Thirty-five years ago I walked up and down the lanes of the Taste of Chicago searching for something to eat for lunch. That trek led, not to satiety, but to nausea and a deeper hunger for something more important than food. At the North end of the Taste, a Hare Krishna group had set up a booth. I thought that interesting and wondered what they, the only religious group I saw, were doing there. I wandered in their tent only to discover some of the most fascinating information regarding food, in particular animal food, that to this day influences my thinking and behavior regarding it.
This past Sunday, August 9, 2015, the Chicago Tribune published an editorial by Steve Chapman entitled “Exposing abuse of farm animals”. Mr. Chapman points out that seven states have passed “ag gag” laws, laws meant to keep the public from knowing how their food is produced, in other words how the animals that will provide nourishment for our bodies, are treated.
Thirty years ago, attorney, Steven Wise began his journey to change worldwide laws that consider animals to be things. Things, Wise says: “… don’t count in law. They don’t have any legal rights. They don’t have the capacity for legal rights. They are the slaves.” He tells about this journey in today’s TED selection. Watch out! If you care about animals as I do, you may be moved to do something about Wise’s cause.
We are a community of laymen and laywomen who, with vowed Passionists, seek to share in the charism of St. Paul of the Cross through prayer, ongoing spiritual formation, and proclamation of the message of Christ Crucified.
