Healthy Lifestyle Blog

I just received an email from MoveOn.org. It began like this:

“Dear Marilyn,

You can’t make this stuff up. The economy is in shambles, unemployment is at record levels and home foreclosures are soaring. Congress can’t get it together to act on these issues. But there’s growing momentum in Washington to—wait for it—slash Social Security?”

So of course I went online to sign the petition. Every chance I get, I remind my government representatives that I would like to see an end to government subsidies for an unsustainable industry that is responsible for so many of our environmental and health issues today. I don’t even mention my belief that if we stopped commodifying, enslaving and slaughtering sentient beings, we just might usher in an age of world peace. Here is what I wrote in response to this Social Security crisis:

Many of us worked hard all our lives, contributing a large percentage of our earnings to the system. Many of us work hard to make ends meet, build a pension fund, and are counting on receiving our fair share of Social Security when eligible.

How is it that the government has no problem subsidizing an industry that is the biggest contributor to climate change AND is the underlying cause of many of the health issues in our nation? I’m talking about the meat and dairy industries. And how is it that our elected officials can even CONSIDER cutting Social Security benefits when there are so many senior citizens living at the poverty level already?

My tax dollars are subsidizing the production of grain for animal feed, land grants for raising livestock and granting water rights to an industry that accounts for more than 8% of the global water use. This is absolutely unsustainable and incomprehensible. If the government needs the money, use the money allocated to subsidies and leave Social Security be. Get your priorities straight!

Allow the cost of meat and dairy to truly reflect the impact of the livestock industry on our air, water and land, as well as the health of Americans. Doing so will likely result in reduced consumption and a welcome reversal of the environmental and health problems the livestock industry causes.

If you would like to sign the petition, follow this link to the appropriate page of the MoveOn.org website.