tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post1380643578832699041..comments2023-10-09T10:01:36.670-04:00Comments on Legal Foie Gras: Letter to the Editor of Time Magazine - Help!Lizzie Vonhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16151594438246859105noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-17667325211302850312008-09-25T20:04:00.000-04:002008-09-25T20:04:00.000-04:00"They step over homeless neighbors with great ease..."They step over homeless neighbors with great ease, while suggesting we boycott Korea because they eat dogs."<BR/><BR/>Not all of us "step over homeless with great ease", the ones that do usually have similar attitudes towards stray animals.<BR/><BR/>"Several Quakers wanted to add vegetarianism to our advices (as close to rules as Quakers come... ) I reminded them that the benches in our Meetinghouse, as well as our Meetinghouse was built on Nantucket and Bedford Whale Oil"<BR/><BR/>Certainly something to be proud of. The pre-civil war southern economy was built on slave labor, which does not justify it. Every henious cruelty that's legal to inflict on animals is a felony (sometimes punishable by death) if done to a human. Every conceivable misfortune that may befall a human has a dozen non-profit groups and substantial government funds at the ready, while the animals suffer in silence, outside the realm of public concern. For example: <BR/><BR/>The number of animals killed for fur in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to the human population of Illinois.<BR/> <BR/>The number of animals killed in experimentation in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to the human population of Texas.<BR/><BR/>The number of mammals and birds farmed and slaughtered in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to one and two-thirds the entire human population of Earth.<BR/><BR/>As if the suffering of God's creatures on a massive scale somehow benefits "the homeless". Meat and dairy consumption has been shown in nutritional study after study to contribute to every thing from cancer and heart disease to diabetes and osteoporosis. A report release on November 19, 2006 by the United Nations (FAO) called Live Stock's Long Shadow determined that raising animals for food generates about 40% more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, ships and planes in the world combined. 67% of US grain in this country is used to feed livestock and 70% of Africa's grain is shipped to Europe to feed livestock. Farm animals consume one half of the earth's water supply. Furthermore, unlike the more obvious "homeless"; factory farms, fur ranches, etc., are strictly zoned so as not to bother "consumers" with the (unappetizing) sights and smells (and screams) of slaughter. That privilege is reserved for the slave labor underclass you care so much for (and who often risk life and limb for your steak dinner!) Assembly lines go extremely fast; so much so that animals are often not dead before they begin the butchering process. Workers cut themselves, slip on slick, blood soaked floors, etc. (Can't waste time in these places!) However, at least they are not "homeless"; that is until they get too injured to work. In this case, they are often let go without pay or medical attention. <BR/><BR/>As a quaker, you are surely aware of your religion's long history of activism championing the weak, defenseless and voiceless. I am surprised at your apparent pride in your cynicism and apathy. In the 1790's, there was a small and much ridiculed movement afoot in England to extend the concept of rights to women. At that time, the social hierarchy began with educated white landowning male humans and descended past women and non-Europeans down to the "brutes" or animals. The first really circulated published text on the matter was "A Vindication of the Rights of Women," by Mary Wollstonecraft (popularly dubbed "that monster in petticoats"). Hilarity abounded in response to her outrageous suggestions regarding American women (that they might enjoy rights under the law). One famous cartoon of the day depicted a woman standing in line at a voting booth behind a donkey. (har har!) The rhetoric of the anti-animal rights movement also mimics that of the anti-abolitionists. Tract after tract during that period refers to the "obvious" argument that white humans are more valuable than blacks due to "superior intelligence," "more highly developed social structures," and "more complex consciousness." Advocates of humane laws regarding slavery, or its abolition; were labeled the 18th and 19th century equivalent of "crackpot" and "psycho" (as virtually all new proponents of widening the circle of compassion and rights are). The most tired and ridiculous rhetoric of those who stand against the expansion on of our circle of compassion and rights is schoolyard logic. "If he cares more about blacks then we do, he must care less about whites! or "He's not just a slave-lover, he's a white-hater!" Typical reactions to the daring claim that non-European humans deserved minimal rights under English and American law were; ridicule, contempt and attempts to shame the humane advocate into rejoining the backwards thinking of the majority.<BR/><BR/>What is remarkable about the anti-animal rights movement is how small and exclusive a group it is. They quote each other, reference each others' "studies", etc. in order to prop up each other's weak, immoral arguments. I am fairy certain this "college student" blogger works for the National Animal Interest Alliance and is probably Patti Strand. All motives are suspiciously "political", complaints are "extremism" and activism is "terrorism". The ones carrying rifles, bows, arrows, whips, air guns, electric prods, knives, razor blades and steel leg traps and profiting from animal commerce; pretend to be appalled by animal extremism(!) Yep, sounds very familiar.<BR/><BR/>If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow men. St. Francis of Assisi<BR/><BR/>Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission to be of service to them whenever they require it. St. Francis of Assisi<BR/><BR/>I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat, for the wild animals I have provided grass and leafy plants. Genesis 1:29Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-69448035735313293092008-02-13T03:31:00.000-05:002008-02-13T03:31:00.000-05:00I freakin love foie! I would bath in the fatty go...I freakin love foie! I would bath in the fatty goodness if I could. Someone should open a vegetarian restaurant and serve foie in place of tofu without telling anyone...I bet the crunchers would be lining up out the door for a bite of delicious "tofoie"....little would they know. (insert evil laugh here)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-60972868658919841112007-10-16T12:52:00.000-04:002007-10-16T12:52:00.000-04:00liver lover your an abomination."Foie Gras" is jus...liver lover your an abomination.<BR/><BR/>"Foie Gras" is just the most blatand and disgusting example of american greediness. If you all want to talk about war and casulties, thats cool but you need to remember mor animals die miserable deaths every year for our enjoyment than any amout of people ever died in any war or ever war put together.<BR/><BR/>And if you want to get philosophical with me then think about this:its the same attitude that lets us think everything and everyone was put on this earth for our use that makes us capable of torturing animals into "delicasies" and torturning humans into telling us the things that will get us mroe oil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-32201144859907380592007-10-16T09:45:00.000-04:002007-10-16T09:45:00.000-04:00To Anonymous:It's funny that you would call Liz a ...To Anonymous:<BR/>It's funny that you would call Liz a freak. Her blog is not dedicated<BR/>to slaughter, it's dedicated to information. <BR/><BR/>Do a Google search on "foie gras" and most of what you will find is<BR/>hysterical animal rights activist websites, complete with pleas for<BR/>you<BR/>to get involved. They have certainly dedicated a huge amount of time,<BR/>energy and money to convincing the public that foie gras is an<BR/>abomination. Now that may be a little freaky. <BR/><BR/>It seems to me that Liz is simply offering a place to counter the<BR/>dominant voice on a legal, mainstream agricultural product. Since it<BR/>appears you would rather insult people, and cast blame wildly (do you<BR/>really think this blogger is slaughtering ducks?!?), perhaps you should<BR/><BR/>be posting on the type of blog that encourages that kind of limited<BR/>thinking. <BR/><BR/>Try one of the many blogs that are leading an American public who<BR/>cannot think for themselves right down a path to politically correct,<BR/>legally-enforced veganism for all. They need your brand of<BR/>close-minded, poorly spelled, and utterly useless comment. The<BR/>discussion here seems to be thoughtful and rational.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-5313015945141083042007-10-15T11:17:00.000-04:002007-10-15T11:17:00.000-04:00Thank you for your comments, Lorcan. Many American...Thank you for your comments, Lorcan. <BR/><BR/>Many Americans seem to be a bit hypocritical about death. We will go to war, we will drag our feet on humanitarian aid, we will, as you said, step over the homeless, and STILL try to ban foie gras. Kindness to animals does not also equal kindness to humans. <BR/><BR/>In addition, as Americans, we are divorced from where our food, and many other products, come from. I grew up on a farm. I know about animals and death. I know that in order for me to live, another has to die. A lot of people I know just close their eyes to this and blindly buy the grocery store shrink wrapped hamburger meat which probably just grows on trees.<BR/><BR/>And since we, as a culture, do not really know where our food comes from, we are horrified when we find out - "Oh my! Those poor animals!" Foie gras is easy to pick on. There are only three small foie gras farms in the US - an easy target and an easy win for animal rights activists who'd have us all eating tofu and beans.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for reminding your fellow Quakers of your heritage. You may also tell them that even if they live as vegtarians, they will still be responsible for the deaths of animals. Have you ever seen a feild churned up for planting? The creatures who live there - rabbits, moles, worms, and countless others - die terrible deaths. <BR/><BR/>Nothing is easy. We have to live with this. The best way to do it is to be informed. That's what I am trying to do here.<BR/><BR/>Again, thanks for your discussion. I hope you'll be back.Lizzie Vonhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151594438246859105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-59321250140474128162007-10-15T10:22:00.000-04:002007-10-15T10:22:00.000-04:00oh great, let's just round up all the baby whales ...oh great, let's just round up all the baby whales and ducks and dogs and veal-calves and send them to iraq, then. <BR/><BR/>Absurd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-61924995877083802222007-10-13T18:06:00.000-04:002007-10-13T18:06:00.000-04:00Hi Liz:I've noticed thy fois gras comments on our ...Hi Liz:<BR/><BR/>I've noticed thy fois gras comments on our mutual friend Amanda's blog. Rather found of it myself... I agree, in the US folks are rather odd about food. They step over homeless neighbors with great ease, while suggesting we boycott Korea because they eat dogs. Several Quakers wanted to add vegetarianism to our advices (as close to rules as Quakers come... ) I reminded them that the benches in our Meetinghouse, as well as our Meetinghouse was built on Nantucket and Bedford Whale Oil, taken by ships of the Quaker owned fleet, Howland Brothers.<BR/><BR/>Yum<BR/><BR/>Lorcan<BR/>PS Not to mention some Americans (no doupt they seem not to be proud enough to sign their names...) who write nasty things to folks who eat meat - they should spend more time considering the tens of thousands their nation slaughters with bombs their tax money buys...Lorcanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208822060675734892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-6799210081140990432007-10-13T16:01:00.000-04:002007-10-13T16:01:00.000-04:00what kind of freak are you to make a whole blog ju...what kind of freak are you to make a whole blog just dedicated to the evil wasteful slaughter of animals? This a SHAMEFUL and DISCUSTING page of lies. <BR/><BR/>I hope all the foi grass you eat makes you fat, and that you die alone obese and afraid just like all those poor ducks your sending off to die.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6695043468542242349.post-12175120323577085522007-10-13T14:29:00.000-04:002007-10-13T14:29:00.000-04:00Foie Gras creme brulee? Hmm. Yick. I was going to ...Foie Gras creme brulee? Hmm. Yick. <BR/><BR/>I was going to say something naughty about ducks not having a gag reflex but I won't. It's a new fact for me, though. Thanks.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04944788955150864371noreply@blogger.com