Right. I have been vegetarian for 32 years. I don't wear leather. I don't buy Australian wool (mulesing). I use medication that was around before I became vegetarian - salicylic acid for one. I don't kill ants (I put out cucumber peel strips to deter them from my front path), I don't kill wasps (I hang a brown paper bag from a tree as a deterrent to nesting), I would NEVER kill a bee (they are too vital to the future of the planet with their role in pollination). As I don't kill ants I don't have to kill greenfly on my plants. I wear mosquito repellent (citronella) and have screens on my doors and windows so I have no need to kill a mosquito. Of course, the mosquito is a very touchy subject with their being at the root cause of malaria in Africa. I support a charity that supplies mosquito nets to Africa. I choose not to eat meat or fish. I do not consider that plants - being non-sentient and having no central nervous system - suffer in any way. I always consider that question confrontational and unnecessary. My husband does eat meat and fish. We have not been buying Canadian seafood as a boycott against the seal hunt. He attended the anti seal hunt rally in Calgary with me last month. He totally respects me for my choice of life style. He also enjoys all or any of my vegetarian meals. I will not cook or prepare veal, lobster or poussin. I buy any meat he has from Calgary Farmer's market. It is certainly more expensive but if that is what he has to pay to ensure some level of humane husbandry then through his wallet it will be. He does not go into fast food restaurants. I worked at a wildlife hospital and rehabilitation centre for 12 years in England. I have euthanised animals by iv injection to end their suffering. I would also consider life term prisoners as good testers for drugs. My father died nearly 50 years ago from cancer. When he knew he was dying he allowed the hospital to test different drugs on him. He then donated his body to science. He was a very great man. Also my husband and I have a personal boycott on all products Made in China and have for the past 5 years - China is the only country in the world to have no animal welfare laws at all - so we refuse to partake in any fiscal input. We are both volunteers at the Calgary Humane Society and Heaven Can Wait. All the animals I have ever shared my life with have been rescued from abuse. I have had five cats (and I T/N/R'd a feral colony in England), one goat, two horses and one dog. It is just who I am - I am an animal advocate - I choose to be a voice for the voiceless. I love the Calgary Flames. Any questions?
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