Monday, November 05, 2012

Morality


I bought organic chicken tonight. I buy eggs from cage free chickens. Before my beloved friend Willa died of cancer, she told me if I did nothing else to buy organic butter and and milk and eggs. I can't bring myself to yet drink organic milk.

My friend's plea is not why I bought organic chicken. 

I can't bring myself to direct you to this website called Occupy for Animals, If you want to look, you will be able to find it.  But it is gruesome. You will see the mistreatment of animals throughout the world to a degree that I know will make you sick, because it makes me sick. Humans eat animals and that is not the judgement. The judgement is about cruelty. No animal should have to suffer. If an animal is killed let its death be humane. If you go to this website you will learn about the slow torment of the bulls in Spain who never have a chance and the dog meat market in Korea and the red blood waters in Japan in the killing of the whales and dolphins. Brutal stuff. I will leave it at that. 

I wish I had never come upon this website and I wish I do not know what I now know. But because I know I will now be more thoughtful. I don't want any part of animal cruelty. When animals are killed, let it be humane. It must be humane if we believe life is sacred. 

I now have a dog who spent his first five years living in a crate from which he was let out four times a day. He raced from age 2 to 5 and his track record shows he was in several crashes running at 45-48 miles an hour. He collided with other dogs, he failed to make a turn. It was painful to read. He has a  broken ankle that never fused because it was never set and more than half his teeth are missing because of poor nutrition. He has nicks over his body. I never thought about dog racing before we adopted Chase. Initially I thought it was pretty cool that he was an athlete racing. 

I feel differently now.

 So I bought organic chicken tonight. Not just for health reasons. I paid more for it. And I am going to learn how I can be sure I do not support places and people and governments and businesses who do not treat animals humanely. I hope you might think about this too.

One more thing. That adorable greeting card of a kitten hanging by its claws or a dog dressed in sunglasses and a bow: chances are those animals have not volunteered for that assignment. Chances are those animals do not live with a family and chances are that animal is viewed as a commodity.

If you've made it to the end of this post, thanks for listening. There is an election in America tomorrow and I can't help thinking about morality. 

love
kj

35 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Hi Chris, I'm behind but will soon visit

      Yup :-(

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  2. Morality, for me, begins in relationship. That includes my brothers and sisters of all species. It means peace and justice for all of them. I hope and dream about all people growing into that sense of relationship.

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    1. Oh man so do I rob. We start in our own circles. I do know that much

      Do you eat meat?

      And not just food. Fur and snake skins and zoos ......

      Love
      kj

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    2. Yes, we start in our circles.

      I eat some meat, and fish, and eggs. There are protein options in plant form, but they have always been quite hard on my system. Fur; well every Bear has a permanent fur coat, but other than that, one very old leather jacket. Snake skins? No use for them. We have a zoo in town, which I occasionally attend, though I have very mixed feelings about zoos (except when animals have been seriously injured, and cannot be successfully "returned to the wild").

      There is always more to think about.

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  3. I wouldn't assume that organic means humane. I also question whether humane slaughter is not an oxymoron.

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    1. I know, snow. Do you eat meat? I wonder about my part in the whole cycle for that reason alone....

      xoxo

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    2. I became a vegetarian in Mississippi around 1980 to '83. I was actually the first vegetarian I had ever known. In 1986, I got the flu and stayed sick for months. Because I kept craving fish, I finally ate fish, and I still do. I also eat eggs, and eggs means death to roosters because, after all, what are they good for to an eggplant? So, blood is on my hands too. I am very glad to not eat beef, pork, chicken, or any other warm-blooded meat, and I don't miss it.

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  4. I don't know what to say, KJ. Pictures like these make me so very sad and I am bound to give up hope that people ever will stop this horrid behaviour.
    The only thing we can do is: be good for our own animals and of course the people around us. Yes, that is a very small circle, but I cannot think about any other solution.
    I am always buying organic food when possible. We don't eat much meat and the meat we eat is coming from animals who have had a good life. But we are in the position to pay more for that food and that makes it easy talking. Difficult, difficult....

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    1. Wieneke, I don't eat much meat either and rarely red meat, but I like your term 'coming from animals who have had a good life'

      How do you know that is the case? I would like to know that before I make decisions. Yes, difficult. You and I are alot alike, wieneke

      Love
      kj

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    2. In my case it is very simple. I buy the meat of a farmer who himself has Fleckvieh cattle. You can see the cows and young bulls for yourself in the meadows and in the barn. Once in a while he sends some of them to the slaughterhouse and then another ecological marked firm is freezing and packing the meat in portions. Then it all returns to the farmer, who has a small shop, where his wife is selling all kinds of eco products. It is beautiful meat and tastes wonderful. The same happens at another farm with chickens and eggs. You can see the birds on the meadows and at night they go in a big barn. It is allowed to pay a visit on a few days a year and I have seen it. That is a good life for animals and I am willing to pay much more then for cheap meat from intensive cattlehold. In supermarkets there are coming more and more products with the eco-mark on it.
      I have always been very interested in vegetarian meals and recipes. So most of the time we eat vegetarian. Hahaha, you know that 'vegetarian' is the old Indian word for bad hunter?

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    3. Fantastic information, wieneke. You have made my wheels turn both pragmatically and insightfully

      I love vegetarian recipes too....

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  5. it is good that the election made you think of morality...and by the end of the day i guess we will see what kind of people we are....ugh on the animals....been to a slaughterhouse...its pretty nasty stuff....

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  6. Wait, why can't you bring yourself to drink organic milk? I've been using it for year - didn't want my kids exposed to the hormones in regular milk any more than we could avoid. It's the only milk I buy. I've also bought free range eggs for years.

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    1. Okay cs, maybe you have nudged me.maybe it's time

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  7. Replies
    1. Hi sharon honey! How are you? :-) so that glove compartment is filled , eh?

      I know you'll be watching tv tonight. I too

      Love
      kj

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  8. I am wrestling with this one, too. The problem is that just because someone says an animal was raised humanely (or free range, etc.) doesn't make it so. I am trying very hard to reduce my meat-eating footprint. Some weeks it's easier than others. I don't have any answers, kj. I am trying to do less harm. Doesn't quite cut it, though, does it? xox

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    1. I know, Pam. You say this so well...

      We do what we can. We begin. We try. We draw lines.

      Yes, I think whatever good people do cuts it

      Love
      kj

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  9. Of all the things we eat, milk is probably the most important to have as organic. Here's a good article on why: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/17/us-yourmoney-milk-idUSTRE81G1MR20120217

    I don't meat mostly because it doesn't go well with my system. Sometimes I wonder why people seem to care more about animal cruelty than human cruelty.

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    1. Thanks rubye. With all this feedback I am going to again try organic milk

      Animals and children are so dependent on good faith and kindness. I think that's why so much attention. But no suffering should be purposeful. At least laws exist to attempt to protect people. This is too often not the case for animals

      What goes around comes around, yes?

      Love
      kj

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  10. I have been wavering between meat eater vs vegetarian since 1969. so metimes completely vegetarian, but then as i am so thin and cold in winter i sometimes have some chicken or fish. I have been eating with care since then too, most often. frankly i have always been appalled that people dress animals in people clothes. i wont look at this site because my imagination is enough in this respect. respect, that is what we need to give to animals. hugs, suki

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    1. Same with me, suki. The site is on my Facebook page. Probably because I agreed with some petition, but now I follow it only because I can't bring myself to withdraw support

      JB grew up near farms in the Midwest and strongly supports animal meat for good. I understand that, even though I avoid red meat. The slaughters is something else again . Your gentle energy is balm to this crazy world, suki. That counts a lot

      Love
      kj

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  11. Thank you for this post sweet friend.It's giving me so much to think about.xoxo

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    1. Thanks cat. Keep an eye on all those animal greeting cards: they bother me so much because we are well intentioned when we buy them, without seeing the set up the animal's been thrown into

      Love love
      kj

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  12. I've been drinking organic milk for years, it's the only kind I will buy. But meat is becoming a thing of the past. Other than chicken, which are raised down the road, my body just does not tolerate either fish or beef anymore. Digestion feels heavy.

    But before my body rebelled, I would source out farms which had the same ideas I had about an honourable death. They are out there and becoming more prominent. The way they are butchered is changing slowly, here, anyway, as well...with music, warm rooms, etc. xx

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  13. Marion, my body reacts to red meat in the same way

    Your reference to an honorable death (honorable killing) (honorable murder) hits home for me. You are always my dearest wise friend and I am so thrilled to see your comments this morning

    Xoxoxoxo
    kj

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  14. Your posts always make me think, ponder, get a huge lump in my throat and generally want to go out and change the whole damned world. Love you for that- love the power of your 'pen', it is definitely mightier than any sword! xxxx

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  15. You are a gem, joss


    kj

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  16. Well, I can't go to that site because when I was a vegetarian I was immersed in them. I can't get the images out of my head, so without looking at them I try to do my part. I have (as you know) dedicated my life to animal welfare. I haven't eaten beef since 1972 and I only ate fish as my animal protein source for 22 years. Now I seem to crave more animal protein, so yes, I try to eat humanely raised and killed fish and poultry. I'm trying to listen to my body as well as keeping with my beliefs in honoring the animal spirit. The Native Americans had it right. Use all of the animal(hooves, skin, etc) and give thanks to it for its sacrifice so that you may live.

    Organic milk still has to meet inspection KJ. It's still pasteurized and homogenized, it just has no hormones or antibiotics. It's a no-brainer my dear ;)

    xoxo
    Lo♥

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  17. Wow, can you ever write an essay! I will not go to that website, having had my utter shock of revulsion recently on a radio essay on NPR about the plight of the elephants in Tanzania. I cannot stop thinking about it, to the point I feel I should go there. So your post is right up my alley. I must admit, however, that I have not made a practice of buying organic chicken....and we eat a lot of chicken, since we don't eat any red meat (I have not since 1977). I promise to be more mindful about my poultry grocery shopping.

    Chase's story grows and grows and my heart just extends out to him. He is SO lucky to finally have a loving home. Bless you.xo

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  18. What a wonderful post, KJ! I don't think I can go to that website. It'll haunt me. I am still thinking about that dog we sheltered for half a day and who found his home again. The thought that he might have ended up at animal control and found his end there made me miserable. I cannot even watch movies that involve any kind of cruelty to children or animals. I do buy organic wherever I can and am planning to expand that practice. I do love organic milk and eggs.

    Ok, I'm tired and rambling...

    xoxo, Silke

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  19. Hi Kj, This subject is too close to my heart, I have not had meat since I was 13, I do organic milk and eggs and cheese, I won't even kill a spider. I live in a State that is a horror for animals, I won't go into detail, but it is a daily stab to my heart and there is little I can do about it, I have adopted all the animals my house will hold. I just read an article that 25,000 elephants were killed last year to make religious statues with the ivory, Catholic icons were the worst and the most shocking were the happy Buddhas. There is no end to the horrible treatment of animals, I cry every September for the killing of the dolphins in Japan. It just goes on and on. I won't go to this site because I already find it hard to sleep at night thinking about the horrors in this world. Animals and children, don't get me started. People need to be hyper aware of what goes on so at the very least they don't contribute to it, so I hope people will go to this site and get educated. Thank you for this post, kisses to Chase. xoxo

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  20. P.S. I hate that I still eat eggs, I don't eat many and always free range as well as organic.
    xoxo

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