3 posts tagged “social activism”
Throughout the movie, particularly during descriptions of the conditions on slave ships and plantations, I noticed a number of parallels between this system (which we now find publicly abhorrent) and the factory farming industry (which the general public still finds acceptable). The only highly visible parts of both systems are their seemingly rewarding results. The questionable means to those ends are effectively hidden from the public. No one wants to ask where their cheap food is coming from.
"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." - Paul McCartney
I recently read a book called The Omnivore's Dilemma, in which the author decides to thoroughly examine the food system at work in the United States. Although I didn't much enjoy his defensive attitude in dissembling the vegetarian movement, I would highly recommend the book to anyone who eats.
Maybe one day factory farming will be a social and economic practice just as frowned upon as slavery or child labor or *ahem* sexual discrimination.
By the way, besides being an abolitionist, William Wilberforce (the guy the movie is about) was a founding member of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
peace.
What We See
Brightly decorated store windows, displaying the latest merchandise, accompanied by big tantalizing SALE! signs. Hard to resist.
What We Get
(In most cases:) The products of unethical sweatshop labor. Read the tags on an item of clothing: MADE IN VIETNAM or CHINA or INDONESIA etc. The companies that stock most department stores export their labor to developing nations. Factories in those countries don't have to abide by the comparatively strict standards as factories in the United States. Conditions are appalling, wages are inadequate (to say the least), and many allow child
What To Do
The most powerful tool at any customer's disposal is the boycott. Don't buy from companies who exploit their workers. Often this is difficult considering the lack of accessible alternatives, but if we let obstacles like this stop us nothing will ever change.
What We See
A delicious holiday feast, slow-roasted cut of meat at the center, surrounded by cheesy side dishes, followed by a rich chocolate dessert. Wish we could eat like this year round.
What We Get
The products of a factory farm or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). These are places where food animals are kept ankle deep in their own waste, and fattened on evolutionarily inappropriate diets. Take for example the cow, whose feed consists almost entirely of corn. Cows are not designed to eat corn, which is why the CAFOs must process the animals in as little time as possible, before they die of malnutrition. The rest of their
Oh, and did I mention that these operations are exempt from clean air and pollution policies?! They have virtually no restrictions to prevent them from dumping their toxic wastes right into the Gulf of Mexico. The animals, and the environment they live in, are both so full of chemicals that the manure they produce (which could be used as a valuable, free fertilizer for farming!) becomes a bio-hazard!
What To Do
I'm not going to proselytize veganism. I'm stating facts, not vilifying omnivores. After all, humans are omnivores. But this is wrong. There's a difference between sustainable farming - humans and animals in harmony - and factory farming - humans treating animals as brute commodities.
I will, however, implore you: do not support CAFOs with your money.
Find a nonindustrial farm, or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) near you. Buy your food animals and animal byproducts from a farmer who treats her or his livestock with respect. Unfortunately, the meat and eggs and milk and cheese in the supermarket do not come from sustainable farms, even if the label says "free range."
It honestly makes me sad when people won't research where their food and clothing come from. Ignorance is not bliss, and in the long run - we all suffer due to the lies behind our unexamined lives. Consumers ultimately rule when it comes to industry. Every dollar spent is a vote for what is was spent on. Don't let your power go to waste!
peace.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal..."
That's from the Declaration of Independence. I conjure you to unearth a citizen of the US who does not have those last six words memorized - even if s/he doesn't know where they're from. Here's one from article II of the Constitution:
Section 1. The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years..."
The Preamble's great: "We the people...". The Declaration starts off: "When in the course of human events..." good, but it finishes with a few words on "...the opinions of mankind...".
Are you getting uncomfortable yet? Am I being too picky/politically correct? Get used to it, because today's post is on something called inclusive language.
Grammar is Sexist
In the English language, there is no such thing as a neutral singular pronoun. It has to be she or he. More often than not, people will chose the masculine pronoun, especially when they're referring to vocations such as firefighters (firemen), doctors, or anything that has to do with a position of authority. The feminine pronoun is associated with passive or "nurturing" positions such as nurses, teachers (not professors), executive assistants (secretaries). If you're describing a hypothetical person, and you use masculine pronouns, no one cares. If you use feminine pronouns, people assume you're certain that the person is a woman and may even remark on it. Why? Is it too hard to alternate the gender of the pronouns we use?
People Think Sexist
There are many ways for people to think and speak non-inclusively, sometimes without even realizing it. Like by referring to the human race collectively as "mankind" or just "man". What is that supposed to imply? That male humans are the only ones worth recognition? Are female humans merely a marginalized sub-category? How is that possible when we make up 50% of the entire species?
How about all the derogatory remarks - applied to both men and women. "You throw like a girl" to the male baseball player, "You're such a *female dog*" to the tough executive who happens to be a woman. Make a list of some of the most popular insults you can think of (profanity included), you'll find that a lot of them are feminine. The worst thing you can call a guy is - a girl. The worst thing you can call a girl is - a girl.
Life's Not a Race
Yes, we've come a long way in regards to the racism of the past, but there are still issues for us to deal with, particularly when it comes to language. Which are correct: Black and White, or African American and Caucasian? No one can agree on the terms we use just to describe the color of people's skin. What if "race" is merely a social construct invented by humans, and genetically speaking there's no detectable difference between us? Sometimes the words used to describe groups of people aren't even accurate. Which is correct: Indians, Native Americans or American Indians? The only reason for this confusion is the fact that over six hundred years ago, some explorer named Christopher Columbus didn't know that the continent of North America existed!
Today the term "politically correct" is used almost exclusively in a pejorative sense. Some say it even infringes on freedom of speech. In her book Reviving Ophelia, Dr. Mary Pipher called the first amendment (of the Constitution) "the last refuge of scoundrels". Now, no one in their right (democratically thinking) mind would oppose freedom of speech, but remember that it can be exercised by people with hateful opinions just as easily as those working for positive change. Political correctness is not about censorship, it's about being aware of how the things you say will be percieved by the people listening to you. If you use non-inclusive language and terms, people will judge you accordingly. The things you say, and the way you say them, reflect on you as a person.
Too many people equate political correctness with whining. Some see it as being hypersensitive, and urge people to "get over it" or just ignore cases of exclusive language. Ignoring something will NOT make it go away. The only way to effect change is to speak out or to vocally complain about the issue. Your silence will only be taken as agreement.
peace.
