SASHA Farm Emergency

Copied from SASHA Farm's Website:

Last week, we received some terrible news. The well at the SASHA property where many of our cows live has reached the end of its life. The water pressure is terrible, the quality is getting poorer by the day, and it could fail completely at any moment, leaving the cows without a water source. We need to have a new well drilled immediately, and as this large expense was not anticipated, we need to ask for your help.

Please consider donating using the Paypal link below and even if you can't, please share our critical need with your friends.

As always, your donations are tax-deductible.

Sharing holidays with meat eaters.

I was talking with my husband Macy this weekend about how I wasn't looking forward to the upcoming holidays because it's really hard for me to sit at the table in front of the body of a dead turkey. I don't really like being around meat at all, but to try to eat a meal with a corpse on your table while others are digging into it makes it even harder.  Not only does it gross me out, but I feel like I'm doing something morally wrong myself by even being there. It sucks.  Anyways, I got this daily devotional in my email on Monday. It was interesting to me because I felt it on both ends of the spectrum.  I don't feel like I judge my family when they eat meat, but I don't think of them as being totally compassionate because they do.  On the other side, I have had eyes rolled at me, the requests to make a non-vegan pumpkin pie (because my version might not be as good) and struggle with wanting to celebrate thanksgiving (for reasons I described in my last blog).  It was interesting and made me think a lot about the subject.

So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.  Colossians 2:16-17, NLT
	Paul told the Colossian Christians not to let others criticize their diet or their religious ceremonies. Instead of outward observance, believers should focus on faith in Christ alone. Our worship, traditions and ceremonies can help bring us close to God, but we should never criticize fellow Christians whose traditions and ceremonies differ from ours. More important than how we worship is that we worship Christ.
	Don't let anyone judge you. You are responsible to Christ.

Thanksgiving.

As the season of Thanksgiving comes upon us, a lot has been going through my mind.  Celebrating this holiday for most is a great time to get together, be with family and those we care about and indulge in a great meal.  But as I've grown up and learned more about not only the history of Thanksgiving, but also the innocent creatures that become centerpieces for the meal-- I'm turned off by it.
I had dinner with a friend the other night and we were talking about how even though we disagree with the mass murdering of turkeys during this time and the atrocities that were carried out toward the Native Americans in the past, how we had always tried to think of Thanksgiving in a positive light.  Being thankful for what we have, remembering and appreciating the Native culture of America and celebrating the lives of turkeys by not eating them, but honoring them with our diet. But it was hard for both of us to  want to celebrate a holiday so filled with negativity and named after the murder of innocent men, women & children.  I think that if we ignore what the true meaning behind Thanksgiving is, it's accepting the wrongs that were done to undeserving people.  I think if Thanksgiving is going to be celebrated, it should first be recognized as a day where we remember the people who were here in the United States before pilgrims invaded it and claimed it as their own.  I think it should be a time where we ask for forgiveness for the greed of our ancestors.  It should be a time to reflect on what we've been blessed with and think of how we can share those blessings with others.  I can't think of a better way to express my thankfulness in life than to do give to people who are less fortunate than I am.  

In other "Thanksgiving" news, as I was driving to work today I ended up right behind a semi transporting turkeys.  It was raining, so at first I couldn't tell what was in the car although I feared that's what it was.  Not only was this truck completely open (no top or sides to protect them), but it was freezing rain as well.  I stared at them, knowing there was absolutely nothing I could do, but wanting desperately to get them out.  Not only would they be crammed into uncomfortably small cages with several other turkeys, while speeding down the interstate as freezing cold rain covered them... but they were literally headed to their deaths all so "we" can eat them and feel thankful.

Dear Turkeys,
I'm so sorry for what you have to go through in your short lives.  I'm sorry that my species largely views you as a commodity and not a living, breathing, feeling and emotional being.  I'm sorry that they force feed you bad food, antibiotics and other drugs to make you fat.  I'm sorry that you never have a chance to use your wings and to live a normal life.  I'm sorry that they beat you just because they can.  I'm sorry that you have to be shoved into tiny spaces and forced into an environment that is unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  I'm sorry that they kill you and think nothing of it.  I'm sorry that they cook you and leave your corpse on the table and call it a centerpiece.  I'm sorry that they don't recognize you for being a sacred life.  I'm sorry that humans think they are somehow better than you.  I am dedicating most of my life toward bringing more people to become more compassionate and to see you as the beautiful, intelligent and sentient being that you are.
I love you and I will be the change.
Love,
Jesse

World Vegan Day!

(note: I didn't take that photograph... though I wish I could kiss all those sweet piggies on their noses!)

I also have a twitter! Follow me @veganographer  :)

Beginnings

I suppose it makes sense that the first blog post I should make would be introducing myself.  My name is Jesse.  I'm a 24 year old living in Northern Kentucky with my husband and our four-legged children:
Salem- Our oldest feline child, we adopted her about 4.5 years ago.
Zelah- Our second feline child, we adopted her about 3 years ago.
Ninja- Our rat, and only boy, we rescued from being snake food about 2 years ago.
Aften- The baby and the coolest chihuahua you'll ever meet. She's a year & a half.

My husband is a musician and cosmetologist.  I am a photographer and currently in college, but hopefully for not much longer.  I am hoping to graduate in May 2012, but that all depends on whether or not I'll be able to pass the math class I put off for almost 6 years now. Ah!

I have always had an appreciation for art and photography.  In my younger years, I primarily was interested in acting- but no matter where I was I always had my camera.  Normally this was just to capture memories though. When I entered college I grew more and more interested in modeling, but I could never find photographers who could capture the look I visualized in my head... so I decided to try it out myself and ended up being more successful with that than I think I ever was with acting. That was almost 4 years ago and now I'm quite certain that art, particularly photography, is where I am going to make my career.  I've become increasingly interested in film and performance art as well.  Fashion, editorial and surreal fine art photography are my favorite styles to do- but I enjoy just about everything photography has to offer.

Veganism!
I never really enjoyed eating meat growing up, but it wasn't really because of any ethical reason... I just didn't like the texture of most of it. When I was in third grade we went on a field trip to a slaughterhouse (not entirely sure why my teacher thought that would be a good idea) but it was pretty horrible. I honestly don't remember much about it, I think I blocked most of it out, I do remember them pulling a live pig up by his or her foot with a chain and then their throat was slit while they thrashed around, suspended in air.  I quit eating meat for a long time after that.  I gradually added fish and poultry back into my diet when I was a little older. When I was in college I watched a Peta video and again went back to a vegetarian diet, then again came back to fish.  When I was 21 I read the book Skinny Bitch and it totally was the push I needed to make a committed change. I never realized the health issues surrounding meat, eggs and dairy-- I just knew that eating animals never really set well with me and I knew I wouldn't touch a dead animal for food again.  However, even after reading that I was like "Well, I could probably eat cheese once in awhile and still be healthy..."  This is what brought me to the film Earthlings. I guess I knew deep down that there was cruelty behind all animal-based products and I needed to push myself even further to making a firm commitment to never exploit them again. This movie broke my heart and although contained footage worse than any horror movie I have ever seen, I loved it.  It was the best educational tool and I went through and trashed everything in my house that had animal derived ingredients as soon as it was finished (after I was done sobbing).
My interests in becoming more of an activist are largely due to inspiration I've found through The World Peace & Yoga Jubilee- being surrounded by tons of compassionate, loving people and listening to some of the most amazing speakers has definitely been an inspiration for me to try harder to act for those who have no voice to speak for themselves.  I have big plans to use my talents in art (photo, video and performance) to promote animal rights and I'm looking forward to getting started.

I feel like this is a good stopping place for my introduction post. You can follow my artwork on my facebook! :)