Time to quit dairy?
Earlier this week, I was at a restaurant that was handing out free cigarettes to patrons.
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Okay, that didn’t actually happen, but can you imagine the outcry if it did?
It wasn’t that long ago that high schools had smoking areas and there were smoking sections on international flights.
But as people learned about the health risks of cigarettes, smoking bans popped up everywhere.
I believe that in the future we will develop the same attitude toward dairy products.
People are learning more about how most dairy products are loaded with calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
They are finding out that much cows’ milk contains pus, since infections of the udder are commonplace on dairy farms.
They are discovering that milk actually leaches calcium from our bones, since animal protein creates poisonous byproducts when broken down and our bodies buffer those toxins with calcium before they are eliminated.
People are also becoming aware of how dairy farms take calves away from their mothers within hours of birth so that humans can steal the milk that nature intended for calves.
The females are turned into milk machines like their mothers and males are often sold for veal.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that we slaughter 700,000 calves every year.
It wasn’t that long ago that almost no-one knew what “vegan” meant.
Now it’s mainstream.
You can even get a soy latte at McDonald’s.
I think that someday people will look at dairy products in much the same way that they now look at cigarettes and ask, “That’s such a gross habit, why would anyone do that?”
Jason Baker
Director of campaigns
PETA Australia
Association responds
I wish to respond to Ian Gordon’s queries regarding the Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association (BDN, 30/1).
In the first instance, I would like to thank Ian for his interest in the BVSRRA.
Secondly, I would like to reassure him that all public statements, including letters and media releases, are authorised by the management committee of the BVSRRA prior to their release.
The BVSRRA has a policy of issuing all correspondence under the name of its secretary so as to better manage its administrative arrangements and have a single point of contact for the association.
The BVSRRA currently has 143 members across the shire and its day-to-day activities are coordinated by a management committee elected annually by its members.
The association’s affairs are conducted in accordance with its Constitution and the NSW Associations Incorporation Act 2009.
The BVSRRA has at least two formal meetings of members each year and copies of the minutes of those meetings, along with the organisation’s purpose statement, constitution, details of the management committee, annual financial statements, media releases, reports and submissions are all posted on the association’s website www.begavalleyshireratepayers.asn.au.
While the BVSRRA would always welcome higher member attendance at its meetings, it is interesting to note that its attendance levels are always higher than the level of public attendance at council meetings and most council public forums.
Should Mr Gordon or any other resident/ratepayer be interested in obtaining further information or pursuing membership of the association, I would encourage them to contact our secretary, John Richardson, on 6494 5669 or by email at jronline@bigpond.net.au.
Peter Rogers
President, BVSRRA
Salute them all
It’s pleasing that recent research has reduced the number of unidentified servicemen from the Bega Valley who died in World War 1 and are listed on local war memorials to just two (BDN, 30/1/15).
I’m intrigued that this research has taken almost 100 years to happen and wonder why, for example, it did not occur when the 50th or 75th anniversaries of WW1 approached.
I’m disappointed the BDN list did not include the names of eight others who local newspapers considered “locals” and whose names were included in newspaper Rolls of Honour.
I therefore trust that ceramic Flanders poppies will also be included in the commemorative display at the Bega Show for Sydney John Fleming BEWICKE, Herbert Lionel Ingle FINCH, Alan Lindsay FLOWER, Norman Byron FRASER, Harold Ellis HERMAN, William Arthur STENNETT, Joseph George STEWART, Albert James Ramsey WILLIAMSON, and that their descendant families are also invited to the official opening.
Locals wanted those who returned from the war to be remembered as much as those who lost their lives, as is evidenced by all their names being included on local war memorials.
Around 900 men and women from the area enlisted.
It would be an appropriate thing, if a quite massive undertaking, to now identify each of them so their “faces” and biographies will be remembered for all time.
…And then work should commence on similarly identifying all the World War 2 servicemen whose names were subsequently added to our war memorials.
Peter Lacey
Quaama