If you haven’t heard of it yet, The Humane Party was established in 2009 and is located in Los Angeles, California. It is the first political party committed to rights for all animals, not just the “human” kind, and the realization of a sustainable eco-friendly economy who are committed to only electing candidates who have committed to both personal and professional humane values.
“All candidates running under the Humane Party banner must sign a statement
indicating that, to the best of their ability, they personally choose only the foods,
clothing, and other products and services that are free from exploitation.”
– The Humane Party
Their belief, along with many Americans, is that America is at an ethical crossroads. Their goals include banning GMO’s, protecting our air, water and land from contamination, striving for excellence in education, enhancing our national security while eliminating current practices that encourage profits motivated by wars, and replacing the current electoral college with a direct or pure democracy, in which people vote on policy initiatives directly.
“We can set the United States on a path toward lasting peace and abundant prosperity. Or we can continue toward financial chaos, dependence on foreign resources, environmental destruction, economic disintegration, and moral lethargy.”
-The Humane Party
In 2015, The Humane Party elected its first candidate for U.S. President, Clifton Roberts. I was honored to have the opportunity to speak briefly with vegan presidential candidate Clifton Roberts as he waited in the airport for his plane to be called. Humbled by his down to earth attitude and sincere words, it was a pleasure for me to speak with him.
When I inquired as to what made him decide to go vegan, Roberts fondly recalled a visit to his mother in North Carolina where she reminded him of how he used to throw the meat from the “Bulgogi”, a traditional Korean dish made with grilled marinated beef, into the corner as a young child (even as a child he had an aversion to meat).
As a young adult while attending Cal Berkeley, Roberts was a vegetarian. When he was thirty years old, Roberts recalls reading a book written by Marilu Henner that was the contributing factor to him adopting a fully vegan lifestyle. The book gave him the information he needed to align science-based common sense with his compassionate life view.
Now vegan for almost two decades, Roberts works tirelessly to raise awareness in our country. Not only does he advocate for humane rights throughout his daily endeavors, he also practices it at home. His son, who is 21, has been vegan since the age of 14 and his 11-year-old daughter, Eden, has been vegan since birth.
Q&A with Vegan Presidential Candidate Clifton Roberts
Q: What inspired you to get involved with The Humane Party?
A: “Vegan for 18 years, no matter how much I tried to be individually responsible, tried converting people, and appreciated the animals, I saw that what we were doing wasn’t working. I decided to look for a way to make a difference. The Humane Party was looking for a CEO so I volunteered.”
Q: What is the one thing you want people to know about you?
A: “I am a human being that is truly interested in politics to change this world. More than anyone else you will ever meet. I am seeking to be a public servant and change the direction of the country to stop the killing of beings.”
Q: What will you do to further the vegan message while in office?
A: “The strategy is to inspire people like us to get into the Executive Branch, to run for Senate and the House of Representatives. Imagine the change that we could affect if we had 10 Senators in Congress.”
Keep an eye out for Roberts in upcoming months. The vegan presidential candidate has recently appeared on Fox News and will be featured in an episode on the upcoming new vegan television series Plant-Based, by Nafsika premiering on the A& E channel. The series will debut on July 6th, 2016 and is set to run for 12 weeks.
My impression of vegan presidential candidate Clifton Roberts is that he is a down to earth, eco-conscious, compassionate individual who strives to make positive changes for the country and the world. He asks that people “vote their values.” I know I will be voting mine when the time comes.
To learn more about Clifton Roberts, visit his website at http://www.cliftonroberts.org/
To learn more about the Humane Party go to http://www.humaneparty.org/
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