City Weekly’s May 7 Green Issue had two different articles that omitted the same information. I don’t believe these omissions are deliberate; they happen often because, for many, it is “inconvenient” to acknowledge the omitted information since it challenges most people’s thinking and choices.
Scoot Cooney stated in “The Green 25” that switching to a vegetarian diet reduces your ecological footprint more than driving a hybrid Prius. This is partially incorrect. It is switching to a vegan diet which ecologically bests even a hybrid Prius. For the record, this was established by researchers at the University of Chicago.
“Yes, They Could” by Brian Staker referred to Mestizo Coffeehouse that showcased works inspired by the life of César Chávez. There is something about the life of Chavez, however, which is omitted in Staker’s story: César Chávez was vegan. César Chávez saw animal rights as a part of a comprehensive, consistent ethics. He said, “Kindness and compassion towards all living beings is a mark of a civilized society. Racism, economic deprival, dog fighting and cock fighting, bullfighting and rodeos are all cut from the same defective fabric: violence. Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well ourselves.”
Stewart N. Thorpe
Salt Lake City