You know how vegans are so passionate about animal rights that they go far beyond not eating meat to not ever wearing or paying for anything that even remotely harms an animal? They will spend more money on fake leather than most carnivores will spend on real leather. All for a cow. Now personally, I don't really care a lot about cows. (I know, I'm awful). Cows are not the brightest animal ever to walk the planet. They smell. They do bad things to our environment when they are gathered in large groups (methane, anyone?). Some of them will gore rodeo clowns (I've seen it; it's traumatic. And not for the cows.) Yet, for the protection of this pathetic, probably-would-be-extinct-if-they-hadn't-been-domesticated species, vegans will spend extra money, shop in hard to find places, and forgo the pleasures of eating things like steak and cheeseburgers. For cows.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not hating on vegans. I applaud their commitment, and have occasionally been one (though for selfish reasons, alas). It's just important to keep in mind how much these folks are willing to change their lives, to sacrifice, to ensure the safety of these dumb, stinky animals.
Now what if you were faced with similar (though I would argue much easier to bear) sacrifices in order to safeguard children? I'm not talking veal here either, I'm talking human children. What if something you were buying and eating was causing serious, jaw-dropping harm to young children? Wouldn't you want to one-up the vegans on this? Wouldn't you want to change what you buy, write to Congress, maybe even give unsolicited lectures in grocery stores?
A couple of days ago, I discovered (thanks to some awesome bloggers) that chocolate (seriously, chocolate) runs on child labor, child slavery, child prostitution. WHAT???!!! As my mom so adroitly put it, "Hershey's? In Pennsylvania???" Stunned doesn't even begin to describe my reaction. Turns out that the majority (overwhelming majority) of the chocolate that is sold in America is sourced from horrific conditions. And the companies (and consumers) don't seem to care. Ouch.
Now I'll be honest, I'm not a chocolate fiend. I can take it or leave it. I've never had a chocolate craving. I don't like chocolate cake. I don't like chocolate ice cream. [I know my girl-card is now in serious danger of being revoked.] I don't buy chocolate Halloween candy. [I buy sour candy, because I hate sour candy, and therefore am safe from the temptation to eat it all by October 31st.] But even if chocolate were my favorite thing in the whole world, I don't think [I hope, anyway] that I would eat it once I knew what making it meant for the children involved. I'm certainly not going to buy it now. And I hope you won't either.
For a passionate picture of what is going on, read more here. I didn't even make it halfway through the first portion of the BBC video before bursting into tears. If you just want the facts, read here.
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