The only diet for a peacemaker is a vegetarian diet
Print Friendly Version| On the Road to Peace by John Dear S.J. | Tuesday, July 8, 2008 |
| Vol. 2, No. 44 |
In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last week to speak at the National Convention of Unitarian Universalists, I met my old friend Bruce Friedrich. We spent eight memorable months together in a tiny jail cell, along with Philip Berrigan, for our 1993 Plowshares disarmament action. A former Catholic Worker, Bruce is now one of the leaders of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He gave a brilliant workshop on the importance of becoming a vegetarian, something I urge everyone to consider.
I became a vegetarian with a few other Jesuit novices shortly after I entered the Jesuits in 1982 and later wrote a pamphlet for PETA, "Christianity and Vegetarianism." I based my decision solely on Francis Moore Lappe's classic work, Diet for a Small Planet, a book that I think everyone should read.
In it, Lappe, the great advocate for the hungry, makes an unassailable case that vegetarianism is the best way to eliminate world hunger and to sustain the environment.
At first glance, we wonder how that could be. But it's undisputable. A hundred million tons of grain go yearly for biofuel -- a morally questionable use of foodstuffs. But more than seven times that much -- some 760 million tons according to the United Nations -- go into the bellies of farmed animals, this to fatten them up so that sirloin, hamburgers and pork roast grace the tables of First-World people. It boils down to this. Over 70 percent of U.S. grain and 80 percent of corn is fed to farm animals rather than people.
Conscience dictates that the grain should stay where it is grown, from South America to Africa. And it should be fed to the local malnourished poor, not to the chickens destined for our KFC buckets. The environmental think-tank, the World Watch Institute, sums it up: "Continued growth in meat output is dependent on feeding grain to animals, creating competition for grain between affluent meat eaters and the world's poor."
Meanwhile, eating meat causes almost 40 percent more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, and planes in the world combined. (The world's 1.3 billion cattle release tons of methane into the atmosphere, and hundreds of millions tons of CO2 are released by burning forests due to dry conditions as in California or due to purposeful burns to create cow pastures in Latin America.)
And global warming isn't the only environmental issue. Almost 40 years ago, Lappe spelled out the environmental consequences of eating meat in stark relief. But more recently, her analysis received some high-power validation. The United Nations recently published "Livestock's Long Shadow." It concludes that eating meat is "one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." And it insists that the meat industry "should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity."
Much of our potable water and much of our fossil fuel supply is wasted on rearing chickens, pigs, and other animals for humans to eat. And over 50 percent of forests worldwide have been cleared to raise or feed livestock for meat-eating. (A recent protest in Brazil denounced Kentucky Fried Chicken for clearing thousands of acres of untouched Amazon rain forest for chicken feed.)
As a Christian, I became a vegetarian because of the Gospel mandate of Matthew 25, "Whatever you did to the least of these, you did to me" -- because I do not want my appetites to contribute to the ongoing oppression of the world's starving masses. As a Catholic and Jesuit, I want somehow to side with the poor and hungry.
But another issue arises, too, over the decades, I've learned that our appetite for meat leads to cruelty to animals -- chickens pressed wing-to-wing into filthy sheds and de-beaked, for example. And since I've always espoused creative nonviolence as the fundamental Gospel value, my vegetarianism helps me not to participate in the vicious torture and destruction of billions of cows, chickens, and so many other creatures.
The chickens never raise families, root in the soil, build nests, or do anything natural. Often they are tormented or tortured before they are slowly killed, as PETA has repeatedly documented in its undercover investigations -- for your chicken dinner or hamburger. (All this is documented on a video narrated by Alec Baldwin, at www.Meat.org.)
Animals have feelings, they suffer; they have needs and desires. They were created by God to raise their families and breath fresh air; and if chickens to peck in the grass, if pigs to root in the soil. Today's farms don't let them do anything God designed them to do. Animal scientists attest that farm animals have personalities and interests, that chickens and pigs are smarter than dogs and cats.
Animals figure in the Gospels. They brim with lovely, respectful images of animals. Clearly Jesus was familiar with animals, and cared for them, as he urged us to look at the birds of the air or be his sheep. He even identified himself as "a mother hen who longs to gather us under her wings."
And animals figure in the Hebrew Bible. Isaiah 11, a vision of reconciled creation, dreams of a day when "the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together with a little child to guide them. The cow and the beast shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest. The lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra's den and the child lay his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the God of peace, as water covers the sea." (Isaiah 11:1-9)
A vision of a nonviolent world, all creatures nonviolent, children safely at play with them, and no violence anywhere. That is the peaceful vision of creation that we are called to pursue -- in every aspect of our lives, from the jobs we hold, to our use of gasoline and alternative energies, to what we eat and wear, say and do.
I admire the Bible's greatest vegetarian, Daniel, the nonviolent resister who refused to defile himself by eating the king's meat. He and three friends became healthier than anyone else through their vegetarian diet. And they excelled in wisdom, for "God rewards them with knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom."
In his workshop at the Unitarian Universalists convention, Bruce added another beautiful image, the Garden of Eden. The Bible opens with a vision of paradise where God, animals, and humans recreate in peace together. Clearly, the Bible calls us to return to that paradise.
And Bruce reminded us that from the beginning we are directed to be vegetarians. Genesis 1:29 says, "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food."
Biblical images and justice issues aside, there are medical reasons to stop eating meat. Vegetarian diets help keep our weight down, support a lifetime of good health and provide protection against numerous diseases, including the U.S.'s three biggest killers: heart disease, cancer and strokes.
Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn both have 100 percent success in preventing and reversing heart disease using a vegan diet. Meanwhile, Dr. T. Colin Campbell writes that one of the leading causes of human cancer is animal protein. More, vegetarians are also less prone to developing adult-onset diabetes. And then we have to contend with the spread of Mad Cow disease and Avian influenza. One could almost argue that the human body is not designed for meat-eating.
But for me being vegetarian boils down to peacemaking. If you want to be a peacemaker, Bruce said, reflecting the sentiments of Leo Tolstoy, you will want to eat as peaceful a diet as possible. "Vegetarianism," Tolstoy wrote, "is the taproot of humanitarianism." Other great humanitarians like Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer and Thich Nhat Hanh agree. The only diet for a peacemaker is a vegetarian diet.
"Not to hurt our humble brethren, the animals," St. Francis of Assisi said, "is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission: to be of service to them whenever they require it. If you have people who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity," he continued, "you will have people who will deal likewise with other people."
So it was good to visit with my friend Bruce, and hear once again the wisdom of vegetarianism. It's a key ingredient in the new life of peace, compassion and nonviolence.
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John's autobiography, A Persistent Peace, (with a foreword by Martin Sheen), available Aug. 1, can be ordered at www.amazon.com. See also: www.persistentpeace.com. John's pamphlet "Christianity and Vegetarianism" can be read online at www.peta.org or free copies of the pamphlet or a free CD of John reading the pamphlet can be ordered by sending an email to VegInfo@peta.org. You can listen to or download John reading the pamphlet at www.ChristianVeg.com. See also: www.johndear.org.
My initial reaction was
My initial reaction was 'hogwash' but reading the whole article quietly led me to a more moderate stance. Yes, hogwash as to the elevation of vegitarianism to the pedestal of rightiousness, and the extent of rationalization of the position with biblical reference etc. Ritual animal sacriface is rife in the OT. I don't know if they consumed all of the animal, sheep or goat, but they sprinkled their blood on the doors, ugh. Maybe the angel who passed over did so because he/she was a disgusted vegetarian. Why were the glorified Christmas eve night shift guys tending sheep? To keep them from eating the grass? What was their destiny biblical or otherwise?
Dear John must have slept through the Jesuit formation chapter on - moderation in all things. I admire his dedication and spirituality of reality, i.e., living his values, but he seems like a teenage groupie who relishes in his companionship with the cult and the jihadish thrill from the parade on to whatever issue that seems to have a potential link to hot-button peace. Grasses, lentels, beets, oats, carrots are lower in the spirituality and life chain than cattle, chickens and sheep but they too have an irresistable urge to find the sun, to sow their seed (literally) and live on in their genetic selves and their interconnectivity with all other creatures. And what about the fish of the sea? Wild animals, the peaceful deer, the obnoxious boar and the predator cat have no compunction on nibbeling on the stuff with roots and their own flesh bearing kind.
There is no argument that the KFCs and the egg, beef and rib merchants have made a fetish of their product and an atrocity agaainst of their creation tending responsibilities for the sake of greed, but that is the sin of pandering and our sin is gluttony. They will stop at nothing including the destruction of the earth to sell and the genetic perversion of its meat bearing creatures to sell, sell as long as we buy, buy, buy and eat, eat, eat.
Portions, moderation, variety, integrity and valid choice, but a missionary for the sanctity of the salad is over the line.
Do we have to attack each
Do we have to attack each other on this issue when our churches are closing?
I bought one (!1!) green pepper this morning-at a discount grocery-for $1.79. Hunger may be a more pressing issue when the price of fresh produce is out of sight.
hi acoolmom007 and everyone
hi acoolmom007 and everyone else who responded to this article!
i applaud everyone for taking the time to think about this serious issue.
we don't have to attack each other and we don't have to attack animals. i think people are missing the point of fr. john dear's article. regardless of our religious upbringings or various interpretations of the Bible, we have the power to choose whether or not we will inflict harm upon others for the sake of our tastebuds. we get to make that choice every time we eat. we have the power to live the phrase "blessed are the merciful". we have the option to live nonviolently. there's nothing in the Bible that says we must kill to get to heaven, so why not choose the more compassionate option over killing the innocent animals?
we are lucky to be able to afford expensive produce when others are starving. 40,000 people are starving to death every single day while grain that could have saved their lives is being fed to animals who don't need to be on the planet.
and those animals being on the planet is causing immeasureable destruction to the planet through their waste polluting our waterways and air, using up finite resources, etc. raising animals for food uses 50% of our water in the U.S. as well as one third of our fossil fuels. every vegetarian saves an acre of trees and 1.3 million gallons of water per year.
and just think if everyone adopted a nonviolent diet. can you imagine how much more compassionate and peaceful the world would be? and isn't that what we all would like for the world and for future generations?
if you're interested in changing the world for the better, check out www.nonviolenceunited.org
together, we can all make a difference...
I want to first say that I
I want to first say that I am a HUGE fan of Fr. John Dear. I think he is a wonderful (and very rare) example of somebody who takes seriously the call to imitate Christ, and I am truly grateful for the faithful witness he gives to the Church and to the world. That said, I think this article, beginning with it's title ("The ONLY diet for a peacemaker is a vegetarian diet" emphasis mine), lacks nuance.
For one thing, I'd suggest paragraphs 2-8 and 9-11 of the column aren't so much criticisms of meat eating as they are attacks on the CORPORATE farm and the meat INDUSTRY. Meat eaters such as Mary G. Enig PhD and Sally Fallon (who have collaborated on the cook/food book "Nourishing Traditions" and other works) as well as Nina Planck (author of "Real Food") would agree with a large segment of what Fr. Dear wrote there. Indeed, if Fr. Dear would visit www.westonaprice.org/letters/index.html and read the Volume 8, Number 4, Winter 2007 Letter to the Editor titled "Letter to Vegetarians, by Jim Earles" he would find quite a bit of common ground on the issues raised in those paragraphs, even though Jim Earles is an avowed meat eater.
Secondly, much of the rest of the column seems to make use of a selective and somewhat fundamentalist reading of the Bible. Consider for example Fr. Dear's reference to Daniel 1. The USCCB's New American Translation of the Bible offers a helpful explanatory footnote on this event which suggests Daniel's reasons for rejecting the king's food may have differed significantly from Fr. John Dear's:
"3 [8] This defilement: the bread, meat, and wine of the Gentiles, which were unclean (Hosea 9:3; Tobit 1:12; Judith 10:5; 12:1-2) because they might have been offered to idols or prepared over firewood taken from a sacred grove. Only raw vegetables and water were safe from this danger (Daniel 1:12)."
The New Oxford Annotated Bible, NRSV, also provides some insight:
"1,8-21: The first resistance. 8: Defile himself be eating non-kosher food (see Lev 11); in the postexilic period, diet was a major indication of Jewish identity (Tob 1.10-11; 1 Macc 1.62-63; Jdt 10.5; 12.1-4; 2 Macc 6-7 Esth 14.17). Leviticus does not forbid wine; perhaps Daniel's refusal of food and win symbolizes a refusal to feast when Israel is in exile. However, Hos 9.3-4 (also Ezek 4.13) suggests Gentile food is impure."
It seems that Daniel's diet had more to do with preservation of his tribal identity and a strict observance of Levitical law than it did with nonviolence, or the mindfulness teachings espoused by Thict Nhat Hanh.
There are multiple verses in the New Testament which warn against confusing one's diet with holiness. For instance, Mark 7:18-19 records Christ himself as saying: "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" Earlier in verse 15 he says: "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man." Perhaps this is what St. Paul had in mind when he wrote in Romans 14:1-3 that followers of Jesus should "Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. One person believes that one may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him."
The Bible isn't the only book with such warnings. In Appendix 1 of Thich Nhat Hanh's "For a Future to be Possible: Buddhist Ethics for Everyday Life," Buddhist Sr. Chan Khong writes:
"The important thing is to be aware of what we consume. I have met people who cannot be vegetarian for medical reasons, but who respect life more than many vegetarians. Some vegetarians are too extreme, and are unkind to those who cannot give up meat eating. I am more comfortable with a meat eater than an extreme vegetarian who is full of self righteousness."
Similarly, Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr (a friend of Fr. Dear), writes in pg. 65 of "Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer":
"The ego has found another way to be right: with vegetarianism for example! I am not against vegetarianism, but if it's used as our new way to be in control and morally superior, we are not enlightened. While crunching organic carrots, some assure their egos bite by bite, 'I am right.'"
Let me end by saying I am in no way against vegetarianism. However, I think we as Christians should be careful to avoid exclusivism and sectarianism in any form. Vegetarianism may indeed be a wonderful diet, but is it not too much to declare it the ONLY diet for a peacemaker?
I personally do not relish
I personally do not relish eating the meat of animals, and I deplore the factory farms that provide much of our food... nonetheless, and as I explained to Fr. Dear when he questioned me at dinner one evening during our Pax Christi retreat, I for one simply cannot live without meat. I was a vegetarian for six years and at the end of that time I had zero energy and had to nap my way through half of my college years.... I was severely anemic, as I suspect a majority (and certainly a majority of female) vegetarians are. I felt better immediately when I returned to my omnivore ways. That said, I eat only locally-produced organic beef and poultry. Supporting these farmers, as expensive as their products are, is the only way to ensure meat-providing animals lead decent lives and are well-treated.
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
I always find it amusing
I always find it amusing when we assume every human's body is the same and has the same dietary requirements for vitality. And that is what we are doing when we advocate any specific diet for all people -- regardless of the arguments for it. Vegetarianism, in particular, is a choice often only possible for the wealthy amongst us, who live in the "proper" climate and have access to a variety of fruits and vegetables year round (thanks to fossil fuels). Many climates and economies make vegetarianism impossible. Furthermore, too many people who advocate a vegetarian lifestyle for all, who say it's for reasons of nonviolence, do not think twice about the implications of getting into cars every day or traveling by plane to conferences and peace demonstrations. I eat meat (gasp!), but I am conscious about where it comes from and how it was gotten; I do not perceive my actions as violent -- actually not to eat meat makes me exhausted (I have a hard time digesting other proteins) and I see THAT as violent to me -- not living my best life. I also only eat organic and eat local (as close as my backyard) as often as possible. I have not owned a car for seven years (a choice, not an imposition). There is no one single way for any of us -- as long as we are mindfully making choices and not just going along.
Thank God for Fr. John Dear
Thank God for Fr. John Dear and Bruce Friedrich who teach the truth. Animals belong to God who cares for each one. Someday we will all be held accountable for everything including animals (see Hebrews 4:13). We are to - LET everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6
Thank you to NCR for promoting truth and righteousness. We need our churches to promote peace and nonviolence to all of God's creatures. Numbers 11 shows the morality behind desiring meat. God is not pleased with greed.
Jan Fredericks
Catholic Concern for Animals-USA - www.Catholic-animals.org
God's Creatures Ministry www.Godscreaturesministry
Godscre, Are there any
Godscre,
Are there any limits to promoting peace and nonviolence to all of God's creatures? Cats hunt, toy with, and then eat mice. Is this to be stopped? What about insects? Are we allowed to kill them?
Like you, my wife is a
Like you, my wife is a practicing non-violent vegetarian. She feels it is wrong to kill animals for food. Because of this she’s a vegan, never being an accomplice to the slaughter or abuse of innocent animals to satisfy an apatite. This philosophy goes along with her gentle nature.
Because she’s a vegan, she eats a lot of vegetables, much of which she grows in our back yard garden here in the Chicago suburbs. And of course, it’s all naturally organic. However, it hasn’t always been easy. The neighborhood rabbits saw the garden as theirs too. The only way I was able to help her situation was by popping them with a 22 rifle. Admittedly this kind of goes against her non-violence objective, but other then this bunny thing, organic gardening has been a peaceful and spiritual experience.
Don
Don: The visual of your wife
Don:
The visual of your wife being a non-violent vegetarian and then you going rambo and killing off the marauding hoard of little "thumpers" (as my ex called them) who were desecrating her garden of purity ...
There is something about that situation that reflects the conditions we are dealing with in the Church today. Those of us who are doing our best to live in harmony with Jesus teachings, facing the marauding fundamentalism that is committed to decimating the altar of love in favor of doctrinal rigidity.
I still havent discerned where the 22 comes in, perhaps it has to do with shooting holes to let in more light or something such as that.
Whatever happened to the
Whatever happened to the concept of balance? I agree that everyone should read Francis Lappe's book. It gives one plenty of food for thought, but I disagree with the notion that man is designed to be animal protein free. The issue is one of balance and that we do not have in any nutritional sense. Besides, plants respond to human interaction as well, especially light and music. Should we give up eating them as well?
http://enlightenedcatholicism-colkoch.blogspot.com
Since Jesus was from the,
Since Jesus was from the, wasn't it, Essenes, who were thought to be vegetarians, I guess he might violate this anecdotal pattern you see?
There is no widespread
There is no widespread certainty or a majority consensus among Bible scholars (Catholic or Protestant) that the Historical Jesus started out as an Essene. So, while "Jesus as Essene" is certainly a possibility, it's not nearly a sure enough thing to base an argument on.
It's worth adding that, due to their diet, vegetarians are more prone to vitamin B12 deficiency than meat eaters (dreaded red meat in actually one of the best sources of this vitamin). Interestingly enough, the telltale signs of B12 deficiency are irrational, angry outbursts and mood swings.
WEll, SJ, I really don't
WEll, SJ, I really don't intend to get so serious as all of you! I was actually more supporting the idea of science and rationality on this one, since it seemed a rather strange direction regarding vegetarians to count them as the violent of the earth on the basis of someone's feelings (I thought that was the males with the extra Y). Let me say, before all those who judge people on the basis of whatever, that I am not a vegetarian. I have, however, read much of Diet for a Small Planet (when I was young) and have cooked from many of the recipes, which were just very good. And as mentioned below, most Americans would do well to know how to put together complete proteins (the rice and beans for instance, the pasta and milk) to get more bang for buck. I am also quite aware that supplements may be needed by vegetarians, (of which I am also aware there are many types, although not always so clear on the different definitions). I have no contentiousness (or hatred) of those who eat meat, which I do eat, although I'm not among those who eat the most either (so perhaps I am not the most gentle of souls?).
I didn't really intend to say anything other than a somewhat conditional reference to the Essenes, either, and I don't think I actually did, because I'm also aware that there is nothing definitive about that idea in the minds of scholars. However, it is more clearly thought that John the Baptist was a member of the Essenes, with their ascetic and less law-directed religious culture. And there is a relationship there with Jesus, if I remember. And he would certainly be counted on those who were less legally-directed.
I do agree with Marie perhaps in the more general concept that people who are vegetarians (and those who recycle and those with some religious tendencies etc.) are all fairly difficult to live with if their personality is such that it makes them feel superior to others. That may be in some definitions of 'violence' but not really in mine. In any case, it's probably a personality issue rather than a vegetarian or recycling issue, so unless someone really wants to pursue this, it was actually just a little levity thrown in to what I found to be rather specious as a discussion point...:-)
If he violates the pattern,
If he violates the pattern, then it might be due to His divine nature.
How 'bout Mary then? Oh,
How 'bout Mary then? Oh, that would be because of the Immaculate Conception? She was given enough grace to override the violence bestowed by not eating meat?
I gather you REALLY don't like vegetarians! But, just for the sake of science, I hope you will consider the possibility that your anecdotal pattern may not be quite so true in all of reality as it has apparently been in one person's experience... :-)
AnnieO, I don't have
AnnieO,
I don't have anything against people eating only vegetables. I love vegetables and find that there are few restaurants other than vegatarian ones that have enough to satisfy me, so I often am a patron of businesses that promote vegetarian diets. However, Fr.'s column here is an example of vegetarianism gone bad, and the major reason for that is that it has confused finding nourishment from among the variety of foods available to us with practicing a religion. The human species has thrived because it is able to obtain nourishment from various sources. We should thank God for this and not equate food choices with righteousness.
Well, now, I surely agree
Well, now, I surely agree with you on this post, Marie; in fact, found your original post a bit strange for you and so commented as I did, hoping to make you laugh, I suppose. I sure don't equate food choices with righteousness either..
Annie, how can you not
Annie, how can you not equate chocolate with righteousness? ;-)
I have been vegetarian for 1
I have been vegetarian for 1 year now. However, I still feel the need to eat meat from time to time but that was only my body asking for the meat proteins. These proteins are hard to get from other types of aliments, especially vegetarian ones. I decided that it is better to take some supplements that would help me with this lack of protein. I am buying the supplements online, from a discount vitamins ( http://vitanetonline.com ) site and I am feeling better now. So far so good.
Cain, the vegetable grower,
Cain, the vegetable grower, was the violent brother, while Abel, the meat grower, was not. This pattern holds true for the people I meet nowadays. The vegetarians are always the unhappy ones who take it out on others. I think they are hungry in some biochemical sense for which no tests have yet been developed.
Furthermore, it takes significantly more vegetables to provide the nutrition of a relatively small amount of meat. Then, also, there is the problem of animals who are not harvested regularly reproducing to the point that they destroy the vegetable growing projects of humans.
Marie, I don't have a dog in
Marie, I don't have a dog in this fight since I am an omnivore. And truly I have med some really radical vegetarians who can be full of scorn for the meat eaters around them.
BUT! My husband once persuasively told me that in terms of real energy (to grow the grain, to maintain the barn, to feed the animals and to nurture the animal) to grow beef ounce for ounce far outstrips vegetables and legumes. There are the environmental costs of especially the feed lots and like outcomes of agri-corporate business.
So this has not turned me from being a meat eater. I'm a midwesterner and I appreciate the benefits of meat and chicken.
It has turned me into a more aware consumer and I try to consume less meat. Too many children in third world countries do not see the protein we see in one day in what they eat over a month. we really do disproportionately cosume resources.
MollyJ, I think your
MollyJ, I think your response is the reasonable one. Most people routinely eat much more meat than is necessary for good health. As with anything, too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing, and people end up with ailments that can be attributed to too much meat consumption and too little vegetable consumption.
With the cost of everything
With the cost of everything going up and there not being enough corn and grain for livestock we will all probably become vegetarians by default. It is sad that human beings have to be forced by circumstances to do the right thing rather than by conscious choice. With chicken at $5.00 and chickpeas at $1.50 the choice for senior on a fixed budget is clear. Curried chickpeas and rice are yummy and more affordable. With banks failing, gas prices skyrocketing, I am going out today to get enough brown rice, canned tomatoes, chickpeas, oatmeal, and dried milk to get me through the winter. I don't know about other folk who read this paper, but I am becoming vegetarian by necessity.