A vegetarian group in Tennessee requested that the governor proclaim a "Vegetarian Month." Their proposed proclamation included the following language: "Our food supply should be safe and wholesome, rather than laced with pathogens, fat, cholesterol, hormones and carcinogens leading to heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic afflictions that each year cripple and kill millions." The governor turned it down because he felt it was overly political. A previous Tennessee governor had declared "Vegetarian Day," but under pressure from the livestock industry, he made similar proclamations for meat industries and ended up serving beef at a luncheon on Vegetarian Day. The governor can't take sides, especially not the politically weaker side.

I was walking through the Union here (in Edmonton) last week, and I passed a row of tables usually occupied by various religious groups. I saw a sign from an angle, and I could only see the letters "an." From the font and colour scheme, I expected it would be something Vegan. As I drew closer I was surprised that it appeared to read "get arian". Shocked, I drew a little more closer and saw that it said "veget arian." When I saw that they were sandwiched between the Catholics and the Campus Crusade for Christ, I panicked and ran into the bookstore. My brush with simplistic philosophies was over. On this Thanksgiving week, I'm thankful that absolutist/fundamentalist groups are less obnoxious and prevalent here than they were in Salt Lake City.