Last week a friend sent me an e-mail which was a Kate Smith
rendition of God bless America. Rousing and beautiful, I could
not help thinking - what has happened to the America which I
so loved then? I truly don't recognize it anymore and sadly,
I don't love it as I once did either.
Why? This morning's AlterNet Top Stories is why:
Shocking: Reporting Factory Farm Abuses to be Considered
"Acts of Terorism" If New Laws Pass
Has America Become an Authoritarian State?
Big Pharma Buys Off the Senate
Three titles which should shake anyone to the core who says they
truly care about America. I am grateful for sites like this as
well as Oped. com where we can read enlightening posts as well as
write our own thoughts on some blogs re them and other issues
important to us.
Though all three titles pained me - the first especially so because
it involves cruelty to our poor incarcerated farm animals in CAFOs.
I am saddened that President Obama doesn't seem to care about animal
suffering, because if he did- he should be agitating for compassionate
changes for them. But no, his voice is silent in this regard, but
thankfully, there are animal welfare groups who are working to bring
relief to the suffering animals in them.
As for legislators and political leaders, I admire people like Mayor
Corey Booker of Newark, New Jersey. I was impressed by reading two of
his recent compassionate rescues. He went into his neighbor's burning
house and carried out the woman in it by himself. And then when he heard
a radio reporter saying there was a dog freezing at a certain location,
Mayor Booker didn't dispatch someone to get this dog - he went himself
and carried the dog to the police car for warmth. Happily, this dog had
a home, and being left out was a mistake. However, it is more than sad
that throughout our land-many such dogs are out in freezing cold because
of hard hearts who only think of their own warmth and comfort.
Were Mayor Booker's rescues grandstanding? I think not. I hope not.
And if he was compelled by caring and compassion, than he has the
qualities which all leaders should have, and sadly precious few do.
To further illustrate this point of lack of humane legislators and
politicians, one only need read Katherine Paul's and Ronnie Cummins'
"SHOCKING; REPORTING FACTORY FARM ABUSES TO BE CONSIDERED "ACT OF
TERRORISM: IF NEW LAWS PASS." Even though we have been aware of Ag
Corporations lobbying to get passed their cruel laws, it should come
as a shock to anyone with the smallest degree of right and wrong that
what they are promoting by saying that anyone who reports factory
farm abuses is guilty of an ACT OF TERRORISM is definitely not true
and very wrong.
Can you believe that in America - this group is condemning people
who report farm animal abuse and calling it an act of terrorism when
the reverse is obviously the truth? This is just a shocking indictment
of Big Ag and how far they will go to protect their billions made on
the backs of suffering animals. Have they no shame? No compassion?
What about the legislators who back them? Where is their shame? Where
is their compassion?
If you care, you must find this article on AlterNet or the internet if
you want to arm yourself with the pertinent facts. Yes, in my opinion,
you will find facts and not the fiction and fabrications of ALEC. I never
knew what this acronym stood for but was enlightened at this post. It
stands for American Legislative Exhange Council- a group which funds
lawyers to protect Big Ag and Big Energy. They are the ones who authored
the ANIMAL AND ECOLOGICAL TERRORISM ACT.
One by one - all the groups which I looked up to as a child during
the patriotic singing of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" have
fallen from grace: clergy, doctors, legislators, writers, politicians,
teachers, and now lawyers - did I forget anyone?
Yes, no matter our degrees, no matter our titles - we are all human
and capable of making mistakes and sometimes serious and cruel ones.
Certainly ALEC and their lawyers are guilty of this. I hope that
everyone who cares about animals and the environment will learn about
them and their initiatives. With knowledge I hope we will ferret out
the all too gullible legislators who follow their lead. Even now-
states are considering Ag laws which are not good for the animals.
In some states, they have already been passed: N.Dakota, Montana,
Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Utah. But thanx to consumer and animal-
welfare activists in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska,
New York, and Tennessee -these Ag laws were rejected.
This Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act - great sounding but wholly
misleading - should not be promoted or passed. If you want to pass a
law in your state which makes sense and is just and caring - it should
read - ACTS OF F ARM ABUSE Will BE GUILTY OF PROSECUTION. Let your
legislators know that these CAFO corporations and any legislators who
back this Ag initiative are crossing the line, and that it is animal
abusers who should be prosecuted - not animal abuse reporters.
I really would encourage anyone who cares about our farm animals and
the injustices perpetrated on them by ALEC to look up this post by
Katherine Paul and Ronnie Cummins. It is excellent and needs to be
reread by me and others who are interested in the cause of justice
and compassion for our farm animals.
And along this line -it's funny that I almost titled my post - Are We
Becoming a Gestapo Nation? and here it was on AlterNet - "Has America
become an Authoritarian State?" Though I haven't read it as yet, I
certainly will, and I believe that the author - Henry A. Giroux, Truthout
will have much to say on this subject which I probably will agree with.
And, of course, I enjoy reading anything by Bill Moyers, and in this
collaboration with Michael Winship, he tackles the Big Pharma issue
and their amazing control over the Senate. What ever happened to
their pledge to represent us -their constituents? This is another
article which i must read and so should anyone who is wedded to using
Big Pharma's drugs.
I would suggest that prescription drug users try to kick the habit by
lessoning your intake of meat and dairy. No, of course, I don't know your
medical condition, but I do know that I a s a vegan, don't use any
perscription drugs because food is my medicine.
Anyone interested in following Hippocrates wisdom: Let food be they
medicine and thy medicine by thy food will probably be surprised by the
changes occuring in your body because of adopting a more plant-based
diet.
I recently was happy to report that Mayor Rahm Emmanuel of Chicago was
encouraging Chicagoans to adopt a more plant-based diet. He said though
he eats meat twice a month, for the rest of the time he is vegan.
You too will probably be able to wean yourself off a meat/dairy diet and
with it- lessoning the need for pharmaceuticals. Of course this will take
time and no one is telling you to throw away your prescription drugs,
though probably at some point you may be able to. And it is being
proven over and again that m eat and dairy consumption is usually linked
to cancer, stroke, diabetes, and heart problems.
Changing your diet may also lesson the impact of Big Ag on their "control"
of state and national legislatures labeling animal cruelty whistleblowers
guilty of terrorism, when it is their cafos and some of their workers who
are the real culprits.
Re my vegan diet, I never feel deprived even though I have somewhat of
a sweet tooth. I can make vegan desserts and one of the most simple
and delicious is chocolate soy pudding. The internet abounds with vegan
dishes and desserts.