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What Are Your Issues?. Friday, September 21, 2007

my family has always been against animal cruelty. sometimes we write anonymous letters to pet owners when we see animals along the streets of manila who look maltreated. leashes too short, no water bowls, left in the sweltering heat, bones sticking out of their ribs... you get the picture. we've not joined any animal rights movement, but we try to change the state of things the way we can: one pet owner at a time.

my father feels strongly about using hapee toothpaste, as opposed to the other more popular brands in the country. the whole household (except for my sister, who still insists on using close up) uses hapee. the reason why the other brands are so expensive is because of the additional costs to import. also, most of the profits go to the foreign mother companies. patronizing filipino-made products is cheaper and keeps more filipinos employed.

my mother is an environmentalist. she insists on using ariel and tide because these are the only brands that have discontinued the use of phosphorus. also, we really do segregate and recycle at home. we currently only use 2 cars. we try to squeeze in as many errands for as many persons in one trip as we can. our present frustration is that, for physical health (and mental health) reasons, we cannot go vegetarian.

i have no idea what my sister's advocacies are. she's in her i don't give a fart phase. i'm sure she'll come up with one in time.

i have a few. i am also pro-green. i'd like to be able to settle in a place where i can ride a bike to work and back. i want to be as carbon-neutral as possible. when i can afford it, i'd like to live in a green-home. when i start getting a steady income, i'll save up for solar-powered chargers for my gadgets.

i am also pro-animals. living in a house with 9 dogs and 4 cats, it's kinda obvious that we are. i can't give up meat just yet, but i won't eat it if i know it has not been treated humanely.

i am also pro-woman. i have yet to decide on where i stand on the artificial contraception issue. i really believe that the symptothermal method works in combination with the calendar method. i really do, but ours is a generation of instant gratification. people no longer have the patience to wait in line for 5 minutes, much less abstain from contact for a few days. i hope i would not be put in a situation wherein i would have to choose to prescribe birth control pills for anything other than irregular mentrual cycles. i also believe in breast cancer screening for every woman. mammograms may hurt, but cancer hurts more. it hurts not only the patient, but her loved ones as well. i won't go into obstetrics, but i still care very much about women's health issues. i am, however, definitely not pro-choice. no to abortion. no. no. no. i would rather help a patient not get pregnant than end a pregnancy.

this is kinda long, but i don't think it's enough. i hope to make a significant contribution someday. what are your issues?

Ana played hooky at 9:27 AM