Jonathan Safran Foer: Cute Jew; Domestic Terrorist?

I've always had a thing for adorable, nerdy Jewish boys. Blame my Long Island upbringing. So it should come as no shock that I've had a crush on Jonathan Safran Foer, ever since I discovered his vegetarian leanings in a video he narrated called "If This is Kosher" while researching vegan passover recipes a few years ago.

It doesn't hurt that he bears a striking resemblance to my husband. Y/N?

Anyway, I ended up not being able to go hear him speak at the local JCC last night as I'd hoped to. He's been getting some major buzz lately for his new book Eating Animals. (Like, every other article on vegansaurus has been about JSF this week.) While some might criticize him for not committing to being fully vegan, I personally think this is exactly the kind of outreach that helps our cause immensely. It's both a logical and emotional approach to the subject that can hit people on a personal level. And it doesn't hurt coming from a prolific author who's not necessarily dragged down with the label of "crazy animal rights activist."

Or is he?

This article from Huffington Post labels JSF as a domestic terrorist in its slightly sensational headline. I'm not going to summarize the article here because I actually want you to read the whole thing. It brings up a lot of important information that many people may not be aware of regarding the way our government regards terrorism, and which industries it's protecting.

I'm just going to share my takeaway thoughts after reading it:

#1 - Dennis Kucinich is awesome.

#2 - I'm blown away that animal rights groups are classified as greater threats to America than, say, right-wing activists that bomb abortion clinics and murder doctors who make this right available to women.

#3 - Where exactly is the terror here? Specifically in the case of JSF where the author of the article makes the case that his illegal exposure of the practices of a factory farm constitutes terrorism. Yes, I can see why this might scare or shock people, but he's not throwing buckets of fake blood and crying "murder." He's simply exposing people to the truth of what's actually happening in the animal enterprise industry.

#4 - While the author encourages readers to repeal the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, he doesn't give any resources for change. So, you can sign a petition and write to Congress here. This page also has links to further information and advice.

Kudos to anyone who can bring light to such important issues!