Similarities Over Differences
Just this morning there was a report that Humankind is or will be responsible for the loss of one million animal species. That is incredible! The article indicated that we, as humans, have gotten over the limit of sustainability. There are just too many of us, we are eating food that is destroying our own planet. To Earth, we must seem like some distant relatives who have just eaten Earth out of house and home. My major in college was science (Biology and Anthropology) and I became a physician thus I am part of the scientific community. It’s a community that is driven by one dynamic thought; The Truth. However, even with the truth being overwhelming in both evidence and numbers there are those who do not face reality. In politics it may be due to position and/or money. In life it can be many things such as magical thinking and/or following a misdirected leader. In every situation, the truth is absolute. And, as with all things in life, the truth can be used against us. For example, today a leader in Washington D.C. just stated that the melting ice in polar regions will open up new shipping lanes!!!
It’s May, 2019 and thousands of world scientists have unequivocally stated that we are in the stages of extinction, yet our government leaders refuse to accept brilliant minds and they follow the emotional self centered, seeking only immediate gratification. Survival of the species has regressed to self survival. Earth will remain but life, as we know it, will be destroyed with alterations in the Biosphere. The Biosphere is the very thin layer surrounding Earth that promotes all living things; it’s where life began, where life begins and, perhaps where life ends. This is not the first extinction; there have been 5 previous extinctions but this is the first one in which Mankind may destroy itself. The causes are over population, excessive consumption of fossil fuels, toxic consumption of meat and dairy (these are progressive poisons to our species, causing multiple diseases and death), ocean pollution, deforestation, and our own excessive consumption of salt and sugar (due to our instinctual animal drive for survival in times of scarcity-today we have too much food, salt, sugar, and fats). Today we have far too much of the bad stuff and not enough of the good stuff.
John Robbins in the final segment on their wonderful series, Food Revolution Summit 2019 told a wonderful, warm story of his visit, years ago, to a hog farmer. The hog farm had hogs in small metal cages, 3 high, with feces and urine dripping down on the other two…it was a horrific scene. These are typical of the CAFO (Certified Animal Feeding Operations…the new name the meat industry came up to avoid using the accepted and realistic term, Slaughterhouses). The meeting started out with the typical animosity that we see in these situations. The hog farmer was hostile toward the Animal Rights groups and eventually the hog farmer told John a story of his childhood that revealed he loved hogs but had no other way of making a living; no other education, no other job skills, and just trying to make a living for he and his family. Of course this is not necessarily true for the large corporations that are just murdering for profit. The hog farmer was trying to survive, trying to make a living, trying to care for his family. My grandparents were farmers in northwest Indiana where they grew corn, and had a few hogs; I remember riding on the fender of the tractor as Grandpa drove, pulling a large wooden sled, loaded down with food for the hogs; he would yell “Woooooooooo, Pig! Sooie!” a few times and the hogs would come running. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Times were different then. (Note: The Univ. of Arkansas with their mascot, a razorback hog, now uses the ‘Hog Calling’ to strike fear in the opposing teams….Humm?) Many of our small farmers are trying to stay alive; the large corporations have taken over farming operations and have all but driven out the mom and pop farmers. They did not go into farming to harm others but to feed us; now they feel like the people they have fed are now turning against them.
Giving up raising cattle, hogs, or chickens while becoming a ‘crop duster’ is like hiring a plumber to build your house. They have no knowledge on how to take care of their families by raising broccoli; it’s a totally different set of circumstances and totally foreign. They have a different agenda;t they are trying to survive while the large corporations are actually harming incredible numbers of people throughout the world with heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and most other chronic illnesses. Chronic Illnesses comprise 80% of health care costs! And yet the corporations supply jobs to many and return a nice profit to their shareholders. Both are trying to survive. Is there a difference? The difference is that the corporations are using every tool in the chest to falsely promote disease substances to their buyers. Selling ‘Snake Oil’ has moved from the Traveling Medicine Man to the large corporations.
Let’s take a look at their Mission Statements; these are supposedly the primary purpose of the formation of any company; that is, the foundation on which the company has based it structure:
Tyson Foods Mission Statement: “We are dedicated to producing and marketing trusted quality food products that fit today’s changing lifestyles……..” Marketing trusted foods….is there anyone reading this that feels that Tyson is not aware of the scientific evidence, proving beyond all doubt, that animal products are killing people? Let’s look at some others.
JBS USA Holding Company; “Our mission at JBS® has remained the same for more than 60 years: to be the best in all that we do, providing superior products and services to our customers and a better future for our entire team.” Are animal products SUPERIOR PRODUCTS? Really?
Cargill Meat Solutions (meat solutions– really?) “Our purpose is to be the global leader in nourishing people.” How is providing toxic substances (animal products) nourishing anyone?
Smithfield Foods, “To be a trusted, respected and ethical food industry leader…… while setting industry standards for corporate social responsibility.” Social Responsibility! Really? And Corporate Social Responsibility! Really?
Con Agra, “….provide good nutrition at a fair value.” If only they would ‘provide good nutrition’.
“Marketing trusted foods, providing superior products, nourishing people, social responsibility, and provide good nutrition at a fair value.” These are direct quotes from their mission statements. These are the same values that every Vegan in the world wants; these are the Similarities that both the Vegans seek and the Meat Industry has within their Mission Statements. These are the similarities that must come over our differences.
Eat Healthy, Stay Happy, Vegan Doc
