A Cruelty-Free Guide to Thanksgiving

Examples of cruelty-free commercial alternatives for the holidays--and any day!

A week from today is Thanksgiving and some of us vegans try and simply avoid thinking about the impending massacre of turkeys around Thanksgiving, preferring to ignore it altogether, and some use the date as an opportunity to educate people on the reality of what Thanksgiving means for those whose bodies are to become centerpieces on the tables of over 45 million American homes.

Turkeys are social beings who nurture and protect their young and thrive in their natural habitat. Even when they are stressed and confined (whether “free-range” or otherwise), they have an amazing will to live, as do all sentient beings.

The photos above show the easy alternative way for having a cruelty-free Thanksgiving. But if you want to make a homemade Tofurky roast and gravy, here is a recipe link below to do that:

Homemade Tofurkey with Brown Rice Stuffing

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

At the link below is a collection of Thanksgiving links to look at and make your own Thanksgiving experience more meaningful and hopefully to share with others the truth about who turkeys could be to us if we would only open our hearts to them.

A Vegan Guide to Thanksgiving

Jains Thrive in Chicagoland despite Cultural Clash

Jains believe in nonviolence, to the point of not harming any sentient being, through action or even thought. These Jain beliefs seemingly clash with some of the most powerful forces in American culture. Yet Jains are finding ways to adapt and even thrive here in the U.S. 

They’re passing these beliefs on to the next generation during their holiest holiday this week, called Paryushan at their temple in Bartlett.

Read the rest of the article here:

Tiny religious sect thrives in Chicagoland despite cultural clash

Whole Foods Selling Rabbit Flesh

A$$whole Foods Market has begun selling rabbit meat in select stores nationwide, and the move has animal advocates hopping mad. Mad enough, they say, that they'll be protesting at Whole Foods stores this weekend, handing out leaflets reminding consumers that rabbits are popular furry companions.

I think it's foolish to only protest the selling of rabbit flesh when there are other kinds of animal flesh sold at A$$whole Foods.

People should be just as outraged at selling any kind of animal flesh--not just rabbits. There is no difference in their lives; all animals are sentient beings who have the right to live, and also important, people do NOT need to eat animal flesh to be healthy...And not eating animal flesh is in the long run, good for the environment as well, plus we would be saving billions of lives every year, as well as our own lives.

Peace out.

In Defense of Insects

A bush cockroach (Ellipsidion australe)

Here are two awesome articles on sticking up for all animals--including insects. Insects are not only living sentient beings, but they also help the environment.

On Defending Cockroaches


Also, check out the other link inside that article, called:

The Insects Among Us

Ex-Vegans: Directory of ex-vegans, vegan sellouts

UPDATED (July 8, 2013) Ex-Vegans Directory is no longer there. This is what is now shown as of this writing: Ex-Vegans

There is now a directory online of Ex-Vegans, where you can register to "out" anyone you know as a fact that they are no longer vegan. The site gives further rules on outing people, be they famous people or not.

I responded to the directory and this article: "Vegan Sellout List" Publicizes, Shames, and Threatens Former Vegans - Yahoo! News at my Facebook, but I have cut and pasted my same response here as today's blogpost:

I'm ambivalent about the directory. 

I do love seeing a directory of what famous person is not vegan anymore, because I like knowing the celebrities that embraces my passion and those that no longer do anymore--no different from any other group/community. We all like to know who our "kindred spirits" are and if they aren't anymore, I want to know as a reference that they are no longer vegans, ESPECIALLY if I ever want to mention famous vegans in my blog, I want to get my facts straight as many other vegans would want when they post articles/blogs. 

I see many people getting upset, erroneously calling vegans a "cult" as said in the article (which, by definition, a cult is not evil, but society makes the word evil; plus, a cult is a religion worshiping some leader or god. Vegans don't worship anyone.)

Also, it's interesting how people say why are people interested in knowing who are vegan and who are not, but again it goes with being no different from any other group in wanting to know your fellow activists. People get defensive when someone asks if a person is gay, by snapping at them saying, "Why? Does it matter?" But even MANY gays themselves ask and want to know who is gay, so to possibly be role models, kindred spirits, etc., no different from the vegan community or from any other community. 

So, again, I think the site is great to let people know the famous people who are no longer vegan, but letting us know about non-famous people who are ex-vegans...hmmm, I don't know...I don't think it's really contributing in any positive way. If not being vegan was illegal, then I say--YAY! Go for it! Out them! To put them in jail, but that's not the law, so what's the point in outing people, and no one knows them except their friends, acquaintances and families? And there is a brutal suicide link on the Ex-Vegans site to go to if a person doesn't ever want to be vegan again which, in my opinion, is wrong and evil to post. 

It'll be interesting to hear what the rest of the vegan community thinks about it; I'm sure I'll be hearing/reading a lot! 

I don't believe people should have the choice of not being vegan because of the horrific harm it does to an innocent being. Veganism is not about sticking our noses into someone else's business (people don't feel that way about child abuse--that's everyone's business, people would say); vegansim is about stopping abominable cruelty of *sentient beings*, but unfortunately the law (as of now) doesn't see it that way.