On Why Poor Kids Eat More Meat, Veganism and the Death Penalty
I had a bit of a stream of consciousness morning, with a handful of ideas swirling around in my head.
First, I’ve always wanted to share some of the interesting and often hilarious strings of words people use to search Google and end up at my site. For instance, every single day, I still get at least one person who searched using "i play with my poops in the toilet." For your personal edification, Clorox has changed its commercial several times, and the poops (which was really "boats") is gone, but in all versions, the pig remains.
Today’s Google query was "how many fish does a vegan eat each year?" And in the event the enquirer is reading this post, the answer is zero. Vegans, by definition, do not eat sentient beings, and fish are sentient beings.
While I’m on the topic of what a vegan is, I recently started volunteering at a sea turtle hospital and rehabilitation center on the beach. I basically clean tanks and vacuum up turtle poop all afternoon. It’s truly delightful. I bought a couple of books from the gift shop, including Sea Turtles, An Ecological Guide, by David Gulko and Karen Eckert. It’s hugely entertaining, colorful and informative. Here’s my only problem, so far. Of the handful of species of sea turtles, one, the green sea turtle (and with names like Kemp’s ridleys, leatherbacks, hawksbills and loggerheads, green seems a bit of an underachiever as a moniker) eats only plants as an adult and is called a "vegan turtle" (40). Because of the fun and cheeky nature of the book, I wonder if that’s a joke. Isn’t vegan supposed to imply lifestyle choices? Does the green turtle make some kind of choices I should be aware of outside the realm of food to intentionally exclude animal products?
And while I’m thinking about choices, check this one out. According to Harper’s Index for January 2008 (for which the source is the USDA):
Average amount of meat, in pounds, consumed by a wealthy US child each week: 1.7
Average consumed by a poor US child: 2.1
I find that offensive. Our government that feigns an interest in capitalism, enables industries that produce the unhealthiest of foods to do so at the lowest price points. I spend $300 a week on fresh food for two adults. There is nothing processed in there, there’s no corn, there are no genetically-modified soybean products and everything is organic. My blood pressure is 80/50, my heart rate is 52 and I’m fit. But none of that would be true without my food choices. We live in a country that physically abuses its poor (creating the perfect environment for obesity, diabetes, and other health problems) through nutrient-lacking food and substandard healthcare choices, and that’s embarrassing.
And while I’m on the topic of embarrassing: the death penalty. New Jersey has approved the abolition of the death penalty, but apparently because the cost of keeping an inmate on death row for a year is $72,602, rather than the $40,121 it costs to keep him (yes, they’re usually men) in the general prison population. (Um, ethics discussion, anyone?)
Here’s where my mind finally ended its whirlwind journey of connections this morning. My objection to capital punishment is a moral one. I do not think it is right–and in fact I think it’s absurd–to send the message that we think certain kinds of murder are so bad that we’ll kill you if you commit them. Whether or not the guilty parties suffer as their lives are being ended by the state is immaterial to the issue of morality of the act of ending their lives. If indeed they suffer, and we could develop some kind of technology that would guarantee they wouldn’t suffer, why would I actively support the development of such technology? Why would I spend my precious time, energy and money campaigning for an allegedly cruelty-free death penalty when what I really believe is that claiming that taking someone’s life is cruelty-free, nonviolent, or just is simply an oxymoron?
This is not a personal dig directed at you in any sense. It's just something I noticed. You have written somewhat negatively about the turtle book calling certain turtles "vegan"…but, I do recall you calling dogs who are fed vegan food as being vegan: http://www.animalperson.net/animal_person/2007/10/the-animal-pe-1.html
Just two of your quotes:
"My dogs have been both vegan and not…"
"…if you'd like to discuss anything regarding homecooking for vegan dogs."
Dogs cannot choose to adopt a vegan lifestyle either, as far as I'm aware. Unless, you are making a distinction between animals who are vegan because humans impose this diet on them and animals who eat a plant-based diet naturally…I'm not sure I see the difference I guess. Again…I'm not trying to be abrasive…I promise…I'm just sort of pointing out a discrepancy in your ideas that maybe you haven't noticed…or maybe I just don't understand your reasoning?
I LOVE that you volunteer at a sea turtle hospital. That's wonderful.
And I agree with you 100% on your other points. The other day, on a vegan forum, one of its members posted a recent article written about how new (?!) studies have shown that white meat is much healthier than red meat, and that red meat can cause a higher risk of cancer. It is so disturbing that the media is still releasing information that is so irrelevant and misleading and destructive. A high-protein meat-based diet (in general!) can lead to so many health risks, including a higher risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes (as has been proven by The China Study). Meanwhile, the ill-informed public are still chomping away on their (white meat) chicken and turkey–thus the killing continues and most people are still eating a dangerously unhealthy diet.
Death penalty? Ugh. All/any killing = inhumane. For all animals. Including humans. As a vegan, I feel that supporting the death penalty violates the principle of peace toward animals.
Point taken, dearest bunny!
However, if I were to write a reference book on greyhounds and whether they are fed plant-based diets, I would be loathe to say vegan. I wouldn't even say "herbivore" (which is what the adult turtles really are). I do consistently say that dogs are secondary carnivores.
You have taught me to say: I choose to feed my dogs a vegan diet (they have gone back and forth, but you get the idea) or a plant-based diet. But vegan dogs, like vegan cats, as you point out, is incorrect. Thanks, and I may even blog about this!