Still thinking about those videos this morning

[Guest guest]

I am still thinking about all the cruelty I saw yesterday on those

videos--and I didn't even get all the way through them! I knew, intellectually,

about

the cruelty. I believed it went on. I have even wondered at the kind of

person who could do these things--to animals, children, etc.--and I'm not really

the most gentle, soft, " attachment parenting " type, either (and that's NOT a

put-down of AP--just explaining who I am). I'm kind of middle of the road, I

guess, when it comes to things like this usually. But--and maybe I am really

naive here--I don't think I could EVER have imagined the LEVEL of inhumanity I

saw yesterday.

 

Okay, you kill the animals for food. But somehow I just didn't picture just

HOW they did it. Or how downright CRUEL they were before they did it! I can't

believe this never occurred to me before, in all these years. How stupid

could I possibly have been? And probably most of you here knew this a LONG time

ago, and can't believe it's just occurring to me now!

 

I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, but I manage just fine on a daily

basis. I know a lot about a lot of things. So how did I miss this? Sorry to go

on about it, but I am still really stunned. Marilyn

 

 

 

**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog,

plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

(http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Lorraine--THANK YOU. I do feel traumatized, and I don't think I'll ever

forget what I saw. I was like you--I really didn't think I wanted to ever see

those videos because somehow I knew they'd be too much for me. But when everyone

kept talking about them, I decided to watch. Bad idea.

 

The good part, if there can be one, is that it has opened up a discussion

between me and my boys about the issue of animal cruelty/vegetarianism, and

reaffirmed by decision--one I was having a very, very tough time with. It's hard

to overcome 50 years of dietary preferences! But every time I waver, I will

remember that dog's eyes, or those chickens being tossed to their deaths, and

that should do it for me.

 

OMG it was just so sick. I am even more grateful for this group and the

people here who I can trust to understand! Marilyn

 

 

 

**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog,

plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

(http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

I don't think you should criticize yourself for not having come to this

realization sooner. I think our minds are very complex and life-saving

parts of us - I think our minds save us from the trauma of thinking of

these things constantly, every day. And please give yourself the leeway

of the fact that you have been traumatized by seeing that video - you

are emotionally affected, as most anyone would be. You have every right

to go on and on about this and be upset for as long as you feel

affected. You could reframe this trauma by thinking of it this way: by

being a vegetarian and teaching your family about vegetarianism, you are

doing great things to avoid this abuse to animals, and you can be

thankful in a small way that this shock came to your life to reaffirm

your beliefs. (Also, maybe doing something in honor of farm animals

would make you feel better - making a little display in your house for a

couple days, like a holiday decoration or something, or making a

donation to a farm sanctuary, or ?) Having said all that, I'm so sorry

you're going through this emotional time - I am not as strong as you to

watch those videos. I'm sure they make good points, but I will believe

you that they are horrible. :-)

Have a great weekend!

Lorraine

 

 

On

Behalf Of sahmomof8

Saturday, September 06, 2008 5:59 AM

 

Cc: Eat-2-Live

Still thinking about those videos this morning

 

I am still thinking about all the cruelty I saw yesterday on those

videos--and I didn't even get all the way through them! I knew,

intellectually, about

the cruelty. I believed it went on. I have even wondered at the kind of

person who could do these things--to animals, children, etc.--and I'm

not really

the most gentle, soft, " attachment parenting " type, either (and that's

NOT a

put-down of AP--just explaining who I am). I'm kind of middle of the

road, I

guess, when it comes to things like this usually. But--and maybe I am

really

naive here--I don't think I could EVER have imagined the LEVEL of

inhumanity I

saw yesterday.

 

Okay, you kill the animals for food. But somehow I just didn't picture

just

HOW they did it. Or how downright CRUEL they were before they did it! I

can't

believe this never occurred to me before, in all these years. How stupid

 

could I possibly have been? And probably most of you here knew this a

LONG time

ago, and can't believe it's just occurring to me now!

 

I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack, but I manage just fine on a

daily

basis. I know a lot about a lot of things. So how did I miss this? Sorry

to go

on about it, but I am still really stunned. Marilyn

 

**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion

blog,

plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

(http://www.stylelis

<http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014>

t.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

I know just what you're saying about the visuals sticking with you. I

saw brochures and pictures and books about 20 years ago showing the

factory farms and describing what happens there - and since then I can

remember those things well enough that I don't need to see those images

again. Don't worry - you will be able to go decades or even your

lifetime without watching or seeing another picture like that, and still

be a staunch vegetarian. I think our dietary habits we were raised with

are really minimal hurdles compared to those types of images. I was

raised in a farm town and spent weekends on my grandparents farm, and

those experiences are what pushed me towards vegetarianism - the images

trump the " comfort food " feelings of childhood. I think you are a very

strong woman - heck, anyone who is raising 9 kids has to be strong! -

you will find alternatives to those 50 years of dietary preferences.

:-)

Good luck and feel better as you heal from this post-traumatic stress,

Lorraine

 

 

On

Behalf Of sahmomof8

Saturday, September 06, 2008 3:04 PM

 

Re: Still thinking about those videos this morning

 

Lorraine--THANK YOU. I do feel traumatized, and I don't think I'll ever

forget what I saw. I was like you--I really didn't think I wanted to

ever see

those videos because somehow I knew they'd be too much for me. But when

everyone

kept talking about them, I decided to watch. Bad idea.

 

The good part, if there can be one, is that it has opened up a

discussion

between me and my boys about the issue of animal cruelty/vegetarianism,

and

reaffirmed by decision--one I was having a very, very tough time with.

It's hard

to overcome 50 years of dietary preferences! But every time I waver, I

will

remember that dog's eyes, or those chickens being tossed to their

deaths, and

that should do it for me.

 

OMG it was just so sick. I am even more grateful for this group and the

people here who I can trust to understand! Marilyn

 

**************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion

blog,

plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

(http://www.stylelis

<http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014>

t.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014)