I'm going to try to make this about social media but really it is about animal rights

I know that previously I have mentioned my position on animal rights, but I have never really discussed it at length. This past week, Idaho decided it would pass a nasty ag-gag law which makes it illegal for undercover investigators to take jobs in factory farms and expose the cruelties that exist there.  This anti-whistleblower law is just one more way for giant corporations to protect themselves from the public finding out about this type of cruelty. While we're at it, they are trying to hide this and this and most recently this as well.

Here is what I need you to know. Animal rights activists are decent, caring, compassionate people the same as everyone else. We just happen to know too much and have not been able to put our blinders back on and ignore the heinous and totally abhorrent cruelties that are such an ingrained part of our society. Let me tell you how it feels to know and see and feel and have everything around you constantly telling you how wrong you are. That because of "tradition" and taste we must perpetuate the merciless suffering of this underclass. It. Is. Crippling...somedays. Other days, amazing things like this happen.

We are painted as extremists because we expect others to be who we know they are, decent, caring, compassionate people. We live on the fringe and are bullied and harassed because we expect people to be able to answer for themselves. To be able to give us good reason why their life is more valuable than another.

Yesterday my soul was full being surrounded by like-minded people who share my values and wish for a world free of cruelty. I have the amazing opportunity to work with organizations who, like me, wish to change the world.  Today, I only see the fight ahead and how steep the hill we all must climb is. Maybe it's the weather, but today I need you to know my truths.

This is where social media comes in to this post. Since this horrible bill has been introduced and passed there have been about 1,000 petitions going around on various social media sites asking for support of a bill veto and to boycott Chobani yogurt who sources almost all their dairy out of Idaho. Chobani had previously asked Idaho Governor Butch Otter to veto the bill and to support transparency in the food industry. Obviously this failed because prosecuting activists for exposing atrocities in the agriculture industries in now law in Idaho. Today, an Idaho Senator is eating his words and Chobani now has to make a choice to either continue sourcing their milk from Idaho and possibly lose a large portion of their customer base OR take their business elsewhere and support more "humane" practices.

This is a call to action. This is me begging for people to take a stand and not let corporations win this time and to stand by their values because I need to believe that change can happen today. So, if you are a yogurt consumer and purchase Chobani yogurt please keep the pressure on them to move their business out of the state because money is all these people understand. Don't purchase any Chobani products until this is resolved because we all have the right to know how our food is sourced.

WEEKLY UPDATE: Below are photos from yesterday while I was at Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary refueling my soul with the good I know exists in certain places. I hung out with cows and goats and the sweetest sheep that followed me around like a puppy named Crackerjack. It is good to be around my people of all species. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions about adopting a plant based, animal free diet please comment below via email attached to this blog.