food safety agency has endorsed meat and milk products from cloned animals, however the decision on whether or not to allow the sale of these products to consumers is still pending.
Why would we need to clone animals for meat products? In essence, it is a high-tech method of selective breeding. By cloning only the most prized milk and beef producers, breeders can ensure higher-quality milk and meat products.
It isn't likely that you'll see cloned meat at the supermarket any time soon. It's too costly to slaughter these animals, instead they will be used for breeding stock. According to the experts, it will likely be three to five years before most consumers see milk and meat products from their offspring.
Of course, the issue of how these foods will be labeled is still up in the air. Will carnivorous consumers even be able to determine if the meat they are buying is indeed cloned?
I'm a vegan, so this issue won't impact my shopping experiences. But I can't help but wonder if anyone else is as nervous about this as I am. As wonderful as scientific advances can be, are we ready for this? Just look at how often the FDA approves a drug for use, only to have it recalled a few years later because of significant unanticipated consequences. Do we know enough? Just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should.
So today, I have another reason to be very happy that I'm vegan. And I wonder, if cloned meat actually hits the shelves, will that spur other people to become vegan as well?
Combat the Obesity Epidemic — Go Vegan
For the last few years, it seems that "the obesity epidemic" has been one of those hot topic issues. You read about it everywhere and hear about it on the news with some regularity. And now that it's January again, it seems like you hear something new every day. I guess it's not so surprising after all. If you do any research on the matter, obesity health-related issues are problems facing most developed and developing countries. According to the World Health Organization there are One BILLION overweight people in the world, and at least 300 million of these are clinically obese. Overweight is defined here as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25 and obesity is having a BMI over 30. Imagine that, 300 million clinically obese people... That's the equivalent of the entire population of the United States. (You can find a BMI Calculator here.)
The most effective way to combat obesity is to modify your diet and to begin an exercise regime. You know, common sense... eat fewer calories than you expend and you'll lose weight. But the global trend of wealthier and denser populations has lead to a change in the way we live. As humans, our diets are comprised of more refined foods, foods which are high in saturated fats, trans-fats, sugars, and over processed grains stripped of their nutrients. And food is omnipresent. There is food for purchase at almost any event you might attend, including plays on Broadway!
In addition to the dietary changes we have also experienced significant changes in the way we live over the last century. More and more labor saving devices allow us more leisure time, and more time to socialize - which is usually a food-centric event. It seems like home cooked meals are becoming a rarity. The computer, television, and electronic games have all but replaced the physical pursuits we used to participate in during our leisure time. Most of us spend our days behind a desk in front of a computer. All this adds up to a sedentary lifestyle, which coupled with the above mentioned dietary changes, has led to our ever expanding waistlines.
One of the ways to combat this problem is to shift to a vegan diet. Most doctors and health organizations recommend that people should increase their intake of fruits and vegetables while reducing their consumption of saturated fats. Saturated fats are primarily found in animal products (with the notable exception of coconut oil).
The major killers of Americans—heart disease, cancer, and stroke—have a dramatically lower incidence among people consuming primarily plant-based diets. Weight problems—a contributor to a host of health problems—can also be brought under control by following the New Four Food Group recommendations. -- The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Of course, being vegan doesn't guarantee that you will lose weight. If you eat nothing but potato chips or Soy Ice Cream, you'll most likely be eschewing animal product, but you won't lose weight. Generally vegan meals are less calorie dense than those centered around animal product. If you've been following this blog at all, you'll know that I've lost 20 pounds and my wife has lost 11 over a six month period. That may not sound like a lot if you're looking to lose 100 or so, but we haven't done anything else. We haven't stepped up our exercise; we haven't cut our consumption. We just changed what we were eating, for other reasons, and had this very nice byproduct. And we're not the only ones. Apparently, a veg*n diet will result in a 1 pound per week average weight loss, as reported in a study by Nutrition Reviews.
For further reading see:
- A New Food Guide for North American Vegetarians (pdf)
- Veganism: A Weapon to Fight The Obesity Epidemic -- John Livesey PhD, Scientific Officer, Department of Endocrinolog, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand
- Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
