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Today’s Message of Compassion: Playing Pretend
Posted on February 20th, 2013 by Colleen in Food for Thought Blog Writings
This Post has 1 Comment
Tags: animals children compassion meat vegan vegetarian
This Post has 1 Comment
Tags: animals children compassion meat vegan vegetarian
“When we turn away from the reality of what we do to animals for our gustatory pleasure, we play a game of pretend, like the child who covers her eyes and thinks you can’t see her. And yet, there she remains. Closing our eyes doesn’t make violence disappear; it only closes our minds and hearts and enables the violence to continue.” ~Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
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One Comment for this Post
March 2, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Hi Colleen~ We met at the Orland Farm Sanctuary a few years back when you spoke, and signed my copy of The Joy of Vegan Baking.. which now has many tasty stains all over it
)
This is a beautiful message, and rings true on many levels..
I had been vegan for a number of years when I chose to honor the courage of other activists by watching the undercover footage they’d filmed of factory farm etc atrocities. As a biologist, I was already aware that animal ag and research are horribly cruel and unnecessary industries, but the actual footage tore through me and had a major effect. I read more and learned more on the subject(ie Eisnitz’s “Slaughterhouse” etc), and was becoming empathetically overwhelmed, when it finally all poured out in a cd I made, called Bite by Bite. Though I had long since stopped playing the game of Pretend that was conditioned in my own upbringing, I felt compelled to experience the truth so that I might help others become aware. But I was not fully prepared for the emotional depth that this ‘animal-portal’ laid open through me, as is evident in the intimate intensity of some of those songs that just couldn’t be avoided through this catharsis. I celebrated that cd release by playing at Farm Sanctuary.. and have since joyfully transformed beyond and released another cd with my husband last year, self-titled “Blue Sky Pie”. We’ve got some really fun nieces and nephews, and this one’s primarily an upbeat kindness themed album. I recall you said your mate is a musician too~ if you’d like to give me a mailing address I’d be happy to share.
We’re up in northern cali, in the Ukiah/Willits area, and have just started a seasonal Planty Potluck where we share great veganic food(fresh and local as possible.. lots of gardeners up here:) and then watch a film afterwords(Forks Over Knives, Happy..). I really appreciate your inspiring work and uplifting wordplay, and will enjoy sharing your recipes and website with this group, as I do with others(though there really are no ‘others’
)
Peas and loam,
rosebud