# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 3:24 PM
(0) Comments
Deconstructing Dinner
Here is a review of a new book about food production.
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 1:12 PM
(0) Comments
21 April 2006
When Deer and Humans Clash
See here.
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 7:45 PM
(0) Comments
19 April 2006
From the Mailbag
Dear Professor Burgess-Jackson:
I see that you are promoting a fundraising event for the Tails Humane
Society. Maybe you can clear up something for me, because I've never
really understood the point of animal shelters. Seems to me that
humane societies help one set of animals at the expense of another set
of animals. With very few exceptions, the dogs and cats that are
adopted from animal shelters will live out their lives eating cows,
pigs, chickens, fish, and god-knows-what-other-critters are found in
commercial pet food. So what have we really gained? At best, we're
killing Peter to save Paul.
Sincerely yours,
Edgar Marsalla
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 3:42 PM
(0) Comments
16 April 2006
From the Mailbag
Dear friends and former sponsors!
Five years ago each of you sponsored me in the "Trails for TAILS"
bike-a-thon, all of the proceeds of which went to the TAILS Humane
Society. At that time, TAILS had a dream: that of building a
state-of-the-art NO KILL animal shelter. Today, thanks to your support
and the support of others like you, that dream is a reality! Please
check out the shelter and all of the impressive work it is doing.
Naturally, it takes money to run a shelter of this caliber, and so,
once again, I turn to you for your possible support. On Saturday,
April 22, I will be cycling 55 miles in the sixth annual "Trails for
TAILS" bike-a-thon, all of the proceeds of which will again be donated
to TAILS Humane Society. Five years ago, thanks to your help, I was
able to raise $900 for TAILS. I hope to be able to raise that much
again this year. Of course, to do so, I need sponsors to pledge their
support. Pledges may take the form of a flat donation or a per-mile
pledge. I would be extremely grateful, if any of you were willing to
sponsor me 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, or even $1.00 a mile (or
anything in between) in this year's bike-a-thon. If you do sponsor me,
your donation to TAILS Humane Society is fully tax deductible [Surely
that sounds good on April 16!!!]. If you are willing to sponsor me,
please drop me a short reply and let me know the amount per mile (or
flat donation) that you are pledging. After I complete the ride, I
will email you back with the number of miles completed [hopefully
55!], and you can send me a check made out to TAILS Humane Society for
the amount that you pledged. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank
you!!!
My best to all of you!
Mylan Engel
Note from KBJ: Mylan and I were graduate students together at The
University of Arizona. He's a good person. If you'd like to make a
pledge, please click on his name immediately above this note and use
the e-mail address at the bottom of his website. That way, I don't add
to the amount of spam he receives. In case you're wondering, I have
pledged 50� per mile. Go Mylan!
Second note from KBJ: Mylan writes: "Dear Keith, Thanks, thanks,
thanks, thanks, and thanks! Thanks for posting my letter on your
animal ethics blog, and thanks for the nice things you said about me
there. I really appreciate it. [Thanks too for figuring out how to
link to me without having to post my email address on your blog. I'm
grateful not to have the additional spam!] Thanks very much for the 50
cent per mile pledge! And thanks for continuing to call attention to
my 'The Immorality of Eating Meat'! I hope it gets some of your
readers to rethink their eating habits. All the best, Mylan"
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 1:26 PM
(0) Comments
12 April 2006
The Immorality of Eating Meat
Here is the best essay I've ever read on the moral status of nonhuman
animals. Please read it. If you reject the conclusion, then, to be
consistent, you must either deny the validity of the argument or
reject a premise. In other words, there are three ways to respond to
Engel's argument:
1. Deny its validity (i.e., claim that the conclusion does not
follow from the premises).
2. Reject a premise.
3. Accept the conclusion.
Read the essay carefully and choose wisely.
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 7:48 PM
(0) Comments
Of Human and Non-Human Animals
Here is a new blog.
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 4:27 PM
(0) Comments
10 April 2006
Brute Ethics
I continue to receive link requests. Here is a site called Brute
Ethics.
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 7:51 PM
(0) Comments
06 April 2006
From the Mailbag
Good day, Professor,
Long time--no communication. I hope the last year has been pleasant
for you--it's a new baseball season, and a new chance for your beloved
Rangers (good luck!).
If you recall, the last time I corresponded with you, I expressed my
consideration of [Don] Marquis's theory of the morality of murder
[i.e., killing], how it applies to animals, and whether I should stop
eating meat. It's been nearly a year of churning this information in
my head--and alas, I have still not come to a definitive conclusion
for myself. I suspect that I lean on the idea side of the immorality
of killing for food. I think that I am fighting what might be obvious
here because of 22 years of being a ravenous carnivore.
That being said, a week and 3 days ago, I decided to cut meat out of
my diet. Though I am not 100% sold on the immorality of eating meat, I
decided that 1) I ought not to continue until I have a full opinion
and 2) health reasons--I realized that my years of overeating are from
a hardwired distaste for wasting meat on my plate.
I must say, the first several days were extremely difficult--but I
have adjusted nicely and am actually already feeling some benefits. I
feel I have made a somewhat intellectual moral decision, which is good
for my pride. Also--physically I feel better, as I have been able to
focus very closely on my diet and improved it quite a bit. I have cut
out all beef, pork, poultry, game, etc--if it walks or flies, I'm not
eating it.
My apologies for the novel--I just felt I should thank you for the
introduction to the world of the meatless--I think that, should I
decide to stick with this, I will be better for it.
And happy birthday tomorrow--hope your semester is going well.
Regards, X
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 6:14 PM
(0) Comments
04 April 2006
SuperVegan
Here is a new website devoted to veganism. I will add it to the
blogroll.
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 8:50 PM
(0) Comments
02 April 2006
Birthday Girl
Shelbie is three years old today. See here.
# Posted by Keith Burgess-Jackson at 6:55 PM
(0) Comments
No comments:
Post a Comment