Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
Friday, May 31, 2013
Little Luiz Antonio becomes a vegetarian right before our eyes.
Damn that made my eyes water. Must be a speck of dust or something.
I became a vegetarian as a child among carnivores. When I learned about what meat really was I also discovered that it wasn't necessary for human beings to sink to those depths (that was my opinion as a child lol).
That was in the 'sixties, when vegetarians were viewed as weirdoes. Grown-ups would be thinking to themselves 'what a strange child', instead of thinking it was good that there was at least one child in the neighborhood who ate up all her veggies.
Nowadays it's cool to be a vegetarian - and nobody ever offers me a (hated) omelette instead.
Elstun posted on FB that the shit is about to hit the fan in Alaska. He's a reliable source. Oil, PFD funds all of it, any of it that was put in front of them. Fort Greely? Perhaps the DOJ can step in and help those of us who need to get some justice from the corrupt courts and much more.
I'm also vegetarian/vegan and I notice how it's the adults who convince children that they should eat meat, or just that that's what we do; most kids really do have it figured out.
I don't want to provoke anything but I'm going to weigh in here.
I did go vegetarian for a few years.
I eat meat.
But I am very particular about it. I won't discuss that.
But I will say that no matter what we are eating, we need to be a lot more respectful of the process and the result. We need to stop mindlessly buying crap in the stores that vaguely resembles food.
Grow your own. Get dirty. Appreciate the time, patience and effort. Buy local. Stuff that still has the roots attached and maybe some dirt. It tastes better. Even lettuce has a taste when you grow it yourself. Start shopping the local farmer's market instead of the local big chain grocery.
Yes, I eat meat. But I appreciate where it comes from even if I do not grow it myself.
This is my prayer:
Prayer After Eating by Wendell Berry
I have taken in the light that quickened eye and leaf. May my brain be bright with praise of what I eat, in the brief blaze of motion and of thought.
Agree. I have a garden I share with a coworker. I bake from scratch. I but local. I've read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I try to buy meats from organic feed, free range farms. I do abhor how animals are treated to feed the populace. I have venver tried to be a vegetarian. My husband was and he was scary skinny. Maybe he wasn't doing it right.
I found it difficult to eat very balanced and get all my nutrition. It was a lot of work. And I missed some things.
I tried vegetarian for health, not for other reasons, and it just didn't work for me.
I buy my beef from a small ranch in Wyoming. They are raised by Shreve Stockton (The Daily Coyote) and are treated humanely, grass fed and grass finished. She even trailer trains them so they are not stressed when taken to the processing plant. They are taken in one at a time. The staff there also treat the cows humanely and with respect.
I understand that death is a part of life and that in order for me to live, something has to die, be it an animal, plant, bird or fish.
The best thing I can do is make sure that I respect the life that was sacrificed for me and remember it. I can also make sure that it was treated with dignity and respect for it's time on earth. It might cost more, but I can make sure that I source my food from people who feel the same as I do.
Eventually I hope to have chickens for eggs. But when they stop laying, I will not eat them. They will simply live out their lives as pets.
Our city recently revised the zoning laws so I can also have a pair of pygmy goats. If I ever decide to get some for milk to make cheese, they will also live out their lives as pets.
I will also be joining a local CSA when my work situation stabilizes. Farmers don't abuse their stock. It's the large, impersonal CAFOs that become insensitive and abusive as a by product of the large scale and focus on profit. They see the animals as things, objects that represent money, not as living beings. And so they don't really care. This leads to some torturing or abusing the animals for their own pleasure or to release their own anger redirected from some other situation. I don't want to be a part of that and so my food choices have narrowed and in some cases have become more expensive.
But Americans don't need to eat meat three times a day seven days a week. We could all use more vegetables and legumes in our diets. So meat becomes something special we have on occasion. In that way it can be valued and respected.
Spoken from the mouth of babes. We are not carnivores. We are not even omnivores, contrary to misguided belief. We are insectivores AT BEST. If you compare our eating 'tools' and digestive systems to that of a dog (actual omnivore) or a cat (obligate carnivore) it is CRYSTAL CLEAR that not only are we meant to not eat animals, our bodies react violently to it--which is why cancer and heart disease are killing the human population--divine retribution for the cruelty we inflict, using and abusing animals for our greedy and gluttonous indulgence. And yes, we do absolutey torture animals for our selfish self absorbed indulgence. And, no, we do not need this food, nor are we naturally designed to eat it. (I'd like to see even the biggest man jump on a cow, rip it to shreds and eat it right then and there with his bare hands--utterly impossible--whereas my cat or dog can do it no problem) There is a big karmic payback for the way humans treat their non-human counterparts--and it's starting with cancer and heart disease. We are better than this.
Books to find out more: The China Study, The Engine 2 Diet
Films to learn more: Earthlings http://earthlings.com/ free online
and Glass Walls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8xkSYvwJs
and lectures by Steve Best PhD http://www.drstevebest.org/
we are not also, as human adults, or even human children, meant to eat the milk of another speciies, cow milk. Human babies are designed to eat human milk. Why are human adults not sucking at the breast milk of human women, but at human cows? And the cows are utterly tortured to death to provide our cheese, milk, ice cream, etc.
None of this is opinion, it's fact.
And, finally, sure there is nutrition in animal flesh. But there is also nutrition in hay and bark, doesn't mean we need it or should it eat. And the proof is beyond the pale--eating tortured and murdered animals is killing off the human population, slowly but surely. It is NOT what we need for sustenance. And anyone who believes the bunk about Paleo or Primal diets--look at whos spouting those pseudo justifications--all people with NO academic credential in nutrition. they have no idea what they are talking about and the research proves them wrong.
I Absolutely abhor COOKED veggies. I have HUGE problems with consistency, and the texture of cooked veggies makes me gag.
That being said, I was a raw vegan for a few years.
My diet is still 50% raw, and I do eat meat. I eat chicken and fish, and I get my chicken from a local co-op, and I catch my own fish, and I dig my own clams.
Some people go thru vegetarian or vegan phases and get ill or get skinny (Hence the book Skinny Bitch about a vegan diet) or are hungry. What they tend to be missing in their vegan diets is BEANS. You must eat lots of them--beans everyday. But this is delicious--think of the possiblities...black beans, lentils, fava beans, black-eyed peas, edamame, hummus/garbanzos, canneloni beans, pigeon peas, lima beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, mung beans, and the list goes on. You could literally have a different bean every day of the month--made into soups, mixed with grains/rice/veggies, made it's spreads like humus of bean dip...and you can buy canned or frozen...much easier as as nutritious as dried. Tons of fiber, no fat, tons of protein. But someone giving up animal foods must eat beans daily. Along with their salads and pasta and whatever else most people focus on.
This totally made me cry, and glad that we had mushroom kebabs for dinner tonight!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteOut of the mouths of babes . . . wisdom speaks.
+++
I became a vegetarian as a child among carnivores. When I learned about what meat really was I also discovered that it wasn't necessary for human beings to sink to those depths (that was my opinion as a child lol).
ReplyDeleteThat was in the 'sixties, when vegetarians were viewed as weirdoes. Grown-ups would be thinking to themselves 'what a strange child', instead of thinking it was good that there was at least one child in the neighborhood who ate up all her veggies.
Nowadays it's cool to be a vegetarian - and nobody ever offers me a (hated) omelette instead.
I love this child! What a smart boy. As a vegan, I just love him. He has it figured out a very young age. Love, love.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bright little guy. So young to have it all figured out! Veggies everyone!!
ReplyDeleteElstun posted on FB that the shit is about to hit the fan in Alaska. He's a reliable source. Oil, PFD funds all of it, any of it that was put in front of them. Fort Greely? Perhaps the DOJ can step in and help those of us who need to get some justice from the corrupt courts and much more.
ReplyDeleteUmm..anything with the PALINS??
DeleteMost likely has to do with oil and/or money, but not a clue, there is so much to pick from.
DeleteThank you for posting this Gryphen.
ReplyDeleteI'm also vegetarian/vegan and I notice how it's the adults who convince children that they should eat meat, or just that that's what we do; most kids really do have it figured out.
Also too, what a little cutie Luiz is!
Love, Love, Love....so incredibly heartwarming, such an incredibly intelligent little boy. His life won't be easy being that smart.
ReplyDelete"I am doing something beautiful?"
ReplyDeleteYes, Luiz.
I don't want to provoke anything but I'm going to weigh in here.
ReplyDeleteI did go vegetarian for a few years.
I eat meat.
But I am very particular about it. I won't discuss that.
But I will say that no matter what we are eating, we need to be a lot more respectful of the process and the result. We need to stop mindlessly buying crap in the stores that vaguely resembles food.
Grow your own. Get dirty. Appreciate the time, patience and effort. Buy local. Stuff that still has the roots attached and maybe some dirt. It tastes better. Even lettuce has a taste when you grow it yourself. Start shopping the local farmer's market instead of the local big chain grocery.
Yes, I eat meat. But I appreciate where it comes from even if I do not grow it myself.
This is my prayer:
Prayer After Eating by Wendell Berry
I have taken in the light
that quickened eye and leaf.
May my brain be bright with praise
of what I eat, in the brief blaze
of motion and of thought.
May I be worthy of my meat.
Agree.
DeleteI have a garden I share with a coworker. I bake from scratch. I but local. I've read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I try to buy meats from organic feed, free range farms. I do abhor how animals are treated to feed the populace. I have venver tried to be a vegetarian. My husband was and he was scary skinny. Maybe he wasn't doing it right.
I found it difficult to eat very balanced and get all my nutrition. It was a lot of work. And I missed some things.
DeleteI tried vegetarian for health, not for other reasons, and it just didn't work for me.
I buy my beef from a small ranch in Wyoming. They are raised by Shreve Stockton (The Daily Coyote) and are treated humanely, grass fed and grass finished. She even trailer trains them so they are not stressed when taken to the processing plant. They are taken in one at a time. The staff there also treat the cows humanely and with respect.
I understand that death is a part of life and that in order for me to live, something has to die, be it an animal, plant, bird or fish.
The best thing I can do is make sure that I respect the life that was sacrificed for me and remember it. I can also make sure that it was treated with dignity and respect for it's time on earth. It might cost more, but I can make sure that I source my food from people who feel the same as I do.
Eventually I hope to have chickens for eggs. But when they stop laying, I will not eat them. They will simply live out their lives as pets.
Our city recently revised the zoning laws so I can also have a pair of pygmy goats. If I ever decide to get some for milk to make cheese, they will also live out their lives as pets.
I will also be joining a local CSA when my work situation stabilizes. Farmers don't abuse their stock. It's the large, impersonal CAFOs that become insensitive and abusive as a by product of the large scale and focus on profit. They see the animals as things, objects that represent money, not as living beings. And so they don't really care. This leads to some torturing or abusing the animals for their own pleasure or to release their own anger redirected from some other situation. I don't want to be a part of that and so my food choices have narrowed and in some cases have become more expensive.
But Americans don't need to eat meat three times a day seven days a week. We could all use more vegetables and legumes in our diets. So meat becomes something special we have on occasion. In that way it can be valued and respected.
May I be worthy of my meat.
OMG.
ReplyDeleteThat was something.
Do you have a link so I can share?
Spoken from the mouth of babes. We are not carnivores. We are not even omnivores, contrary to misguided belief. We are insectivores AT BEST. If you compare our eating 'tools' and digestive systems to that of a dog (actual omnivore) or a cat (obligate carnivore) it is CRYSTAL CLEAR that not only are we meant to not eat animals, our bodies react violently to it--which is why cancer and heart disease are killing the human population--divine retribution for the cruelty we inflict, using and abusing animals for our greedy and gluttonous indulgence. And yes, we do absolutey torture animals for our selfish self absorbed indulgence. And, no, we do not need this food, nor are we naturally designed to eat it. (I'd like to see even the biggest man jump on a cow, rip it to shreds and eat it right then and there with his bare hands--utterly impossible--whereas my cat or dog can do it no problem) There is a big karmic payback for the way humans treat their non-human counterparts--and it's starting with cancer and heart disease. We are better than this.
ReplyDeleteBooks to find out more: The China Study, The Engine 2 Diet
Films to learn more: Earthlings http://earthlings.com/ free online
and Glass Walls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8xkSYvwJs
and lectures by Steve Best PhD http://www.drstevebest.org/
also films that are good: Chow Down, Vegucated,
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-vegetarian-movies.html
http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2008/06/12/top-10-movies-that-make-you-go-meatless.aspx
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/dairy/
we are not also, as human adults, or even human children, meant to eat the milk of another speciies, cow milk. Human babies are designed to eat human milk. Why are human adults not sucking at the breast milk of human women, but at human cows? And the cows are utterly tortured to death to provide our cheese, milk, ice cream, etc.
None of this is opinion, it's fact.
And, finally, sure there is nutrition in animal flesh. But there is also nutrition in hay and bark, doesn't mean we need it or should it eat. And the proof is beyond the pale--eating tortured and murdered animals is killing off the human population, slowly but surely. It is NOT what we need for sustenance. And anyone who believes the bunk about Paleo or Primal diets--look at whos spouting those pseudo justifications--all people with NO academic credential in nutrition. they have no idea what they are talking about and the research proves them wrong.
I Absolutely abhor COOKED veggies. I have HUGE problems with consistency, and the texture of cooked veggies makes me gag.
DeleteThat being said, I was a raw vegan for a few years.
My diet is still 50% raw, and I do eat meat. I eat chicken and fish, and I get my chicken from a local co-op, and I catch my own fish, and I dig my own clams.
Some people go thru vegetarian or vegan phases and get ill or get skinny (Hence the book Skinny Bitch about a vegan diet) or are hungry. What they tend to be missing in their vegan diets is BEANS. You must eat lots of them--beans everyday. But this is delicious--think of the possiblities...black beans, lentils, fava beans, black-eyed peas, edamame, hummus/garbanzos, canneloni beans, pigeon peas, lima beans, kidney beans, adzuki beans, mung beans, and the list goes on. You could literally have a different bean every day of the month--made into soups, mixed with grains/rice/veggies, made it's spreads like humus of bean dip...and you can buy canned or frozen...much easier as as nutritious as dried. Tons of fiber, no fat, tons of protein. But someone giving up animal foods must eat beans daily. Along with their salads and pasta and whatever else most people focus on.
ReplyDeleteWhat ever happened with young boy? Is he an animal activist?
ReplyDelete