Pardon my absence for several days. I was knee-deep in marking papers and various administrative jobs that come with being an academic. Even when I'm away from this Blog for days, animals are constantly on my mind. I am about to celebrate the year-long anniversary of converting to veganism. The conversion came as a bit of a shock to me at first, because I went from being an omnivore to a vegan with no "vegetarian transition." Since then, there have been times when I miss certain foods with animal products. Not meat. Never meat. But I do miss cheese and milk and, from time to time, even fish.
Once you cross a certain threshold, though, it is impossible to go back to the old ways of doing things. Your eyes are opened. You become enlightened. And it is impossible to unlearn what you've learned. I think that's why, to paraphrase the great Paul McCartney, slaughterhouses do not have glass walls. When you go over the edge of Niagara Falls, you can't get back to the top of it again.
This video I'm posting today is a powerful and heartfelt declaration by a fellow vegan about her reasons for choosing that lifestyle. It is one of the best of these types of videos I have ever seen (and believe me, I've seen my fair share). Please watch it and share it with others if you get a chance. Animals deserve to live long lives of happiness, to form bonds with other animals and human beings, and they have a right not to live in darkness and fear and despair. And we humans have no right to murder them, to end their lives violently.
And unfortunately, on this issue, there is no compromise, no safe middle ground. Don't buy the bull about "happy meat" and "ethical" animal slaughter. Certain words just don't go together. Happy and meat, for instance. Ethical and slaughter, for instance. Humane and factory farming, for instance. Let's ditch the Orwellian terminology and see things as they really are. Once we take a good, hard look at the horrors of what animals experience, that's when we get our moments of clarity. That is when we know what needs to be done. And that is when we realize what, exactly, in this world is ethical and what is right.
Thank you Andrew for posting the video - they're never easy to watch but I agree it's done so well. Our almost 15 year old border collie Plato passed on recently - with Sue and I holding him and telling him how much we loved him. His 'sister' border collie was doing the same as us, as were two of his cat siblings. That's how we should all die - human or non-human animal. The video shows clearly how eating/wearing animal products is synonymous with the opposite.
ReplyDeleteOrwellian is an appropriate adjective to apply to the notion of taking someone's life without their permission or consent and pretending that this is a positive event.
ReplyDeleteThe verbal gyrations presented lose any pretense to validity when one tries to think of "happy murder", "painless beating" or "joyful rape".
The only being(s) involved in such violence that might have the experience of being happy or joyful will be the victimizer...not the victim.
Oh, one being happy in the process of doling out violence and pain and murder suffices (for me at least) to define a violent psychopath.
At the risk of an awkward segue, I want to congratulate you on your first anniversary of living as a vegan. Thank you...on behalf of the other animals that share our planet...on behalf of our planet...and from me personally. Celebrate well and long...it is a wonderful thing you have done
Thank you for your kind comments, Veganelder! Going vegan was the best decision I've ever made. And I agree 100% with what you say here.
ReplyDeleteHarry, my condolences on the loss of Plato. I know the pain you feel - I lost my very dear cat earlier this year. I definitely cherish my memories of her. :)