First off, I’d like to point out that Hitler too was a vegetarian; so we can shelve any idea that vegetarians are all good and spiritually minded people, born of the milk of human kindness. I’d also add that many of us who walk the path toward higher consciousness continue to eat meat, self included. I am careful, when possible, of the flesh, eggs and dairy I buy, trying to get quality organic from the store or straight from the farmer, whose methods of husbandry I am familiar with. I am not always able to purchase this way due to the high cost or availability. I do not eat meat everyday; some days I load up on grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Following the example of our indigenous Americans, over all my meals, no matter where they come from, I spread my hands over my food and give thanks for the plants and animals who gave their life so I may live. My gratitude is also extended to the many hands the products passed through, the Earth, sun and rain who all give support.

I do not eat the meat substitutes Jason refers to because many are so chemically processed that I don’t see them as a food source. I am suspicious of most soy products and stopped eating much of them due to the continued rape of the rain forests, now for soya crops. Many health food and alternative meat products, as I said, are extremely expensive and out of realistic economical reach for many families. The packaging on many of these products is sinfully wasteful…they package small amounts in oversized, plastic [petro product] packaging.

I also like Thanksgiving….it is my favorite holiday. In our hurry, hurry, rush, rush world, it is a day to join with my family, some of whom I see so little of. The gathering extends from my parents to their great-grand children, and all manner of significant others, friends, and pets we bring. We eat well and to our fill, as do most families when sharing special times.

Once again, I do appreciate Jason’s concern and the action he feels driven to take. But I have and continue to come to the realization that it is far better to live one’s life as they see fit, when trying to make the world a better place for all sentient beings, by living that life as a quiet example to others. I get very upset when I see people dropping trash carelessly; I feel like I’m cleaning up after the whole world somedays. Once I approached some teenagers about picking up after themselves in what I felt was a very respectful manner. I gave them a level headed sermon on keeping our earth clean and having respect for her. I walked away feeling so justified and self righteous…..when I came back the next day, they had trashed the area and threw the garbage receptacle over the hill. Now, my son and I just quietly go about our cleanup in the areas near our home. I now see that this is a better way to change people’s behavior than shoving it upon them, making them feel guilty.

Perhaps this is why Jason continues to keep such nasty, aggressive mail. The following is a clip of the latest energy alert from Karen Bishop at http://www.whatsuponplanetearth.com/latest.htm
I think what she has to say is relevant to Jason’s dilemma; it has also caused me to do some soul searching and probe my own conduct in such matters:

‘”If you are experiencing great challenges, know that the universe (or your soul) is guiding you and trying to get your attention about your own energy patterns. I have noticed around me and within myself as well, that many of us are over-using our gifts. When we offer too much of whom we were intended to be, our gift then becomes a liability instead of an asset. Our gift becomes too exaggerated, over utilized, and thus creates an imbalance or a lower vibrating gift.”

“Say that you are here to bring the energy of self-care, feeling good, and enjoyment to the planet. If you spend an over-abundance of your time pampering yourself, taking care of you, becoming self-absorbed, and thus not available to the whole, your gift is then wasted. Or perhaps you are one who has the gift of really seeing others around you, knowing how they feel, and being very considerate of their needs. If you do this in an overabundant way, you would end up putting others before you, and find yourself attracting self-centered people, for example, that are there to show you how to be more like them.”

“When we attract others into our lives who embody traits that drive us crazy or that we think are just horrible, it is usually because at some point in our lives, we convinced ourselves that we would never be like that, and in this way, we became too much of the opposite ourselves. But know that whomever we attract probably believes that we are just too much of our own extreme as well, and can barely tolerate us!”

“With so much being magnified now, we are then able to really see and come to know what is inside of us and what we are all about, and we are given an opportunity to use our gifts wisely, in an appropriate arena, and in amounts that serve ourselves and the whole in the best way possible.”

“Another scenario can be present in regard to our personal gifts as well. When we are greatly talented and gifted at something, we know a lot about it and really vibrate it well. It is our passion, our focus, and the lense we see things through and the starting point we jump off of for most of our perceptions and experiences. Because of this, we very strongly notice anything that is substandard in regard to our arena, and we can become very angry if things are not fitting into our perception or standard.”

“Say, for instance, that you are here with the gift of higher vibrating human behavior. Because of this, you would view those around you in a perspective of how healthy they are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This is your area of expertise and your gift. So then, anyone who falls below a high standard can drive you crazy and make you angry, as you are here to serve in regard to assisting those in becoming mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. This is the way you agreed to raise the vibration of the planet. Thus, anyone you encounter who vibrates lower than your high standard and does not care, is raining on your parade and inhibiting your progress to assist the planet.”

“Or perhaps you are here to protect the environment and the earth. If you were to encounter a trashy area in nature, or encounter a situation where the earth was being disrespected, you might become angry as those responsible were raining on your soul purpose and interfering with your job. Others with a different purpose might not even notice the trash in an area of nature, but only the beauty present.”

“In all the scenarios above, we each see through different filters and this causes the friction. In the higher realms, there are fewer filters present. When we are able to see those around us through the filters of our souls, or in other words, who they are at a soul level and what they are here to give and contribute, then we are able to get our own mis-perceptions out of the way. When we see a person’s soul, we can then honor and respect that person, and this behavior will always serve to illicit the best out of someone, as well as serve in supporting who they are and what they came to contribute.”‘