I invite you all to sign this live petition effort to encourage President-Elect Obama
to consider a Sustainable Choice for our next Secretary of Agriculture.
The letter is at: http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/
Time is of the essence…
Within the next few days President-Elect Obama will be naming one of the most
important posts in his cabinet — our next Secretary of Agriculture. For those of us
who care about the environment, sustainability, healthy food, animal welfare and
creating local food systems, NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT.
A groundswell of grassroots support is needed to encourage President-Elect Obama
to nominate a Secretary who will bring sustainable change to the United States
Department of Agriculture.
A grassroots effort has taken flight.
We invite you to JOIN US in this grassroots effort by signing this live letter advocating a
Sustainable Choice for the next Secretary of Agriculture.
Original signers to this letter include Rick Bayless, Michael Pollan, Wendell Berry,
Marion Nestle, Bill McKibben, Wes Jackson, Catherine Sneed, Alice Waters and Yours Truly among many others.
Please join them by once again casting your vote for change by supporting a Sustainable
Choice for our next Secretary of Agriculture.
Help make this type of change possible by signing this letter. Our work has only begun.
PLEASE SIGN this letter at: http://www.fooddemocracynow.org
And then FORWARD to all your friends.
As you may know that this effort has appeared in numerous blogs, including Grist, Salon
and in the New York Times online:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/foodies-make-a-pitch-to-obama/?hp
We thank you for joining this grassroots effort!
by
Kurt Michael Friese
Member since:
November 16, 2005 Food Democracy Now!
December 15, 2008 03:08 PM EST
views: 380
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comments: 14
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Comments: 14
Vegan-organic group at gather.
Cheers! Sam Carana
Hpwever, I didn't see a way to read the letter before submitting my completed signature. I was very disappointed that it opened with praise for the very things that made me abhor Obama. Fortunately, I mentioned in my comment there that the issue is critical and does not involve party lines.
The praise for Obama in the letter has to change if it is not to put off the millions who totally support sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry but despise Obama. At this point I really wish I could withdraw my signature and write a separate letter supporting sustainability and a good Ag choice without praising somebody whose presidency I dread and certainly without lying about how I look forward to his changes!!!
The originating committee really needs to reconsider the blatant Dem tone of the letter if everybody who supports sustainable agriculture is to feel comfortable about signing.
As for the praise for Obama, while I am a supporter of his, I see that praise as more of a formality, a polite way to address the letter. At any rate, I hope your "dread" proves to be unfounded, and believe that it will be.
Peace,
kmf
Further reading:
Vilsack to face food subsidy issues in top ag job - Reuters
Grist interviews Vilsack - 23 Feb 2007
Iowa’s Vilsack Likely Pick For Secretary of Agriculture
Obama's Farm and Food Appointment
On the reverse side, those companies use large amounts of money in marketing to convince people that they want those tasteless products, even when (if left to their own devices) people would not normally have any desire for them. The psychological studies are numerous and well-documented. Sure it would help if people just said no, but the same thing is true for heroin addiction.