Living Without Meat

After watching a little boy pulverize a bug earlier this week, at the encouragement of his mother, I have been thinking more and more about raising children that are vegan, animal lovers, respectful of life, and generally good additions to the human race. I’m not a mother myself, but I certainly have lots of kids in my life: I babysit regularly for three siblings, and have a niece, a nephew, and one on the way any minute now. But while I am close to an expert on caring for kids, I am not an authority on raising vegan ones. For that, you’ll have to turn to other resources such as …

* The Girlie Girl Army put together a thorough collection of resources for “How to Raise Socially Responsible Rugrats” that spans the realms of respect for animals and the environment, and includes games, toys, foods, activities, and more.

* VegFamily Magazine takes you from pregnancy to teenager with everything you need to know about having veg children through articles, recipes, tips from dieticians, a message board, and videos.

* Family Education has a great article, “Raising ‘Green’ Kids,” with educational and fun activities and suggestions for helping kids understand and appreciate the Earth.

* The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) has a section all about “Raising a Vegetarian Family”that includes links to several articles from Vegetarian Journal.

* Sending your kids to the right sites helps. Check out the kids clubs for animal-loving organizations such as Farm Sanctuary and PETA.

* If you want to go offline in your learning, check out what Amazon.com has to offer.

Apparently I am a career woman now, or so says the faculty at a local grade school who invited me to speak at career day today. I talked for about 20 minutes about working for animals with my job at the Humane League to four different classes, ranging from 4th grade to 8th grade.

I started talking to each class by telling them what a day looks like for me: Working from home on the computer in the morning, heading out into the city to work on different campaigns in the afternoon, and then working a second job teaching classes at local recreation centers in the evening.

Then I showed pictures. I held up photos of sow and veal crates, battery cages, and more. I told them that this was why I work for an animal advocacy nonprofit. I told them that the hope of changing this was why I am willing to work for pennies. Every child in every class was listening to what I had to say and looking at the pictures that I shared. I also made sure to follow the more graphic photos up with ones of animals that had been saved, while telling the a few stories about animals that were rescued.

Lots of the older kids were very curious as to what, as a vegan, I eat. Most had only heard off vegetarian, if that, and didn’t know what being vegan meant … but after today I am sure that they know now because I was not the only vegan talking to them today! There was a nutritionist and someone from a wellness center who also talked about veganism. And I’m sure that hearing the chef talk about the sea animals screaming when she boiled them alive didn’t hurt either.

Last night I babysat three of my favorite kids who are ages 2, 4, and 6. We had some very interesting dinner conversation!

The oldest, a girl, was trying to find a creative way to say “stupid” without actually saying it, thus avoiding getting in trouble.

“That’s stu-apple-did!” she said, smiling proudly.

After a few minutes of repeating this to test me, while her younger sister, the 4-year-old, repeated, “I think it’s booty-ful,” (”booty” is outlawed in this household), she realized she was saying something close to “apple stew.”

“I’m going to make some apple stew!” said the oldest.

“What’s in apple stew?” asked her sister.

“I imagine it would be similar to applesauce,” I added. “Because that’s how you make applesauce - by cooking apples in a big pot.”

But the chef-to-be had other plans. So here is a 6-year-old’s recipe for how to make apple stew:

“You cook 10 apples with 4 bananas, then add some whipped cream. But it’s not really a stew, that’s just the name. It’s really more of a dessert.”

And there you have it. Apple stew, the creation of a budding young chef. If I had more time with them, and all of the ingredients, I would have let her put this concoction together as dessert.

I think it is very important to let your kids try things out in the kitchen (so does their mother, so I know she would have been okay with me doing this). I am a healthy eater that is fearless in the kitchen, and I believe that it is because my mom let me play around with foods. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. I remember making “cookies” one time by melting two or three different kinds of chocolate chips together, adding some mint flavoring, blobbing it on a piece of wax paper, and letting it freeze. Nothing special, but I learned how to make and use a double boiler!

There has been a lot of chatter in the news about vegetarianism in schools. Here’s a few recent highlights; click on a title to read the article.

* “PETA Urges Obama to Give Kids Vegetarian School Lunches,” U.S. News and World Report

* “Some school cafeterias offer more meatless meals,” Morning Sentinel, Maine

* “Maine Schools Expand Meatless Options,” Bangor Daily News, Maine

* “Free Money for College Students,” Washington Post

* “Vegan Students Start Grass Roots Campaign,” Daily Illini, Illinois

* “Public School Offers Fees Discount for Vegetarian Students,” Telegraph, U.K.

* “Scholar Wanted: Only Vegetarians Need Apply,” Independent, U.K.

* “Schools Offer Vegetarian Fee Cut,” BBC News, U.K.

* “U.S. to Boost Healthy Lunch in Schools,” Green Planet, Italy

* “The School Lunch Revolution,” Health News, California

After reviewing four animated animal-friendly movies this weekend - Home on the Range and Barnyard on Friday, and Open Season and Chicken Run on Saturday - I realized that my roommate owned a popular, recent one that I hadn’t watched yet. And so, Saturday night I stayed in and watched Bee Movie. Unfortunately, that’s 91 minutes of my life that I can never get back. Let me make sure that you don’t fall into the same trap: do not watch it.

Despite my longtime annoyance with Jerry Seinfeld, I went into Bee Movie with an open mind, respecting him for making a film that addresses the growing bee disappearance. Alas, I was sadly disappointed.

Seinfeld voices the main character, Barry B. Benson, a young honeybee on the brink of starting his life as a dedicated, hard worker. When faced with the decision of what bee career he wants for the rest of his life, Barry panics and flees the hive in search of something more. After befriending a human, Barry discovers that humans are stealing bees’ honey. He is outraged and decides to create change. So he sues the major honey companies on behalf of all bees.

Warning: spoilers ahead. The main flaw of this flick is its muddled message. First, the bees are happy working all day. But when they argue the class action lawsuit, they whine about humans abusing them and forcing them to toil away simply because they are the little guy. They win the case and can begin to relax. The message initially seems to be that humans are cruel, bees are defenseless, and we should back off. But part of the lawsuit was that all the honey be returned, so now there is no need for the bees to work at all. Thus, without pollination, plants begin dying and the world is bleak and gray. The bees start working again, Barry saves the day, and all is right once again.

I understand where the writers were going: we need bees, but we also need to respect them. It just didn’t work though. And the humor of Seinfeld, which is what I dislike about him, failed to save it.

Yesterday, I reviewed two animal rights-themed, feature-length, animated films: Barnyard and Home on the Range. Today, I have two more for you.

3. Open Season, as the name may suggest to you, takes an animal’s point-of-view look at hunting. However, it also incorporates the circus. Celebrity voices include Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing, Gary Sinise, and Jon Favreau.

The movie begins with Boog, a captive grizzly bear that lives with and performs shows for Park Ranger Beth. Boog is happy with his existence, but circumstances soon force Beth to release him into the forest. While getting used to the wild, Boog inspires his new friends to fight back against the crazed hunters that are after them. Out of these four movies, this one sticks out most in my mind. The characters were ridiculous and silly, but very likable.

4. Chicken Run is a creation of the same team that put together Wallace and Gromit. The big name behind the voices is Mel Gibson, who spoke for the head rooster, Rocky Rhodes.

Rocky, who recently escaped from the circus, lands in a hen-filled chicken coop and initially woos them all. But when the farm owners, the Tweedys, attempt to step up their output by slaughtering any hen that fails to meet egg-laying quota, Rocky’s lies and exaggerations are exposed. All the chickens go into double time, strategizing, plotting, and planning how to safely escape. This films remains the most successful - according to profit, reviews, and more - out of all four of the ones mentioned.

Recently, I’ve utilized Netflix to preview several animal-rights or -welfare related animated feature films: Chicken Run, Home on the Range (2003), Open Season (2006), and Barnyard (2006). Here’s my thoughts on two of them, and the other two will be featured tomorrow.

1. Home on the Range is a Disney film that featured voicework by actors such as Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The movie starts out with a harsh reality: Pearl Gesner is losing her small, idyllic farm called “Patch of Heaven” due to economic hardship and foreclosure. But three cows won’t stand for it. The comical bovine trio of Maggie, Grace, and Mrs. Calloway sent out to save their farm.

The highs of this flick were definitely the naive characters’ accidental one liner, such as when the animals learn about meat and one sweet hen thinks she’s in luck because “who would want to eat a chicken?” The film is not, however, a good one for younger kids. There is more adult humor than I thought necessary; word is the movie got its PG rating for a joke comparing udders to boobs. Overall, this short (76 mins.), action-packed cartoon does a good job depicting struggles that small time farmers face.

2. Barnyard is a Nickelodeon/Paramount collaboration, though it starts Disney style, with the death of a parent. Kevin James, Courteney Cox Arquette, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, and Andie MacDowell all lent their voices.

The animals of this farm all talk, walk on two legs, and party … but only when the humans aren’t looking. All different species, under leadership of the cows, band together to defend themselves against bratty kids that enjoy torturing animals and coyotes looking for a meal. The biggest let down of this movie is the stereotypical bratty kid: he’s a fat redhead with freckles. While I enjoyed the movie, I find the TV-spinoff version, Back at the Barnyard, more kid-friendly and parental death-free.

I was eating dinner with a group of friends last night. Three of us were vegetarians and this intrigued the kids at the table.

8-year-old: Why would someone not eat meat?

Meat eater: Ask her (pointing to me), she’s a vegetarian.

8-year-old: Why can’t you eat meat?

Me: I don’t want to eat animals.

*pause*

8-year-old: (With a mature shrug-nod-smile combo) That makes sense.

Meat eater: Then why do you eat meat?

8-year-old: ( With an almost maniacal grin) Because it tastes gooooood!

So she’s not going vegetarian any time soon probably, but it is so awesome that a young child is interested and open to not only asking questions, but listening to and contemplating the answers. I loved her response: “That makes sense.”

But if an 8-year-old can comprehend why I don’t want to eat meat, then why can’t all adults? Plus, after she asked me about vegetarianism, she left me alone to eat as I please. She didn’t feel the need to show me meat, or try to get me to taste it, or even prod with more questions such as “but don’t you think it tastes good?”

Looking for something positive to read regarding animals and their rights? A must read for everyone is Farm Sanctuary’s Rescue & Adoption story about one 7-year-old girl and her mother saving two baby chicks, who were the only survivors of the girl’s school hatching project, from being sent to a poultry farm.

And since you’re already headed to the Farm’s Web site, be sure to check out these other exciting news bits, events, and more:

* The Farm is hosting a celebrity-filled auction online at Charity Buzz. There are lots of awesome things to check out including lunch dates with celebrity vegetarians, gift packages, artwork, and vacations. I tell you this, however, with trust that you will not bid on lunch with Kristen Bell (and a Heroes‘ gift package) unless you are bidding on my behalf since Kristen is my girl crush.

* Amidst the 27 animals rescued from Red Barn, a cruel “free-range” meat farm in Canaan, New York, were 14 pregnant ewes … and now they have given birth to 16 healthy baby lambs! Meet the lambs and read their mothers’ stories.

* The annual Walk for Farm Animals is coming up, with walks all around the country. Find one near you to participate in.

* A benefit for the Midwest flood survivors will take place in Washington, D.C. on October 18Party for the Pigs will be hosted by Persia White and Nellie McKay.

* Next weekend, September 20 and 21, the Farm is holding its annual Farm Animal Care Conference for people interested in starting their own rescue efforts and shelters. There are still spaces available if you are interested in attending!

There are certain movies and books that animal lovers should be warned against. Even as a child, I held grudges against films that surprised me with an animal death or hardship. I hated The Neverending Story solely because of the scene where the horse gets stuck in quicksand and left to die. Benji, the feature film and a book on tape episode, gave me nightmares about kidnapping. I couldn’t take The Incredible Journey even though I knew the pets made it home - the filmmakers threw a cat in the water!

I was disgusted with these movies enough so that they have stuck with me through the years. Recently, I have watched a few more such movies, and read one such book, that I wish somebody had warned me against. So if you care for animals, don’t buy into these:

* Eight Below: I’m not sure what kind of craziness got into me when i decided to watch this movie. It had so many strikes against it - Paul Walker is not a good actor; Disney thrives on heart-breaking scenes; and it’s a true story. “Surely, though, it’s a tale of survival,” I told myself. After the first dog died and another one became depressed and separated from the group, I turned it off.

* Gorillas in the Mist: Netflix recommended it to me. I apparently didn’t read the description, but rather just assumed that it was based on Jane Goodall. Wow, I was wrong. This film tells the life story of Dian Fossey, who did wonderful things that helped save gorillas from extinction. However, I did not need to see poachers in action, chopping off heads and hands, dangling babys, and leaving bloody messes of the gorillas that had names, distinct personalities, and lead roles. Furthermore, Dian was not a very likable person: she became so connected to the apes that she could not interact with humans … and then she’s murdered in her sleep. End of movie.

* The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst: “Oh,” I thought, “what a cute plot. A murder mystery where only the pet dog was a witness.” Not so at all. The scenes describing the creepy cult of men that mutilated dogs in hopes of giving them ability to speak were so disturbing and vivid. Do not read this book. Ever.

Any others that you would warn me against?

This weekend I met up with my mother and sister, with her two tots, to have a picnic in a park before a Johnny Cash tribute concert.

As we sat down at the picnic table, and began setting out the food that we had each brought, my contemplative 3-year-old nephew speaks up:

Nephew: Aunt Sally? Mommy says that you don’t eat anything from an animal.

Me: That’s true, I don’t.

Nephew: Well, then, you can eat … this, and some of this, and …

Apparently he reminds my sister every time she is cooking and I am coming over of my diet. I also noticed that it is apparently an instinctual response to tell a veg*n what food they can eat. It was super cute!

We had a delicious spread that was “accidentally” vegetarian (and completely homemade). With one veg head and four meat eaters, our dinner included:

* vegan version of tomato, basil, mozzarella salad
* hummus with whole wheat pita and carrots
* gazpacho
* eggplant parmesan
* water

No soda. No packaged, processed foods with unpronounceable ingredients. And no meat. I was in heaven … and continue to be, as mom gave me the leftover hummus and gazpacho!

Lunch yesterday was hummus, carrots, and whole wheat pita. Today I’m having a baked potato with gazpacho. And that potato? It comes from my dad - he’s working a delivery route for a local farmer and sent me a box full of fresh-picked, local, organic vegetables!

My family sure knows how to spoil a vegan!

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For more great vegan picnic ideas, check out the recent post over on the Urban Vegan titled “101 Fast Recipes for Inspired Vegan Picnics.”

I was sitting around my complex’s pool eating dinner the other night. It was steak night which is surprisingly the themed food night where I have the most options (sauteed mushrooms, corn, asparagus, salad greens, potatoes …).

Sitting at the table next to me was a woman with five girls, all about age 10. The girls were all settled with their meals when - horror! - it was noticed that one girl had not gotten a steak!

Observant Girl: You don’t have a steak on your plate.

Steak-free Girl: Um … I don’t really eat meat.

Mob Mentality Girl: But why don’t you have a steak?

Steak-free Girl: I just don’t eat meat.

Finally, they were all okay with this girl’s decision not to eat a steak. The poor girl was shy, and noticeably upset at having her food choices questioned.

I was noticeably excited to watch a budding vegetarian, though I was sorry that she is already meeting opposition.

Stay strong, Steak-free Girl! Make your healthy, cruelty-free diet choices!

Every time a vegan child passes away, or is found to be quite sick, the diet “forced” on them by their parents is blamed in the newspapers and by the law.

With previous headlines like “Death by Veganism,” and current quotes like, “the dangers of forcing children to follow a strict vegan diet needed to be highlighted,” the media’s point of view on this subject is fairly clear.

The most recent case takes place in Scotland, with a 12-year-old girl and her vegan parents.

The girl was taken to the hospital recently, and found to have severe bone issues - rickets, degenerative spine, and several that had been broken over her life. Her health problems were decided to connect to a lack of Vitamin D, which you can get your daily dose of just spending time in the sun.

But her “strict meat and dairy-free diet” is getting the blame.

If she had not been vegan, the conclusion would have been different, not blamed on diet at all. Lack of sun and broken bones? Sounds more like a physical abuse case to me. Or, perhaps the girl has a illness that effects her bones.

Regardless of what’s to blame, there is a 12-year-old girl in bad health and the doctors can’t look past her diet, which may or may not have anything to do with it all.

I just sat down to watch The Last Mimzy and not 20 minutes into the movie … we have a veg reference!

Sitting around the dinner table, with Iron Chef playing on the TV, Noah and Emma begin to eat with their mom. A clip of the show that they are watching shows a live crab (or could have been a lobster) being held down, and whacked with a mallot.

Emma jumps. Questioning why they had to do that, why would they kill him when he didn’t do anything to them.

“What about that chopped-up cow?” Noah teases.

A hesitant Emma, with a bite of hamburger in her mouth, asks, “What chopped-up cow?”

“What do you think hamburger is?”

She thoroughly spits out every ounce of meat in her mouth.

From there, it’s just your basic plot of a young girl saving the planet and securing the future of mankind through a time traveling stuffed bunny rabbit.

At church yesterday, of all places, I overheard and joined in on two high school boys conversation:

Boy 1: The pigs don’t even get it the worse, though.

Boy 2: What are you, PETA all of a sudden?

Me: I am. I’m a PETA member.

Boy 2: Oh. I better not say anything else then. I shouldn’t offend anyone; I could, but I won’t.

Boy 1: Yea, well I first saw it on YouTube. And when he picked up that pig and slammed it into the ground, that was hilarious! haha.

I walked away.

To me, my Christianity and veganism go hand in hand. I do not believe that it is a sin to kill and eat animals; however, when the life and killing of these animals involves evil torture, and you knowingly eat this flesh …

I’m not the only one that feels this connection between religion and diet. Did you know that there is Christian Vegetarian Association? Check it out, especially the FAQ section that talks about how the Bible supports vegetarianism without saying extremists points of view, twisting the Bible to fit their needs.