Please take the time to read the email below from Colleen, founder of Compassionate Cooks, and take action. If you haven’t listened to any of her podcasts, I highly recommend them.
October 14 Email:
Hi there,
I hope this email finds you well, and I hope you’re still enjoying the podcast and are finding community on the message board.
This is only the second time I’ve sent a direct email to the message board members, and like the first time, it’s about Oprah. When inspired by Kathy Freston Oprah tried a 30-day cleanse, I was impressed and hopeful. I lost a little of that when I saw an interview in which Oprah talked about how angry she was during the cleanse because she couldn’t “have her cheese.” But, one to focus on the hope, I knew seeds had been planted and trusted that the process would take place for Oprah as it has for all of us. After all, she is human, too! 🙂
Today Oprah’s show will illuminate some of the inherently cruel practices of the animal exploitation industry, and she will also have animal agriculture representatives on her show. My understanding is that Oprah will ask her viewers to “decide for themselves” after they see the footage. The title of the show is “How we treat the animals we eat.”
For Oprah to air this on her show is monumental. Make no mistake about it. It is also evidence that the seeds are taking root and need to be fertilized and watered! 🙂 That’s where you come in.
I’m not naive to think that I’ll be next in line for Oprah’s show. Everyone wants the exposure her show affords, but it couldn’t hurt to continue tapping them on the shoulder to at least get them to look in our direction. I encourage you to visit the links below and to tell them – from your heart – why you think Compassionate Cooks would be a positive way for Oprah to continue representing “veganism” in a positive light.
I encourage you to emphasize what Compassionate Cooks teaches: that veganism is just a means to an end – not an end in itself. That what really matters is unconditional compassion, and being vegan (causing no intentional harm) is a profound and powerful way to get there. You can certainly mention the delicious whole foods I emphasize (remind her that it’s not unlike Dr. Oz’s philosophy of eating), you can talk about The Joy of Vegan Baking and how I demystified “vegan” desserts in that cookbook, but I also encourage you to speak to Oprah where Oprah’s at. The heart of the work I do has to do with how “waking up” to our own compassion, and that’s what I want to focus on.
If you could take just a few minutes to do this, I would appreciate it greatly. Here are some thoughts about where you can plant some seeds. 🙂
#1 Write directly to the producers. They emphasize that every email is read. http://www.oprah.com/contactus. Don’t hesitate to paste your letter into a couple different forms. Also, SAVE YOUR LETTER. You never know when you might want to use it again (changing it slightly) for future shows. 🙂
#2 In the Community Message Boards on her site, they already have a forum for How We Treat the Animals We Eat http://www.oprah.com/community. Join in!!!! (The producers DO read these message boards!)
#3 Also, if you want to take a few extra moments, here is a form asking for your favorite holiday recipe https://www.oprah.com/plugform.jsp?plugId=421440&referer=http://www.oprah.com/index. What a wonderful opportunity to bombard them with delicious vegan recipes. Please feel free to include any Compassionate Cooks’ recipes – just letting them know that’s where you got them from.
Thank you so much, everyone. Please consider sharing your letters on the message board. We’d love to see some more activity on the boards!
Speak your truth. Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
For the animals,
Colleen
http://www.compassionatecooks.com