Peter Singer

Most people think of non-human animals as lesser beings based solely on their level of intelligence. A lot of people feel differently. I am one of them. I believe all living beings should enjoy life and that that that is our purpose for being here. Life is the pursuit of happiness. Finding one's inner peace should be a universal right. We are not designed for pain and suffering, and neither are other animals. It is beyond my rational logic that anyone finds it acceptable to mistreat another being, of any kind, especially based on the thought that that being is not smart enough to know any better. If pain and anxiety are felt then that is what is understood. Unhappiness is known. The reasoning behind such suffering may eternally remain a mystery to the sufferer. That sufferer won't understand that it is being denied it's birth given rights to happiness because it tastes good on a bun. Any form of purposeful mistreatment toward another living creature is a sin. If you must kill to eat, do it quickly and in the least painful manor possible. Do not raise another life for the sole purpose of killing it unless you are going to give it the freedom to live out it's life time happily. These are my beliefs. It took me much longer than I would have liked to realize that by eating factory farmed meat and dairy products I was condoning these sins.

My good friend Terry Brown sent me a link to a Charlie Rose interview. The subject of her email simply said "Listen". So, I did. I listened to Charlie Rose talk with Australian Philosopher and Princeton Bioethics Professor Peter Singer. He's fascinating. Singer is very well known, and very controversial, for his views on abortion, speciesism, and euthanasia. Peter Singer became a megaphone for the animal liberation movement with his 1975 book Animal Liberation. As I listened to Peter Singer speak about ones given rights being based on ones ability to feel pain rather than on ones intellect I became excited! Hearing my own true beliefs described so eloquently was fulfilling for me. I love deep thinking and extremely compassionate people. Peter Singer is both. He went on about his ideas of religion and compassionate suicide. He makes some valid and caring points. His own mother is on her death bed. He has said that if it were up to him alone she would not be alive now, but instead at peace. He has a sister who doesn't share his view points so his mother is still alive and suffering, and Peter Singer is helping pay the bill. He has admitted to not living up to all of his own standards especially when it comes to charitable giving. He donates 25% of all his earnings to UNICEF but says he could and should give more. He states that not giving what you have beyond your needs to others living below their needs is like helping contribute to their decline. I have mixed opinions on this subject. Although I believe in charity and helping anyone in need to get themselves back on track, I do not believe in continuous handouts. I feel such systems create laziness and a level of expected donation.

The point is is that Peter Singer is a living Philosopher tackling issues of our time. He spends his life studying us and the way we live. We can learn a lot from his theories or at least bring some excellent questions upon ourselves which usually leads to growing as a person. Peter Singer is definitely someone to add to your informative source list. I need to delve deeper into his philosophies on assisted suicide, abortion, and charitable giving before stating that I totally agree with everything he says, but from what I've gathered through the below listed links I'm very interested to hear and read more especially on his animal rights ideas. I know why Terry sent me the link now. She knows how I feel about animals, and life in general. Thanks Terry B. :>

Info Links:

Interview with Charlie Rose
Interview with Ronald Bailey
Article by Paul Shapiro
Article by Donald Demarco
Utilitarian

It ain't easy going VEGAN!

It's been a few months since I started trying to eliminate all dairy and eggs from my vegetarian diet. I'm having some trouble! It's not that eating vegan foods is difficult, I've been turned on to some really great dishes and products. The problem is turning down food that others prepare for me. I don't want to be a pain in the rear. I feel like my eating habits are already annoying to other people. I have several food allergies and I always get phone calls when I'm invited to functions that go something like this "now what is it you're allergic to? ... Oh, raw garlic, sesame, white grapes, barley, mangos, AND CHOCOLATE, etc. etc. etc... Oh... AND you're a vegetarian?!" I hate making other people go out of their way to accomodate me. Some people are so nice about it but I can tell some others just don't get it. It's okay though. I live and eat the way I do for a good purpose. I love it when someone realizes how easy it is to actually be a vegetarian. I'd like to say that about Veganism too.
I've found I have to think about what is in everything like the bread, and pie crust even if it's a fruit pie. I gave myself this rule that I would eat vegan and shop vegan when doing so for myself, but when I ate what others had prepared I would go ahead and eat milk and eggs. The problem is I wanted to make this big meaningful change in my life and I feel guilty or like I'm cheating when I eat the dairy and egg products. It's a tough line. I think I'm still headed in the right direction. Someone told me it takes a transitional period to go totally vegan. I just wanted to do it Cold Faux Turkey, ya know.
I'll report back on this in a month or so and see how I'm doing then.

I'm off to make myself something I don't feel bad about right now.

:> Mary

5-H

This is just one of the uber cool shirts you can buy from Animal Place Store as a donation to the cause!
Animal Place is an animal sanctuary in California that takes in abused farm animals. Horses, pigs, goats, cows, and other mistreated critters get a second chance to live the life they were born to live if they are lucky enough to end up at Animal Place. The rescue mission of Animal Place is wonderful in itself but that's not all the good they are doing! They also run a campaign called 5-H which encourages kids in the 4-H program to add a 5th H for Humane Choices.
"The 5-H program offers kids involved in 4-H a unique opportunity to truly reach their full potential as caring human beings, which is essentially the goal of 4-H. The difference is that the kids will have an opportunity to extend this level of care to include the farmed animals they are raising. Those animals whom they have cared for since birth and grown to love will not have to be subjected to the ultimate betrayal of trust by being sold for slaughter. The kids will not have to continue the process of desensitization which makes the betrayal easier each year. They can continue to develop loyalty, trust, compassion, empathy—the very traits that are so critical to a child’s (and an adult’s) character and which are integral to the programs offered by 4-H that do not involve the raising and killing of animals. "

I think it's very important to teach children about where their food comes from at a young age so they will grow up to make smarter and more humane choices. I doubt many kids understand how a chicken ends up as a nugget on their lunch tray! I know I didn't have a clue. I explain my vegetarian lifestyle to my nephews. They are all 9 and younger. They still have to eat what their parents put on their plates and I respect that, but I also answer their questions honestly. I am interested to see what choices they will make for themselves later on down the road. I can see compassion in their futures based on their curiosity and love for animals. I hope my crystal ball is right!

My friend Shaun is a vegetarian and has been for a very long time. Her whole family is. I wish mine was. She has a 1 year old and a 10 year old that she is raising to be kind to the earth and all it's creatures. He daughter Carrington has held several bake sales at First Friday's Art Walk in Richmond to raise hundreds of dollars to donate towards humane animal causes. I think that's great! :> This world needs more Mom's like Shaun Aigner Lee! She's amazing.