Tag Archives: Vegetarian caucus

What a Year for the Veg World!

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What a year 2013 was for the veg world! In fact, it’s hard to come up with a more significant year for the vegetarian movement in the last 100 years or more.

We saw Al Gore become the first ever Vice President to go vegan. As one of the leaders of the environmental movement, the significance of this can hardly be overstated considering how resistant many environmentalists have been. The first ever Vegetarian Caucus in Congress was founded, and has been growing by leaps and bounds all year. With interest from the newly elected vegetarian senator Cory Booker, it shows ever-increasing promise for further growth.

The first ever leader of a major global hunger relief agency, Bill Gates of the Gates foundation, came out in favor of the vegan diet as the long-term sustainable answer to the persistent problem of global hunger.

The first all vegetarian public school opened in New York City. Reports later showed improved test scores and health of the students. Though they may have had mixed motivations, we even saw the first ever all vegetarian jail system begin in Arizona.

Health Insurance company, Kaiser Permanente, broke new ground in sending an advisory to all its doctors to advise their patients of the health advantages of the vegetarian diet. In addition, a major breakthrough happened showing how the meat-centered diet fuels breast cancer. Almost as significant, at the end of the year was major research showing the connection between diet and Alzheimer’s disease. We’ll be reporting on these advances, showing the health advantages of the veg diet soon.

The first ever head of state, Benjamin Netanyahu, endorsed meatless Mondays. And, not to be outdone, in Norway the first ever military and NATO member began Meatless Mondays as well.

On the product front we saw the introduction of “hyper-real” meat analogues, plus the development of synthetic eggs so real that no one can tell the difference. While we’re still not sure how we feel about this, the first ever stem-cell grown “meat” was produced.

Meanwhile, public interest in the vegetarian way grows and grows. Hardly a month goes by without another Hollywood celeb or musician jumping on board. In the faith-based community, the influential pastor and author, Rick Warren, jumped on board the vegetarian band wagon with the Daniel Plan diet.

We look forward to 2014 with growing hope and excitement as the veg message gains more and more traction. Happy New Year to one and all.

Andy Jacobs – A Giant has passed

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While celebrating all the gains made by vegetarians during the past year, we should always remember that our accomplishments are in no small way due to the groundbreaking work of those who came before us and set the stage for progress. Much of the credit belongs to them. We stand on the shoulders of giants. Sadly, one of those giants has just passed away. Congressman Andy Jacobs was the first congressman to publicly come out as a vegetarian in the 20th century.

In 1970, the 6-foot-3 Mr. Jacobs became a vegetarian, choosing what he called a “cruelty-free diet.” While initially motivated by compassion for animals, he later adopted the health cause as well. In a 1977 Vegetarian Times interview he said, “The leanest steak has fat and grease. You’re putting grease in your body that you wouldn’t pour down your kitchen sink.”

Years before vegetarianism became widely accepted, Jacobs ate no meat and did not wear leather. “He couldn’t stand, in any way, suffering to other creatures,” said John Krull, a longtime acquaintance, director of the Pulliam School of Journalism at Franklin College. That meant that at rubber chicken political dinners, Jacobs would often “just eat the vegetables,” said Bill Crawford, a former longtime member of the Indiana House of Representatives, who like Jacobs, is a vegetarian.

Andy was a United States Marine who fought and was wounded in the Korean War. He died on December 28, 2013 at his home in Indianapolis, aged 81. He is survived by his wife, Kim Jacobs, and two sons. But, he lived to see the founding of the first ever Vegetarian Congressional Caucus. This giant will be missed but never forgotten.

First ever Veg Group on Capitol Hill

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Veg Caucus on Captol HillThe first ever organized vegetarian group on Capitol Hill has just been formed, and vegetarian history has just been made for the second time this year (see last month’s post on the first all-veg public school).  The non-partisan Vegetarian Caucus, has already held two meetings and its ranks are growing rapidly and with much enthusiasm. This is very significant for the vegetarian movement as a whole. While we wish the group had congressmen and women in it as well, we all know how influential the staffers are.

For busy staffers on Capitol Hill, whose hectic days are often scheduled down to the minute, grabbing lunch often means a trip to the cafeterias scattered around the Capitol complex. Although there are multiple dining spots on the campus’s House and Senate sides, offering everything from Indian cuisine to slow-cooked barbecue, some vegetarian and vegan House staffers say there’s a noticeable lack of healthy proteins and lettuce varieties available to fit their dietary needs, so they’re doing something about it.

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