Preaching Prop 2

Mina and I went to a fundraising party yesterday afternoon for Prop 2. We didn't know anyone there, but we were invited because I'm on the email chain, and because raising funds for this thing is critical.

The party was held graciously at a lovely house in Beverly Hills. I don't get to BH much, but it was cool that this couple offered their home mostly to strangers. The event was largely catered by a local raw chef named Rasheed, which was awesome because I spent a little bit of time talking with him. He gave me his card for possible raw classes, but when I told him that I was seeking instruction for personal AND for possibly who-knows-what, the conversation went flat. Eesh. I don't blame the guy. Who wants to instruct a possible future competitor in the area though I wasn't assertive at all with that intention. Anyway, his food was awesome and he was wearing the most gorgeous and outrageous necklace made of huge twisted silver with dollops of coral. In any event, the raw thing sticks near me whether I try to be around it or not, and I'm digging and appreciate the universal nudge.

Parties for Prop 2 were held state-wide over the weekend. It was a sort of a fund-raising launch because TV commercials must be bought and education/awareness needs to be spread. There was a conference call at 5pm that all the parties could tap into; phone lines were hooked up to speakers which blasted out to the backyard and the living room. This was all magic to me, the big state-wide phone call, but there I was listening to someone from California for Humane Farms in Sacramento over the speakers, filling us in on campaign details and the urgency of being involved. I was swept up in the swirl of unity to right some wrongs. The factory farms have promised to raise 12 million dollars to squash us grassroots folk. 12 million dollars, yikes. And most all of that is coming from the farms themselves. God forbid they use that money towards making a space A TINY bit more humane for their animals. Naw, let's make propagandous and confusing commercials to add insult to injury instead. It's all kind of baffling, really.

I didn't expect to get so fired up at the party. I mean, I'm already a willing participant in the fight, y'know? But the gathering of like-minded people sparked a natural, protective instinct to defend those without a voice; to lend a hand to those who suffer whether they are human or animal. It's just not right what continues to go on. And then to witness this pure-form compassion ooze from both of my girls inspires me to not let that die in adults, starting with myself. It seems like they know what's right, from the womb practically. They know you don't let a living thing suffer a painful and torterous life if you can help it. They want to help it. I want to help it.

The things that need to be done to stop human and animal suffering seems bottomless. It seems so overwhelming. But I'm willing to tackle something. And I'm able to do more stuff to get Prop 2 passed. Honestly, Prop 2 is a drop in the bucket. It isn't enough. I mean, really, we have to fight and claw and beg for votes to give an animal the ability to simply turn around and extend its limbs? That's seems incredulous when you think about it, but if we don't do this now, they'll spend another couple decades cramped and suffering the same with no change whatsoever. This, at the very least, alleviates a small amount of suffering. How can we not want that little bit of action taken?

Linda Blair was at the party. She's a big animal activist. She runs a dog rescue out near Animal Acres called World Heart Foundation. She's intense and driven. She's teeny tiny and wow, rocked out - as in buff, fit . . .totally in shape? Mina was mesmerized by her intensity and how she rescues dogs. Exorcist-schmexorcist, Mina had to talk to her. "Thank you for rescuing dogs," Mina said to her after tracking her down to the kitchen. "Thank you, sweetheart," Linda said. Then Mina grilled her about how could she help at the dog rescue. Could she bring the pugs? The pugs would play with the other dogs and make them happy? How old did she have to be? Linda was like, Holy cow. I told Mina we'd visit some time, and then we got this great picture. Look, Mina's head is almost the same size. Her body too.Anyway, my people, I'm fired up, and my stomach hurts from the overwhelmingness of the voiceless beings everywhere, but I'll work on Prop 2 for now, and go from there.