
Last Sunday, as we were walking back after a nice Mother's Day brunch at El Vez (Mmm, Mexican food before noon!), this ad truck drove by, touting the fact that both the Pope and the Dalai Lama eat veal. I wasn't able to get my camera out of my bag fast enough to get the picture I would have liked (the blurry woman on the right edge is my cousin Sabrina), but I found it curious enough to go online and learn more.
The "Guess who is eating veal?" campaign is sponsored by the Center for Consumer Freedom, a non-profit organization funded by both companies and consumers. Their goal is to promote "the right of adults and parents to choose how they live their lives, what they eat and drink, how they manage their finances, and how they enjoy themselves." Interesting, huh? I also find it fascinating that they've chosen to use two religious figures in a campaign to promote veal consumption.
As is often the case with me, I see both sides of this issue. On the one hand, I do firmly believe that animals should be raised humanely. Market forces and the desire to make money frequently push humanity to the side and so I believe that government needs to step in at time to ensure that animals are being treated with care. However, I also believe that if someone wants to eat veal (or foie gras), they should be allowed to do so without the law getting in the way. The question becomes, where's the balance?











