Dear Santa or President Obama, My Christmas List from the Chicagoan African-American Vegetarian Perspective

Christmas Wish 3 (Health Care): I want President Barack Obama to pass his health care reform act. We complain about the government butting into our business, but if health care industries weren't turning down people with preexisting conditions, even rape victims, and arguing with people so much about paying their health care bills, this wouldn't be such an issue. If I have an older car that will probably not run for too much longer, I get more reasonable rates. But if I suffer from depression, a health care company can deny me coverage just because they may have to spend more money on my health insurance. That is tacky. Majority of us pony up the money for car insurance, even when we're unemployed. We bargain shop for the best rates, and health care should not be treated any differently.

Christmas Wish 4 (Homeless): I want Chicago to stop focusing on putting up trees in the community and complaining about the Olympics 2016 and put more money into getting the homeless off our streets, especially in downtown Chicago. Of course there's always going to be the homeless alcoholic or the one scheming for money, but there's also a massive amount of homeless people who need shelter, food and jobs. In Chicago alone, according to ChicagoHomeless.org, there were 73,656 men, women and children who experienced homelessness, and in the course of a year, 2.5 million to 3.5 million U.S. citizens experience homelessness.

Christmas Wish 5 (Green Economy): I want President Barack Obama to encourage Van Jones to come back to the White House as the environmental advisor because Van Jones is one of the most qualified people to bring green jobs to the community and help the environment. I think with the president encouraging a green economy and someone like Van Jones, who understands what environmental racism is and why hybrid cars and solar energy are so important, could help us live on Earth much longer. Read "The Green Collar Economy" or talk to the African-American Environmentalist Association to find out how you can help in the green industry too.

Christmas Wish 6 (Animal Agriculture): I want slaughterhouses to be illegal and eliminated immediately. Animal agriculture contributes to 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, animals are treated terribly (ex. hogs slammed with elevators just so we can get some bacon), and we are a Fat America. I want more people to start writing media companies to ask for vegan ads, vegetarian meals and eating a healthier diet. Events like the Chicago VeganMania and the contributions of restaurants like Soul Vegetarian show just how much healthier America would be if we consumed more vegetables, which would definitely help stop health care debt.

Christmas Wish 7 (Education): Minority literature courses (African-American Literature, Hispanic Literature, Asian Literature) should be mandatory to graduate from any major college or university. There is no reason whatsoever that I needed to take a British Literature Course to graduate from high school and college but all other literature courses were sparingly taught and elective courses. This shows just how much America admires British or "American" literature but chooses to ignore the other literature in our community, even while we call this country a "melting pot." Or, literature professors and teachers should be required to teach at least three different literature categories, including minority authors, in an "American Literature" course in order to be paid for course instruction.

Of course it would be great to end world hunger and rape, eliminate racism and stop sexism and homophobia, but those are things that have to happen over time. The seven Christmas Wish items above are things that can actually happen right now at this very moment. So what are your Christmas wishes?