Hi, my Veggie Besties.I think today is November, well, I think it's, I know what day this comes out, November 5th when this episode drops.And November 5th in the U.S.is our U.S.presidential election day, in case some of you forgot.
So that is the theme, but this will be a short one.Sometimes I say short, and it's not really that short.This will be a short one, because honestly, I'm not telling you anything you don't know.I'm just reaching out and hoping to
hoping to just thank each of you who've been here on this amazing ride with this podcast.So anyway, I am recording about a week before the November 5th election.And actually today is when I will be voting.There's early voting in my state.
I will be voting later today after I record this.And I truly believe that voting is the most sacred of our civic privileges and responsibilities.It's not just a right.It's not just a right.It is a responsibility to vote.
So many people fought so that we could vote, so that we have this opportunity to vote. But the election box I'd like to just talk about today, it's just one of the ways we vote.And we know this, right?You know this.
We vote every single day through our actions, through our choices.And November,
It's World Vegan Month, and that was declared, I believe, the month of November was declared World Vegan Month in 1994 to recognize the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Vegan Society.And now, now in 2024, the 80th anniversary.
And of course, you don't have to be a member of the Vegan Society to make vegan choices.I don't think I'm a member.I can't imagine that I've ever signed up for it.
And if you make vegan choices, you certainly don't have to become a member of the vegan society first.But it is an example of an organization that's been, quote, voting with its ideas and with its outreach, unquote, for quite a while.
And we vote with our purchases.We vote with our choices.We vote with our actions, our words and deeds.We vote with the attention we give to certain subjects and the attention we don't give to certain subjects.
And I think every day in the supermarket, you only need to walk down what was called the dairy aisle to see how many options exist now to avoid consuming animal milk.And that was simply a result of voting with requests, conversations, and purchases.
Organic produce, that was a similar change that happened because we voted with our daily choices.
We requested foods that did not get sprayed and were grown and harvested in conditions that were less toxic for, not only for the food, but for the workers who worked in those conditions.
Of course, though, in the same supermarkets, you'll still see long aisles of sugary cereal and snacks and drinks and junk, some of which may be vegan, but most of which is aimed at children.And that still receives plenty of votes.How do we know?
Because it's still there and because there is so much of it. Your consumer choices, even your snacks, impact business and industry and taxes and government.
This election, we want to remember the power that we have of supporting ethical, sustainable brands.We can vote for better agricultural practices.
Many people over this Halloween have noticed how cheap chocolate, what is the complicated story behind cheap chocolate?
It's far beyond the scope of this podcast today, but we can all do a little bit of extra research and education to notice what we are supporting when we buy cheap chocolate. We vote with our attention, right?
Because our attention is such a valuable resource in this digital age.We can talk about how consuming and sharing information responsibly and supporting quality media and content creators matters. Lots of us talk about the algorithm, right?
But we are the algorithm.What we keep downloading and clicking on and spending time that gets noticed how we allocate our time and effort, even our downtime matters.
The movies that are in theaters or coming up on Netflix or whatever streaming service may be that you enjoy.What we download, watch, stream matters.When you vote for one you're voting for more just like it.
And remember, we can also vote for our education, the education of our families, putting ourselves in situations to learn more about people and cultures and science and politics that goes beyond our personal knowledge and out of our comfort zone.
And even the words we use, the words we use with our children, with our neighbors, with people we don't understand, that style of language and communication in fraught moments makes a difference.
We can be voting for respect and civility or for something else entirely. So this election day, even if you are not happy in some way by the results or the process or the options, remember to focus on what it is you can still do.
I want to focus on what I can still do because we can vote for so many things.We can vote for travel by mass transit over cars and trains over planes.
We can vote by supporting the local brick and mortar independent business people and independent bookstores.
We can vote by subscribing to local newspapers and to journalism that are covering the local issues where we as individuals actually live and where we can also be much more involved and proactive.
than on the national and global scale, which gets most of the news coverage.
There are a million different ways you and I can use this election day to remind ourselves that no matter what the big national global choices are, and our feelings about them, we still have a lot of impact.
especially, especially when joined with our families and friends and fellow citizens and even through new media and even through social media.We can gather together and make really positive choices.
And whether you're vegan or plant-based, or just trying to be a little more conscious about your choices, there is so much for us to focus on.And beware that part of your brain, that part of my brain that says, what does it matter?Or it's not enough.
It's never been more important. There has never been a more important time to move in a vegan direction.I say that at the beginning of every episode, but that is just one of many, many choices you and I are making or could be making.
I bring you guests on this podcast throughout the year who demonstrate so many different ways to emphasize the choices that exist for each of us.
in big, but also in very, very small ways that impact all the ethical and environmental and health emergencies around us.So whether you're an American citizen and able to vote today, November 5th,
And whether you're content with the results of this election or any election now and in the future, please remember the best way to use any discontent or negative feelings you have is to transmute it into an awareness that every day is election day.
every day.So get out there my, my dear Veggie Bestie.Thanks for joining us throughout all these episodes all these years and Veggie Best. Veg Your Best podcast production, music, and editing by Charlie Weinshank.Thanks, Charlie.
Before you go, it would mean so much to me and the Veg Your Best team if you would hit subscribe, leave us a five-star review, or share with someone you think might be interested.
Something about algorithms, it helps bump us up a little in the rankings and that's the best way to help others find the podcast and for us to find our audience.So, until next week, make it easy and veg your best.
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