Oprah goes Vegan

[rodb]

Watched most of Oprah yesterday after hearing what her topic was. Cargill rep did an excellent job in presenting where the industry is at and the compassion that we have for the livestock that we raise.I wonder if she is willing to give up her leather shoes, hand bags and all the cosmetics that animal by products are used in.

[wilagro]

Can't stand that woman...talk about a trouble maker...she is one.

Self-aggrandizement is all that her show has become.

Will never watch her show again.

[kato]

I haven't watched it since the "I'll never eat another hamburger again" fiasco way back.

And I'm a girl. How blasphemous is that?

That one comment cause a whole world of hurt to a lot of people, including us. It took a shaky market and pushed it over the edge. We just got over that one when BSE hit. Geezzz.....

So, sorry Oprah, I couldn't care less what you eat, say or do. And BTW, giving cars to your audience just makes me mad. ;-)

[grassfarmer]

I remember hearing Jack Daines on the radio doing his auction advert slot a while after the hamburger incident when Oprah had put on a lot of weight again. Something to the effect of "sure looks like Oprah is eating more than lettuce these days" It was priceless in Jacks growl.

[tman]

I applaud both Oprah and Cargill for educating the very ignorant public. She's entitled to her opinion as is everyone else on this continent. There's just more people to hear her than the majority of the population.

I also wonder the same as you do rodb, "I wonder if she is willing to give up her leather shoes, hand bags (but maybe they're not leather) and all the cosmetics that animal by products are used in." I have an aunt who is at least vegetarian and isn't shy to say so. But yet, she buys a new leather coat every month. And if you ask my mom, I'm not exaggerating much if at all on the frequency lol. I still intend to ask my aunt, not to call her a hypocrite,but to learn why she feels it's wrong to eat animals but not wrong to wear them.

Just like I would also like to learn why some people think there's nothing wrong in using animals as pets, for companionship purposes, or as work animals, such as search and rescue dogs, police dogs/horses etc, but it's totally appalling to use animals as food. Why do those people think it's ok to use animals for one purpose but totally wrong to use animals for another purpose. I've seen animals in feedlot pens to be just as stress free and happy, as they kicked up their heels and ran around me, as some people's pet dogs and cats. And I've also seen the opposite.

[per]

Along with rights comes responsibility. When you have people following you like a lost puppy you have the responsibility not to lead them astray.

[farmgal71]

I worry about her power with her huge consumer
audience. She basically reducing demand for our
meat.

[PureCountry]

While I don't understand Oprah going vegan, or anyone doing it for that matter, I will say that not all beef is safe and nutritious. So let's not jump up and down too much about what this celeb or that celeb did or did not say. Fact is, millions of pounds of beef get recalled every year in this industrialized meat packing system we're all a part of. That is due to the fact that said industry processes billions of pounds of beef per year and in doing so, has created a system in which it has become very difficult to eradicate or even control harmful pathogens. It's simple math - when you deal in a higher volume of something you are bound to witness a higher incident rate of problems. Processing meats will always have the risk of food-borne illness, but alot more could be done to minimize the risks.

If meat packers/processors/retailers made safety the priority instead of profit, they could win back alot of consumers that are honestly scared of meat.

[skip]

Are they afraid of meat because of food safety or
are they making a judgement on values and
health? It appears to me that they are promoting
meat is cruel and not good for you. That is my
concern.

[PureCountry]

Obviously the vegan lady was trying to convince people that meat is cruel and wrong - SHE'S A VEGAN FOR PETE'S SAKE!! They don't believe in eating anything that originates from an animal.

As for Michael Pollan, he promotes a balanced diet of GRASS RAISED meats, and organic fruits and veggies.

Personally, I feel that no one can say ALL BEEF is safe or ALL BEEF is dangerous. From personal experience and witness things with my own eyes, I've formed opinions about certain things in my life, like any other person. As a result, I believe alot of meat products sold in North America are alot riskier than they could be if more measures were taken to focus on quality and safety instead of profit. JMO.