December 20, 2005

AND they offer a gift registry. HOORAY! (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

A colleague showed me the "gift catalog for this organization: Heifer International

There is no way I would ever consider giving someone a freaking flock of chicks as a Christmas gift. Or a meat goat. My god.

And they sure do have enough annoying celebrities supporting the cause. (coughPatriciaHeatoncough)

While I respect the positions of many of my fellow vegans that we should work toward a vegan world, I don't subscribe to that point of view. I believe that there are individuals and cultures, past and present, who respect and care for the LIVING animal that provides nourishment for body and earth.

But there is no way I would give my money to an organization that guides humans in the direction of animal suffering or animal experimentation in the name of science, health, or the good of humankind. Why is it so hard for people to understand that this is what most vegans mean when they say, "I'm vegan?"

Aw, come on, I know that right on the top of my chrismas list to Santa this year was a gaggle of geese!!! That's so silly, what will they think of next.....maybe ordering people! hahaha

What you said about being vegan. Yeah!

And I once heard an interview with Patricia Heaton where she said she's a Republican but doesn't like to admit it because there are so many liberals in Hollywood that she feels like an outcast/victim. Wah wah wah, poor baby.

Patricia Heaton ... boo yourself!

Quick thoughts on Heifer Project:

- Where do the animals come from?
- Does the receiving family know how to take care of the animal?
- Do they have the means to take care of the animal (land, shelter, etc?) I'm sure vet care if the aimal gets sick is out of the question.
- Solitary animals who are used to being with family groups of their own will have a joyless life.
- The HP catalog is dripping with advertising so false it's perverse. These are not pets. The animals will work for a living. Some will die from neglect, ignorance, or exhaustion.
- The HP was co-sponsor last year with the National Cattlemens' Beef Association of a study for which the conclusion was that veganism was unhealthy for kids. Why? Get ready for this. Because an isolated group of children in Africa whose diet consisted primarily of TWO FOODS (neither of them meat or dairy) were unhealthy. I know some of the most cherubic, energetic, healthy children in the entire history of the world - and they're vegan. I have a different conclusion from this study, actually two of them: 1) You have to go to extremes in order to contrive a study that will support the "veganism is unhealthy" thesis; 2) HF wants to spread falsehoods about plant-based diets because it has a vested interest in animal agriculture.

Gary, you rock. Thanks for your awesome comments.

My first question, as well, was "Where do the animals come from?".

I searched and searched on the site, and the best I could find was that these animals are bred specifically for the purpose of putting them into a life of work, as you aptly said. I can't imagine that the origins of life for these poor animals can be at all pleasant.

Families are trained to care for the animals - and by "care for," I mean "learn to teach the animal to obey commands and produce for them." Examples of how Heifer will provide supportive veterinary (or other) care for these animals after "the giving of the gift" are (unsurprisingly) absent on the website. But Susan Sarandon says they're GOOOOOD!

I'm not surprised to learn that there's a connection between HP and the NCBA. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

mmmm, "meat goat."

*rolls eyes*

i am really appalled by the heifer project and i would never support it. word up to your whole post!