The last four days over the Christmas holidays were probably the best time I had since I moved back to Hong Kong. It’s not because of gifts or parties, but the luxury to simply relax and read. I brought my work laptop home knowing that I had to do some work, but at least I didn’t have to commute (commute in Hong Kong is horrendous, in my opinion) or spend long hours clearing my inbox.
So, yes, reading a physical book has become a luxury now. I like observing people on MTR, in restaurants or at bus stops. People are always on their phones playing games, texting or Facebooking. Nobody bothers to watch the RoadShow programs or read a book. A friend handed me a book called Mad Cowboy by Howard Lyman and Glen Merzer a couple of days ago. I started reading it as soon as we made our farewells and headed to the MTR station on the way home. Since then, that book was stuck to my hands. I have heard about what this book was about and have also heard rumors what low-quality hamburgers and sausages are made of. Looks like it’s not a rumor. This book is one of the most eye-opening materials I’ve come across since I read The China Study and watched Earthlings.
Howard Lyman is a fourth-generation Montana rancher who won’t eat meat now. Lyman investigated the use of chemicals in agriculture after developing a spinal tumor that nearly paralyzed him. His testimony on The Oprah Winfrey Show was shocking and revealed that tons of slaughterhouse leftovers, diseased road kills and euthanized cats and dogs were sent to giant grinders at rendering plants, which were made into animal feed and….dog food that fed the cows, chickens and pets. Oprah was taken aback and said, “Cows are herbivores. They shouldn’t be eating other cows…It has just stopped me cold from eating another burger.” We are eating those, so to speak, because those are the food of our food.
Food isn’t just personal, but political as well. There are many examples of this, including this one. A law suit was filed against Oprah and Lyman by a group of Texas cattlemen and the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture for “food disparagement.” Apparently, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States for freedom of expression did not extend to speaking the truth about beef.
My friend mentioned he had a few friends who loathed hamburgers and steaks after reading just the first chapter of the book. I now understand why.
James, yes, it’s scary. Hope you have been eating well!
OMG scary stuff…
I read this book in 2000, and it was definitely one of the catalysts for my vegan transition. He covers the dairy issue quite extensively. There were so many eye popping facts revealed in this book, it was difficult not to run out into the streets with a megaphone and start repeating them to the masses for fear of being marginalized as a nut job! The one that really upset me was the facts about the total depletion of the Ogallala aquifer. If the people don’t understand that animals are equal in their life experiences in knowing joy, pleasure, safety, pain, sorrow, fear, jealousy, protectiveness, ego etc. then they should understand that if you can’t grow crops to feed livestock if you don’t have enough water to grow crops for yourself. People ought to have enough common sense to know when their own self interests for survival are at stake. Thanks for talking about this book!!! It really is an important one.
You are welcome. Sadly, as I always say, common sense isn’t that common. What I want to do is to at least bring awareness, and hopefully a change of behavior and perspective, to those who have common sense.