After many years of seeing Lord of the Rings - the Fellowship of the Ring, I finally saw the last two movies in the series recently. I noticed how close the hobbits seemed to be with each other, and as a person who has watched a lot of Xena, Warrior Princess, my subtext detector was screaming. It didn't bother me one bit, but watching it with my father did. What I saw in the relationship between Frodo and Sam was true friendship and love - not the bump chests and discuss meaningless crap love, but the I can look into your eyes and see who you are love. I looked deeper at my uncomfortability with watching this movie in the presence of my father, and I know part of the reason is because I know he is somewhat homophobic. Another reason stems from the fear of being labeled gay regardless of your true orientation because you were told it was a bad thing.
I remember when I was in my early teens, my mother and I were walking down the street in my neighborhood. We happened to be holding hands when a guy from the neighborhood came over to speak to us. I don't remember the conversation, but I do know he pried our hands apart. I knew why he did it, and I remember becoming self-conscious of my behavior afterwards. I remember pulling my hand away in my later teens when my best friend tried to hold it. The fear of a label and everything that went with it stopped me from showing a simple gesture of affection to people I loved. I had been teased all of my life, and I was afraid of one more thing making me a target for more teasing.
Since then, I am happy to say I've grown. While I am often still conscious of what others think of me (generally speaking), I know it truly doesn't matter. Love is so important. It doesn't matter who people share their love with, it matters more that they have chosen to love. I feel that love is pure and it has no restrictions, but we tend to put our own restrictions on love. Love doesn't care if your partner is older, younger, of a different race/culture, Democrat, Republican, male or female. We all have different preferences, but none are wrong. I no longer care if a friend, regardless of gender, wants to hold my hand. If I feel love for someone, I express it. I don't beleive in living a repressed life; it's pointless.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
Michael Vick
From DawnWatch http://www.dawnwatch.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/dw1000000dawnwat/20070825204230/:
It has been another of those weeks in which I was unable to focus on DawnWatch, so I now find myself playing some catch-up on the weekend. I start by noting that on Wednesday, Aug 22, the Los Angeles Times published five fabulous animal advocacy letters in response to last week's front page story on the random killing for kicks of farm animals. The letters discussed various aspects of animal cruelty, including dogfighting, the circus and the meat industry. The following letter, from Pat Sommer, reminds us what can happen when we close our hearts to the suffering of others:"I do not fear evil; I fear apathy. For a decent society to overlook base cruelty because it is directed at those we consider unworthy of our pity shakes me to the core; I am German and live with the legacy of that mind-set. May God forgive us."I send a huge thank you to all who wrote and were therefore part of the effort that resulted in a block of five pro-animal letters to the editor on the Los Angeles Times editorial page.Michael Vick has remained in the spotlight this week. The headline on the front page of the sports section of the Saturday, August 25, New York Times announces, "After Plea, Vick Is Barred Indefinitely By the N.F.L."The article opens: "The National Football League suspended Michael Vick indefinitely without pay yesterday after he admitted in court papers that he paid for dogfighting bets and helped kill underperforming dogs."The 27-year-old Vick, the Atlanta Falcons' star quarterback, will be out for at least the 2007 N.F.L. season and probably much longer. If he serves a year in prison -- the sentence recommended in the plea agreement -- he will probably not be eligible to play again until 2009." The article tells us that Vick said he did not gamble on the dogs but "he said that he was present when his co-defendants placed bets." And it tells us, "Vick said that he agreed to the killing of 'approximately 6 to 8 dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions,' adding that 'all the dogs were killed by various methods, including hanging and drowning.'''The following from that article is of interest, given the current debate over the fate of the confiscated dogs:"He agreed to pay restitution for the costs associated with the 53 pit bulls that authorities have held as evidence since they were seized from his property in April. The costs, the plea agreement said, include the 'long-term care and/or the humane euthanasia of some or all of those animals as may be directed by the court in this case.'''You'll find the whole article on line at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/25/sports/football/25vick.htmlAnd you can send letters to the editor at letters@nytimes.comThe no kill sanctuary Best Friends, in Utah, dismayed by reports that groups such as PETA and HSUS had suggested Vick's pitbulls could not be rehabilitated and should be "euthanized," has published an offer to take in the dogs. You can read it on line at http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&fps=1&mode=entry&entry=99E19A34-BDB9-396E-94664923D82722AFI generally view the rescue of media-hyped animals partly as publicity stunts -- there are fifty equally deserving pitbulls at my local shelter who are due to die next week and who nobody is offering to take in. But if Vick's plea agreement includes restitution for the confiscated dogs, including long term care, I cannot understand why anybody would call for their death. They could be given a decent life at a sanctuary, presumably kept far from toddlers and poodles, and the cost of their care would come from Vick's pocket rather than from animal advocacy funds that would otherwise save equally desperate dogs who don't need to be rehabilitated. A letter, by Joseph Pastore, to be published in the Sunday August 26 New York Times calls for the dogs' permanent care at Vick's expense -- you might consider a similar letter to your own paper. The upside of the Vick case has been that dogfighting has finally received the negative attention it has deserved for years. A recent development is the attention the case has brought to other areas of animal cruelty, generally more accepted in our society. A few weeks ago I shared a letter published in the Los Angeles Times in which activist Sharon Hall reminded readers who were saddened by the suffering of Vicks' dogs, that billions of animals suffer similarly on factory farms and in slaughterhouses. This week, various articles published in leading papers have pointed out the disconnect between our concern for Vick's dogs and our lack of concern for other animals. The Wednesday August 22 Washington Post included a piece by Courtland Milloy headed, "Animal Cruelty Isn't Judged on a Level Playing Field." (Pg B1)Milloy opened with:"While eating a porterhouse the other night, I began to see the steak for what it was: a hunk of meat, blood and bone. I managed to disgust myself even more by imagining that a charbroiled piece of pit bull would not have looked much different from the gristle of beef on my fork."Then I came back to my senses and continued to enjoy my meal. "Too bad for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick that people like me love dogs more than cows. Or, to put it another way, I prefer the taste of Angus and Hereford to Rottweiler and pit bull. Otherwise, the federal agents who recently charged Vick with dogfighting would have to arrest nearly all of us for participating in far worse acts of animal cruelty."Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney is credited with having said: 'If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.' Well, they don't -- and most of us are carnivores. We'll kill a duck, deer, turkey -- name any meat -- for the sheer entertainment of our palates or for the fun of the hunt."And yet, Vick, 27, must take the fall. On Monday, the star athlete agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy. The admission could put him behind bars for more than year and all but end his football career."Make no mistake: I have no particular affinity for Vick. You just can't defend a guy who apparently gets his kicks watching dogs mangle each other and risks losing a hundred million dollars in NFL earnings and endorsements to boot. It's just that all the hullabaloo about dogfighting seems a bit hypocritical."He goes on to discuss society's attitude to horses and horseracing quoting the HBO Barbaro special in which we heard, "And when we ask them to -- they run." Milloy responds, "And when they don't, well, they die."While those of us incensed by animal cruelty are thrilled to see the response to Vick's activities, Milloy's piece points out the odd inconsistencies and is worth reading and responding to. You'll find it on line athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101977.html?hpid=moreheadlines ORhttp://tinyurl.com/2ukvmdThe Washington Post takes letters at letters@washpost.comWednesday's Boston Globe included a wonderful piece by Globe columnist Derrick Z. Jackson, focusing on the horrors of the greyhound racing industry. It is headed, "Michael Vick isn't alone." (Pg A11)It opens:"As Michael Vick plummets from celebrity to our national symbol of animal cruelty, there is an unsettling question unanswered in all of the press coverage. Was he uniquely brutal or merely a spectacular outlier for canine atrocities we allow every day?"This is not an apology for Mr. Vick and his accomplices in his dogfighting ring. The act of hanging, drowning, electrocuting, and shooting pit bulls, just because they did not win, easily calls for prison, penance, and other impoverishment, not to mention many therapists. "But the national outrage rings a bit hollow. It feels a bit too easy to condemn only this fool sick enough to throw away a 10-year, $130 million football contract with the Atlanta Falcons and his residual millions in endorsements for his mad dashes as quarterback. "It feels a bit easy because I am a former owner of a rescued greyhound."You can go down last month's 18-page federal indictment against Vick and his codefendants and see plenty of snippets such as these: 'train and breed ... for... competitions'; 'destroying or otherwise disposing of dogs not selected to stay'; 'executed at least one dog that did not perform well'; 'executed at least two dogs that did not perform well'; 'Vick possessed... approximately 54 American Pit Bull Terriers, some of which had scars and injuries.'"Of course, you can apply the same phrases or similar ones to greyhound racing. Yet dog tracks operate in about a quarter of our states, including Massachusetts. In 2000, animal rights activists were able to place a ballot question before the Commonwealth's voters to ban greyhound racing. Supporters of racing outspent the activists by nearly 4 to 1 and barely beat back the proposed ban, 51 percent to 49 percent."Jackson describes the dark side of the greyhound racing industry and closes with:"There is no difference between this and what Vick did, other than that dogfighting is illegal and greyhound racing remains legal in many states. For his depraved hobby, Vick will be shamed with prison stripes. Greyhound racing, despite its primitive exploitation of dogs, remains a $2 billion business even today."You'll find the full piece on line at:http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/08/22/michael_vick_isnt_alone/http://tinyurl.com/258zz3It deserves some appreciative letters to the editor. The Boston Globe takes letters at letter@globe.comThe San Diego Union Tribune, also on Wednesday August 22, published a piece by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, headed, "What Vick should do about animal cruelty." She urges Vick to use this experience to speak out against dogfighting. And she writes:"The rock mogul Russell Simmons, who is a spiritual person, thinks Vick will become enlightened because of this experience. Others who advise and guide Vick say that he is a person who has shown love for animals but who somehow compartmentalized his feelings for animals into those he cares for at home and those he uses and abuses in his gambling enterprise. Before we cast the first stone of skepticism, we should remember that all of us are capable of compartmentalizing our thinking in order to excuse bad behavior."If we truly acted as if we believed what we are now shouting from the rooftops – that cruelty to animals is just plain wrong – we would all think of what goes on in slaughterhouses and become vegetarians. We would race home at lunchtime or pay someone to be there for us to make sure our dogs didn't have to sit with their legs crossed, waiting to relieve themselves. We would turn away in disgust from animal circuses because in our hearts we know that elephants want to be with their families in the wild, not forced, through the use of bullhooks, to stand on their hind legs while wearing a silly costume."But Vick's failure to recognize animals as sentient individuals who were harmed needlessly is the issue now in the spotlight. Now that he has admitted his guilt, he needs to speak out against dogfighting, if only to stop youngsters from thinking that their football hero's only 'crime' was that he got caught."You'll find her piece on line at:http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070822/news_lz1e22newkirk.html The San Diego Union Tribune takes letters at letters@uniontrib.comGary Francione's piece on the Philadelphia Daily News website, headed "We're all Michael Vick," is the hardest hitting. Francione suggests that the Vick case demonstrates our "moral schizophrenia" about animals.He writes:"In this country alone, we kill more than 10 billion land animals annually for food. The animals we eat suffer as much as the dogs that are used in dog fighting."There is no 'need' for us to eat meat, dairy or eggs. Indeed, these foods are increasingly linked to various human diseases and animal agriculture is an environmental disaster for the planet. We impose pain, suffering and death on these billions of sentient nonhumans because we enjoy eating their flesh and the products that we make from them."He notes a character named Simon the Sadist from one of his books , who derived pleasure from blowtorching dogs. Francione comments: "He enjoys blowtorching dogs - we enjoy the taste of flesh and animal products. But we and Simon both kill sentient beings (although we may pay others to do the dirty work) because we derive enjoyment from it."He ends with:"Michael Vick may enjoy watching dogs fight. Someone else may find that repulsive but see nothing wrong with eating an animal who has had a life as full of pain and suffering as the lives of the fighting dogs. It's strange that we regard the latter as morally different from, and superior to, the former. How removed from the screaming crowd around the dog pit is the laughing group around the summer steak barbecue?"We are all Simon."We are all Michael Vick."You'll find the piece on line at http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20070822_Were_all_Michael_Vick.html and can comment on it on that page. Or please consider a letter to the editor. The paper has so far printed just one glib comment, today, on the piece, stating, "True, there is no 'need' for us to eat meat, dairy or eggs. There's also no need to write an op-ed whenever you have a new book." The bold piece deserves considerably more. The Philadelphia News takes letters at http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/contact_us/feedback_np2/Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. Yours and the animals',Karen Dawn
It has been another of those weeks in which I was unable to focus on DawnWatch, so I now find myself playing some catch-up on the weekend. I start by noting that on Wednesday, Aug 22, the Los Angeles Times published five fabulous animal advocacy letters in response to last week's front page story on the random killing for kicks of farm animals. The letters discussed various aspects of animal cruelty, including dogfighting, the circus and the meat industry. The following letter, from Pat Sommer, reminds us what can happen when we close our hearts to the suffering of others:"I do not fear evil; I fear apathy. For a decent society to overlook base cruelty because it is directed at those we consider unworthy of our pity shakes me to the core; I am German and live with the legacy of that mind-set. May God forgive us."I send a huge thank you to all who wrote and were therefore part of the effort that resulted in a block of five pro-animal letters to the editor on the Los Angeles Times editorial page.Michael Vick has remained in the spotlight this week. The headline on the front page of the sports section of the Saturday, August 25, New York Times announces, "After Plea, Vick Is Barred Indefinitely By the N.F.L."The article opens: "The National Football League suspended Michael Vick indefinitely without pay yesterday after he admitted in court papers that he paid for dogfighting bets and helped kill underperforming dogs."The 27-year-old Vick, the Atlanta Falcons' star quarterback, will be out for at least the 2007 N.F.L. season and probably much longer. If he serves a year in prison -- the sentence recommended in the plea agreement -- he will probably not be eligible to play again until 2009." The article tells us that Vick said he did not gamble on the dogs but "he said that he was present when his co-defendants placed bets." And it tells us, "Vick said that he agreed to the killing of 'approximately 6 to 8 dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions,' adding that 'all the dogs were killed by various methods, including hanging and drowning.'''The following from that article is of interest, given the current debate over the fate of the confiscated dogs:"He agreed to pay restitution for the costs associated with the 53 pit bulls that authorities have held as evidence since they were seized from his property in April. The costs, the plea agreement said, include the 'long-term care and/or the humane euthanasia of some or all of those animals as may be directed by the court in this case.'''You'll find the whole article on line at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/25/sports/football/25vick.htmlAnd you can send letters to the editor at letters@nytimes.comThe no kill sanctuary Best Friends, in Utah, dismayed by reports that groups such as PETA and HSUS had suggested Vick's pitbulls could not be rehabilitated and should be "euthanized," has published an offer to take in the dogs. You can read it on line at http://news.bestfriends.org/index.cfm?page=news&fps=1&mode=entry&entry=99E19A34-BDB9-396E-94664923D82722AFI generally view the rescue of media-hyped animals partly as publicity stunts -- there are fifty equally deserving pitbulls at my local shelter who are due to die next week and who nobody is offering to take in. But if Vick's plea agreement includes restitution for the confiscated dogs, including long term care, I cannot understand why anybody would call for their death. They could be given a decent life at a sanctuary, presumably kept far from toddlers and poodles, and the cost of their care would come from Vick's pocket rather than from animal advocacy funds that would otherwise save equally desperate dogs who don't need to be rehabilitated. A letter, by Joseph Pastore, to be published in the Sunday August 26 New York Times calls for the dogs' permanent care at Vick's expense -- you might consider a similar letter to your own paper. The upside of the Vick case has been that dogfighting has finally received the negative attention it has deserved for years. A recent development is the attention the case has brought to other areas of animal cruelty, generally more accepted in our society. A few weeks ago I shared a letter published in the Los Angeles Times in which activist Sharon Hall reminded readers who were saddened by the suffering of Vicks' dogs, that billions of animals suffer similarly on factory farms and in slaughterhouses. This week, various articles published in leading papers have pointed out the disconnect between our concern for Vick's dogs and our lack of concern for other animals. The Wednesday August 22 Washington Post included a piece by Courtland Milloy headed, "Animal Cruelty Isn't Judged on a Level Playing Field." (Pg B1)Milloy opened with:"While eating a porterhouse the other night, I began to see the steak for what it was: a hunk of meat, blood and bone. I managed to disgust myself even more by imagining that a charbroiled piece of pit bull would not have looked much different from the gristle of beef on my fork."Then I came back to my senses and continued to enjoy my meal. "Too bad for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick that people like me love dogs more than cows. Or, to put it another way, I prefer the taste of Angus and Hereford to Rottweiler and pit bull. Otherwise, the federal agents who recently charged Vick with dogfighting would have to arrest nearly all of us for participating in far worse acts of animal cruelty."Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney is credited with having said: 'If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.' Well, they don't -- and most of us are carnivores. We'll kill a duck, deer, turkey -- name any meat -- for the sheer entertainment of our palates or for the fun of the hunt."And yet, Vick, 27, must take the fall. On Monday, the star athlete agreed to plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy. The admission could put him behind bars for more than year and all but end his football career."Make no mistake: I have no particular affinity for Vick. You just can't defend a guy who apparently gets his kicks watching dogs mangle each other and risks losing a hundred million dollars in NFL earnings and endorsements to boot. It's just that all the hullabaloo about dogfighting seems a bit hypocritical."He goes on to discuss society's attitude to horses and horseracing quoting the HBO Barbaro special in which we heard, "And when we ask them to -- they run." Milloy responds, "And when they don't, well, they die."While those of us incensed by animal cruelty are thrilled to see the response to Vick's activities, Milloy's piece points out the odd inconsistencies and is worth reading and responding to. You'll find it on line athttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101977.html?hpid=moreheadlines ORhttp://tinyurl.com/2ukvmdThe Washington Post takes letters at letters@washpost.comWednesday's Boston Globe included a wonderful piece by Globe columnist Derrick Z. Jackson, focusing on the horrors of the greyhound racing industry. It is headed, "Michael Vick isn't alone." (Pg A11)It opens:"As Michael Vick plummets from celebrity to our national symbol of animal cruelty, there is an unsettling question unanswered in all of the press coverage. Was he uniquely brutal or merely a spectacular outlier for canine atrocities we allow every day?"This is not an apology for Mr. Vick and his accomplices in his dogfighting ring. The act of hanging, drowning, electrocuting, and shooting pit bulls, just because they did not win, easily calls for prison, penance, and other impoverishment, not to mention many therapists. "But the national outrage rings a bit hollow. It feels a bit too easy to condemn only this fool sick enough to throw away a 10-year, $130 million football contract with the Atlanta Falcons and his residual millions in endorsements for his mad dashes as quarterback. "It feels a bit easy because I am a former owner of a rescued greyhound."You can go down last month's 18-page federal indictment against Vick and his codefendants and see plenty of snippets such as these: 'train and breed ... for... competitions'; 'destroying or otherwise disposing of dogs not selected to stay'; 'executed at least one dog that did not perform well'; 'executed at least two dogs that did not perform well'; 'Vick possessed... approximately 54 American Pit Bull Terriers, some of which had scars and injuries.'"Of course, you can apply the same phrases or similar ones to greyhound racing. Yet dog tracks operate in about a quarter of our states, including Massachusetts. In 2000, animal rights activists were able to place a ballot question before the Commonwealth's voters to ban greyhound racing. Supporters of racing outspent the activists by nearly 4 to 1 and barely beat back the proposed ban, 51 percent to 49 percent."Jackson describes the dark side of the greyhound racing industry and closes with:"There is no difference between this and what Vick did, other than that dogfighting is illegal and greyhound racing remains legal in many states. For his depraved hobby, Vick will be shamed with prison stripes. Greyhound racing, despite its primitive exploitation of dogs, remains a $2 billion business even today."You'll find the full piece on line at:http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/08/22/michael_vick_isnt_alone/http://tinyurl.com/258zz3It deserves some appreciative letters to the editor. The Boston Globe takes letters at letter@globe.comThe San Diego Union Tribune, also on Wednesday August 22, published a piece by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, headed, "What Vick should do about animal cruelty." She urges Vick to use this experience to speak out against dogfighting. And she writes:"The rock mogul Russell Simmons, who is a spiritual person, thinks Vick will become enlightened because of this experience. Others who advise and guide Vick say that he is a person who has shown love for animals but who somehow compartmentalized his feelings for animals into those he cares for at home and those he uses and abuses in his gambling enterprise. Before we cast the first stone of skepticism, we should remember that all of us are capable of compartmentalizing our thinking in order to excuse bad behavior."If we truly acted as if we believed what we are now shouting from the rooftops – that cruelty to animals is just plain wrong – we would all think of what goes on in slaughterhouses and become vegetarians. We would race home at lunchtime or pay someone to be there for us to make sure our dogs didn't have to sit with their legs crossed, waiting to relieve themselves. We would turn away in disgust from animal circuses because in our hearts we know that elephants want to be with their families in the wild, not forced, through the use of bullhooks, to stand on their hind legs while wearing a silly costume."But Vick's failure to recognize animals as sentient individuals who were harmed needlessly is the issue now in the spotlight. Now that he has admitted his guilt, he needs to speak out against dogfighting, if only to stop youngsters from thinking that their football hero's only 'crime' was that he got caught."You'll find her piece on line at:http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070822/news_lz1e22newkirk.html The San Diego Union Tribune takes letters at letters@uniontrib.comGary Francione's piece on the Philadelphia Daily News website, headed "We're all Michael Vick," is the hardest hitting. Francione suggests that the Vick case demonstrates our "moral schizophrenia" about animals.He writes:"In this country alone, we kill more than 10 billion land animals annually for food. The animals we eat suffer as much as the dogs that are used in dog fighting."There is no 'need' for us to eat meat, dairy or eggs. Indeed, these foods are increasingly linked to various human diseases and animal agriculture is an environmental disaster for the planet. We impose pain, suffering and death on these billions of sentient nonhumans because we enjoy eating their flesh and the products that we make from them."He notes a character named Simon the Sadist from one of his books , who derived pleasure from blowtorching dogs. Francione comments: "He enjoys blowtorching dogs - we enjoy the taste of flesh and animal products. But we and Simon both kill sentient beings (although we may pay others to do the dirty work) because we derive enjoyment from it."He ends with:"Michael Vick may enjoy watching dogs fight. Someone else may find that repulsive but see nothing wrong with eating an animal who has had a life as full of pain and suffering as the lives of the fighting dogs. It's strange that we regard the latter as morally different from, and superior to, the former. How removed from the screaming crowd around the dog pit is the laughing group around the summer steak barbecue?"We are all Simon."We are all Michael Vick."You'll find the piece on line at http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20070822_Were_all_Michael_Vick.html and can comment on it on that page. Or please consider a letter to the editor. The paper has so far printed just one glib comment, today, on the piece, stating, "True, there is no 'need' for us to eat meat, dairy or eggs. There's also no need to write an op-ed whenever you have a new book." The bold piece deserves considerably more. The Philadelphia News takes letters at http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/contact_us/feedback_np2/Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. Yours and the animals',Karen Dawn
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Ominivore vs. Vegan Article
Imagine learning about a certain subject for years. You are not in school learning this subject; you learn because the information is all around you. You've heard it so many times that it seems as if it should be common knowledge; however, it's not. For me, the subject is vegetarianism. Every vegetarian has heard, "Where do you get your protein?" How old is that line? All food contains protein!
Anyway, the point is that I read an article in Energy Times magazine (click on the title of this post for the article). The vegan verses omnivore debate wasn't what really bothered me. It was the responses from the readers that made me shake my head in disbelief. Human beings like to have their fantasies about us being fierce predators at the top of the food chain. They point to the two tiny incisors that could not hurt anything but a vegetable, and say that it's clear humans were made to eat meat. I find the responses to the article to be full of people with those beliefs and attitudes. It also has the "I believe God put these animals here for us to eat them" argument. Is that similar to so-called justification people had about Africans when they decided to take them from their home and force them into slavery? There was the same attitude of superiority, the same idea that one people is designed to be exploited by another.
In the comments section for the article, I see that a lot people believe in the myth of humane farming and slaughter of animals. I know that even though there is information on why free range animals are not necessarily treated humanely and that they are still slaughtered the same way the non-free range animals are slaughtered, it is not widely spread. People are not realistic about what happens to the animals they call food.
People talk about respecting the lives of the animals they eat, but I think if you are eating an animal for any reason other than survival (most people do it for taste), then you've supported the killing of a being unnecessarily, and I don't see that as respectful. Imagine a cow thinking it was fine to turn her son into veal because you prayed over his body before you ate it. If the lives and bodies of animals were truly respected then there would not be question about eating "meat". Every animal on a plate was a victim, and when there is no acknowledgment of this, it becomes "a personal choice". Is it a personal choice to kill other humans, or is it a crime that would result in jail time or execution? The difference is that we think one is fine and the other one is wrong because of our own speciesism.
Anyway, the point is that I read an article in Energy Times magazine (click on the title of this post for the article). The vegan verses omnivore debate wasn't what really bothered me. It was the responses from the readers that made me shake my head in disbelief. Human beings like to have their fantasies about us being fierce predators at the top of the food chain. They point to the two tiny incisors that could not hurt anything but a vegetable, and say that it's clear humans were made to eat meat. I find the responses to the article to be full of people with those beliefs and attitudes. It also has the "I believe God put these animals here for us to eat them" argument. Is that similar to so-called justification people had about Africans when they decided to take them from their home and force them into slavery? There was the same attitude of superiority, the same idea that one people is designed to be exploited by another.
In the comments section for the article, I see that a lot people believe in the myth of humane farming and slaughter of animals. I know that even though there is information on why free range animals are not necessarily treated humanely and that they are still slaughtered the same way the non-free range animals are slaughtered, it is not widely spread. People are not realistic about what happens to the animals they call food.
People talk about respecting the lives of the animals they eat, but I think if you are eating an animal for any reason other than survival (most people do it for taste), then you've supported the killing of a being unnecessarily, and I don't see that as respectful. Imagine a cow thinking it was fine to turn her son into veal because you prayed over his body before you ate it. If the lives and bodies of animals were truly respected then there would not be question about eating "meat". Every animal on a plate was a victim, and when there is no acknowledgment of this, it becomes "a personal choice". Is it a personal choice to kill other humans, or is it a crime that would result in jail time or execution? The difference is that we think one is fine and the other one is wrong because of our own speciesism.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Defining Veg*nism
When listening to people talk about veganism and vegetarianism, I tend to hear different definitions of those words.
Here is the definition of vegetarian from Dictionary.com:
veg·e·tar·i·an / - Show Spelled Pronunciation[vej-i-tair-ee-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc. –adjective
2.
of or pertaining to vegetarianism or vegetarians.
3.
devoted to or advocating this practice.
4.
consisting solely of vegetables: vegetarian vegetable soup
Considering the above definitions, why would someone eat chicken and fish and call themselves vegetarian? It doesn't make any sense why a person would still eat animals and call themselves a vegetarian. Really think about it. If being a vegetarian were about not eating certain animals, we would all be vegetarian. I've never eaten goats, squirrels, or opossums, but if I did, then omitted them from my diet while eating other animals, it wouldn't make me a vegetarian. It would just make me a person who doesn't eat those particular animals. It is still an omnivorous diet if you eat chickens and fishes.
Here is the definition of veganism according to the American Vegan Society:
VEGANS (pronounced VEE-guns) Live on products of the plant kingdom.
Veganism is compassion in action. It is a philosophy, diet, and lifestyle.
Veganism is an advanced way of living in accordance with Reverence for Life, recognizing the rights of all living creatures, and extending to them the compassion, kindness, and justice exemplified in the Golden Rule.
Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and all other foods of animal origin.
Veganism also excludes animal products such as leather, wool, fur, and silk in clothing, upholstery, etc. Vegans usually make efforts to avoid the less-than-obvious animal oils, secretions, etc., in many products such as soaps, cosmetics, toiletries, household goods and other common commodities.
As you can see from the above definition, veganism is more than a diet, which is why I always say that no one becomes a vegan for health reasons. I tend to find people who call themselves vegan yet eat honey and wear/buy leather, silk, and wool. I have no judgement about people who wear animal skins (I don't agree with it either), but I don't think that we should dilute the meaning of these words. In the end, it makes it difficult for those who truly live this lifestyle. Here is an example - I used to eat lunch at a restaurant next to my job. I looked on the menu beforehand and found a dish that looked like it would be vegetarian if you left out the meat and eggs. I used to order it, and it was marked "vegetarian". I found out later that they use fish sauce in all of their noodle dishes. There was no indication on their menu that fish was in the dish at all. I also told a friend who is allergic to consuming sea animals. She occasionally ate there, and could have had a terrible allergic reaction from eating their food. As you see, incorrectly defining words can be a big problem. I see a lot of non-dairy cheeses that contain casein, but casein is derived from dairy. I think the purpose of words and language is communication, and the purpose of communication is to develop understanding. How can there be true understanding with the misuse of words?
I realize that how one defines oneself as veg*an may partly be a cultural issue. I have been living in the United States all of my life and I have access to a variety of plant foods from places all over this country as well as other countries. If I lived in a place where there was very little plant life, and depended on fish or other animals as sources of food, vegetarianism and veganism might be strange to me. Some people have never heard of veganism and many depend heavily on using animals for food, clothing, and transportation.
As an African American, I see within my own culture a lot of dilution of the words vegetarian and vegan. It seems more acceptable for people to call themselves vegetarian but eat some animals. The few who call themselves vegan seldom believe in the philosophy behind veganism, and only adhere to the diet (except for honey). I don't really see many African Americans who are what I would consider true vegans. I would like to know why that is the case. Do we as a community feel we have too many problems to worry about the problems of animals? Is it that we have so many health problems due to dietary issues that it is more important to make changes for our health, and not look at how our habits impact others as well? Is it that we, like most people, are speciesist, and believe that regardless of whether or not we eat them, animals are put here for us to use as we please? Can we not make the connection between the practices used to enslave our ancestors and the practices used to enslave non-human animals?
I think regardless of our reasons for being a vegetarian or vegan, we are making a statement by making a choice that goes against what most of us were taught. Simply by not eating animals, we send a message to those who do. It is important to look at how we define ourselves and why we use certain terms to define ourselves. When I define myself as vegan, I am saying that I believe in the concept of ahimsa (non-harming). I am saying that animals have the right to live their lives naturally, and that I care about what I put in and on my body. I am saying that I don't eat or use anything that comes from an animal. Calling myself a vegetarian does not communicate the same ideas. If you say you are a vegetarian at most restaurants, they will give you a meal covered in cheese. Let's think about the words we use to describe ourselves and how those words are defined.
Here is the definition of vegetarian from Dictionary.com:
veg·e·tar·i·an / - Show Spelled Pronunciation[vej-i-tair-ee-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc. –adjective
2.
of or pertaining to vegetarianism or vegetarians.
3.
devoted to or advocating this practice.
4.
consisting solely of vegetables: vegetarian vegetable soup
Considering the above definitions, why would someone eat chicken and fish and call themselves vegetarian? It doesn't make any sense why a person would still eat animals and call themselves a vegetarian. Really think about it. If being a vegetarian were about not eating certain animals, we would all be vegetarian. I've never eaten goats, squirrels, or opossums, but if I did, then omitted them from my diet while eating other animals, it wouldn't make me a vegetarian. It would just make me a person who doesn't eat those particular animals. It is still an omnivorous diet if you eat chickens and fishes.
Here is the definition of veganism according to the American Vegan Society:
VEGANS (pronounced VEE-guns) Live on products of the plant kingdom.
Veganism is compassion in action. It is a philosophy, diet, and lifestyle.
Veganism is an advanced way of living in accordance with Reverence for Life, recognizing the rights of all living creatures, and extending to them the compassion, kindness, and justice exemplified in the Golden Rule.
Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and all other foods of animal origin.
Veganism also excludes animal products such as leather, wool, fur, and silk in clothing, upholstery, etc. Vegans usually make efforts to avoid the less-than-obvious animal oils, secretions, etc., in many products such as soaps, cosmetics, toiletries, household goods and other common commodities.
As you can see from the above definition, veganism is more than a diet, which is why I always say that no one becomes a vegan for health reasons. I tend to find people who call themselves vegan yet eat honey and wear/buy leather, silk, and wool. I have no judgement about people who wear animal skins (I don't agree with it either), but I don't think that we should dilute the meaning of these words. In the end, it makes it difficult for those who truly live this lifestyle. Here is an example - I used to eat lunch at a restaurant next to my job. I looked on the menu beforehand and found a dish that looked like it would be vegetarian if you left out the meat and eggs. I used to order it, and it was marked "vegetarian". I found out later that they use fish sauce in all of their noodle dishes. There was no indication on their menu that fish was in the dish at all. I also told a friend who is allergic to consuming sea animals. She occasionally ate there, and could have had a terrible allergic reaction from eating their food. As you see, incorrectly defining words can be a big problem. I see a lot of non-dairy cheeses that contain casein, but casein is derived from dairy. I think the purpose of words and language is communication, and the purpose of communication is to develop understanding. How can there be true understanding with the misuse of words?
I realize that how one defines oneself as veg*an may partly be a cultural issue. I have been living in the United States all of my life and I have access to a variety of plant foods from places all over this country as well as other countries. If I lived in a place where there was very little plant life, and depended on fish or other animals as sources of food, vegetarianism and veganism might be strange to me. Some people have never heard of veganism and many depend heavily on using animals for food, clothing, and transportation.
As an African American, I see within my own culture a lot of dilution of the words vegetarian and vegan. It seems more acceptable for people to call themselves vegetarian but eat some animals. The few who call themselves vegan seldom believe in the philosophy behind veganism, and only adhere to the diet (except for honey). I don't really see many African Americans who are what I would consider true vegans. I would like to know why that is the case. Do we as a community feel we have too many problems to worry about the problems of animals? Is it that we have so many health problems due to dietary issues that it is more important to make changes for our health, and not look at how our habits impact others as well? Is it that we, like most people, are speciesist, and believe that regardless of whether or not we eat them, animals are put here for us to use as we please? Can we not make the connection between the practices used to enslave our ancestors and the practices used to enslave non-human animals?
I think regardless of our reasons for being a vegetarian or vegan, we are making a statement by making a choice that goes against what most of us were taught. Simply by not eating animals, we send a message to those who do. It is important to look at how we define ourselves and why we use certain terms to define ourselves. When I define myself as vegan, I am saying that I believe in the concept of ahimsa (non-harming). I am saying that animals have the right to live their lives naturally, and that I care about what I put in and on my body. I am saying that I don't eat or use anything that comes from an animal. Calling myself a vegetarian does not communicate the same ideas. If you say you are a vegetarian at most restaurants, they will give you a meal covered in cheese. Let's think about the words we use to describe ourselves and how those words are defined.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The Trauma of the Sick Care System
Perhaps I am alone in this, but I find going to the dentist to be a somewhat of a traumatic experience. I think anything involving one's mouth is intimate, so having people working in your mouth with sharp objects and possibly hurting you can be an awful experience. Everything about me is sensitive. People who overstep the boundaries and touch my hair learn that I feel it even though my hair is very long. Anyway, my sensitivity extends to my teeth, my gums, and everything else, and I can feel when an object is touching/scraping my gums instead of my teeth. I am also sensitive enough to know that a person's emotions affect their physical actions, and believe me - you don't an upset person working in your mouth. Instead complaining when I feel something wrong (especially when I can't talk), I speak with my body language - the "ouch, you just hurt me" jerk, or the "I'm trying to move away from you because this hurts" move. I find that dentists want to talk about upsetting subjects when you are most vulnerable. Once, back in the day, I had a dentist lecture me about my skin while he worked in my mouth and he was giving me bad advice! I was younger and self-conscious about my appearance, so his comments were not welcome.
Most experiences with doctors and dentists have been awful. Quite frankly, I often feel violated. I have been treated so badly at times that I've ended up in tears. Gynecologists are often not very sensitive either. I don't think health care is about health at all. It's more like sick care pharmacies. You are given drugs to mask symptoms of sickness, and you have to keep coming back. Imagine sitting in a dental office chair thinking you will never come back again. Imagine questioning going to dentists at all. That was what I did less than an hour ago, but I was in a bad position at the time. I was also remembering my last experience with a so-called hygienist (yeah, right!) who showed me a bloody scene in my mouth that I can't even bear to discuss here.
When I looked around the dental office, I noticed all of the brochures and brand named items - from the Listerine to the Sonicare, I noticed how everything was something that had been marketed and sold. I felt like none of it had to do with health. It was just a business. Whew! I know I'm ranting, but I'm still recovering from my visit. All I know is that I am looking forward to seeing a change in the way we think of ourselves, our bodies and our health.
Most experiences with doctors and dentists have been awful. Quite frankly, I often feel violated. I have been treated so badly at times that I've ended up in tears. Gynecologists are often not very sensitive either. I don't think health care is about health at all. It's more like sick care pharmacies. You are given drugs to mask symptoms of sickness, and you have to keep coming back. Imagine sitting in a dental office chair thinking you will never come back again. Imagine questioning going to dentists at all. That was what I did less than an hour ago, but I was in a bad position at the time. I was also remembering my last experience with a so-called hygienist (yeah, right!) who showed me a bloody scene in my mouth that I can't even bear to discuss here.
When I looked around the dental office, I noticed all of the brochures and brand named items - from the Listerine to the Sonicare, I noticed how everything was something that had been marketed and sold. I felt like none of it had to do with health. It was just a business. Whew! I know I'm ranting, but I'm still recovering from my visit. All I know is that I am looking forward to seeing a change in the way we think of ourselves, our bodies and our health.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Racial Injustice
http://www.counterpunch.org/woodward07102007.html
July 10, 2007
White Supremacy and the Jena Six
Southern Discomfort
By ALICE WOODWARD
On a late summer day in 2006, in Jena, Louisiana, a Black high school student asked permission to sit beneath the "white tree" in front of the town's high school. It was unspoken law that this shady area was for whites only during school breaks. But a student asked, and the vice principal said nothing was stopping them. So Black students sat underneath the tree, challenging the established authority of segregation and racism. The next day, hanging from the tree, were three ropes, in school colors, each tied to make a noose.
The events set in motion by those nooses led to a schoolyard fight. And that fight led to the conviction, on June 28, 2007, of a Black student at Jena High School for charges that can bring up to 22 years in prison. Mychal Bell, a 16-year-old sophomore football star at the time he was arrested, was convicted by an all-white jury, without a single witness being called on his behalf. And five more Black students in Jena still face serious charges stemming from the fight.
* * *
Caseptla Bailey, a Black community leader and mother of one of the Black students, told the London Observer, "To us those nooses meant the KKK, they meant, 'Niggers, we're going to kill you, we're going to hang you till you die.'" The attack was brushed off as a "youthful stunt." The three white students responsible, given only three days of in-school suspension.
In response to the incident, several Black students, among them star players on the football team, staged a sit-in under the tree. The principal reacted by bringing in the white district attorney, Reed Walters, and 10 local police officers to an all-school assembly. Marcus Jones, Mychal Bell's father, described the assembly to Revolution:
"Now remember, with everything that goes on at Jena High School, everybody's separated. The only time when Black and white kids are together is in the classroom and when they playing sports together. During lunch time, Blacks sit on one side, whites sit on the other side of the cafeteria. During canteen time, Blacks sit on one side of the campus, whites sit on the other side of the campus.
"At any activity done in the auditorium-anything-Blacks sit on one side, whites on the other side, okay? The DA tells the principal to call the students in the auditorium. They get in there. The DA tells the Black students, he's looking directly at the Black students-remember, whites on one side, Blacks on the other side-he's looking directly at the Black students. He told them to keep their mouths shut about the boys hanging their nooses up. If he hears anything else about it, he can make their lives go away with the stroke of his pen."
DA Walters concluded that the students should "work it out on their own." Police officers roamed the halls of the school that week, and tensions simmered throughout the fall semester.
In November, as football season came to a close, the main school building was mysteriously burned to the ground. This traumatic event seemed to bring to the surface the boiling racial tensions in Jena.
On a Friday night, Robert Bailey, a 17-year-old Black student and football player, was invited to a dance at a hall considered to be "white." When he walked in, without warning he was punched in the face, knocked on the ground and attacked by a group of white youth. Only one of the white youth was arrested-he was ultimately given probation and asked to apologize.
The night after that, a 22-year-old white man, along with two friends, pulled a gun on Bailey and two of his friends at a local gas station. The Black youths wrestled the gun from him to prevent him from using it. They were arrested and charged with theft, and the white man went free.
The following Monday students returned to school. In the midst of a confrontation between a white student, Justin Barker, and a Black student, Robert Bailey-where Bailey was taunted for having been beaten up that weekend-a chaotic fray ensued. Barker was allegedly knocked down, punched, and kicked by a number of Black students. He was taken to the hospital for a few hours and was seen out socializing later that evening.
Six Black students-Robert Bailey Junior, Theo Shaw, Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis, Mychal Bell, and a still unidentified minor, allegedly the attackers of Justin Barker-were arrested, charged with attempted second degree manslaughter, and expelled from school.
White Supremacy Then and Now
This did not all happen in the "Red Summer" of 1919 when Jim Crow segregation thrived, and Blacks in major cities faced race riots that raged throughout the country. This did not occur in the 1950s after Brown vs. Board of Education was decided in 1954 and young children faced angry white mobs to make history in desegregating public schools. This did not happen in the summer of 1955 when, in Money, Mississippi, a vibrant Black youth by the name of Emmett Till was brutally murdered for whistling at a white woman. This did not occur in 1960, when on February 1 four Black college students sat in at a "white only" lunch counter, demanding service and launching the civil rights movement to another level. This did not happen during the period 1865 to 1965 during which 3,446 Black people were lynched in the United States.
This is now. When three white students in Jena committed this hate crime, hanging three nooses from the "white tree," they evoked the ugly history of slavery, segregation, lynching, and police brutality to threaten the lives of Black students at their school. The "white tree" stands in Jena, Louisiana. The Jena 6, as the Black students have come to be called, are in prison and on trial for defending themselves against white supremacist attacks.
The Jena 6 were arrested in December 2006. The outrageously high bail ranged from $70,000-$138,000, leaving most of them stuck in jail for months.
The first student to go to trial this June was Mychal Bell, who waited behind bars, unable to post bail. Like a scene from the Jim Crow South, he was judged by an all-white jury, in a courtroom run by a white judge. Whites sat with Justin Barker and his white lawyer on one side. Blacks sat with defendant Mychal Bell, who was represented by a court-appointed attorney.
The prosecutor called 16 witnesses, mostly white students. The court-appointed defense attorney called none. Accounts of the incident, who was involved, and who did what, vary highly, including whether Mychal Bell was the one who first punched Justin Barker. Barker's attorney argued that Bell's tennis shoes on his feet were a "dangerous weapon." The trial was so outrageous that when a Louisiana TV station polled viewers, 62% said that Mychal Bell was not getting a fair trial.
Mychal Bell was convicted of two felonies: aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery. He faces up to 22 years in prison. The remaining five defendants await their trials.
Standing Up to Racism
Few people in the United States have heard of the case of the Jena 6. But the trial was covered by the French newspaper Le Monde, and the BBC aired a documentary on the case. The London Observer reported on the Jena 6 story.
Family, friends, and supporters of the young men are protesting and struggling to free the Jena 6. The Black community in Jena and people from across Louisiana and Texas have come together to support the Jena 6 and fight the injustice of their trials. People have put their lives on hold, and churches have opened their doors. The Jena 6 and their supporters are defiant and continue to be under attack. Marcus Jones described the most recent event:
"Thursday night we had an NAACP meeting here at the church. The next day, in the morning, the pastor goes to his church and somebody just clean ran through his church yard, knocked his sign down, ran over back and forth on it with they truck, and just took off, you know. People report it to the police (laughs). What good they gonna do here, I don't know."
The majority of Jena's estimated 385 Black people live in an area of town known as Ward 10. Many homes there are trailers or wooden shacks. Rubbish lies in the streets. Only two Black families live in the all white middle class suburban area of Jena. An article in the Observer recounts how one of them bought a house: "A teacher from Jena High had enough money to buy his way in. But when he arrived local estate agents refused to show him a 'white' property even though several were advertised in the local paper ('they're all under contract,' the agents lied). The teacher eventually went to see one white owner and offered him cash. 'The guy preferred green [dollars] to Black, so I got the property,' laughed the teacher, 'but since we moved in three years ago we haven't been invited by a single neighbor.'"
The "white tree" stands in Jena, Louisiana today while entire neighborhoods and precious lives in the 9th ward of New Orleans are left wasting away, even as the more profitable and less Black areas of the city are rebuilt. It stands while a father, a mother, a fiancée, a child, and many friends are still feeling the devastating loss of Sean Bell who was murdered by the NYPD. It stands while the Rutgers University basketball team gets subjected to racist and sexist verbal assault from a national talk show host. While the N word is spouted with rage by a comedian.
In a world such as this, there's nothing left to do but pull this tree up by its roots and get rid of it for good.
Alice Woodward writes for Revolution.
For more on the Jena 6 visit Friends of Justice at http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/
On youtube.com, search for "Jena Six, A photo story."
July 10, 2007
White Supremacy and the Jena Six
Southern Discomfort
By ALICE WOODWARD
On a late summer day in 2006, in Jena, Louisiana, a Black high school student asked permission to sit beneath the "white tree" in front of the town's high school. It was unspoken law that this shady area was for whites only during school breaks. But a student asked, and the vice principal said nothing was stopping them. So Black students sat underneath the tree, challenging the established authority of segregation and racism. The next day, hanging from the tree, were three ropes, in school colors, each tied to make a noose.
The events set in motion by those nooses led to a schoolyard fight. And that fight led to the conviction, on June 28, 2007, of a Black student at Jena High School for charges that can bring up to 22 years in prison. Mychal Bell, a 16-year-old sophomore football star at the time he was arrested, was convicted by an all-white jury, without a single witness being called on his behalf. And five more Black students in Jena still face serious charges stemming from the fight.
* * *
Caseptla Bailey, a Black community leader and mother of one of the Black students, told the London Observer, "To us those nooses meant the KKK, they meant, 'Niggers, we're going to kill you, we're going to hang you till you die.'" The attack was brushed off as a "youthful stunt." The three white students responsible, given only three days of in-school suspension.
In response to the incident, several Black students, among them star players on the football team, staged a sit-in under the tree. The principal reacted by bringing in the white district attorney, Reed Walters, and 10 local police officers to an all-school assembly. Marcus Jones, Mychal Bell's father, described the assembly to Revolution:
"Now remember, with everything that goes on at Jena High School, everybody's separated. The only time when Black and white kids are together is in the classroom and when they playing sports together. During lunch time, Blacks sit on one side, whites sit on the other side of the cafeteria. During canteen time, Blacks sit on one side of the campus, whites sit on the other side of the campus.
"At any activity done in the auditorium-anything-Blacks sit on one side, whites on the other side, okay? The DA tells the principal to call the students in the auditorium. They get in there. The DA tells the Black students, he's looking directly at the Black students-remember, whites on one side, Blacks on the other side-he's looking directly at the Black students. He told them to keep their mouths shut about the boys hanging their nooses up. If he hears anything else about it, he can make their lives go away with the stroke of his pen."
DA Walters concluded that the students should "work it out on their own." Police officers roamed the halls of the school that week, and tensions simmered throughout the fall semester.
In November, as football season came to a close, the main school building was mysteriously burned to the ground. This traumatic event seemed to bring to the surface the boiling racial tensions in Jena.
On a Friday night, Robert Bailey, a 17-year-old Black student and football player, was invited to a dance at a hall considered to be "white." When he walked in, without warning he was punched in the face, knocked on the ground and attacked by a group of white youth. Only one of the white youth was arrested-he was ultimately given probation and asked to apologize.
The night after that, a 22-year-old white man, along with two friends, pulled a gun on Bailey and two of his friends at a local gas station. The Black youths wrestled the gun from him to prevent him from using it. They were arrested and charged with theft, and the white man went free.
The following Monday students returned to school. In the midst of a confrontation between a white student, Justin Barker, and a Black student, Robert Bailey-where Bailey was taunted for having been beaten up that weekend-a chaotic fray ensued. Barker was allegedly knocked down, punched, and kicked by a number of Black students. He was taken to the hospital for a few hours and was seen out socializing later that evening.
Six Black students-Robert Bailey Junior, Theo Shaw, Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis, Mychal Bell, and a still unidentified minor, allegedly the attackers of Justin Barker-were arrested, charged with attempted second degree manslaughter, and expelled from school.
White Supremacy Then and Now
This did not all happen in the "Red Summer" of 1919 when Jim Crow segregation thrived, and Blacks in major cities faced race riots that raged throughout the country. This did not occur in the 1950s after Brown vs. Board of Education was decided in 1954 and young children faced angry white mobs to make history in desegregating public schools. This did not happen in the summer of 1955 when, in Money, Mississippi, a vibrant Black youth by the name of Emmett Till was brutally murdered for whistling at a white woman. This did not occur in 1960, when on February 1 four Black college students sat in at a "white only" lunch counter, demanding service and launching the civil rights movement to another level. This did not happen during the period 1865 to 1965 during which 3,446 Black people were lynched in the United States.
This is now. When three white students in Jena committed this hate crime, hanging three nooses from the "white tree," they evoked the ugly history of slavery, segregation, lynching, and police brutality to threaten the lives of Black students at their school. The "white tree" stands in Jena, Louisiana. The Jena 6, as the Black students have come to be called, are in prison and on trial for defending themselves against white supremacist attacks.
The Jena 6 were arrested in December 2006. The outrageously high bail ranged from $70,000-$138,000, leaving most of them stuck in jail for months.
The first student to go to trial this June was Mychal Bell, who waited behind bars, unable to post bail. Like a scene from the Jim Crow South, he was judged by an all-white jury, in a courtroom run by a white judge. Whites sat with Justin Barker and his white lawyer on one side. Blacks sat with defendant Mychal Bell, who was represented by a court-appointed attorney.
The prosecutor called 16 witnesses, mostly white students. The court-appointed defense attorney called none. Accounts of the incident, who was involved, and who did what, vary highly, including whether Mychal Bell was the one who first punched Justin Barker. Barker's attorney argued that Bell's tennis shoes on his feet were a "dangerous weapon." The trial was so outrageous that when a Louisiana TV station polled viewers, 62% said that Mychal Bell was not getting a fair trial.
Mychal Bell was convicted of two felonies: aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery. He faces up to 22 years in prison. The remaining five defendants await their trials.
Standing Up to Racism
Few people in the United States have heard of the case of the Jena 6. But the trial was covered by the French newspaper Le Monde, and the BBC aired a documentary on the case. The London Observer reported on the Jena 6 story.
Family, friends, and supporters of the young men are protesting and struggling to free the Jena 6. The Black community in Jena and people from across Louisiana and Texas have come together to support the Jena 6 and fight the injustice of their trials. People have put their lives on hold, and churches have opened their doors. The Jena 6 and their supporters are defiant and continue to be under attack. Marcus Jones described the most recent event:
"Thursday night we had an NAACP meeting here at the church. The next day, in the morning, the pastor goes to his church and somebody just clean ran through his church yard, knocked his sign down, ran over back and forth on it with they truck, and just took off, you know. People report it to the police (laughs). What good they gonna do here, I don't know."
The majority of Jena's estimated 385 Black people live in an area of town known as Ward 10. Many homes there are trailers or wooden shacks. Rubbish lies in the streets. Only two Black families live in the all white middle class suburban area of Jena. An article in the Observer recounts how one of them bought a house: "A teacher from Jena High had enough money to buy his way in. But when he arrived local estate agents refused to show him a 'white' property even though several were advertised in the local paper ('they're all under contract,' the agents lied). The teacher eventually went to see one white owner and offered him cash. 'The guy preferred green [dollars] to Black, so I got the property,' laughed the teacher, 'but since we moved in three years ago we haven't been invited by a single neighbor.'"
The "white tree" stands in Jena, Louisiana today while entire neighborhoods and precious lives in the 9th ward of New Orleans are left wasting away, even as the more profitable and less Black areas of the city are rebuilt. It stands while a father, a mother, a fiancée, a child, and many friends are still feeling the devastating loss of Sean Bell who was murdered by the NYPD. It stands while the Rutgers University basketball team gets subjected to racist and sexist verbal assault from a national talk show host. While the N word is spouted with rage by a comedian.
In a world such as this, there's nothing left to do but pull this tree up by its roots and get rid of it for good.
Alice Woodward writes for Revolution.
For more on the Jena 6 visit Friends of Justice at http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/
On youtube.com, search for "Jena Six, A photo story."
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Clarity in midst of Mercury in Retrograde
Much has occurred since my last post. A close friend passed away, and I just completed a week long fast. The fast was done with a group, and it began and ended with a live food feast. During the fast, I gained the clarity and peace of mind to speak my mind about some things I had been holding in. I find that I am still growing (not a surprise), and I feel myself evolving as a person. I've become more aware of my thoughts and habits. I have always felt that words were sacred. I would notice how people would say things they don't mean, or state inaccuracies, and then expect you to know what they mean. I feel the purpose of language is communication, and if you are not being understood, then we need to find other ways to communicate. I think words reveal your thinking. We can't say something that isn't present in our minds, so I have become increasingly aware of the thoughts behind my words. We also create our expectations, so I am now learning to expect good things instead of anticipating the bad.
I took a quiz on being an introvert, and there's no doubt about it - I'm an introvert. I do find that extroverts are more respected. I have never been a "loud" person. I was always the quiet one who liked to find an unoccupied corner to write her thoughts or to just be alone. I value solitude as well as time with my friends and loved ones. It always seemed to me that the opinions of the introverts were unfair and untrue. I noticed that things that people made up what the didn't know about me - I have heard assumptions about me religion, diet, and even my temperament. Those who have actually gotten to know me think very differently than those who make those assumptions (ha ha). I am glad to say that I never thought there was anything wrong with being the introvert that I am :).
I am currently in a state of peace. I must say, that fasting and cleansing is great. I am still getting used to eating again, but I feel I will now eat better.
I took a quiz on being an introvert, and there's no doubt about it - I'm an introvert. I do find that extroverts are more respected. I have never been a "loud" person. I was always the quiet one who liked to find an unoccupied corner to write her thoughts or to just be alone. I value solitude as well as time with my friends and loved ones. It always seemed to me that the opinions of the introverts were unfair and untrue. I noticed that things that people made up what the didn't know about me - I have heard assumptions about me religion, diet, and even my temperament. Those who have actually gotten to know me think very differently than those who make those assumptions (ha ha). I am glad to say that I never thought there was anything wrong with being the introvert that I am :).
I am currently in a state of peace. I must say, that fasting and cleansing is great. I am still getting used to eating again, but I feel I will now eat better.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Scenerios
How do you respond to acts of cruelty that are accepted and considered normal? Suppose that it was normal and acceptable to kill human babies for food? Now imagine someone coming up to you and talking about how good they taste, and their friends join in the discussion about how much they like broiled baby or grilled infant salad. How do you think you would react? Would you be wrong to feel disgusted? Perhaps you used to eat them but have long chosen to stop. Should you say, "Well, it's their choice to eat babies. They are raised for that purpose." ?
Well, I am usually the one who listens to stuff like the above, except that the food subject is about non-human animals. Although I have been a vegan for some time, I am finding it harder to hear about animals used as food because I don't see them as food, just as most wouldn't consider human babies as food. I have been re-sensitized. I don't see a hamburger; I see an innocent peaceful creature that was hanged upside down and butchered while still conscious. I find nothing appealing about that. I've heard, "You don't know what you're missing." However, I do, and I don't miss it.
Now suppose you feel that it is wrong to torture people, and you mention it to someone. Everyone who likes to torture people will suddenly feel defensive around you and automatically feel you are judgemental. Does that make it true? No. You would suddenly become their mirror. Veganism is not extreme, but I think the opposite is. There is no non-speciesist way to justify why we use animals for every thing - food, entertainment, clothing, etc. The answers I hear revolve around human needs and desires with no consideration for the beings we use.
No behavior is isolated - violence to one is violence to all. I mean, killing is killing. If you can kill a horse, you can kill a human. I know many would disagree, but if you can tell yourself that one life is not significant, then you can say that about another. All you have to do is convince yourself that it is true. Not very long ago, the enslavement of my ancestors was justified the same way. People were convinced that enslaving, torturing, raping, and murdering other people was okay. Unfortunately, this is not just our past, it is our present. We have gotten so used to violence - in the news, in our movies, in our diets, and in our own neighborhoods, that it almost doesn't matter. I have decided to not get desensitized, but it is not an easy task. It is a survival mechanism, but no matter what happens, I am striving to recognize all life as precious.
Well, I am usually the one who listens to stuff like the above, except that the food subject is about non-human animals. Although I have been a vegan for some time, I am finding it harder to hear about animals used as food because I don't see them as food, just as most wouldn't consider human babies as food. I have been re-sensitized. I don't see a hamburger; I see an innocent peaceful creature that was hanged upside down and butchered while still conscious. I find nothing appealing about that. I've heard, "You don't know what you're missing." However, I do, and I don't miss it.
Now suppose you feel that it is wrong to torture people, and you mention it to someone. Everyone who likes to torture people will suddenly feel defensive around you and automatically feel you are judgemental. Does that make it true? No. You would suddenly become their mirror. Veganism is not extreme, but I think the opposite is. There is no non-speciesist way to justify why we use animals for every thing - food, entertainment, clothing, etc. The answers I hear revolve around human needs and desires with no consideration for the beings we use.
No behavior is isolated - violence to one is violence to all. I mean, killing is killing. If you can kill a horse, you can kill a human. I know many would disagree, but if you can tell yourself that one life is not significant, then you can say that about another. All you have to do is convince yourself that it is true. Not very long ago, the enslavement of my ancestors was justified the same way. People were convinced that enslaving, torturing, raping, and murdering other people was okay. Unfortunately, this is not just our past, it is our present. We have gotten so used to violence - in the news, in our movies, in our diets, and in our own neighborhoods, that it almost doesn't matter. I have decided to not get desensitized, but it is not an easy task. It is a survival mechanism, but no matter what happens, I am striving to recognize all life as precious.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Attachment
A friend of mine once asked me about avoiding attachment - specifically, attachment to a person. I don't remember exactly how I answered, but I now realize that there is a relationship between attachment and fear. I'm speaking of an unhealthy attachment. I think that an unhealthy attachment to a person is based on the fear of losing them. Of course, it can go deeper than that, and I could go into metaphysics, but I think we cling to what we are afraid to lose. We don't own other people - not our children, not our lovers, not our parents. If we truly love others, then we do not restrict them. True love is unconditional. It remains through arguments, betrayal, and misunderstandings. It lasts even if your love is not reciprocated. Love does not discriminate. It is also not the same as attachment. You can also avoid attachment by being independent. It is difficult not to be attached to someone you greatly depend upon. Sometimes the attachment is more about the feeling you get being around a person more than to the person. You don't want to stop feeling a particular way so you cling to the person. If you remember that nothing is permanent or guaranteed, and that everything changes, you'll know that a relationship can always change. However, if you fear losing it, you can bring your fears to life.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
The Inner Teacher
Many of us look to different spiritual teachers to teach us how to live. When I've talked to people about vegetarianism, there are arguments about Jesus eating fish or Buddha eating meat, but to me, that doesn't matter. They both had a message of peace and non-violence, and peace and non-violence is not happening when billions are being raped and murdered. Does it matter whether or not I am talking about I am speaking of humans or non-humans? No, either way, it's not right. I think we need to look at the divine within for answers. Many people can not watch acts of cruelty yet contribute to it every day. If you must turn away from something you consider horrific, something within you says that it is not right. You are hearing the compassion within. It takes courage to listen to your inner wisdom rather than do what everyone else is doing.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Horse Love
On my way to pick up my dry cleaned clothes, I saw a small crowd of people near two horses attended by policeman. I was strongly to drawn to the area to see the horses. They were in a grassy area by the metro station. Children coming from school, parents with children, and older adults were there hoping to pet them. I went straight over to the horse to my left. I put out my hand for her to smell. She approved and licked my hand. I said hello to her and stroked her head. I tried to move the hair from her eyes. She moved her head in protest, so I stopped. She seemed to like me though. The policeman called her Rosie. Others were petting her and in awe. The policeman was talking about her and to demonstrate that he could do it, he put his hand over her eye. I didn't like that even though he did it a couple of seconds. I looked into Rosie's eyes, and I felt she was sad. She didn't like the reigns attached to her, and I wished I could do something to help. I decided to visit the other horse who had the other policeman sitting on top of him. I didn't know the horse's name or gender, but I will refer to him as "he". I offered my hand for him to investigate and asked his permission to pet him. I don't know if he understood, but I got the impression that no one had ever asked for his permission. I stroked him a little while, and I could also see the sadness in his eyes. These horses touched my heart, and I longed to see them happy and running freely. I went to them to give them love, and show them someone cares. My feelings about animal abolition and animal exploitation were strengthened. I feel that animals exist for their own reasons and not for our pleasure or convenience.
As I walked home, I looked at the trees and thought of how huge they were. I thought that way about the horses. I have been a city dweller most of my life, so I don't get to interact with the animals my parents did when they were growing up. Thinking of the horses and the trees, I felt so small in comparison of those magnificent beings. The sky shows me how vast the earth is, and how we are a small part of it. The earth is alive. There is energy in the soil, the grass, the stones, and the plants. While I believe in respecting all sentient beings, I believe the earth feels our footsteps upon her. She feels our love, pain, and joy. We are all made of her elements. We can not survive without her. She is truly our mother that feeds us with her body.
As I walked home, I looked at the trees and thought of how huge they were. I thought that way about the horses. I have been a city dweller most of my life, so I don't get to interact with the animals my parents did when they were growing up. Thinking of the horses and the trees, I felt so small in comparison of those magnificent beings. The sky shows me how vast the earth is, and how we are a small part of it. The earth is alive. There is energy in the soil, the grass, the stones, and the plants. While I believe in respecting all sentient beings, I believe the earth feels our footsteps upon her. She feels our love, pain, and joy. We are all made of her elements. We can not survive without her. She is truly our mother that feeds us with her body.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Purpose
The purpose of this blog is to be an outlet for my self-expression. In the beginning, the purpose was to share thoughts of metaphysical nature. However, it has now become an outlet for my observations of humanity, a place to share my poetry (a big step for me), and a place to have voice. My poetry is often dark, introspective, and brutally honest. I write for myself then I make it available for others to see. If I wrote with an audience in mind, I wouldn't be as open and honest. I feel that most of us are afraid of the truth - the truth of who we are and how we really feel. We mask our true feelings until we don't recognize them for what they are. We hide from things we don't want to see until we no longer see them, whether it is a homeless person we pass on the street or the faces and suffering behind the food on our plates. This is a place for honesty. Of course, there is some restraint. Although I can have quite a colorful vocabulary, the colors will not be so bright here :). Anyway, the point is that I am drawn to going below the surface and looking deeper. Personally, I have many layers, and one could spend a lifetime trying to peel them. I rarely share my thoughts and feelings with others. Some would say I'm "quiet", while some may think I never shut up. LOL. I don't want to bring anyone down with what I write. I love my fellow earthlings :)!
Understanding for the Misunderstood
I know what it’s like feel invisible
To speak and not be heard
To be dismissed and ignored
I know what it’s like to feel like a freak
Because no else believes as you do
Or sees as you do
Feels as you do
I know what it’s like to be angry at the world
To feel that love and compassion is gone
Because there is so much confusion, hatred and violence
I know how it feels
To be a stranger in this world
To wonder if you belong here
Why you belong here
To disappear because no one sees you
To lose your voice because no one hears you
You want to shake the world by its shoulders
You want to scream your repressed truth
You want to heal and love the forgotten
You want to be understood
You are not alone
To speak and not be heard
To be dismissed and ignored
I know what it’s like to feel like a freak
Because no else believes as you do
Or sees as you do
Feels as you do
I know what it’s like to be angry at the world
To feel that love and compassion is gone
Because there is so much confusion, hatred and violence
I know how it feels
To be a stranger in this world
To wonder if you belong here
Why you belong here
To disappear because no one sees you
To lose your voice because no one hears you
You want to shake the world by its shoulders
You want to scream your repressed truth
You want to heal and love the forgotten
You want to be understood
You are not alone
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Self Destruction
I was reading this article http://www.pacificfreepress.com/content/view/1175/81/, and I thought about how I've been feeling for years - It may take a major disaster to open the eyes of human beings. We have gotten so far away from nature that we don't even think of how our actions affect other beings. Speciesism is destroying us. Although is very important that bees are dying, I think this issue has gotten attention only because bees are our slaves. We use them for honey, and if there isn't any honey, someone won't be making money. We think of a species' importance is based on our direct dependence on them. As the article mentions, all species are interdependent, but we don't always make the connection. Human beings seem to think everything exists for their use/enjoyment. We have lost the connection with nature and our environment, so when something happens that we don't like, we have no idea why it happened. These are some of the things human beings do:
- We feed our babies the milk of other species and continue to feed it to them after they should have weaned and we drink it too
- Kill BILLIONS of animals for no f**king reason other than they "taste good"
- Torture the animals we kill, and force them to live unnatural lives that deny them basic needs like sunshine, the need to move, and companionship
- Rape the earth of her resources to make our toys (cars or whatever) run
- Genetically modify and engineer plants without wanting to notify the public and without consideration to how other species are affected
- Put money above everything, including the truth
- Get so disconnected from our bodies that we don't believe our emotions affect our health
- Dissect everything including our food so we don't even think of whole foods. We think of proteins, carbs, calcium, etc.
- Take manufactured drugs to repress our symptoms of sickness rather than allow our bodies to purge and heal themselves
You know, this list could go on forever. However, the point is we humans end up hurting ourselves and others the more we distance ourselves from nature.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Life and Death
Two people I know have recently died from breast cancer. I didn't know either of these women very well, but I knew their faces, their voices, and their spirits. I didn't know they had cancer until they died. As I look at the program from the funeral of the one who most recently died, I ask myself, what would anyone write about my life? What am I doing? How am I affecting my community? My contributions to this world can not be seen easily. I haven't created any organizations; I'm not a member of any churches or any spiritual organization; I'm not even doing much in my neighborhood. Am I doing enough in this life to make a difference in other lives?
Another thing about the deaths of these two women is that they seemed very health conscious. Why are so many health conscious people dying? I wonder sometimes if it is over commitment. I am normally a healthy person, but as I am currently recovering from a cold, I realize how slow the healing process has been. I haven't been at home resting like a good girl. I was out doing laundry and buying groceries, and yesterday I went to dance class and washed my hair. Not only that, I had to deal with stress. This is how I got sick in the first place - not getting enough rest or taking care of myself. I know people with such big hearts. They give so much of themselves to others, but seldom have time to give energy to themselves. Sometimes I am one of those people, and I try not to make commitments unless I truly feel I can follow through.
I think people also harbor negative thoughts and emotions that become cancerous. Have you ever met someone that had emotions stuck in their body? It is difficult to describe, but I've seen it. Unresolved issues and unexpressed feelings have nowhere to go, so they build up inside of us and become poisons. If you are reading this and that sounds familiar, don't let this happen to you. Take stress seriously. Speak your truth. You are important.
Another thing about the deaths of these two women is that they seemed very health conscious. Why are so many health conscious people dying? I wonder sometimes if it is over commitment. I am normally a healthy person, but as I am currently recovering from a cold, I realize how slow the healing process has been. I haven't been at home resting like a good girl. I was out doing laundry and buying groceries, and yesterday I went to dance class and washed my hair. Not only that, I had to deal with stress. This is how I got sick in the first place - not getting enough rest or taking care of myself. I know people with such big hearts. They give so much of themselves to others, but seldom have time to give energy to themselves. Sometimes I am one of those people, and I try not to make commitments unless I truly feel I can follow through.
I think people also harbor negative thoughts and emotions that become cancerous. Have you ever met someone that had emotions stuck in their body? It is difficult to describe, but I've seen it. Unresolved issues and unexpressed feelings have nowhere to go, so they build up inside of us and become poisons. If you are reading this and that sounds familiar, don't let this happen to you. Take stress seriously. Speak your truth. You are important.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Full View
I can’t hide in full view
No privacy
No solace
I just want to walk into a corner
And disappear into the shadows
My pain has nowhere to go
So it settles in my body; on my face
And I have to lift my eyes to greet you
The healer needs healing
But everyone is needy
The patients are pulling
They need interaction, attention
Something
I can’t hide now
I have an image to maintain
Not one I asked for, but one I was given
But my muscles can’t move my lips to smile
Sadness becomes resentment
Resentment becomes anger
And it has nowhere to go
So it settles in my body and becomes poison
And I have to lift my eyes to greet you
No privacy
No solace
I just want to walk into a corner
And disappear into the shadows
My pain has nowhere to go
So it settles in my body; on my face
And I have to lift my eyes to greet you
The healer needs healing
But everyone is needy
The patients are pulling
They need interaction, attention
Something
I can’t hide now
I have an image to maintain
Not one I asked for, but one I was given
But my muscles can’t move my lips to smile
Sadness becomes resentment
Resentment becomes anger
And it has nowhere to go
So it settles in my body and becomes poison
And I have to lift my eyes to greet you
Monday, March 26, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Elitism
One of my pet peeves/blatant dislikes is elitism. Since I have worked so many years in positions of service, I have seen a lot of it. Job positions to me are superficial. I don't think most people enjoy the work they do. I think most people work and tolerate the job or learn to love it. Of course, there are many exceptions, but the bottom line is that your job does not define who you are. We are human beings, and we need to treat each other as such, and connect on a human level. I tend to disconnect my personal life and professional life, and I prefer it that way at least for now. There is no doubt that my personal values have come in to play at work, or that those values have influenced others, but I create a barrier so that I do not take work home with me. Some people really believe that their job titles or the amount of money they make means they should be treated better than others. Regardless of your rank or whatever, whenever we are all stripped to our cores, aren't we all the same?
Friday, March 16, 2007
Fast for Thought
Today is my fifth day fasting. It is an interesting experience - almost like meditating. One can be in a seated meditation when thoughts try to work their way in. You have to let them come and go instead of fighting them. As I fast, thoughts of food come and go, but I know continuing to do this will benefit me greatly. I am already half-way through! Just meditation helps to clear the mind, I am looking clear my body of waste and food addictions (I have a wicked sweet tooth). You come out of both more peaceful than when you began.
As I've researched ancient African history, especially Kemet, I've wondered how we can get past the illusion of race. We've all become so divided. The human race is one, but because we've been categorized by races, we have become divided and don't trust one another. Don't get me wrong, I understand the reason for the distrust - fact being distorted by one race to appear more superior than another, genocide/ethnic cleansing, etc. It still goes on today. Eventually though, we need to get past all of this - we need to come together and stop the bullshit (excuse my English). I understand that people are trying protect their traditions, especially the ones stolen from them. I am one of those people who wants learn her history and keep (good) traditions alive. However, we all need to heal. We shouldn't ignore our currently reality; racism, classism, castes, even speciesism exists, but we can change our thinking. We don't have to participate in the ignorance.
As I've researched ancient African history, especially Kemet, I've wondered how we can get past the illusion of race. We've all become so divided. The human race is one, but because we've been categorized by races, we have become divided and don't trust one another. Don't get me wrong, I understand the reason for the distrust - fact being distorted by one race to appear more superior than another, genocide/ethnic cleansing, etc. It still goes on today. Eventually though, we need to get past all of this - we need to come together and stop the bullshit (excuse my English). I understand that people are trying protect their traditions, especially the ones stolen from them. I am one of those people who wants learn her history and keep (good) traditions alive. However, we all need to heal. We shouldn't ignore our currently reality; racism, classism, castes, even speciesism exists, but we can change our thinking. We don't have to participate in the ignorance.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
A Splinter in My Mind
Do you ever get the feeling that something is terribly wrong with the world? I do. I've been getting that feeling for most, if not all of my life.
A lot has gone through my mind this morning. It started with listening to a Sistah Vegan podcast. There was mention of a rehabilitation program for troubled youth that placed the children on a vegan diet for six weeks. The children's grades improved, they were calmer, and less tired. It makes sense to me that a program like that should be funded if it benefits the health and well-being of young people, so why wasn't it? Why is it that our "educated" society is so illogical?
I want talk about education for a minute. When people talk about getting an education, they mean an institutional education. They mean going to place that trains you in particular subjects then gives you a piece of paper that says you know what you've studied. However, that does not mean that you have common sense. It doesn't even know that you know what you've studied. How many people with a high school diploma remember everything from high school? Some people just get through it. Also, where does this education come from? Are we truly learning facts, or are we learning regurgitated BS? Who decided that there were four food groups and the meat and dairy had to be a part of it? Why wasn't TRUE American history taught? Why do some black people believe that our history began with slavery? I have spent a lot my adult life re-learning. I will spend the rest of my life as a student of life. A lot of so-called educated people are just now learning what the "uneducated" have been tell them for years.
Our "educated" society is not smart enough to realize the breast feeding is natural, that testing harmful chemicals on animals is not necessary to know that it will hurt humans (I could go on about that), and that harming our planet harms us all.
A lot has gone through my mind this morning. It started with listening to a Sistah Vegan podcast. There was mention of a rehabilitation program for troubled youth that placed the children on a vegan diet for six weeks. The children's grades improved, they were calmer, and less tired. It makes sense to me that a program like that should be funded if it benefits the health and well-being of young people, so why wasn't it? Why is it that our "educated" society is so illogical?
I want talk about education for a minute. When people talk about getting an education, they mean an institutional education. They mean going to place that trains you in particular subjects then gives you a piece of paper that says you know what you've studied. However, that does not mean that you have common sense. It doesn't even know that you know what you've studied. How many people with a high school diploma remember everything from high school? Some people just get through it. Also, where does this education come from? Are we truly learning facts, or are we learning regurgitated BS? Who decided that there were four food groups and the meat and dairy had to be a part of it? Why wasn't TRUE American history taught? Why do some black people believe that our history began with slavery? I have spent a lot my adult life re-learning. I will spend the rest of my life as a student of life. A lot of so-called educated people are just now learning what the "uneducated" have been tell them for years.
Our "educated" society is not smart enough to realize the breast feeding is natural, that testing harmful chemicals on animals is not necessary to know that it will hurt humans (I could go on about that), and that harming our planet harms us all.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Love Masquerade
I look into the faces of so many who are desperate, longing for love. I see relationships based on need fulfillment and fear masquerading as love. I have been offered this kind of "love" many times. I have received marriage proposals that were based on sexual attraction or a desire for me to bear their children. I have experienced unhealthy attachments (again, need fulfillment issues) masquerading as love. I have experienced shallow exchanges that look like love but barely touch my core.
Human beings are such strong yet fragile creatures. We've been through so much pain, and we seek solace in each other. Often we seek a human vessel in which we can pour the love we want to give. We save it so long for "the one" that when find someone who accepts us, we cling to them desperately. Sex connects regardless of your opinion of it. Some people use sex to create the connection they don't have. Everytime there is a fear of separation, they start to cling desperately to the other and use sex to feel closer to the other person. I see this as fear; not love.
Relationships are great opportunities for growth, but there is great value in solitude as well. Knowledge of self prepares us for great relationships.
Human beings are such strong yet fragile creatures. We've been through so much pain, and we seek solace in each other. Often we seek a human vessel in which we can pour the love we want to give. We save it so long for "the one" that when find someone who accepts us, we cling to them desperately. Sex connects regardless of your opinion of it. Some people use sex to create the connection they don't have. Everytime there is a fear of separation, they start to cling desperately to the other and use sex to feel closer to the other person. I see this as fear; not love.
Relationships are great opportunities for growth, but there is great value in solitude as well. Knowledge of self prepares us for great relationships.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Sadness and Sensitivity
I woke up this morning feeling sad. Perhaps it was due to my research last night on birds that have recently fallen out of the sky for no apparent reason. This morning I read about dolphins that have turned up dead. I'm disturbed about this and the fact that it's not big news.
I'm finding that my sensitivity to vibration is making my job a lot less than tolerable. I feel terribly sad that I can not explain how I feel without sounding crazy. No one else at my job notices the things that I do, and I don't know if there is a solution other than leaving my job for another one. On a daily basis, my head aches, I feel disoriented, and my emotions are imbalanced. Now I can't help but to wear my feelings on my face. How do I survive in this world without losing my mind?
I'm finding that my sensitivity to vibration is making my job a lot less than tolerable. I feel terribly sad that I can not explain how I feel without sounding crazy. No one else at my job notices the things that I do, and I don't know if there is a solution other than leaving my job for another one. On a daily basis, my head aches, I feel disoriented, and my emotions are imbalanced. Now I can't help but to wear my feelings on my face. How do I survive in this world without losing my mind?
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