I Never Promised You an Organic Garden » Politics http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog and other things you won't expect... Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:46:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 I haven’t decided what I’m gonna do, but I’m probably gonna run for President http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/i-havent-decided-what-im-gonna-do-but-im-probably-gonna-run-for-president/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/i-havent-decided-what-im-gonna-do-but-im-probably-gonna-run-for-president/#comments Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:27:00 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=256 Tina Fey is back as Sarah Palin, and she is as funny as ever:

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/i-havent-decided-what-im-gonna-do-but-im-probably-gonna-run-for-president/feed/ 7 How not to change my mind http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/how-not-to-change-my-mind/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/how-not-to-change-my-mind/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:02:28 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=210 I am confounded!  Twice this past week I have read articles about individuals lashing out violently at people around them because they disagree with someone’s life choices, and in these cases, life choices involving the food.

The first incident involved  Lierre Keith’s author of “The Vegetarian Myth”.  So-called militant vegans attacked her at a recent speaking engagement and threw pies filled with cayenne pepper in her face.  A video of the pieing can be seen here on YouTube.  The second incident took place right here in Indiana, when a knife wielding vegetarian destroyed and contaminated packages of meat in a grocery store.  Police had to be called because the man threatened employees at the store with the knife when they attempted to stop him.  According to the article, his reasoning for the attack was “to save little girls from food he believes would make them chubby.”

Now I understand wholeheartedly that people have different view points on food in our country and all over the world.  What I don’t understand is how anyone can justify physical violence against another person simply because they have different opinions on food OR what they hope to accomplish with this violence.

In my opinion, trying to convince other people to join a cause or change their habits through violence, coercion, or scare tactics isn’t likely to garner many converts.  Instead, it is likely to create resentment and fear. Fear of a particular type of  individuals instead of an informed concern that causes people to evaluate their lives and make a change. Not to mention the fact that it is plain wrong to be violent towards another individual just because you don’t like what they are doing or saying!

There are plenty of other much more effective ways to get a point across and inform people!  I personally have a large number of friends who are either vegetarian or only eat locally grown or produced food, and at first I disagreed with their life choice. However, through open dialog, education, and living in community, while I still don’t chose to be a vegetarian, I respect and appreciate their choice.  Because we did not attack each other based on different life choices either verbally or physically, there was an opportunity for communication and education that has lead to new understandings, big changes in eating habits on my part, and a greater concern for food issues as a whole.  This could have never been accomplished through violence.

Food, specifically the consumption of meat, is a very hot button issue right now in our society.  There are very impassioned people on both sides of the discussion who believe strongly that the solution to our world’s ecological and health care woes could be solved by changing our relationship to meat, either by consuming less, consuming none, or in some cases making no changes at all.  These differences in opinions lead to strong feelings, resentment, and unfortunate violence.

But I ask, what are we accomplishing through the violence?  What could we accomplish if we worked together and engaged in honest and open conversations instead of name calling and pie throwing?

Images of food provided by Matt McKimmy

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/how-not-to-change-my-mind/feed/ 1 If Air travel worked like our health care system http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/151/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/151/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:12:01 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=151 I know I haven’t posted recently, but I saw this video today, and I can’t pass up the opportunity to share this with everyone.

So true and so depressing at the same time:

This makes such an important point about the obsurdity in our heath care system

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/151/feed/ 1 Shiny Suds are watching you!! http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/shiny-suds-are-watching-you/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/shiny-suds-are-watching-you/#comments Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:59:25 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=149 Method (a natural cleaning product company) has a new ad out in support of the Household Product Labeling Act.  According to Method, the Household Product Labeling Act would require all cleaning products to list all ingredients on their labels.  Instead of the typical scare tactics, Method uses a bit of humor to raise awareness for the new bill.

I think it is a good cause, and people should be aware of what is really in the household products they are using.  I applaud the makers of the video for taking a new unexpected approach. Do you think it is effective or appropriate?

For more information about Method and the Household Product Labeling Act bill visit http://www.peopleagainstdirty.com/

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/shiny-suds-are-watching-you/feed/ 1 And now for some actual information on healthcare http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/and-now-for-some-actual-information-on-healthcare/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/and-now-for-some-actual-information-on-healthcare/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:37:50 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=137 Whether you agree with Obama’s healthcare bill and the public option or not, the following video does a nice job of outlining what Obama’s plan is without the spin doctors from media.

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/and-now-for-some-actual-information-on-healthcare/feed/ 0 A little humor for the health insurance debate http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/a-little-humor-for-the-health-insurance-debate/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/a-little-humor-for-the-health-insurance-debate/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:56:58 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=136

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/a-little-humor-for-the-health-insurance-debate/feed/ 2 Wassup with our country? http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/wassup-with-our-country/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/wassup-with-our-country/#comments Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:51:03 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=115 I have been a complete slacker about writing blog posts the past few months, mostly due to Matt starting a new job and us moving into a new home.  So, much like my recent posts, I have a video to share.

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/wassup-with-our-country/feed/ 1 You pucked with the wrong ice president! http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/you-pucked-with-the-wrong-ice-president/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/you-pucked-with-the-wrong-ice-president/#comments Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:33:43 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=114 Since it seems the only thing I have had time to post on here in the past two months is videos, here is yet another gem:

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/you-pucked-with-the-wrong-ice-president/feed/ 1 I invite the media to grow a pair, and if you can’t I will lend you mine… http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/i-invite-the-media-to-grow-a-pair-and-if-you-cant-i-will-lend-you-mine/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/i-invite-the-media-to-grow-a-pair-and-if-you-cant-i-will-lend-you-mine/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:36:39 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=113

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]]> http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/i-invite-the-media-to-grow-a-pair-and-if-you-cant-i-will-lend-you-mine/feed/ 0 Richmond gets a visit from a former president http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/richmond-gets-a-visit-from-a-former-president/ http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/richmond-gets-a-visit-from-a-former-president/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:01:17 +0000 Becky McKimmy http://www.beckymckimmy.com/blog/?p=77

Bill Clinton came to Richmond today, and Matt and I decided to join everyone else from my office and attend his speech. I am personally not a big fan, but it was such an amazing opportunity that I couldn’t pass it up. It actually turned out to be quite interesting. Clinton came to one of the local fire stations, and they only let in 500 people. This left another 500 or so standing in the rain outside the fire station listening to his speech over the speaker system. There was quite a buzz in the air, and a lot of people were very excited to get a glimpse of our former president. A few of my friends were even able to shake his hand.

There were snipers on the roof tops of nearby buildings and secret services agents all over the place. As for his speech, like most politicians I have heard, he said a lot of things that sounded wonderful in theory. It was chock full of emotion- inducing buzz words like clean energy, balanced budget, universal health care, Iraq, and elect-ability. Unfortunately, I was left with the same question I am always left with no matter what party the candidate is from… HOW? How is Hillary, or any of the other candidates for that matter, going to accomplish all their lofty goals, and how much of what we are hearing is just empty campaign promises soon to be forgotten upon election. Or in Bill’s case, upon his wife’s election.

Call me cynical, but I am still not sure I trust any of them…

On the positive side, I got to experience a political rally for the first time, and what an experience it was. There are rumors that Obama will be campaigning here in two weeks, and I may just have to go to that too.

For more photos from the event, check out my photos section.

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