ULRIKE MARIA, Owner of MODERN THOUGHT THEORIES

What are you grateful for today?

Keith Berger, Guest Writer and Director of Admissions at Palm Beach Institute

I cannot count the number of times I've had my meals interrupted by someone ostentatiously pointing out the portion of animal carcass they're about to eat (usually accompanied by "yummy sounds" and comments like, "Look at this juicy burger!"  Most times, I resist pointing out that the "juice" they're enjoying is actually the blood of a dead animal not far removed from roadkill), then asking such mocking questions as, "How's your tofu?", as if they truly believe that's all I eat.  Interestingly, tofu's not on the menu all that frequently.

On New Year's Day, I met with about 40 vegan & animal activist friends in West Palm Beach at a new vegan restaurant called Darbster.  As has become my usual custom, I wore an animal rights-themed t-shirt and my hand-decorated Converse All-Stars that say, among other things, "Go Vegan!" and "Choose Compassion."  This was a conscious choice for me as, though my closet is filled with much-loved concert and music-related tees, I prefer being a walking billboard for animal rights issues these days.  I really enjoy Elvis Costello's music, but so far as I know, he's not languishing in a factory farm somewhere and slated for slaughter.

I really wasn't expecting what came next, considering the circumstances.

Not long after sitting down for lunch, the gentleman across from me noticed my shirt and began a conversation with me and some nearby friends.  The conversation was heated in places; opinions flew, fingers were pointed and minds swung open and closed like shutters in a blustery windstorm.  In the end, it seemed the gentleman and I had found enough common ground (we both work in the mental health field, we both... um... breathe oxygen?) to agree to disagree and go our separate ways with an amicable handshake.

Here's the t-shirt:

The next day, I received the following email (in bold).  Although he suggested I publish this, I have omitted the gentleman's surname so as to protect his privacy:

"Vegan Rage, Vegan Hypocrisy

By Dr. Jay ______________

On New Year’s Day, I went to a Vegan Meetup in South Florida .

Sitting across from me was a man wearing a tee-shirt that displayed a really disturbing message. Really disturbing to me. The message that compared killing Jews in Auschwitz to slaughtering animals. Probably, the intention – the calculated strategy - of using such a provocative comparison was to drive home the point about killing animals.

But, what does raising animals for food and then eating them have to do with exterminating Jews?

Yes, killing living beings heartlessly, cruelly, is involved in both cases.

And if that was the point you wanted to make, why not use the death of 6 million Jews to help you? Why not? Why?

I, for one, and I’m not really involved with either Veganism or the Holocaust, think that using the death of the Jews - living beings - to your advantage is in really bad taste, or worse.

So why would you do it? No better options? No stronger argument?

Would it be OK if you were feeling frustrated that so many people cared about the Jews and not about your animals? Would it be OK if so many people didn’t care about your pain at the death and mistreatment of animals? A pretty hard message to sell in our meat-eating society. A pretty hard reality to live. To have to tolerate.

So, why not use the Jews execution to your advantage? To make your point? To get your way?

Now, that’s true compassion! True sensitivity. True morality. A really high example.

Anything to change a mind in your direction.

How powerless you must feel, how unheard. How sad you must be.

I feel your pain and your desperation.

That makes me sad.

Sincerely,

Jay ___________ – New Years Day, 2010

"Here is the reply I sent:

Jay,

Sarcasm: from the Greek sarkasmos, to tear flesh.

Having come away from our conversation Friday afternoon with a rather high opinion of you, I now sit shaking my head, stunned - not so much at what you've written but at the sarcastic tone you've chosen to use. You accuse me of rage and hypocrisy, yet it is you who are deliberately using this attacking form of communication. Interestingly, as you accused another person at the table of being angry, you did so in an aggressive manner with your finger pointing.

You've redefined irony for me, Jay.

All I did was show up wearing a t-shirt; you began the verbal debate. Yes, my choice to present myself as a billboard for the animal rights cause was/is intentional, as I think it is important to challenge people in this area by making them examine their choices and behaviors. My guess is, as an on-again, off-again vegetarian/vegan [aside: I'm never sure whether "used-to-be-vegans" should be considered relapsers or recidivists...] who now chooses an omnivorous diet because, in your words, "I don't have a conflict with it", the information you perceived from my shirt challenged your conscience and sparked your rather visceral reaction. No matter what your choices continue to be, my work was successful. All I want is for people to think, rather than simply go about their day oblivious to the holocaust (yes, holocaust. Deal with it. The terminology is appropriate to the situation) going on around them every single day. Denial kills, Jay. It kills billions of non-human animals every year. It is my strong belief that there are things in this world that are very easy to see, but very difficult to face. Death, especially in those kinds of numbers, is a very high price to pay for looking the other way.

To answer a question you posed, yes, I do see a difference between human and non-human animals: human animals enslave other animals and kill unnecessarily - all by choice. That definitely sets us apart from ALL other species. I'm not sure that's the answer you were looking for, but it's the one I have.

Just so you don't think I'm a one-cause pony,I sometimes wear a shirt that says, "Give Racism the Boot", and I observe peoples' reactions to that one, as well. Some give me a thumbs-up, some ignore it... and some see it, absorb it, and look away quickly, but never quickly enough to hide the shame that flashes across their faces. When I see that, I think, "Gotcha!"

Since speciesism is the form of racism that allows human animals to justify a system of enslavement, abuse, torture and wholly unnecessary death of non-human animals for what is, in effect, their own gluttony, I again say, "Gotcha!"

You are correct that there are things over which I am powerless, and that list is long. What I do have power over are my choices and actions. Today, my choice is to refuse to knowingly and willingly support such a system as I have described above.

More disturbing to me than any message any t-shirt could ever bear is the idea that a person such as yourself who purports to be high-minded and compassionate, given the information available about the suffering of non-human animals and the simplicity of taking an individual stance against it, would choose to remain actively complicit in that system.

Despite the back-and-forth of our dialogue Friday, I'm not sure you ever really heard me as, each time I spoke, your eyes moved away and began working in the telltale manner of one who is half-listening while formulating their next response to what's being presented. I saw this and understood it for what it was. As a fellow mental health professional, I'm sure you're quite familiar with this and have seen it as many times as I have (more, probably) while presenting controversial, challenging ideas to those we treat. I know you're a perceptive person, Jay, so I know you saw me looking into your eyes as you spoke. That's because I wanted to hear you and understand you. I didn't have an agenda; I was simply there to eat, enjoy the company of friends and perhaps make new ones. If it was aimed at anyone, my shirt was meant for those I might encounter elsewhere, not at Darbster's.

One of the women at the gathering told me that she lost 25 family members in concentration camps (and, lest it be overlooked, I am Jewish and have a relative who survived Auschwitz by tunneling out under dead bodies). When I asked the woman if she found my shirt offensive in any way, she said, "Oh, no! I've written about that very subject because the correlation is dead-on (no pun intended) accurate." I am comfortable enough with myself today to stand in my convictions, so I don't need to justify my choices. If I did, however, I think that exchange would be more than enough justification.

Here is a book you might find compelling:

Eternal Treblinka

A quote from Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jewish Nobel laureate:

"We know now, as we have always known instinctively, that animals can suffer as much as human beings. Their emotions and their sensitivity are often stronger than those of a human being. Various philosophers and religious leaders tried to convince their disciples and followers that animals are nothing more than machines without a soul, without feelings. However, anyone who has ever lived with an animal - be it a dog, a bird or even a mouse - knows that this theory is a brazen lie, invented to justify cruelty."

Finally, Jay, a quote from me:

I long for the day when we no longer have to create humane societies and instead simply choose to live as one.

I'm glad we met, and I wish you peace.

Keith


Oddly, Jay sent me a few more emails quoting other sources reinforcing the statement on my t-shirt, without any comments of his own.  While he railed against the idea presented on my shirt, he simultaneously seemed to support it.  I'm glad to know he's at least turned his mind to the subject.

More and more, I find, we are desensitized to others' suffering and death - we see it, we cause it and we eat it, often without a second thought or a moment's remorse.  As the saying goes, "Every hamburger begins with an animal begging for its life."  How many omnivores take the time to think about where that hamburger came from or what suffering was involved in its production (not to mention what's in it and how it's going to negatively affect one's body)?  How many omnivores sit and ponder whether, on a molecular level, ingesting the stress and terror of a tortured animal might have some impact on their own bodies?  I know that if I, like other animals, were to die in a violent manner, my body would be flooded with adrenaline and numerous stress hormones which would then be trapped in my muscles, organs and tissues.  If one were to consume some portion of my dead body (Keith chops, anyone?), one would be ingesting the chemical residue of my last terrified moments of life.  Another saying comes to mind: You are what you eat.

Sources and links:

http://veganachronism.wordpress.com/  
http://darbster.com/  
www.animalrightstuff.com   
http://www.eternaltreblinka.com/  
http://www.ivu.org/history/northam20b/singer.html  
http://www.meat.org.uk/slaught.html  
http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/ar-holocaust.html  
http://www.hsus.org/acf/cruelty/publiced/cruelty_serial_killers.html  
http://nothoney.com/2009/03/10/there-is-shit-in-the-meat/  
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/adorno/

Recipe and image courtesy by THREE CHICKS TALKING ABOUT FOOD

KELP NOODIES WITH PEANUT MISO DRESSING

This is a recipe using kelp noodles recipe from Sea Tangle Noodle Company. Sea Tangle makes two different kinds of organic kelp noodles, such as plain and green tea, and as a organic food company that specializes in seaweed, they also package mixed sea vegetables (kombu, wakame, hiziki, seaweed stems and montagne), which you can serve with kelp noodles or in other dishes. These sea vegetables are rich in fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and iodine.

Susan Placek, Owner of THE CREATIVE IDEA SHOP

Ocean Kelp is one of my favorite motifs when I am out hunting with my camera. I am fascinated by looking at it at the right time of the day  - sunset - when it reminds me of golden flames dancing on the water surface.

Because of its rubber/leather like look and feel that it has, I often wonder if it could be processed into belts, maybe shoes and other goods that are usually made of leather.

 After all, tons of Ocean Kelp is washed ashore daily and delivered at no charge by our planet's Oceans.

Links:

http://www.CocoonWorx.com (Images)

http://www.TheCreativeIdeaShop.com

http://www.catalinaadventuretours.com/

http://www.puritan.com/food-supplements-004/sea-kelp-000623

Ulrike Maria, Owner of MODERN THOUGHTS THEORIES

The ego is a peace-disturber, a troublemaker. It wants more and more, it doesn’t stop or find satisfaction. The inherent and characteristic goal of unfoldment and growth, striving to expand, is fully misunderstood by the ego-mind, as it sees this task as an accumulation of material riches and status, worldly powers you might say. However, the spiritual mind knows that the unfoldment of self consists of the humble awakening of Truth within. We have to expand our minds beyond our five senses; to truly ‘sense’ is to go beyond your accustomed limited perception. Mind always seeks to know and to expand its awareness.

“In the last analysis, life is found to be nothing but sense”, is stated by one of the great metaphysicians William W. Walter in the early 1900’s. Life, boiled down, hidden behind the veil of all perception, leaves a purely mental essence. Truth is mental.

Your work is to observe this inner sensing that is going on at all times. Do you see yourself as the dynamic, powerful, yet peaceful Soul you are? Or do you see yourself as struggling, confused, and always in a hectic state? Where is your inner peace?

Once we have mastered this inner harmony we can start sowing the seeds to include our surroundings and in the end, once we have found this stillness and calm within, it will naturally and effortlessly contribute to a grander picture. It will spread easily, and flow with the natural current of the Universe. It will certainly contribute to a better life and manifest into world peace, as we are part of Collective Consciousness, which is connected to the All-mighty Universal Source.

Links:


Links:

http://www.ModernThoughtTheories.com

http://www.examiner.com/mind-and-body-2-in-los-angeles/ulrike-maria-wilson

http://www.CocoonWorx.com (Images)

Ulrike Maria, Owner of MODERN THOUGHT THEORIES

I read on a flyer the Sanitation Department sent out a while ago, that cleansing the cans and bottles of food or debris before discarding them into the proper vessels, really will help them out in the recycling process. So why not – it takes 2 seconds!

Unfortunately, the American culture in general is used to wastefulness and the selfish ‘someone-else-can-deal-with-it’ attitude. I cannot speak about the rest of the world, but I can speak about a small and often overlooked country called Austria, my birthplace.

Even 30-plus years ago, I still remember clearly, my mother and other family members would bundle paper neatly (yes, neatly) before stashing it into a container until the weekly assigned drop-off day had arrived. The food cans and bottles were rinsed out and driven to the nearest recycling center, with the boxes of paper and plastic items. The convenience of trucks picking up those items at your door step wasn’t available at the time. However, the City expected all citizens to participate and no one thought that was in any way intrusive or inappropriate. Everyone felt it was their duty.

So let us take another look at how we can make the same commitment to our planet. Each of us, individually, might not have a great impact in this undertaking, but like with all matters a collective effort can move mountains, literally.

Here are some facts about recycling that might interest you: The average person uses 650 pounds of paper each year, 2.5 million plastic bottles are used every hour in this country, about 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable, and our recycling rate is only 28%. I think, like with everything in life, education is the key. Do you spend your time researching environmental issues and how to solve the problems? Probably not - but starting right here and now in your household, and teaching your children the importance of living with compassion and concern for our planet is a must. Each and every one of us counts, each and every one of us can make a difference.

From a metaphysical/ mental perspective taking care of our mother Earth has of course great importance. Our carelessness reflects the uncaring attitude about everything but ourselves. Having said that, and knowing that our thoughts and actions are causative and responsible for everything that befalls us every day of our lives, we must change our habits and mind models about life itself.

Life is a gift. It is to be cherished and nurtured. We are here to learn and grow and find our way back to the Light. As our journey includes the all-inclusiveness of Love and the responsibility to help and uplift our fellow men, it makes sense to start with the smaller things first. How will you be able to live according to the Laws of the Universe if you cannot event live according to earthly Laws?

Our capacity to love does not stop at people - it includes all living creatures, plant life and Nature itself; and if you and each and every one of us creates a little piece of heaven – just imagine! The world would be heaven itself!

Links:

http://www.ModernThoughtTheories.com

http://www.examiner.com/mind-and-body-2-in-los-angeles/ulrike-maria-wilson

Recipe and image courtesy POST PUNK KITCHEN, by IsaChandra

Links:

Post Punk Kitchen

http://www.theppk.com/

Susan Placek, Owner of The Creative Idea Shop

It is about courage, about standing up for your beliefs, granting the right to live and raising your voice against animal exploitation and abuse and waste of valuable resources, when ignorant silence would be way more convenient.
It is about being a voice for those millions and billions of animals who's cries go unheard every day and every year.
It is the only logical consequence after opening your eyes to the sad and brutal reality of today's food industry, the mass production of foods, that are killers for both, humans and animals alike and that serve one purpose only: Filling the bank accounts of greedy corporations.

Veganism means restricting yourself by choice to a plant based diet and respecting animals for what they are: Living sentient beings. It is about letting go of human arrogance and bad food choices, about healing your body and your soul. Veganism is a positive revolution of gratitude, of people changing individually, thriving and reaching out to unite in the desire to change our planet, discovering what Earth and Life has to offer to all of its inhabitants.