Vision Cafe
The Dark Side of the Plate
The shadow side of the meat and dairy industry is so dark that most can’t even see through it. Concealed behind fancy advertisements and biased research are horrid nightmares of filth and suffering too huge to ignore anymore. Looking deeper into what happens to the animals that people eat reveals some very frightening facts.
Every year on factory farms, over 10 billion animals are treated like machines rather than sentient beings. Breeding pigs on factory farms spend their entire pregnancies in crates the size of their bodies, unable to turn around. Veal calves are chained by the necks in crates, barely able to move for 16 miserable weeks before slaughter. Hens are crammed so tightly with four or five others that they can’t spread their wings and often get trapped and impaled in their wire battery cages.
Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, will be on the California ballot November 4. It would ban battery cages for hens, gestation crates for pregnant pigs and veal crates. It is sponsored by Californians for Humane Farms, the Humane Society of the U.S., Farm Sanctuary, ASPCA, and other animal protection groups. Several U.S. states and the European Union have passed similar laws.
Earlier this year, thousands of activists across California gathered signatures in order to get this initiative on the ballot. This groundbreaking proposition will begin to make improvements on factory farms by eliminating inhumane confinement. All animals, including those raised for food, deserve humane treatment.
Factory farms put the consumer’s health at risk by using methods that foster the spread of disease. Family farmers support Prop 2 because better farming practices enhance food quality and safety. Factory farms drive family farms out of business. The American Public Health Association has called for a moratorium on new factory farms because of the devastating effects these operations have on surrounding communities, by contaminating lakes, waterways, ground water, soil and air. California Clean Water Action and Sierra Club California support Prop 2 because it protects our natural resources.
Prop 2 is also supported by the California Veterinary Medical Association, the Center for Food Safety, the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Cesar Chavez Foundation, and many elected officials and religious leaders.
It’s crucial for us to demand that businesses adhere to guidelines and maintain integrity. As long as our society continues to raise and kill animals for food, there must be a level of regard for their ability to suffer. Prop 2 is not a solution for all of the torment that animals on factory farms endure. It is, however, one huge step in the right direction. The difference it will make in the quality of these animals’ lives is significant. I envision a compassionate world where humanity exists without killing animals to eat. But until that day comes, all we can do is try to shine some light where the dark shadow has loomed for so long.
“Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures.” - Albert Einstein.
To find out more or to get involved, contact www.YESonProp2.com or www.APRL.org.
Enhancing my Beauty at dk hair
The term “good hair day” was coined because so many women strive to have hair that’s bouncy clean, shiny and smooth. But what happens if your hair is curly and a little frizzy like mine? I remember my high school days when I would blow my hair dry, striving to have the feathered look made popular by Farrah Fawcett, only to have it curl up a few hours later.
Throughout history, women have gone to great lengths to adorn their hair and enhance their beauty. In the heat of Egypt, noblemen and women clipped their hair close to their heads and wore heavy, black wigs for ceremonial occasions. The women’s wigs were often long, braided and decorated with gold ornaments or ivory hairpins.
In classical Greece, women’s hair was long and pulled tightly back into a chignon. Many women colored their hair red with henna and sprinkled it with gold powder, then added fresh flowers or jeweled tiaras.
What is it about a woman’s hair that causes so much consternation? Why do we feel that our natural beauty does not always shine through? I turned to my friends at dk hair because of my desire for a hair style consultation. Not leaning toward being a fashionista after my brief high school stint, I have to admit I haven’t done much to my hair over the years. I just kind of let my hair be, well, my hair.
Lately I’ve had to seek the color expertise of Andres Medina from dk hair, who frankly has a better idea of how my hair could look than I do. I need a hair consultant who will take into consideration my skin tone, lifestyle and, well, my lack of interest in spending much time at all on my hair.
A painter by hobby, Medina is inspired by everyday surroundings and loves to work with edgier tones. He says, “when the haircutters do a different, funky, edgy haircut, I love it if I can put my hands in it to do the color.”
Located in the trendy section called Hillcrest in San Diego, dk hair specializes in providing clients with the latest color and hairstyles in an environment that exudes an unmistakable level of creativity. Co-owners David Valencia and Kenneth Bradshaw have honed their craft, receiving numerous accolades throughout their combined 30 years. Now, with a host of awards and an unparalleled education and training program for its staff, dk hair is at the forefront of hairstyling.
Using the hair cutting talents of Bradshaw and the coloring expertise of Medina, my natural beauty is enhanced. I wouldn’t know what to do without them. The wide variety of their clientele is a testament to their creativity and ever increasing knowledge on the styling intricacies of hair. Not to mention skin and makeup, but for that you’ll just have to call them.