How's that for making vegans look insane?
"Shunning" clothing? LOL Nice play on words.
This gentleman could have handled the situation better.
utopiankitchen.wordpress.com
Oh dear!
The scariest part was George Bush's smiling face all over the page.
Now, let's not jump into conclusions here! Although the article represents the vegan movement as dangerous fanaticism, it does not exactly tell us that the child was taken away from his parents because they were trying to raise him vegan. I'm under the impression that the real reason was the child's poor state of health, what looks like malnutrition to me. Perhaps the parents were indeed not feeding him properly... And if that is the case, then these parents are doing a great disservice, not only to their child, but to the vegan movement as well. Of course, all parents need to make sure that their children are getting all the nutrients that they need. But vegan parents really need to make sure that that is the case. I mean, children get sick as a result of their diet, adults die as a result of a poor diet every day. If they happen to be meat-eaters, that is usually interpreted as bad luck, bad genes, what not... With vegans, and people on non-conventional diets in general, whenever something goes wrong, people automatically assume it's their diet. So vegans are responsible for making sure that, whatever happens to their or their children's health, the diet is really not to blame. People will assume that it is the diet even when it's completely unrelated, so we really don't want to give them any real ground for their argument.
Having said all that, I must say that this article did scare me. I don't really plan to have children, but who knows... Maybe this child really was taken away from his parents simply because the judge was prejudiced against veganism...
how about this for a more balanced view of vegan parents, from my local newspaper:
http://www.thisisbrightonandhove.co....HILDCARE2.html
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
awe that was a nice article.
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
On a totally non-vegan board there is a thread for vegetarians/vegans and the people were saying that they would report child abuse for trying to force a child to be vegan...that is was cruel...
Sometimes I hate humanity. We can be so stuipid and blind.
~Mel
"Sweet songs the youth, the wise, the meaning of all wisdom...to believe in the good in man" - Legend
Geez! Such things really scare me. Anyway. If I ever do have children, I'd better make sure it's in some pretty liberal place, otherwise you never know. Hell, you never know anyway! Know what else really scares me? If I get sick some day and land in hospital, will I be forced to choose between eating meat or starving? People say that it's up to you what you eat. Yeah. If you're a healthy, independent adult. But what if you're not?
Is there anyone advocating the removal of obese children from their homes? Not that I in any way support that. Of course not. These people don't give a damn about the health of any children. They only want to be right.
I completely agree. But that doesn't mean that such attitudes aren't highly disturbing and even dangerous.John
I wonder if you have seen this article?
http://www.rawfriends.com/andressohns.html
Eve
Ye, gods!!!!!!. My friend has problems with the medical lot here in the Uk regarding her veganism, and her views on child rearing (she has two). makes you think if she would have the same trouble if she followed that families diet!
Oh my God! That is monstrous!
I am speechless.
I had chills down my spine from reading this. I am definitely making a donation after I get paid next week. This is not an isolated incident, it is happening more and more often in the US because of ignorant beauracrats, overzealous prosecutors and biased media. My husband just got into a verbal argument with a woman at a health food store about us raising the babies as vegans. He did not handle it very well and I told him we need to work on what we are going to say when people who disagree with veganism confront us. All it takes is one phone call to child protective services and we immediately lose custody of our children!!! Terrifies me.
My mother actually wrote to my doctor once, saying that I 'wasn't coping' with my son (this was mainly due to the fact that I refused to answer the phone to her because she was constantly ringing to criticise my parenting!!). She also stated that she thought my husband was a poor father, and that we were not treating our son properly because we weren't feeding him a 'normal' diet!!
Luckily for me, I had a good patient/doctor relationship with my G.P, and, unbeknown to my lovely Mother, he was also a Vegetarian too, along with his wife and 3 kids!
He told me about the letter, because he felt I had a right to know. I still shudder to imagine what might have happened if I had had a different doctor (or I lived in the U.S.A!!).
shit that really is an incredibly sad story eve.
Working out what you would both say, is a wise move. Hopefully it would never arise, but it is as well to be prepared in case some idiotic bureaucrat decides to ask you about a vegan lifestyle for the children.feline01
Eve
Scary isn't it feline01? I prepared myself for misinformed people and the questions I might receive when I became Vegan. I read another family story similar to this a few months ago. It is sad but a lot of people are misinformed when it comes to eating differently from the Standard American Diet. How awful that this happened this family.feline01
I believe a lot of vegetarians read more about nutrition, when it comes to their children, because they want to know they want to make sure their children are healthy. I have quite a few books, articles based on raising vegan children. Jade is a lot healthier than a lot of children her age. I make sure she has nutritious meals.
I have to admit to a degree of scepticism. It is sad if it is true but I would want a great deal more confirmation before sending off money to an organisation that has a slick presentation like this, requesting money. The raw food discussion included on the site insists on describing enzymes as life force in food which is comparable to magical properties.
These are some of the referrences I could find on the case.
Herald.com
Familynightmare.org There seem to be several web sites devoted to this case and hosted by proponents of the raw food industry.
Critics roast raw food diet This link is an interesting read and contains many of the elements of the raw food debate.
While I respect the choice of an adult to eat raw food for as long as they want; when an adult not only suggests that the medical profession cannot diagnose nutritional deficiency and puts the lives of children at risk, it is very hard for me to believe that there is a conspiracy at work.
"if compassion is extreme, then call me an extremist"
wish you made a precis of your posts, as I get bored long before getting to the end. BTW, I notice there's a copyright logo there. Does that refer to what you posted? If so, did you get permission to reprint it?
Eve
I feel for the family but I hardly think it's appropriate to ask people you don't know for money over the internet. I could see if people OFFERED money, but they are basically asking for it.
utopiankitchen.wordpress.com
Sure, the story is terrifying, and I hope something like this will never happen in my country... It would be a real attack against our lifestyle choice liberties and our rights.
But, as veganblue, I'm a little dubitative on the truth of this particular story... all this merchandising stuff for the donations sounds too awkward to be really honest... But maybe I’m just paranoid…
One day, I'll die from an Asian junk food overdose ! lol
New Defense In Baby Death
Jan. 20, 2005, www.cbsnews.com
A new lawyer stepped in with a defense that could turn around the case against two parents charged with manslaughter of their baby, who was allegedly malnourished.
Defense Attorney Ellis Rubin says a birth defect, and not the baby's diet of uncooked fruits and grains, is to blame for the death of a Florida couple's infant daughter Woyah.
Joseph and Lamoy Andressohn face manslaughter charges in the death of five-month-old Woyah, because the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office concluded that the child died from malnutrition. Authorities say the baby was fed only wheat grass, coconut water and almond milk.
But Rubin says the autopsy found the child's thymus gland was almost nonexistent. He says that defect is responsible for the infant's low weight at the time of death. Rubin says the prosecution is "right out of the Twilight Zone."
Rubin is a well-known attorney in the Miami-Dade area, particularly for his recent work on behalf of same-sex marriage, which he supports. He said he has a pathologist lined up to testify that an infection likely caused Woyah's death.
Outside the courtroom, the Andressohns said there was no neglect, saying they loved their baby and their four other children.
A judge set a May 31st trial date, but next month will consider defense requests to allow the parents to resume contact with their other children.
Woyah weighed 6.99 pounds at death, about the same weight her mother told investigators the baby weighed when she was born at home. Doctors say a full-term baby should have weighed about 15 pounds at 5 months.
"That's because of the missing thymus gland," Rubin said.
Lamoy Andressohn also disputed the low weight claim, saying her daughter had five different, conflicting weights.
Prosecutors did not immediately return a call Thursday to respond to Rubin's assertions.
Two Florida Department of Children & Families caseworkers were fired in connection with the Andressohn case, when it was revealed the couple had been the subject of prior abuse complaints by neighbors. But Rubin says the DCF visits are indications his clients passed state muster. Their other four children were removed by the state after Woyah's death and placed with relatives.
"There was no neglect," Joseph Andressohn said. "We love our children, we know they're waiting for us."
The Andressohns denied officials' claims about Woyah's diet, saying she received "freshly made" foods whipped up in a food processor instead of food "by Gerber."
Along with holding to an uncooked food philosophy, investigators found the Andressohns had strong beliefs in home schooling, doctors only in a necessity, no immunizations and enemas for all.
The couple is currently free on $75,000 bond. If convicted, they face up to 30 years in prison.
Thanks for posting Gert!
I followed up on the story a few days ago and saw a similar article. If my daughter weighed less than she did at birth at 5 months of age that would have been cause for concern.
I read another article where it states that 2 of children showed signs of vitamin D deficiency.
Jade was exclusively breastfed for 8 months and gained her appropriate weight. It would appear since the mother was breastfeeding, her body did not have the proper nutrients ton to pass on to her child?
It might be possible to raise your child on raw foods but as with any other choice you need to know be informed. A case such as this just adds to the negative image that people have about those whom don’t follow the ‘Typical Diet’. People need to learn as much as possible from reliable sources (research, case studies, etc,) when it comes to making choices for themselves and especially their children. I have researched, talked to nutritionist, to make sure the proper nutrition was being met for my daughter and myself.
It is awful that this happened to the family perhaps this could have been avoided?
I would be cautious in believing the accusations of prosecuters and the press. It seems to me that regular doctor visits would have been the best way of possibly preventing the tragedy. The question is: why wasn't the infant being seen by a doctor? Was is fear of the children being taken away? Distrust of modern medicine? Poverty?
I really hope that these people don't end up in prison. Prison can be especially harsh for sensitive people.
The media can be biased and I never automatically believe anything they think is news. The majority definitely has an agenda; you can see that with anything printed about, politics, leaders, various organizations, groups, etc. I never was the type to automatically believe what is printed, regardless if I support the article. It is always good practice to do some research from a reliable sources in regards to news that interests you. I look at it as a logical way to separate reality from fiction. It is only logical to take articles with a grain of salt. I do have a lot more questions about it after reading other articles in regards to this case.
THE OTHER SIDE!!!
Thanks for posting the other side of the story but please keep in kind there are three sides to every story. In this case, the media, the family and the truth. Remember that the media THRIVES on twisted skewed facts as this is what make great news. Unfortunately when people post one side it taints the real facts not allowing viewers to see and feel the real deal. Did you notice the first part of this article stated that the baby weighed one pound less than when she was born. In the first place there are many (most) articles straight from the media that state she weighed the same as she was born. So, this article has already lost its authenticity. But, let’s take it a step further and use some common sense. Ask yourself this question...why would a loving mother who has raised four healthy children (state doctors words) on a living vegan diet, two from birth, feed her 5th child for 5½ months and not do anything when she stayed at the same weight? Did you know there are 5 different weights and none of them consistent with each other? This is just one very small part of the case that I could talk about for hours!
Anyway, I could write volumes about this case but every once in a while I have a few moments to throw my 2¢ in on a board to set the record straight.
We are updating our website with an updates page next week so come back and follow the story if you may. If you can find it in your heart to look at both side you may even want to donate. Remember, this is a rights issue more that just about the food we feed our children. We are all on trial for many of our rights. If we don’t take a stand on this issues our right will slowly be absorbed. I don’t even have children abd I have given all my time to this cause…step up to the plate and make a difference!!!
Blessings
Steven Gibb
Founder
www.rawfriends.com
Greetings Steven,
Thanks for stopping by to post. I did see the differing weights of Woyah depending on what source you read. I agree that people can be extremely critical of lifestyles that differ from theirs. I do believe you can be healthy and flourish eating raw foods. The more raw foods I eat the better I feel. As with any other eating lifestyle you have to make healthy choices. I will definitely check out the website this coming week for further updates hopefully that will answer some of the questions I have.
Thanks again!
Hello MzNatural...
Any living food is good for the human body thus the reason vegetarians, vegans and raw vegans do see and feel a difference. We are a living organic organism and our fuel is the same. Yes there has been a lot of foul play in this case with so many people dropping pertinent information (including the public defenders office) into a black hole. I have always said any PD office is in bed with the prosecutor even though they pretend (public Pretender) to be on your side. When you are represented by a public defender, everyone in the court room is being paid by the state...everyone except you that is. Scary but true. More has happened in the last two weeks will our private attorney Ellis Rubin than in the last year. I thank each and every one of you from the depths of my heart for your heartfelt donation as you have made it possible for this family to become victorious for themselves and for your rights as well. I really do KNOW this family and their core values. The website was built specifically for them! I wouldn’t place my name on something unless I was confident it was the real deal!
Warmly,
Steven Gibb
Founder
www.rawfriends.com
By Ihosvani Rodriguez, February 3 2005, www.sun-sentinel.com
The parents of a 5-month-old girl who authorities say died in 2003 of malnutrition caused by a strict vegan diet are expecting another child within three months, their attorney said Wednesday.
Attorney Ellis Rubin said the mother, Lamoy Andressohn, has been receiving care from a medical doctor while continuing to stick to her diet.
Rubin said he advised Andressohn and her husband, Joseph, to seek the medical guidance to avoid any "further grief" from officials. The parents recently learned that the child will be a girl, and have already named her Joyah.
"She's going to be born at a hospital, even though the parents prefer to have her at home with a midwife," Rubin said during a news conference to announce the pregnancy.
Prosecutors in the case and officials with the state Department of Children & Families declined to comment.
When reached at the couple's Homestead home, Joseph Andressohn said he could not answer any questions from reporters but said he and his wife eagerly await the birth of their daughter -- and their day in court.
"The truth is going to come out real soon," he said.
The Andressohns are charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. The infant, Woyah, weighed 7 pounds when she died May 15, 2003, about 6 pounds less than she should have at 6 months of age, an autopsy concluded.
A judge has set a hearing for next week to determine whether the parents can visit their four other children, ages 3 to 8, who remain in foster care.
The Andressohns had Woyah and her siblings on a strict raw food diet that consisted primarily of almond milk and uncooked fruits and vegetables, consistent with the dietary guidelines of their Hebrew Israelite religion.
Rubin told a judge last month that a birth defect caused the death, not the diet.
What a ghastly situation for the Andressohns, having to wait on a judge at a hearing to determine whether or not they can visit their four other children who remain in foster care, coming on top of the loss of their youngest. Hopefully all will be well with the expected baby.
Eve
Yes it is a challenging time for the Andressohns but their day in court for visitation is on the 8th adn we're very confident that it will be granted. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and the best way to preseve our right in this country is to donate helping this cause!
Warmly,
Steven
http://www.rawfriends.com/andressohns.html
I hope it is granted. Hopefully this nightmare will be over for them quickly. Are the children still staying with family?
Ironically they were able to get their four children to stay with Joseph's sister before they were incarcerated. However, the cruel part is the state forced the sister to have the children inoculated and force them to kill animal and feed it to them while they were helpless in jail. They became violently ill and now have many aliments. This is far from over and I see a civil action but we'll have to wait and see. I’m not sure how these people can stay so calm through all of this but it must me God! Ü
I read that. They never had been sick before from reading the article. How could the doctors make such a bad diagnoses (Vit D deficiency) about the other children? I should not be surprised since I was misdiagnosed in August 2004.
I have become ill when eating. I was at a catered event and animal products' were put in the food. I thought it was just steamed broccoli. I detected the butter by taste and even though I did not swallow it I had a very bad reaction to the butter by becoming sick.
The doctors did give the other four children a clean bill of health but the DCF felt it was better to feed them the SAD diet because they didn’t' understand a living food diet. How silly that we would want to place living food inside of a living organic organism called the human body…ha
I've just read that story...
That is so awful and sad
It just goes to show that some people are still (even in this day and age) suspicious of a vegan diet (be it raw or whatever). It's almost based around some form of intolerance...
Even when shown the medical and scientific evidence aswell. Vegan diets (including a raw vegan diet) is safe.
It makes me feel so sad....
How do they think human beings lived before all of this manufactured food that the modern world has given us?!
this is from the BBC website, a sadly biased article in my view, giving very little opportunity for the other side of the argument to be explained.
Children 'harmed' by vegan diets
By Michelle Roberts
BBC News health reporter, in Washington DC
Putting children on strict vegan diets is "unethical" and could harm their development, a US scientist has argued.
Lindsay Allen, of the US Agricultural Research Service, attacked parents who insisted their children lived by the maxim "meat is murder".
Animal source foods have some nutrients not found anywhere else, she told a Washington science conference.
read the full article HERE
Utter nonsense. I know quite a few people who have raised vegan children very successfully with no developmental problems and there is plenty of well documented evidence to prove that vegan children thrive on their diet.Lindsay Allen, of the US Agricultural Research Service, attacked parents who insisted their children lived by the maxim "meat is murder"....Professor Allen said: "There have been sufficient studies clearly showing that when women avoid all animal foods, their babies are born small, they grow very slowly and they are developmentally retarded, possibly permanently."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4282257.stm
To make it even more ridiculous, the study was conducted on children in a poor African village.
Unbelieveably biased against veganism and complelety irrelevant in western society having been based on studies in Africa
Feline could teach that "scientist" a thing or two
That is hardly a normal vegan diet.The 544 children studied had been raised on diets chiefly consisting of starchy, low-nutrition corn and bean staples lacking these micronutrients.
Quite possibly they did have defeciences on the above desribed diet, but there are other ways to get your nutrients. I don't see that this proves that veganism is bad as a whole, it just proves that adding extra nutrients to a deficient diet is a good thing. There are other ways, especially in the privelidged west, to get those nutrients apart from "dried meat on a stick".Adding either meat or milk to the diets also almost completely eliminated the very high rates of vitamin B12 deficiency previously seen in the children.
First of all, I think Professor Allen's "study" was unethical and poorly constructed. It seems to perpetuate a horrific trait of the American scientific community, when scientists want to "prove" something is bad, the select poor, black people to be their subjects.
Most importantly, the US Department of Agriculture, which is the governing body of the agency that did this study, has very strong ties to the meat and dairy industry. I would say that the USDA is run by the meat and dairy industry. This whole concept, a vegan diet creates physically and developmentally "retarded" children is farcical. Look at all the healthy vegan children on this forum for evidence. Certainly doesn't look like CC's or Mz Natural's daughters are having any difficulties on a vegan diet and my children have been meeting all their milestones. In fact, my daughter has just begun standing at 10 months which is slightly ahead of schedule.
It does look a bit suspicious doesn't it - her statements seem very bold, given that the 'vegans' in question were malnourished Africans...
But describing those African children as vegans isn't right. They aren't electing to be vegan, but I would imagine they just eat what they can, so in a sense it would be more appropriate to say that their omnivorous diet is letting them down rather than saying their vegan diet is letting them down.
And I can't find any details of these key nutrients she mentions that supposedly aren't available in vegan diets...
That's because her study was flawed from the start. Like you said, she chose malnourished children as her subjects. That professor would not bother mentioning the micronutrients because then it would be too obvious that children, in fact, can and do thrive on a vegan diet.
I just remembered my coworker/friend telling me about a barbecue she attended where parents where feeding a 4-month old barbecue ribs, corn and soda. Of course, this friend also told me that her 1 year old daughter doesn't like meat, prefers fruit and veg, but they're forcing her to eat some since it's the social norm.
This subject was discussed today on Jeremy Vine's show on radio 2 and Paul McCartney phoned in and put our side of the argument very well. A spokesman from the British meat industry was also on the show and said that as we all lead busy lives, meat was the most convenient way of getting nutrients into children So the needless death of an animal is ok because it's convenient. I shouldn't be so surprised at this sort of thinking, but I felt like throwing the radio across the room.
Lindsay Allen, of the US Agricultural Research Service, ... The US Agricultural Research Service is part of the US Department of Agriculture.
Everything in between is a load of shit. End of story. They can kiss my all-vegetarian-ass.
She obviously has an agenda. Odd that she did not mention her concerns of the unhealthy eating habits of a lot of the children here in the USA. It seems she also failed to mention Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in children. The USA is predominantly a meat eating society. According to her children should be healthy once animal products are introduced.
Here is a link about Vegan children.
Can my child thrive on a plant-based diet?
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We have long been led to believe that our children will not be healthy following a plant-based diet. As current research has revealed, this belief could not be further from the truth. A properly designed plant-based diet provides children with all of the vital nutrients they need, without any of the dangerous health risks associated with meat and dairy products.
Non-vegetarian American children are facing many health issues in today’s fast-food society:
bullet
More children and teens are overweight in America than ever before, with the occurrence of childhood obesity estimated to be 25 to 30%.1
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Fatty deposits are now commonly found in the coronary arteries of children on a typical American diet by age three. And by age 12 they are found in 70% of children.2
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Nearly 40% of children ages 5 to 8 have at least one coronary risk factor, such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.3
Unfortunately, studies show that these health problems may not end when childhood is over. For example:
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Obesity tends to follow people throughout their lifetimes.4,5 Therefore, obese children are more likely to become obese adolescents, who are then very likely to remain obese as adults. This can in turn lead to serious illnesses.
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In addition, obesity has a negative impact on the self-esteem of children and adolescents, which may have significant implications for long-term happiness and success in life.
Current research shows that these problems can be curtailed by raising our children on a plant-based (vegan) diet. Many parents would like their families to practice a vegan diet, but receive mixed messages from the media and the meat and dairy industries that their children will not thrive. In fact, many experts believe the opposite to be true:
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In the seventh edition of Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care, Dr. Spock, a world-renowned pediatrician, recommends a plant-based diet for children:
"We used to think of vegetables, grains, and beans as side dishes. We kept meat and dairy products as our favored foods, and we were not particularly concerned about fat and cholesterol in children’s diets. We now know better. Research shows us very clearly that vegetables, grains, beans, and fruits should take center stage. They provide the nutrition children need to grow, and avoid the cholesterol and animal fat that can cause so many problems."
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According to the American Dietetic Association’s position paper on vegetarian diets,6 appropriately planned vegan diets satisfy nutrient needs of infants, children, and adolescents and promote normal growth.
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The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine states that children on plant-based diets are slimmer, healthier, and live longer than their meat-eating friends.7
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In one study, pediatric developmental tests indicated that brain development in vegetarian children is normal. In fact, the mental age of the children advanced over a year beyond chronological age, and mean IQ was well above average (with an average of 116 points). 8
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Emphasis on healthy eating and exercise habits for children may have lasting, positive effects on their lifestyles. 9
1. Gortmaker SL, Dietz WH Jr, Sobol AM, Wehler CA. Increasing pediatric obesity in the United States. Am J Dis Child 1987;141:535-40.
2. Spock B, Parker S. Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care. New York, NY:Pocket Books, 1998.
3. Family Fitness: Getting Physical with the Kids [article on-line], available from http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1758.52368, Internet: accessed 16 January 2001.
4. Power C, Lake JK, Cole TJ. Measurement and long-term health risks of child and adolescent fatness. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1997;21:507-26.
5. Whitaker RC, Wright JA, Pepe MS, Seidel KD, Dietz WH. Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. N Engl J Med 1997;337:869-73.
6. Messina VK, Burke KI. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc 1997;97:1317-1321.
7. Vegetarian Diets for Children: Right from the Start [article on-line], available from http://pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_D..._children.html, Internet: accessed 25 January 2001.
8. Dwyer JT, Miller LG, Arduino NL, et al. Mental age and I.Q. of predominately vegetarian children. J Am Dietetic Assoc 1980;76:142-7.
9. Moran, R. Evaluation and Treatment of Childhood Obesity. Am Family Physician, Feb 15,1999. Vol 59, #4 p 861-870.
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