Friday, October 21, 2011

Veggies Have Rights Too

Very rarely have I gone out of my way to look someone up with the intention of re-establishing contact.  I guess I've always been of the frame of mind that if I'm moving forward and they are too then sooner or later we'll reconnect. 
The last blog, Once Upon a Time in Beaverton, told of a fellow named Mark who started the Vegetable Rights Organization.  If you haven't read said blog, please scroll down and do so now.  I'll wait.

As I wrote the previous blog I could hear Mark's voice and laugh.  Then what I didn't know started bothering me.  My friend Nancy, of whom I wrote, is no longer with us so I couldn't call her and ask about Mark.  I did however get a hold of another friend who supplied phone numbers on the advisement she wasn't sure if, after five years, the numbers were good.

The first number was answered by machine; I left a message.  The second number was picked up by a man.  I asked if he was Mark; he said he was a Mark. 

Fairly positive I had the right Mark, I proceeded. "The Mark I'm looking for is of average height, brown hair and wears glasses." 

He chuckled nervously and said yes.  Consider at this point the word Stalker is probably going thru his head.

Me: "Are you the Mark who started the Vegetable Rights Organization back in the 90's?"

That got him laughing.  The answer, of course, was yes.

Now for page two - I told Mark there wasn't a week that went by that "Vegetables Have Rights Too" didn't make me smile.  He asked if I recalled the jingle.  I said no, just the logo.  Mark said that was too bad but he didn't offer to sing it for me.  So I told him about the blog and driving reason I tracked him down.  "What on earth possessed you to start the Vegetable Rights Movement?"

Here is what Mark said:
The Vegetable Rights Organization is in response to all the Vegetarians and Vegans who feel people shouldn't eat meat, yet they are not doing their part to support the cause.  Vegetarians and Vegans need to join forces with Carnivores and Omnivores.  If they'd do their part in eating up the meat supply then the population would have to eat vegetables, because that's all they'd have left.

Oddly there is logic to this premise, though debatable as to plausibility.  I am an Omnivore who absolutely loves vegetables and often dines solely on nice fresh veggies.  When I was out West my Vegetarian friends would grow so hopeful during the summer months that I was converting to their way of life.  Sorry Dudes; I still enjoy a good steak and won't ever refuse real bacon.

Out here in the South the meat tastes funny.  It smells odd when it's cooking.  I'm bothered by not knowing where it's from or how it was raised.  The looks I get have stopped me from asking whether or not it's free-range or if the animals were given drugs.  Therefore I tend to eat more vegetables out here.  Do not mistake this for me being health conscious.  Call me paranoid because I know the secret of Soylent Green.

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