Agenda for a New America
Part One
The Politics of Vegetarianism
By Vasu Murti
Chapter 4 - Rights

Patrick Corbett, Professor of Philosophy at Sussex University,
captured the spirit of the animal rights movement with these words:

"...we require now to extent the great principles of liberty, equality
and fraternity over the lives of animals. LET ANIMAL SLAVERY JOIN
HUMAN SLAVERY IN THE GRAVEYARD OF THE PAST."

Dr. Tom Regan, one of the intellectual leaders of the animal rights
movement, has often pointed out that the animal rights movement is a
part of (rather than apart from) the human rights movement. The
campaign for animal rights is secular social and moral progress. The
crusade to abolish every kind of animal exploitation and cruelty --
including the use of animals for food -- can in no way be equated with
religious "dietary laws," "sacred cows," or various forms of "ritual
slaughter."

The animal rights movement is comparable to the abolitionist movement
that ended human slavery, the women's rights movement, the labor
movement, and the various campaigns against poverty, racism, drunk
driving, child abuse, rape and nuclear power. A number of the early
American feminists, including Lucy Stone, Amelia Bloomer, Susan B.
Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, were connected with the 19th
century animal welfare movement. Together with Horace Greeley, the
reforming, anti-slavery editor of The Tribune, they could meet to
toast "women's rights and Vegetarianism."

With the power of the religious right and a Republican Controlled
Congress, has come concern in liberal circles for the separation of
church and state. On the abortion issue, the Catholic Church has been
accused of trying to impose its morality upon the rest of society. The
animal rights movement, however, is a secular and nonsectarian
campaign comparable to women's or civil rights.

Religion has been wrong before. It has often been said that on issues
such as women's rights and human slavery, religion impeded social and
moral progress. The Church of the past never considered slavery to be
a moral evil. The Protestant churches of Virginia, South Carolina, and
other southern states, actually passed resolutions in favor of the
human slave traffic.

Human slavery was called "by Divine Appointment," "a Divine
institution," "a moral relation," "God's institution," "not immoral,"
but "founded in right." The slave trade was caller "legal," "licit,"
"in accordance with humane principles" and "the laws of revealed
religion."

New Testament verses calling for obedience and subservience on the
part of slaves (Titus 2:9-10, Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-25, I
Peter 2:18-25) and respect for the master (I Timothy 6:1-2, Ephesians
6:5-9) were often cited in order to justify human slavery. Many of
Jesus' parables refer to human slaves. The Epistle to Philemon
concerns a runaway slave returned to his master.

In 1852 Josiah Priest wrote Bible Defense of Slavery. Others claimed
blacks were subhuman. Buckner H. Payne, calling himself "Ariel," wrote
in 1867, "the tempter in the Garden of Eden was a beast, a talking
beast...the negro." Ariel argued that since the negro was not part of
Noah's family, he must have been a beast. Eight souls were saved on
the ark; therefore, the negro must be a beast, and "consequently he
has no soul to be saved."

The status of animals in contemporary human society is not unlike that
of human slaves in centuries past. Quoting Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18, II
Corinthians 3:17 or any other biblical passages in favor of liberty,
equality and an end to human slavery in the 19th century would have
been met with the same response animal rights activists receive today
if they quote Bible verses in favor of ethical vegetarianism and
compassion towards animals.

A growing number of (mostly politically left-liberal) Christian
clergy, theologians and activists are beginning to take a stand in
favor of animal rights. The teachings of the Reverend Andrew Linzey
and Reverend Marc Wessels are especially significant in this regard. A
1988 statement issued by the World Council of Churches called for "The
Liberation of all Life. "

Many notable revolutionaries have come from powerful classes,
radicalized by acute contradictions between the realities of class
exploitation and whatever ideas of justice were harbored within their
breasts. We humans, stratified, divided, and warring among ourselves,
are nonetheless the indisputable ruling class of planet earth. In
fighting for our own intra-human liberation, we have largely ignored
or trivialized the oppression and violence perpetrated in our
name--often in response to our direct and personal economic
demand--against nonhuman animals.

Seventy to one hundred million, including lost and abandoned pets, are
quite literally injected, infected, mutilated, driven insane, strapped
immobile for years on end, blinded, concussed, burned, mechanically
raped, dismembered, disemboweled, mutilated, and otherwise
violated--often without adequate anesthesia--in order to test
shampoos, oven cleaners, make-up, and scientific hypotheses; to
advance medical science or personal careers; to develop and test
nuclear, biological, chemical, and conventional weapons; or for
general scientific curiosity, and because public funding is available.

Twenty million unwanted pets undergo euthanasia every year and
countless others are abused by their owners. Spay-neuter clinics get
little or no public funding, while the pet-breeding industry continues
to enrich itself by pumping out living, disposable toys.

Seventeen million wild fur-bearing animals (and twice as many "trash"
animals) are mangled in steel jaw traps and 17 million more factory
farmed, then gassed or electrocuted, that we may wear furs.

170 million animals are hunted down and shot to death in their
habitats, mostly for sport, often leaving their offspring to die of
exposure or starvation.

Industrial pollution, habitat destruction, and our transportation
system kill and maim untold millions, while we kidnap and imprison
others for our entertainment in zoos.

Six billion animals are killed in America every year*; 95 percent of
them are killed for food. We force-breed, cage, brand, castrate, and
over-milk them, cut off their beaks, horns, and tails, pump them full
of antibiotics and growth stimulants, steal their eggs, and kill and
eat them.

*(Ed. - USDA 2000 figures reported that nearly 10 billion animals were
slaughtered for food.)

"I have no doubt that it is part of the destiny of the human race in
its gradual development to leave off the eating of animals, as surely
as the savage tribes have left off eating each other when they came
into contact with the more civilized." Henry David Thoreau


found at http://www.all-creatures.org/article...i-polveg4.html

Baby Back Ribs
(4 to 6 servings)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons season salt
4 pounds baby back ribs
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon season salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
Sprinkle season salt on both sides of ribs. Place the ribs in a shallow
glass baking dish and cover. Refrigerate for 2 hours. In a small saucepan,
combine remaining ingredients; simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes.
Heat grill for medium coals. Brush ribs with sauce. Grill ribs for 45 to 50
minutes or until ribs are tender, turning and basting with sauce every 10
minutes.

http://www.everydaycook.com/recipebo...bybackribs.htm

I really like hot, fresh french bread and ice cold butter with ribs. I
am gonna make some tomorrow maybe.
>
>

This is out of bounds, Sefton. Don't get too comfortable, friend.

> Baby Back Ribs
> (4 to 6 servings)
>
> Ingredients
> 3 tablespoons season salt
> 4 pounds baby back ribs
> 1 cup vinegar
> 1/2 cup ketchup
> 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
> 1 tablespoon sugar
> 1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
> 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
> 1 teaspoon season salt
> 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
>
> Directions
> Sprinkle season salt on both sides of ribs. Place the ribs in a shallow
> glass baking dish and cover. Refrigerate for 2 hours. In a small saucepan,
> combine remaining ingredients; simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes.
> Heat grill for medium coals. Brush ribs with sauce. Grill ribs for 45 to 50
> minutes or until ribs are tender, turning and basting with sauce every 10
> minutes.
>
> http://www.everydaycook.com/recipebo...bybackribs.htm

Sounds cool, I had some gin and tonics tonight.

> I really like hot, fresh french bread and ice cold butter with ribs. I
> am gonna make some tomorrow maybe.