The Silent Scream of the Asparagus: Get ready for 'plant rights.'

Weekly Standard ^ | 05/12/2008 | Wesley J. Smith

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

You probably have no shame in coring apples either. You BRUTE!

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Er, you BRUNETTE BRUTETTE! ;^)

[Question Liberal Authority]

BUSH LIED! SPINACH DIED!

[Richard Kimball]

Asparagus has nothing to fear from me. Nor does cauliflower or broccoli.

[Just Lori]

A "clear majority" of the panel adopted what it called a "biocentric" moral view, meaning that "living organisms should be considered morally for their own sake because they are alive."

So should I pray for the souls of my green beans before I pick and eat them? When the slugs eat some of my strawberries before I pick them, what punishment should the slugs receive? Salt is torture, right? Salt must be banned! Bamboo skewers should be banned!

If I forget to water my houseplants every 7 days, should I be jailed? Isn't that cruelty?

Ok, we can see how ridiculous this is, but those who run government can't. The insanity has gone far beyond what rational people ever dreamed.

Time to build more asylums, and FILL them.

[Just Lori]

I'm not trying to be belligerent...

You don't have to try, Gondring. It just comes natural to you.

I realize this may be hard for you to comprehend, but the fact is.....you can pledge allegiance to the flag, and HONOR the Lord at the same time. Who'da thunk?

Can you wrap your brain around this?

[ApplegateRanch]

A clear majority of the members takes the position that plant collectives have no inherent worth.

The Soviets proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that NO collective, plant or otherwise, has any worth, inherent or otherwise.

So it's not merely a useless exercise.

Yes, it IS a useless exercise, in that such claptrap has no business being added to a national constitution.

A few years ago the Swiss added to their national constitution a provision requiring "account to be taken of the dignity of creation when handling animals, plants and other organisms." No one knew exactly what it meant...

If there is no clear understanding of something's meaning, then is should be rejected out of hand; not voted into force of over riding guidance of all law of the land.

Save it for philosophy classes, bar arguments, and other useless venues, where it can be safely contained.

[darkangel82]

I like cauliflower but dislike the other two.

[rdl6989]

Ok, so what are people supposed to eat if meat is bad and so are plants like fruit and vegetables?

[Don W]

See post #85.

Quite subtle, but well done.

[Gondring]

I realize this may be hard for you to comprehend, but the fact is.....you can pledge allegiance to the flag, and HONOR the Lord at the same time. Who'da thunk?

Yes, I understand the socialist point of view...that's why Bellamy created The Pledge (recall that he was VP in charge of Education for the Society of Christian Socialists)...to make us all good little nanny-staters. He quite strongly argued that both the Old and New Testaments promoted socialism.

But the surprising part--my point--is that so-called conservatives are embracing the idea that becoming the lieges of government is a good thing, when a revolution was fought to cast off such fealty!

If Obama gets in, perhaps we'll all be swearing our loyalty oaths--and how Bellamy will be grinning from the afterlife. Yes, the government of Love, Socialism in America, an obedient populace...finally. :-(

Some of us, though, disagree with Bellamy and his National Socialist fantasies.

"The Tyranny of All the People", by Francis Bellamy, in The Arena, July 1891 (Library of Congress)

"The Tyranny of All the People", by Francis Bellamy, in The Arena, July 1891 (Library of Congress)

"The Tyranny of All the People", by Francis Bellamy, in The Arena, July 1891 (Library of Congress)

[Free Vulcan]

I’ll say it a hundred times: this kind of crap is religion pure and simple and a violation of separation of church and state.

[Charles Martel]

Luther Burbank, criminal? Messing with a plant's dignity !

That pales beside the crimes against plants perpetrated by George Washington Carver. He stuffed live peanuts into a *grinding* machine. Today, he'd be paying for those atrocities with his life, just like Saddam!

Hmm. I've got a sudden craving for peanut butter.

[Old Professer]

Dead.

[Gabz]

I refuse to dignify it with the term religion -— it is a cult and those who adhere to the teachings of such cults are deranged and do not belong in the general population.

[Fresh Wind]

[Veto!]

So very happy to learn that asparagus is at last getting its due. But alas, no one has yet taken up the cause of air and all the precious little bacteria, fungi, mold spores and more that we slaughter with every breath we take. How inhumane is that? Breathing should certainly be abolished.

[Veto!]

I like cauliflower but dislike the other two.

Sounds like a hate crime, you racist pig.

[Free Vulcan]

Yes, very true. And unfortunately the ACLU sure won’t go after them, but someones needs to.

There is already a precedent case, McAllister v. State of Minnesota where the courts ruled that the earth deifying stuff was in fact a form of religion and could not be promoted.

[Alouette]

Tomatoes are alive!

When you cut them, they bleed!