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Animal lib is human lib?
Editors, Asheville Global Report,
The kind of politically-correct inquisition that
(Stewart David’s) letter (in last week’s AGR) abides to just
serves to undermine the movements that do a lot of good work
otherwise. Even when eating meat, Starhawk contributes in raising
consciousness in various people, inciting them to non-violence,
towards more pacific ways of living, and many of them will catch
on to the drift of vegetarianism along the way. They won’t get
it from Starhawk — but must the participants of these sessions
necessarily get holistic enlightenment out of them? Do you think
that Starhawk is unaware that she is perpetuating violence through
her diet? Considering the number of activists who are vegetarian
around her, I doubt it. Look at it from another point of view:
I am vegan — does it make me more inclined towards non-violence
than Starhawk? Would people prevent me from giving vegan cooking
classes because I’d throw a brick at a cop? We are all human
beings with strengths and weaknesses and we should spend more
time helping other people overcome the latter and profit from
the former at the same time, instead of ditching them, and leaving
them bitter and us weaker.
Frandroid Atreides
Toronto, Ontario
Questions motive for reparations
Editors, Asheville Global Report,
In brief response to the article, “Activists
say slave trade...” in the No. 134 issue, I can only wonder
what Ahmed Ben Bella’s true motives of requested “reparations”
truly are. We shouldn’t forget that Africans captured and sold
their own people to various buyers during that horrid period
of history. If reparations are to be paid, how will those formerly
enslaved, now deceased, persons benefit? And if reparations
are to be paid by those who profited from slavery, why don’t
the African countries that captured and sold their own citizens
begin payments first as an example to countries guilty of purchasing
enslaved Africans? Are Bella’s motives best for Africans, or
is his aim merely intended to benefit his wallet?
Phil Price
Brevard, NC
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