Almond or Soy?

still doesn't understand why it is not all right to use farm animals and their

products. An "educated" man (if by that you mean degreed") he still uses the

same tired rationale I have heard from others who want to keep on using the

flesh and products of farm animals.

Basically, he wrote that if we didn't use them, they would become extinct. He

didn't exactly use the word "extinct," but it certainly was implied when he asked

would they survive?

He was replying to a recent blog I received from Vegan.com and which I had

forwarded on to him and others. Eric, who writes it faithfully, maintains the blog

which doesn't weigh us down with extraneous verbiage. He makes his points

clearly and succinctly.

Case in point- the last blog suggested we buy Daiya shredded cheese to make a

delicious toasted cheese sandwich. In truth, most of mine never have come

close, so I am anxious to try it out. Thirty years without a delicious toasted

cheese sandwich is a bit long, but then I would go 30 more years without one

in order to never use the products of suffering calves and cows. (If I had 30

more years, I would be 113!) No, I don't want to live anywhere near that long.

His latest blog was entitled: "THE CASE AGAINST MILK." Here's how he

started:

"Got cruelty? Got saturated fat? Got greenhouse gasses? Got somatic cells

(a.k.a.pus)? Well, when you drink cows' milk, you get all of those things -- and

nothing good that you can't get from almond or soy milk."

If you are not impressed by this condensed version of why not to drink cow's

milk, I certainly was. In a few powerful phrases, he gave the four basic reasons

why we should not use cow's milk: It is cruel, it is unhealthy, it is bad for the

environment, and it sometimes contains blood or pus from sick cows.

Then he asks -- then why do people drink cow's milk? Again, he answers simply

and directly: habit and brainwashing from the dairy industry. Yes, as I've noted

before- that as a teacher in the 50's and 60's, we were sent copious materials

(posters and brochures) promoting eating meat and dairy. These were two of

the Basic Four Food Groups being touted at the time. Thank God, the new food

pyramid doesn't put them in any place of prominence on it. I believe there is a

new food group guide out but I haven't seen it yet. But again, I doubt that

meat and dairy are considered anywhere important on it.

Eric also reminded us that humans are the only species to drink milk past

infancy. And we are the only species to drink it from a different species.

Instead of the milk being used for baby calves, it is sold to adult humans

who should have been weaned decades ago.

And he ends with a hoped for new reality -- a visit to a coffee place or cafe

where you are asked -would you like almond or soy? Happily he notes that

there is ONE such place in Oakland --Timeless Coffee Roasterv and Bakery --

the first all-vegan cafe there which serves delicious home-roasted coffee

drinks and a variety of baked goods, chocolate treats, and vegan brunch

specials.

Of course, there are vegan restaurants in many large cities, but I imagine

that this place is something like a Starbucks. How happy we vegans would

be it this vegan bakery and cafe would take off like Starbucks and proliferate

over the land as they had!

If so, this new experience might lead to a lessoning of the dependence on

milk from cows. And this might lead to a return of smaller dairy farms where

cows would be treated more compassionately. They would be let out to graze

in sunny meadows WITH their calves. They would now feel the rays of the sun

on their backs. Maybe even a sudden rain would have them enjoy the rain

drops which they never could feel in a dark and oppressive CAFO confinement.