Changing America, changing tastes

[Moloch]

A growing demand for goat meat among New York City Muslims has been a boon to a livestock auction tucked away in the middle of Amish country.

Here, where a covered shelter in a parking lot keeps Amish buggies dry when it rains, Mohammad Khalid arrives from Queens every Monday morning to buy as many as 50 goats, which end up in the meat case of Queens Discount Halal Meat by Wednesday afternoon.

"A good goat is a Boer goat," said Khalid, a Pakistani immigrant, pointing to a redheaded goat standing in a pen with his other purchases, all of them bleating and staring nervously at their new owner. "It's very good meat. Tender."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2027&ncid=2027&e=1&u=/chitribts/20041130/ts_chicagotrib/changingamericachangingtastes

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. mmmmmmmmmmm

goat tastes GOATY

[maxsolomon]

2. its a goat holocaust!

make cheese & yogurt, not roasts!

[musette_sf]

4. Yes! Do not harm the GOAT!

You have to understand.... I am in LOVE with these gentle and sweet barnyard animals. Saw my first goats close up at a livestock show and I have been crazy about them ever since.

I would as soon eat my cat, than eat a goat.

Now I think I'll get those goat cheese balls from Provence out of the fridge and enjoy a few, ruminating on my favorite ruminants.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Jewish : Kosher :: Muslim : Halal ? (nt)

[Briar]

5. Barbara Kingsolver

foresaw this in "Prodigal Summer"!

[KoKo]

7. What is the plot of that book? I read her one about Africa and I got so

depressed I haven't read any of her others. It was a great book...sorry can't remember the title..but it was about religious obsessives.

What does "Prodigal Summer" have to do with goats? It must be good, she's an excellent writer.

[CitySky]

8. This was the first thing I thought of too!

Warning- next paragraph contains spoilers!

Kingsolver-esque protagonist (read: smart, independent woman) finds herself stuck with no support on a failing farm in KY. Figures out that the major goat-eating feasts of 2 world religions are going to occur the same week following spring; makes a deal with a deli owner in NY City who pre-orders; breeds goats to great success and the bewilderment of locals. And that's just ONE of the three plots. mmmm, great book.

-Sky

ps - the one you're thinking of is Poisonwood Bible - my LEAST fave Kingsolver -- the first half is really just an abusive marriage posing as Christianity, ugh. Do read Animal Dreams, Bean Trees, Pigs in Heaven. :)

[KoKo]

13. Yes...Poisonwood Bible....it was good but dark...I'll check out her others

and see the reviews. It's amazing your review of the one on the failing farm in Kentucky and the original post.

[KoKo]

6. Hmmmm do you remember how many time Chimp visited the Amish on

his campaign stops? I never could understand why he kept after those Amish to vote for him.

:tinfoilhat: Bush/Carlyle/Pakistan/Terrorists/BinLaden/Amish......

:D...Hey, I mean this as a joke but maybe I'm really onto something.

His love of the Amish was very weird except that they are "fundies" of a certain kind like he is.

[Desperadoe]

9. Whatever you are onto

I suggest that you stop taking it. That shit will kill ya. :)

The Amish were just used, like everyone is. They really aren't very interested in politics or government but they do like goats. In fact, if you can grow it, raise it, harvest it or butcher it then the Amish are interested in it.

The Amish are nothing like fundies at all. In fact, if all so-called Christians were more like the Amish, I could actually embrace Christianity again. The lend new meaning to the phrase "walk the talk". Instead of talking endlessly about God and Jesus and values and all that busllshit, they actually just go about living a Christian lifestyle and keep to themselves about their religious beliefs.

Wow, what a concept!!

[Walt Starr]

10. Except when they Amish get into cocaine dealing

http://www.rickross.com/reference/general/general73.html

The Associated Press, June 30, 1999
By Joann Loviglio
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Two Amish men received a year in prison Wednesday for buying cocaine from bikers and selling it among youth groups in their strict religious community.

Abner Stoltzfus, 25, and Abner King Stoltzfus, 24, Lancaster County men who are not related, are members of the Old Order Amish, the most conservative Anabaptist sect.

They eschew automobiles, electricity, computers, fancy clothes and most other modern conveniences, and use horse-driven buggies for transportation.

``These defendants ... were responsible for bringing disrepute to themselves, their families and their community,'' U.S. District Judge Clarence C. Newcomer said.

[KitSileya]

11. Actually, I read an article in the local (Norwegian) paper about that.

It turns out, according to the sources of the journalist (a bishop, amongst others) that the Amish voted to a greater extent this time than previously, because they were concerned about gay marriage. They were single issue voters, betraying their pacifism because they only cared about gay marriage because "God is conservative. We are conservative. Therefore, the choice wasn't difficult." The journalist asked whether questions such as abortion and stem cell research were more important (I don't think he was quite familiar with the Amish - I believe they would find both pretty much as morally repugnant as gay marriage) to which the Bishop answered "No! The gay marriage issue is without doubt the most important. It goes against the Bible and the Word of God."

The journalist also asked about the other themes during the campaigns, such the war, the economy, sosial security, education and jobs and whether they influenced their decision. Again a negative, and that the Bible says it's wrong for gays to marry and that God is conservative.

It's quite possible that a much higher number of Amish voted in this election. As such, I don't doubt that Bush* courted them quite carefully, and without access to a balanced media (or rather, with even less access to a balanced media than the average American, not that that is saying much) they were probably only given one message - gay marriage.

Edited to add that the translations are mine. The article was in Norwegian.

[Voltaire99]

12. Big bucks to be made by whoever...

...trademarks "Get Your Goat" first. ;-)