Interview with Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich’s rise out of poverty in Cleveland to being elected, at age 31, the youngest mayor of that city (or any other major city in US history) reveals an exceptional capacity to set and achieve goals. The oldest of seven children, his working-class family was so poor that they were sometimes homeless, bringing harsh life lessons that shaped his worldview. “My formative experiences taught me compassion for those who are struggling,” Kucinich says. “I can understand firsthand the imperative of human unity, of how we need to live together with the intention of creating a better nation and a more peaceful world.”

This concern for the welfare of others is reflected in the broad range of progressive issues Kucinich has worked on during his previous six terms in the House of Representatives, from campaign-finance and health-care reform to sustainable agriculture, food safety, and civil liberties. Kucinich plays a leading role in many important animal-protection causes. He helped secure increased funding for enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, and co-sponsored successful legislation to promote humane alternatives to animal testing and ban the importation of products made from dog or cat fur.

Kucinich was the only member of Congress to vote against the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, a law that threatens Constitutionally protected free speech. For Kucinich, this is an issue that affects both human and animal rights. “If protesters are branded as ‘terrorists,’ people may be afraid to stand up for animals. Animals will then suffer even more because the public won’t be as informed about the abuse taking place behind closed doors.”

After the Democrats won Congress, Kucinich was appointed Chair of the Government Reform Committee’s newly created Domestic Policy Subcommittee, which oversees dozens of government agencies, among them the FDA and the Department of Agriculture. This puts him in a position to review federal policies affecting millions of people and billions of animals. A vegan since 1995, he credits his diet for the extraordinary levels of health and energy he enjoys. “Being vegan gives me the clarity to make good decisions and a vitality that people want in their leaders.”

Q & A with Dennis Kucinich

VN: How far would you go to publicize and expose the animal protein/global warming connection?
I don’t think there’s anything that’s taboo in terms of talking about global warming. People need to be aware of the implications of the food that we eat and also of how the food is raised. Having said that, I have never been in the position because of my own choices that I insist that anyone else has to eat that way.

VN: You’re not worried someone will say, “Hey, but you are a vegan. You have an agenda here”?
I don’t force that choice on anyone. What I do say is that I think Americans are generally more open to changes in diet and lifestyle than most people give them credit, specifically for health reasons. There is a link between human health and the choices that people make with their diets. Now again, I don’t believe that you can tell anyone what to eat. I think it’s the worst thing in the world to start to tell people—to start to dictate—choices of food. You just can’t do that. But you can show people that if they make choices in a certain way, healthy choices, it might improve the environment. It’s an educational process.