Care to Super-Size That?

S

Although I think these re-post dares..."I want to see who is brave enough..." are stupid, the message here is still a good one...

And I'm all for it. Most of us go through our lives blissfully ignorant of the consequences of our actions and how things came to be. We live and consume in the moment. The vast majority of traffic accidents are alcohol related. Our votes matter. Be as sure as you can be about the candidate of your choice. How much do we really need cosmetics? Aren't people more beautiful when they are fit, strong, healthy and happy, and cosmetic free…at any age? And is the war paint worth the animal torture? All so that we can pick just the right shade? Obesity is the number one health problem in this country, it's the starting point for so many physical and psychological problems. Do we really want to keep eating that fast food? Every bit as much as cigarettes, it's an addictive, slow poison that will certainly kill you one day. Chicken is a minor ingredient in a chicken McNugget. It's mostly a fried chemical paste with just a bit of “mechanically separated” meat from chickens that are not only genetic mutants, but also pumped full of growth hormones. Oh, and lots of antibiotics that are necessary to combat the horrific, cramped, disease filled cages they are packed into. Pigs scream with terror as they hear the pigs in front of the line hung upside down while their throats are slit. They're smarter than dogs. Would you allow dogs to be treated like that? Commercial meat production is, like most things, driven by only one goal: profits at all costs. Cruelty to the animals and the health of the consumer are only considerations if profits are negatively affected. We support the bad behavior. Pay more for organic, humanely raised and slaughtered meat products. Most of the American public lives an unhealthy, oblivious lifestyle because we are pawns of the ad agencies. We wallow in cheap entertainment filled with ads that promote a McDonald lifestyle and corrupt politicians who want to placate us with more of the same rather than look at more meaningful issues that could expose the misdeeds of their corporate sponsors. Until each individual takes a personal stand and becomes their own boss, until we take charge of our own informed choices, everything will continue to get worse. Changing the social consciousness takes a long time. Look at the 1950's Life Magazine ads with John Wayne being manly and enjoying a good cigarette. Now smokers huddle outside in the cold like second class citizens to take a cigarette break. It takes a long time to turn the Queen Mary around, but we've done it before and we can do it again. It all starts with awareness. The change begins with a steady diet of images and information designed to enlighten us about “the consequences of our actions and how things came to be.