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Ok, so I know I’m not perfect and I know that no one else is. But with so much going on I feel like the world is on an exponential graph (f(x^2)). I digress. As many of you may know, I like to listen to talk radio when I’m driving in my car. It’s much more engaging than most of the commercial music drivel that’s on. Recently on one of the shows a guest to the show was presenting an argument for Animal Rights. (I wish I could remember his name and his book) While to his larger points, I disagree, one thing he said stood out to me. Paraphrased, he mentioned that the amount of grains used to feed animals was massively disproportionate to the amount of nutrition produced by food from those animals (meat).

To sum up my experience, I’m a species-centric person. I believe that human life is more important than animal life. In a life boat situation I have no problem throwing another species or lifeform out of the boat in order to survive. This is the way of nature. There may be some moral conflict in upholding rules governing fair treatment of other humans versus allowing poor treatment of animals for the “betterment” of human society (for food, for medicine, etc.) but in general I’m a much bigger fan of a human that I’m in competition with in the food chain with than another species I’m competing with.

And so, I’m left with this: Is my over-consumption of meat in conflict with my wish of betterment for the human species? My only answer can be yes.

If it takes so much grain to feed the cow that I could be fed and 100 other people be fed I am content with my loaf of bread so that 100 more can survive a day longer. And I say this with all gravity, that I am fully aware that I’m one person, and knowledge that I change little in my personal choices (or even that all my choices align properly to the same moral compass 100% of the time). I do not make this choice to make a change, and yet I do not wish to make this choice to in some way cleanse a guilty conscience. I am not guilty, I am redeemed. I will make this choice out of love and conviction.

On eating meat: After weighing what information I can find (and hopefully have linked on to you), I have decided not to swear off meat to the point of being an inconsolable prick or an ungrateful, ungracious guest (for still, in some cultures the providing and consuming of meat is a great honor for both guest and host). I have decided that the meals I furnish for myself will consider the greater cost of production. And in the case of mass produced meats I cannot find a defense for continuing to partake of their waste.

I started with the hopes of asking for suggestions for my own personal vegetarian manifesto, but found I pretty much knew what I wanted to say. Still, I would welcome comments, suggestions, critiques, and questions so that this manifesto of mine will be practical and yet responsible as well.

In addition to the links in the articles, here are some links I found to read up on before I came to this conclusion.

http://www.veggie123.com/
http://zenhabits.net/2007/08/how-to-become-a-vegetarian-the-easy-way/
http://www.goveg.com/index.aspx
http://www.theppk.com/
http://www.vegcooking.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_vegetarianism
http://www.all-creatures.org/cva/

(also since I’m about to be getting married this is subject to the approval of my S.O.)

So over the past week or so I’ve seen a lot of people out with Ron Paul signs, I’ve seen a couple news briefs about his blimp, I heard about a Guy Fawkes day fundraiser [[more on Guy Fawkes]] (done indepentantly of the RP campaign itself), and then today I read about a Boston Tea Party Reenactment as a fund raiser. Faithful readers may know I have already cast my lot in the upcoming election - for Ron Paul. At any rate the Tea Party article inspired me to troll around on the Ron Paul site today. I’ve been there before just reading various press releases etc., but today I decided to get involved. I probably won’t go to any rally’s or anything like that - it’s not really my style. But I did decide to link to his site so people know a) I’m voting for him and b) they can go to his site to get more info. Also, I just found out that for the Pennsylvania primaries, I have to be registered Republican. But based on the info on his site, I’ve got some time to do so. (I’m currently registered Libertarian. Come to think, if Ron Paul doesn’t get nominated, I’ll probably re-register back to Libertarian… if PA allows that sort of thing. More on that later.)

(oh and sarah asked if I get a kick back on donations through the link. The answer is a resounding no. In fact they most likely don’t know I’m linking to their site. I simply don’t generate that much traffic.)

xoxo

Lee

Libertarianism?

I pledge to vote for Ron Paul. I pledge to vote regardless of political strategy. I choose to vote for the right candidate, the best candidate, and the candidate that lines up most with my beliefs on how the government should run. I refuse to vote based on party lines and sacrifice quality for control.

And to those who would discourage, saying “thanks for a vote for the other guys.” I say,

1. read the quote below, think, repeat. (it applies to both sides)
2. go do this to yourself.

Money quote:

When conservatives feel comfortable mocking the victims gunned down by Clinton-era attorney general Janet Reno’s FBI in Waco, Tex., in 1993, it suggests that a complacent and increasingly authoritarian establishment feels threatened.