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News and Updates
Mad Cow Back in North America
Before anyone thinks this will lead to an automatic advance for the animals,
we've already heard of people in the U.S. getting rid of their supply of beef,
and replacing it with pork and turkey. Given that pigs and poultry are much
smaller – and much more intensively farmed – this replacement of beef leads
to much more suffering.
Reports:
Michael Greger, M.D.
| DawnWatch
The Veg Networking section (scroll down) of the Resources
page will help you find contacts in a specific area.
"Jane Chardiet's epiphany about not eating flesh came at the tender age
of 2, when her grandmother took her to a Japanese restaurant and told her to
pick out one of the fish swimming in a glass tank. 'I started screaming and
crying,' the now 15-year-old recalls. 'I realized I was eating that fish and
I just couldn't handle it.'
"From that day forward, the Easton teen was reluctant to eat any animals,
except occasionally turkey or chicken. Later, at age 12, while attending an
all-ages punk show in New York, she decided to give up poultry, eggs, milk and
cheese after someone handed her a pamphlet titled Why Vegan? that detailed
the lives of modern farm animals."
"All Britons could be vegetarian by 2047 as 2,000 people a week stop eating
meat, a study claimed yesterday."
Feedback, Including 8th Continent
Over the weekend, I convinced my avowedly non-vegetarian
father-in-law to try 8th Continent soymilk (this was not easy, given that
he has disliked all other soymilks – including Silk – I've had him try in
the past). This time, he liked it and had it for breakfast!
AB, 5/25/03
8th Continent uses nutrasoy made by DuPont, the chemical,
animal testing giants. In trying to explain your rationale, you are losing
supporters including myself as of now.
ML, Willow Grove, PA, 5/21/03
I understand and respect your position. However, we are taking the position
that, based on our experience and that of friends and members around the
world, we believe will prevent the most suffering. It is rarely, if ever,
a clear choice, but we are doing the best we can.
-Matt Ball
I applaud you for coming out and standing up for your
perspectives. There is so much sufferring in this world; D3/D2, is not even
an issue. The issue is all that blood in the Denny’s BBQ commercial,
all that misery in the factory farms and slaughterhouses.
NS, Bonanza, OR, 5/23/03
I consider myself to be a vegan but I can live with
consuming vitamin d3 and/or the other minor points such as the sugar issues
etc. I think we are splitting hairs when we get that attached to minutiae.
The biggest concern for me is the well being of animals and many people I
speak to are curious about the vegan lifestyle, but raise their eyebrows in
disbelief if I go into d3, bone char sugar etc etc. I know how you attract
more bees...and it isn't with bone free sugar or vitamin d2.
JB, Canada, 5/22/03
I made the transition to vegan 3 months ago after watching
"Meet Your Meat." At first, I was completely overwhelmed with the
lifestyle change I was going to have to make. Then I read your entire website,
beginning to end, one Saturday afternoon. Your description of a "practical"
vegan enlightened me. I no longer felt scared, negative or oppressed by the
idea of becoming vegan. I felt, and still feel, inspired, motivated and dedicated.
Instead of embarking on a quest for purity, I have begun a personal journey
to improve the world I live in. My roommates were shocked when I told them
I had decided to become a vegan and had the typical response of "how
are you ever going to do that?" With the guidance of your website, I
have been able to shock them in an unexpected way! They have been amazed with
what relative ease I have made the transition. All three of them have made
vegan meals for our household to respect my choice. All by themselves! I know
there are more products I can avoid and I work on educating myself more every
week, but if not for your words of encouragement regarding the bottom line
of "why vegan," I do not know if I would still be following this
path. I'm sure you are aware, but I'll re-iterate that for everyone disappointed
in your website's lack of purity, there is a person who has been encouraged
to stop purchasing the "main offenders." I am one of those people.
Thank you so much for inspiring me.
JO, 5/22/03
I am continually impressed to read your position on
veganism. As an ethical vegan, I wholeheartedly agree that the effect we are
reaching towards is to alleviate suffering – not to be pure. As an animal
activist who does a lot of public education and outreach, I have learned as
much about animals and the food industry as I have about human psychology,
as most of us have. And I have to say it's really nice to see people's faces
soften when they, challenging me on my "impurity" or "imperfection,"
hear me say that it's not about being pure or perfect. I usually follow up
with my personal favorite quote (I wrote it – hee hee): "Don't do nothing
because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything." Thank you for
sharing your sound and realistic perspective.
CP, San Francisco, CA, 5/21/03
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