wut?change?
I haven't posted anything political in a while. Not since the election, especially. We all know what happened, and I'm not going to repeat it. I have some things to say, though. About other things.
As some of you may know, way out in California, a proposition was passed. Proposition 2. It would allow laying hens enough room in their pens to fully extend their wings. It was something I would have voted for had I lived in California. It is something that I would have not likely really researched much beforehand, as I don't consume eggs in the first place, and it doesn't make a difference to me how much they cost. I was a little shocked that this one went through, with the obvious knowledge that the price of eggs would go up. Boredom drove me to look a little further into this. What arguments were Californian farmers giving for voting no? My discoveries were enlightening.
Californian farmers argued that passing this proposition would not improve conditions for chickens, but would in fact, make them worse. The price of California eggs would increase, and people would sooner buy cheaper eggs from factory farms in other countries and states. It would do nothing but put farms in California out of business and encourage the growth of farms in places where there were not as many regulations.
People voted in favor of giving hens enough room to fully extend their wings, but the passing of this proposition won't mean a thing unless these same people are willing to pay the extra money for California eggs. Most farmers predict that they won't...as do I. But wouldn't it be something if they did? If the people actually put some degree of thought behind the purchases they made? If we spent less on digital entertainment and video games and theme park vacations and put those extra dollars into making sure our day to day purchases were as ethical as possible? If we put half of that money into helping others? If we all spent an hour a week...ONE hour every WEEK into feeding the homeless, finding a dog a home, feeding a feral cat colony, visiting the elderly, reading to a child in a low income school, standing in a median at a protest with a sign...reading a pamphlet handed to you by some activist acting for something and actually considering what it said...what kind of difference would it make if we all, as a rule, set aside an hour a week to do something for somebody else?
A lot of people worked hard during this election. A lot of people worked hard to see this happen. I'm hearing people say that racism is no longer an issue, and I'm watching people celebrate the fact that work is done. I am seeing people eagerly awaiting change. I am frustrated...because that change won't happen without people working for it...and I'm not talking about the government, and I'm not talking about Barack Obama.
When things go wrong, we need to be out on the streets yelling about it. When people are hungry, we need to find the time to feed them. When people are being abused, we need to find the courage to stand up. If we believe in something enough to spend hours campaigning, or even just seconds voting, we need to follow through.
I do not ask right now, this is a demand. For those of you who would have voted yes on proposition 2, I demand, if you really believe that hens deserve the right to fully extend their wings, I demand that you go out of your way as often as possible to buy California eggs. I demand that when you're standing in the aisle at your local supermarket, that you think about the lives that were given so that you can have your eggs, and to think about just what those lives mean to you. The change happens when people start supporting ethical farming practices, and each and every one of you can be that change. This applies to more than just eggs.
If you're not willing to be the change, you don't deserve to have the change. I could quote Gandhi, but you all already know that bit, don't you?
Stop hoping. Go do something. Like, now.
As some of you may know, way out in California, a proposition was passed. Proposition 2. It would allow laying hens enough room in their pens to fully extend their wings. It was something I would have voted for had I lived in California. It is something that I would have not likely really researched much beforehand, as I don't consume eggs in the first place, and it doesn't make a difference to me how much they cost. I was a little shocked that this one went through, with the obvious knowledge that the price of eggs would go up. Boredom drove me to look a little further into this. What arguments were Californian farmers giving for voting no? My discoveries were enlightening.
Californian farmers argued that passing this proposition would not improve conditions for chickens, but would in fact, make them worse. The price of California eggs would increase, and people would sooner buy cheaper eggs from factory farms in other countries and states. It would do nothing but put farms in California out of business and encourage the growth of farms in places where there were not as many regulations.
People voted in favor of giving hens enough room to fully extend their wings, but the passing of this proposition won't mean a thing unless these same people are willing to pay the extra money for California eggs. Most farmers predict that they won't...as do I. But wouldn't it be something if they did? If the people actually put some degree of thought behind the purchases they made? If we spent less on digital entertainment and video games and theme park vacations and put those extra dollars into making sure our day to day purchases were as ethical as possible? If we put half of that money into helping others? If we all spent an hour a week...ONE hour every WEEK into feeding the homeless, finding a dog a home, feeding a feral cat colony, visiting the elderly, reading to a child in a low income school, standing in a median at a protest with a sign...reading a pamphlet handed to you by some activist acting for something and actually considering what it said...what kind of difference would it make if we all, as a rule, set aside an hour a week to do something for somebody else?
A lot of people worked hard during this election. A lot of people worked hard to see this happen. I'm hearing people say that racism is no longer an issue, and I'm watching people celebrate the fact that work is done. I am seeing people eagerly awaiting change. I am frustrated...because that change won't happen without people working for it...and I'm not talking about the government, and I'm not talking about Barack Obama.
When things go wrong, we need to be out on the streets yelling about it. When people are hungry, we need to find the time to feed them. When people are being abused, we need to find the courage to stand up. If we believe in something enough to spend hours campaigning, or even just seconds voting, we need to follow through.
I do not ask right now, this is a demand. For those of you who would have voted yes on proposition 2, I demand, if you really believe that hens deserve the right to fully extend their wings, I demand that you go out of your way as often as possible to buy California eggs. I demand that when you're standing in the aisle at your local supermarket, that you think about the lives that were given so that you can have your eggs, and to think about just what those lives mean to you. The change happens when people start supporting ethical farming practices, and each and every one of you can be that change. This applies to more than just eggs.
If you're not willing to be the change, you don't deserve to have the change. I could quote Gandhi, but you all already know that bit, don't you?
Stop hoping. Go do something. Like, now.