No tags yet.
Just to let you know, not all of this blog is going to be dedicated to animal rights. But I've developed a lot of passion on this topic, and there's a lot of thought-provoking points that I would like to throw out there.
Today I volunteered again at Ching Farm Animal Sanctuary in Herriman, UT. After a rough week, it was what I needed. And with all the war, hatred, and destruction in our world, it was a hopeful moment for me to observe all these animals (and humans) coexisting here peacefully. It was like a slice of heaven on earth.
When I first went to Ching Farm last month, everything just clicked for me- knowing what I've learned and now seen, I couldn't NOT be vegan anymore. I had reached the point where turning a blind eye was no longer an option for me. It had only taken a month or two of vegetarianism for me to be convinced, as my understanding and awareness continued to grow. So just two days after my first blog post where I publicly announced my vegetarianism, I decided to take "the vegan plunge" and test it out for a week.
Then that week turned into another week. And now I've been vegan for a month, and don't plan on ever turning back. To be honest, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I also found myself viewing the world in a completely different way. My thoughts are really scattered trying to write this because there is SO much to say, so I'm just going to compile some of my thoughts into a list.
1) Why do we love one and eat the other?
To start off with, I have noticed that the reason why most of us will love one animal (i.e. dogs and cats) and eat another (farmed animals) is because we are far removed from the species we eat. Most people don't grow up on farms anymore. The carcasses on our plates have no name, and no individuality to our knowledge. When I visited Ching Farm, I connected with animals that would have otherwise been killed if not rescued. These animals had names, personalities, and incredible love. Though I knew I didn't want to eat meat anymore at that point, I realized that I couldn't justify eating dairy or eggs, as these industries are just as cruel (if not more) and that it is not okay to use these beings as commodities for our own purposes. These animals are not in some kind of "trade" with us- rather, we are simply taking things from them without permission.
2) Animal Testing
Not only have I educated myself on the wrongs of raising animals for our personal consumption, but on other institutions that use and abuse animals. Almost everything new that I've bought in the past month contains no animal ingredients and was not involved in animal testing (and by the way, this does not always translate to being more expensive for your wallet). The kind of testing done to animals in labs are the makings of a horror movie. The University of Utah is actually a BIG perpetrator of this. They have acquired countless rabbits, cats, dogs, and other animals such as monkeys to perform horrific testing on. Some animals have their skulls dug into to implant electrodes, or screws driven into their head. After a lot of protests and the release of undercover video a few years ago, they have stopped acquiring animals from shelters, but they still perform large-scale animal testing. With the abundance of newer technology we have today, animal testing is unnecessary and needs to end. Where you put your dollar can make a big impact.
3) Rodeos
I didn't grow up around rodeos in San Diego, but they are everywhere here during the summer in Utah. At these events, otherwise docile animals are poked, prodded, and harassed with instruments such as electric prods before entering the arena. "Bucking Broncos" and bulls also have straps tightly secured around their more sensitive/private areas, so they are incredibly distressed and uncomfortable. Calf roping is inherently evil (in my humble opinion), as these innocent babies are chased, slammed to the ground, and dragged. They will typically sustain multiple injuries to their necks, backs, and more. Even events such as "mutton racing" are not okay simply because animals are being bothered and used just so people can have a good laugh and be entertained. But do we really need animals to be entertained? Also- MOST OF THE ANIMALS USED IN RODEOS GO TO SLAUGHTER AFTERWARDS. While leaving Ching Farm today, I saw some banners on light posts advertising a rodeo and I wanted to pull over, climb up that post to remove it, and burn the crap of out that thing.
4) Animal products are everywhere
Since becoming vegan, I have been overwhelmed by how prevalent animal products are in our culture. I constantly see ads pushing more meat and dairy upon us (for someone in advertising, this is one of those "well, duh" moments, but when you become really aware of it, IT IS EVERYWHERE). There are also so many sneaky animal products hidden in foods that we wouldn't think about. For instance, did you know that the ingredient labeled as "carmine," "carminic acid," or "Natural Red 4" that's found in dyed food comes from ground up beetles? Yummy.
5) "I see dead [animals]"
I can't look at animal products the same way again, as I have become reconnected and re-sensitized. In the job I currently have, it's been very interesting as I work with some restaurant brands. While co-workers see a picture of a meal, I see dead animals and suffering.
6) The system keeps us down (so stick it to the man!!!)
In regards to the point above and becoming a more critical consumer, I had an interesting experience this week. I bought lunch at the Utah Valley University's culinary school cafeteria down the street from my office and ate in the dining room. There was a TV on the wall, and when it went to commercial break, the sequence of commercials went like this: an ad for meat, an ad for fast food meat and dairy, and then a commercial for a heart prescription drug. I had to laugh at this (in a not-so-funny way) because the pharmaceutical companies are thriving off America's addiction to meat and cheese. And then I laughed because I have eliminated ALL dietary cholesterol from my diet (it only comes from animal products), and don't need to really worry about getting clogged arteries.
I could also go on and on about how the meat and dairy industries work closely with the government to push their agenda, subsidize costs, and cover their tracks (all at the expense of our health). I highly recommend reading Gail Eisnitz's "Slaughterhouse."
7) It's a feminist issue
When I fully grasped the concept of how the female reproductive system is extremely exploited in animal agriculture (males are exploited as well, but for sows, hens, and dairy cows, their lives are unbelievable), I became very offended by the consumption of dairy and eggs. And now that I've gotten that stuff out of my system, the smell of any of these things makes me want to gag. I never thought I could be vegan because of cheese- but let me just say, there is life after cheese! And thank goodness for Daiya (their Greek yogurt is also amazing)(*update* the Follow Your Heart cheese is a serious game changer).
8) Many of the Earth's problems can be traced to animal agriculture
I never really looked into environmentalism before, but I learned if the world cut back on animal products, we'd be a lot better off. I'm not going to go into the whole thing about methane and global warming- that's not a topic I ever like to go into- but there are other huge problems that can be solved by decreasing animal agriculture. First, as a California resident who has dealt with the drought issues, it's annoying that we are pushed to conserve water so much when it's the livestock industry that's the problem. To produce ONE pound of beef, it takes roughly 2,500 pounds of water. That's the equivalent of showering for like 2 months. Livestock takes up around 45% of the Earth's land. I've seen a few different percentages for this one, but around 70% of all grain production in the United States goes to feeding livestock. Why not just skip the middle man and grow the food for people? World hunger should not be as big of a problem as it is. And then not to mention there's all the desertification happening from overgrazing, all the land that is ruined due to factory farming because of all the untreated waste and byproducts coming out of there, and how at least 90% of Amazon rainforest destruction is due to clearing the land for cattle.
9) What IS veganism anyways?
There's so much more I could dive into, but I just want to finish this post with the real definition of "veganism": "a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose." It's not about being perfect- it's about reducing cruelty to the degree that is possible and practical. I've already had a "slip-up" or two in the transition, but just because you can't do EVERYTHING, that doesn't mean you can't be doing SOMETHING. If you "can't live without cheese" (trust me, I was there!), that doesn't mean you can't reduce the other animal products in your life. Just because it's very possible I will give in to eating Graeter's ice cream the next time I visit Ohio, doesn't mean I should throw veganism out the window. Our choices AS A WHOLE make a difference.