vegetarian candidate

[Guest guest]

on the topic of candidates, i believe that neither ralph nader or medea

benjamin are vegetarian.

the green party does not advocate for pure vegetarianism ....only a move

towards eating lower on the food chain... and many of their local small

town candidates only endorse humane farming. i was so bummed at a nader

rally a few years ago in san mateo . the local candidates scoffed at the

idea of veg'nism and thought i was too radical. and why isn't the dalai

lama vegetarian ? he says " my religion is compassion " and yet he only

supports but does not embrace veg'nism....the veg'n movement could go a

long way with the support of folks like the dalai lama and ralph nader. my

neighbors had the natural party signs up all over their house last election

and they are carnivorous born again amway folks...hmmm. interesting. amy

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your message about vegetarian candidates and the Green Party,

Amy. You are quite right that the national Green Party does not advocate a

veg*n diet. However, the California Green Party does expressly advocate a

veg*n lifestyle. I ought to know - I wrote sections of the Cal Greens'

platform including Animal Agriculture, Compassionate Treatment of Animals,

and Wildlife. Thanks to the help of Polly Strand, Lindsay Vurek, Eric

Mills, and so many others, those platform sections are now, as far as I

know, the strongest pro-animal rights planks in the platform of any American

political party.

 

You mentioned that " the veg*n movement could go a

long way with the support of folks like the dalai lama and ralph nader. " I

respectfully dissent. It's unfortunate that Media Benjamin, a member of

the Cal Greens, is not a veggie. But, as I've often suggested in the past,

it would be more unfortunate if we associate a veg*n lifestyle with any one

political or religious point of view, either left or right, fundamentalist

or liberal. Such a link between a particular political point of view or

religion would only serve to make the veg*n movement look parochial rather

than mainstream and we can only grow veg*nism into the mass movement that we

need to make change if we are perceived of as being a mainstream lifestyle.

The Cal Greens' animal rights platform planks were not intended to make

veg*nism a left of center issue, (despite the fact that I'm usually left of

center), but to help make veg*nism more of an issue in the environmental

community and a model for the platforms of other more mainstream political

parties in the future. (By the way, I voted for Nader myself).

 

Anyway, here's what the Cal Greens' platform says about Animal Agriculture

and Veg*nism:

 

 

" Animal farming must be practiced in an ethically and environmentally

responsible way.

 

" The current treatment of animals on American farms is unacceptable for

ethical, environmental and health reasons. More than half of the water used

for all purposes, and 80% of all the grain grown in the U.S., is consumed by

livestock. Animal farming is a major contributor to water pollution and the

greenhouse effect through the vast amounts of animal waste and methane

released into the environment.

 

" Grazing on public lands--called " welfare ranching " because it is largely

subsidized by taxpayers--is causing serious damage to ecosystems throughout

the western states. The factory farming of cattle, sheep and poultry is an

extremely cruel, wasteful, unhealthy and polluting form of agriculture.

Animals are kept in overcrowded, unnatural and unsanitary conditions,

causing severe physical and psychological suffering. These conditions also

cause diseases, so the animals then have to be given antibiotics. Animals

are also given hormones to induce rapid growth.

 

" American consumption of large amounts of animal products causes much of our

society's cancer, heart disease and other degenerative diseases. In the

interests of the environment, health and non-violence, we encourage

individuals to adopt a vegetarian, or even strict vegetarian (vegan)

life-style.

 

" The Green Party advocates humane treatment of farm animals:

 

" Rapidly phase out factory farming and the inhumane treatment of food

animals, as other countries are already doing.

Prohibit feedlots and the routine use of hormones, antibiotics and other

chemicals, such as genetically engineered compounds like BVT for cows.

Ban the genetic manipulation of farm animals.

Ban the exportation of live animals for overseas slaughter.

Regulate the domestic transportation and slaughter of animals to insure

humane treatment.

Transfer the responsibility for enforcing animal welfare laws from the

Department of Agriculture to an agency specifically created to protect

animals and the environment.

Eliminate all government subsidies, including water subsidies, that go to

the meat, poultry and dairy industries.

Terminate permits that allow livestock grazing on public lands.

Initiate public education to encourage people to reduce their consumption of

animal foods, including information on healthy vegetarian diets. We should

make vegetarian meals available in all public institutions including primary

and secondary schools. "

 

 

 

 

 

--

" veggie grrrl " <amy

 

Monday, December 03, 2001 9:12 AM

vegetarian candidate

 

 

> on the topic of candidates, i believe that neither ralph nader or medea

> benjamin are vegetarian.

> the green party does not advocate for pure vegetarianism ....only a move

> towards eating lower on the food chain... and many of their local small

> town candidates only endorse humane farming. i was so bummed at a nader

> rally a few years ago in san mateo . the local candidates scoffed at the

> idea of veg'nism and thought i was too radical. and why isn't the dalai

> lama vegetarian ? he says " my religion is compassion " and yet he only

> supports but does not embrace veg'nism....the veg'n movement could go a

> long way with the support of folks like the dalai lama and ralph nader.

my

> neighbors had the natural party signs up all over their house last

election

> and they are carnivorous born again amway folks...hmmm. interesting. amy

>

>

>

>

> ----------------------------

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