The Sixth Commandment

The Sixth Commandment of God is THOU SHALT NOT KILL.  God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai after the Israelites were released from captivity and slavery in Egypt.  God had just shown His might in the parting of the Red Sea, the single greatest miracle in the history of planet Earth.  Evidence of this miracle was in a deep channel through the Red Sea where the remains of the Egyptians’ chariots were found, and reported in the New York Times, as well as other reputable news outlets.

Soon after the God’s greatest miracle, God called Moses to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.   This Covenant between God and people is recorded in the Bible in Exodus and Deuteronomy.

The Ten Commandments are the foundation of the moral code, and the basis of the legal system of justice for western civilization.  When asked what Mahatma Ghandi thought of western civilization, he said he thought it would be a good idea.  The distance western civilization has moved from its original purpose can be seen most clearly in its total disregard for the sixth commandment: ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’.

  

Literally billions of innocent defenseless animals are killed annually to satisfy the taste of carnivores, in the use of their murdered skin, fur, and wool for human clothing, and in other horrendous acts of torture and murder for ‘tests’, and ‘entertainment’.

Nowhere does it state that the Ten Commandments apply only to the human species.  Disregard for the welfare of all species causes climate change, pollution, hunger, human mortality and morbidity, and could be reduced or eliminated by simply following the Sixth Commandment -Thou Shalt Not Kill!

Intersectionality Speech by Robert Grillo, Founder ‘Free From Harm’, Chicago

There is no Peace without Justice. There is no world peace without justice for everyone, not just those of a certain species.  This is from a speech by Robert Grillo, Free From Harm, at a rally in Chicago, January 2018, regarding justice for all – not just the human species, but justice for all - including the animals.

“Free From Harm is dedicated to intersectionality, that is helping end all forms of oppression to vulnerable human groups and other species.  We expose the industries that profit on their suffering.  We have been inside their places of exploitation, and rescued some of their weakest, sickest, most desperate, and defenseless weeks-old victims, We expose what exploiters work so hard to conceal from the public.  

Intersectionality means justice for all, not justice for some at the expense or exclusion of others.  We believe that what Martin Luther King Jr. famously said decades ago is even more relevant today: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  We are caught in an in inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny”.

The bottom line is that we all share a common source of oppression. The corporations and our corporate states that oppresses vulnerable human groups are the same ones that exploit other species and the planet’s resources, as if they own all of us.  Let me say it again.    Our struggle is against a common oppressor.  And we are stronger together.  When we mobilize, we pose the biggest threat to their power.

As intersectional activists, we stand in solidarity with all of you and all social justice.   We support and strengthen each other.  As long as we see injustice to our own kind and other species, we will loudly, confidently and persistently raise our voices for those who have been silenced!  We are on the right side of history!  So let’s show this city and the world what a united front looks like!”

Healthful Diet and Easy Exercise

No one likes to talk about diet and exercise because it conjures up thoughts of deprivation and exhaustion.  I agree!  I don’t like that either!

Recently I had the opportunity to take the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise and became immersed in the whole food, plant-based diet concept.  It is amazingly simple, easy, healthful and delicious!  I hope you will agree!

First, it eliminates processed foods - anything that comes in a box or bag.  If it comes from a tree or field, it is not processed.  Instead of shopping in the supermarket, shop in a produce store.  This may take some getting used to initially, but it becomes very easy, and natural. 

Next, my concept of meal planning changed totally as I adopted the whole food plant-based diet to my own personal lifestyle.  I eliminated the standard meal plan: a main food (no longer meat, but meat substitute), a starch (potato, rice, etc.) and vegetable.  There were no more rules - anything went!  What a freeing experience!  Yes, I have had both rice and potatoes in the same meal occasionally, which would have shocked me years ago.  I prepared whatever I had in the kitchen from the produce store regardless of any preconceived formula.  A typical breakfast for me was no longer cereal, but could be corn on the cob, avocado, and tomatoes. 

Since the produce store does not have the same things each time, I learned to be spontaneous - buy what looked good, and meal plan according to what was in the kitchen.  It was a very freeing experience!  It was delicious and easy!

Then I went a step further.  Some people on the cruise were ‘oil free’, and some of the Speakers recommended it.  I did not agree, because I think the human body needs some oil.  However, I did become aware that I was using far too much oil, and eliminated added oil.  Out went the olive oil, coconut oil, and butter substitute.   I didn’t know if I could do it - but it has been almost a year now.  I feel fine and look good!

People on the cruise told me that they saute with water.   I tried it, and it works.  I also roast or steam vegetables which does not require oil.  Many people prefer the health benefits of the raw diet which is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  I do this sometimes, but not exclusively.  The fruit and salad is always raw, and that is enough for now for me now.  

I learned that exercise can be simple and practical.  ‘Use the stairs’ was recommended by one of the cruise’s body builders.  It has the benefits of being easy, cheap, and convenient. I also take nature walks.  Being in nature not only exercises your body, but also provides tranquility and sense of well-being.  Exercise does not have to be torture (for those of us who see it that way). 

Hope these ideas help you on your path to wellness.

      

A Hotter World is a Hungrier, Dirtier, More Violent World

Climate Change has been in the news lately, as we all know.  Different people have different views.  Some believe in it, and some don’t.  However, the scientific facts support the theory of Climate Change.  Not only that, but Climate Change has far reaching consequences which most people do not think about -                                a hotter world is a hungrier, dirtier, more violent world.   

                                

The main source of climate change is not the lack of sustainable energy, it is the meat and dairy based diet.  The massive amount of animal feces from raising animals for food is the largest source of airborne methane in the United States.  Methane traps heat in the atmosphere 100 times more effectively than carbon dioxide.  Forests, which have a cooling effect on the earth, are being cut down to provide grazing for cattle.     

                                  

The meat and dairy based diet is not only the main cause of climate change, but also causes world hunger and starvation.  More than 80% of starving and hungry children live in countries where food is grown and exported to feed animals raised for food.  More than 45% of earth’s total land is devoted to raising animals for food.  3.5 billion more people could be fed by growing plants for human consumption on land currently used to grow crops for farmed animals.     

                                                                

And it is dirty!  The meat industry causes more water pollution in the United States than all other industries combined.  Animals raised for food produce 130 times more excrement than the entire human population, but without the sewage system!

                                               

Animals raised for food are the number one cause of wildlife habitat loss, and species extinction. Wild animals are expected to lose 2/3 of their population by 2020.  The largest number of exploited, tortured, murdered individuals on earth today are animals: domestic or wild, in the air, on land, and in the water.  

This injustice has a price, and the price we are paying is called: 

                                                   Climate Change

We can stop Climate Change at our kitchen tables.  All of us can do our part in resolving this problem by our food choices, and make this a kinder world.

Go Vegan – Stop Climate Change!

Corporations Today, Shifting Public Opinion, and Action

Corporations, benefactors of the dramatic shift of power in the world today, are being held accountable for their actions. One such example is Emanuel Exports.

Australia’s largest live sheep exporter, Emanuel Exports, recently had its license revoked.  After sheep are no longer considered profitable, they are shipped alive. More than 100,000 liters of urine and feces accumulates on a typical live export ship every day during the weeks that the sheep are on board.  The ship won’t be ‘washed out’ until after they disembark.  There is no food or water for the animals, and heat makes on-board conditions catastrophic.  When temperatures soar, sheep are literally cooked alive.  Any live animal needing to lie down risks being buried in excrement.  Those who survive will continue to suffer, now surrounded by the dead bodies of their companions.

Heavily pregnant ewes are shipped for slaughter like every other animal.  They will endure the trauma of live export while going into labor and giving birth.  Babies born on live export ships will lose their mothers, be trampled, or be killed by distressed crew members who are routinely ordered to slit the babies’ throats.  Weeks later, when they arrive in the Middle East, those individuals remaining alive will be slaughtered in the most horrific ways imaginable, such as ‘halal’.  All this is after enduring a lifetime of suffering while being raised for wool.

Sheep raised for wool routinely live a life of constant suffering.  Shearers are paid by weight, not by time.  It does not matter to them if an ear, breast, or testicle is sheared off.  If an animal does not survive being sheared, it is cooked and eaten by workers in full view of the survivors, who know exactly what is happening.  No medical attention is provided, even for the most serious conditions.

Thanks to Animals Australia, a grass roots movement in Australia, corporations providing live export will no longer be tolerated.  As the world becomes more compassionate, and technology exposes more abuses, we will be increasingly living in a kinder world.