Dog. The Other White Meat
Posted: February 15, 2012 Filed under: china, Dog Meat, meat | Tags: abuse, carnivore, china, cruelty, dog, dogmeat, food, pets, roast, vegan, vegetarian Leave a comment »Look at these images of whole roasted dogs in China.
Do these images shock you?
Anger you?
Disgust you?
Now ask yourself why.
We do this to pigs, chickens and countless other farm animals here in the US without even batting an eyelash. An animal is an animal, just like a person is a person. Does it make sense to cherish and protect our pets, yet allow other animals to suffer so we can eat them? This is a huge blind spot for most people. Meat eaters are also pet owners, and you’ll often hear them saying how much they “love animals.”
These dogs are kept in extremely cruel conditions and violently killed and butchered for their meat. Explain to me the difference between this and what we do here. Why is this considered more cruel? If you take a moment to really think about it, you’ll realize that the only difference is that it seems they do everything out in the open, so everyone can see the process. Our food production is hidden from the public, but that is changing, thanks to undercover investigations.
We are no longer living in a simpler time when people had to hunt and grow their own food in order to survive. That’s totally different. We are now living in a fast-paced world where everything we could ever want or need is right at our fingertips. All of our food is handed to us on a silver platter, so it’s easy to not think about where it came from, how it was raised, how it was killed, and what was done to it during production. We now have mega industrialized farms that process billions of animals per year. These farms are overcrowded and extremely cruel, and not only do the animals suffer their whole lives because of it, but we get sick from it.
Next time you eat a hamburger or a piece of bacon, just remember it’s no different than someone eating your dog or cat.
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Sh*t Vegans Say
Posted: February 4, 2012 Filed under: comedy, Shit people say | Tags: comedy, funny, parody, shitpeoplesay, vegan, vegetarian, video, youtube Leave a comment »HAHAHAHAHA
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Finally, A Toilet Paper You Can TRUST
Posted: December 9, 2011 Filed under: Advertising, Commercials, Marketing, Media, Television | Tags: advertising, bathroom, commercials, family, get real, marketing, moms, pee, poop, quilted northern, restroom, soft and strong, tissue, toilet paper, tv, wiping, women 1 Comment »It’s time to “get real” about toilet paper. Really?? Really. When did wiping get so serious? Thanks, Quilted Northern, for empowering me to embrace this modern era of advertising where women are finally speaking up and taking a stand to protect themselves and their families by picking the right toilet paper.
*EYE ROLL*
Just when I think advertising can’t get any worse (like mascara ads that use digital animation to make eyelashes literally grow and expand when the model applies the product), something like this hits the airwaves. This type of advertising has been going on for years, but it seems to be gradually getting worse. Advertisers must really think women are a bunch of gullible idiots. Just dress the actress in capris and a cotton blouse and use words like “family,” “trust,” and “get real,” and watch us run to the store, like a pack of wild hyenas, to buy your product, right? Wrong. Try again.
Here are some of my favorite responses to these ads that I came across online:
“Half the fun is getting stuff on your hands.”
“I just expelled one that was so big, yet so smooth and perfectly formed, it left no remnants and barely required toilet paper of any kind. In fact, I nearly considered saving that toilet paper for reuse at a later date. Y’know—save a tree. How’s that for ‘being real about what happens in the bathroom’, Quilted Northern ladies?”
“Today’s little experiment with the KFC Bacon Bowls has lead to toilet spillage that I bet ’Soft and Strong’ couldn’t handle…pretty sure it was a job for Bounty (‘The Quicker Picker Upper’).”
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Thanksgiving?
Posted: November 12, 2011 Filed under: animal cruelty, cooking, food, heritage turkey, holiday, meat, Thanksgiving, turkey, vegan, vegetarian | Tags: animal cruelty, cooking, factory farms, food, heritage turkey, holidays, meat, organic, stuffing, Thanksgiving, turkey, vegan, vegetarian Leave a comment »Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving, and holidays in general, and how they’ve pretty much lost all their meaning in today’s fast-paced, money-focused, consumer-driven world. Typically, for me, Thanksgiving is just another day filled with meaningless traditions that offer me nothing more than the usual stress that goes hand in hand with the holidays. This will be the first Thanksgiving my husband and I spend with my family. I’m looking forward to it. I miss them, of course, but this will be extra special because it will be my very first vegan Thanksgiving. Who better to spend it with than people who know me and understand me best (other than my hubby of course)? My family is not vegan, but some of them are lactose intolerant and don’t eat dairy anyway. They already know that delicious food can be prepared without dairy, so it won’t be that different for them. I guess being lactose intolerant could be viewed as a blessing in this situation.
Problem is, they want a turkey. I talked my mom into finding an ethical farm that at least raises the turkeys in a humane way. She agreed and did the research. She found a humane turkey farm and ordered one for a very reasonable price. She even talked to the owner and the owner assured her that the turkeys get to roam free and eat well. Great, but they are still killed to feed gluttonous humans to honor a tradition that has become less about being thankful and more about being hungry. This is a battle I’m not going to win, and I don’t want to force my values on anyone, so all I can do is be grateful that my family chose a humane farm.
Having said all that – I encourage anyone reading this to please think about where your food comes from. More importantly, think about what Thanksgiving is really all about and stop focusing so much on the feast. I enjoy good food just as much as everyone else, but Thanksgiving has become a sham. I just don’t understand some of our traditions and why they are so important. I totally understand the joy of spending time with family, if that’s what you like to do, but that doesn’t mean we have to buy everything everyone sells us about these holidays. Make your own traditions. Create your own recipes. Just because it’s Thanksgiving, doesn’t mean you have to eat a turkey.
If you absolutely can’t stop yourself from eating turkey this Thanksgiving, please choose a “humane” farm that lets the turkeys roam free and live somewhat normal lives before they are killed. I put the word “humane” in quotes, because it’s an oxymoron to raise an animal with kindness only to kill it with violence. Anyway, there are humane farms out there, but you might have to do a little research and spend a little more money. The higher cost is because the animals are fed better and not drugged up like conventional factory farm turkeys. There is more time and care put into how they are raised, therefore a higher cost. My family found a 16-20 lb humane turkey for $65 – although it’s not organic. That’s a completely reasonable price for what you are getting. The organic turkeys are a little more. Please consider this option and stop supporting horrible factory farms.
Better yet, if you want to really have a meaningful Thanksgiving, leave the turkeys alone and feast on all the other delicious goodness that comes on a Thanksgiving plate. You won’t die. You’ll get over it. You might even enjoy it. It will empower you to skip the turkey and it will warm your heart to know you did it out of compassion for animals. Seriously, is it that big of a deal to skip the turkey? If it is, you might need to take a moment and think about what these holidays really mean to you. If it’s all about the food, then you might just be missing the whole point.
I truly have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all the brave men and women who went undercover to capture horrible footage of animal cruelty in our barbaric food system. This footage changed my life. It sickened me. It overwhelmed me. It gave me sleepless nights. It erased my ignorance. It empowered me to stand up for sentient beings who cannot defend themselves. It filled me with knowledge. I am also thankful for the countless former factory farm workers who reported the atrocities that took place on the job. Thank you to all the whistleblowers who came forward to expose the horrors that animals go through on a daily basis for food, clothing, and products that require animal testing. Thank you to all the animal rights activists who stand up for animals despite all the ridicule and persecution. This world is better because of people like you. I am better for it. I am more compassionate. I am more aware of what’s going on in this world. I am thankful that I will not be eating turkey this year. Instead, I get to eat stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, cookies, pies, etc. – all made without meat and dairy! Trust me, it will be delicious and no one will even notice that there’s no animal products in it. Too easy.
Please consider going vegan. If that’s something you are not willing to do, please learn more about humane farms and order a humane turkey this year. Don’t believe all the marketing bs about how humane everyone is – really make sure you are getting what they promise.
Have a meaningful and responsible Thanksgiving.
Halloween 2011: A Cow’s Revenge
Posted: November 3, 2011 Filed under: animal cruelty, dairy, got milk, Halloween, vegan, vegetarian | Tags: animal cruelty, animal rights, baby, cow, crate, dairy, halloween, San Francisco, slaughter, veal, vegan, vegetarian 2 Comments »Halloween was great this year! I dressed up as a cow slaughter worker with a human baby doll in a veal crate. I helped the San Francisco Vegetarian Society pass out flyers at Haight and Ashbury in San Francisco. In Defense of Animals was there too, but I was late to the event because of an accident on the bridge, so I got there right as they were leaving. I stayed for an hour and a half helping SF Veg Society leaflet while they passed out candy. It was really fun. I’ve never done anything like that before, so I thought I was going to be nervous and shy. To my surprise, it felt very natural and I didn’t feel embarrassed or shy at all. I totally went for it.
Later that night my hubby and I hit the town to have some fun. While we were out, one guy asked me if I was vegan and if I believed in animal rights. Another guy asked me what I think about eating meat. It was great to get these questions, because it meant my costume was making some people think. Another guy asked me if I “got milk?”- to which I responded, “Yes, I do, but it’s for my baby, not for you.” He looked at me weird and said, “It’s for your baby?” I repeated, “Yes, it’s for my baby, not for you.” I don’t think he realized I was playfully answering as a disgruntled dairy cow, because he got real quiet and walked away. Haha.
I love Halloween!
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The Milk Industry Thinks You’re A Moron
Posted: October 26, 2011 Filed under: abuse, animal cruelty, dairy, food, got milk, milk, veal, vegan, vegetarian | Tags: beef, calf, cows, dairy, dairy farms, drink, food, got milk, milk, non-dairy, pop culture, veal, vegan 4 Comments »The milk industry has jumped on the pop culture bandwagon with their latest TV ads, which reek of sarcastic humor and recycled formulas. The latest ads take aim at non-dairy milk alternatives by mocking other forms of milk – claiming that real milk comes from real cows, making everything else obsolete. Humor is used to make milk look cool and to drive the point home in a lighthearted way. You can get away with anything as long as it’s disguised as comedy.
In one ad, a group of cavemen make fun of their buddy for thinking that milk comes from a rock or “nut thing.” They make him seem slow, almost retarded, and he is made fun of for not understanding that milk only comes from cows. This ad bugs me because they are encouraging milk drinkers to look down on anyone who drinks milk alternatives. It’s yet another manipulative ad using rude, sarcastic humor to sell something. Plus, the caveman thing has already been done to death by Geico. Listen, I am all for sarcasm and offbeat humor, but I feel like the milk industry is taking their deception to a whole new level by targeting a more impressionable, juvenile audience.
The second TV spot also mocks milk alternatives with its “Board Of Unnecessary” ad. Board members are made to look like crazy old men with too much money and nothing better to do, so they concoct a plan to make milk out of something other than cows.
If the TV spots aren’t bad enough, gotmilk.com invites you to “find the real milk” by guessing which jar contains the real milk. As you click on each jar, its true identity is revealed along with its ingredients. Soy milk, hazelnut milk, coconut milk, and almond milk are all featured as the mystery milks. Gotmilk.com uses sarcasm to suggest that they are unhealthy alternatives. Are you kidding me? Milk is so processed, they have to add vitamins to it to make it good for you. There is an allowable amount of pus and blood in milk. Plus, calves are immediately removed from their mothers at birth and the males end up as either veal or beef. The veal industry is milk’s deepest darkest secret. Most people don’t realize that veal and dairy go hand in hand.
Lastly, what about people who are allergic to milk and need dairy alternatives? These new ads are “unnecessary” and I hope they tank.
http://www.bewellbuzz.com/nutrition/truth-milk/
http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/dairy.htm
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Affirmative Reaction: Why I Support The BCR’s Diversity Bake Sale
Posted: October 4, 2011 Filed under: Bake Sale, BCR, Berkeley, Diversity, Racism | Tags: affirmative action, bake sale, BCR, berkeley, California, Diversity Bake Sale, racism, racist, SB 185, UC Berkeley 1 Comment »Have you heard all the buzz about a group of students from UC Berkeley who staged a racist bake sale last week to protest a racist senate bill? The Berkeley College Republicans sponsored a “Diversity Bake Sale” in which prices were based on ethnicity and sex. The bake sale was designed to protest a pending senate bill, SB 185, that would allow colleges to adjust their tuition prices based on the applicant’s race, gender, ethnicity, sex, and national origin. The racist bill is highly controversial, yet everyone seems to be up in arms about the satirical bake sale. Opposers of the bake sale say that the BCR has gone too far. That’s the whole point – it’s supposed to be racist to demonstrate what could happen if the pending legislation passes.
I recently received an email urging me to sign a petition protesting the bake sale. Are you kidding me? The author of the petition starts off by saying, “Would you buy goods from a bake sale where the prices were based on race? Well that is precisely what the California Republican student group of UC Berkeley decided to do.” The author also states that SB 185 is “something that could help the American Dream become a reality for everyone.” Wow. Really? So, racism is ok if you’re the one benefitting from it?
Racism will never die if we keep perpetuating it with bills like SB 185. Our society is teaching people that they are oppressed and less fortunate because of their ethnicity. The media perpetuates it. Parents teach it to their children. Nobody should grow up feeling like they are less than anyone else simply because of their skin color, but that’s precisely what a lot of people are taught to think. We live in America, which happens to be predominately white – but that is changing. What will everyone’s excuse be when white people are the minority? Who will they point the finger at then?
I realize that this might sound like I’m making sweeping generalizations about people, but that’s not my intention. I don’t think all non-whites feel disadvantaged because of their ethnicity or race, nor do I think all white people are privileged. Look around you – people of all races, sexes, and ethnicities have been very successful in life and have done incredibly well for themselves. There are a lot of racially diverse people who publicly support the BCR, so I’m not trying to put everyone into a box. I’m simply responding to the public outcry over the bake sale, as portrayed in the media, and the reasons people have given for opposing it. The hugely negative reaction is absurd, in my opinion.
If you are treated badly or unfairly because of your skin color or sex, that’s one thing, but why should someone get special tuition prices based solely on race, ethnicity, national origin, and sex? It’s not right and it’s not healthy for anyone.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/24/uc-berkeley-racist-bake-sale_n_979184.html
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The All-Beef Double Standard With Cheese
Posted: September 24, 2011 Filed under: abuse, animal cruelty, fur, leather, vegan, vegetarian, vivisection | Tags: abuse, animals, cruelty, food, fur, health, leather, vegan, vegetarian, vivisection 4 Comments »Pets. We love them. They are cuddly, cute, and love us unconditionally. They make us laugh, smile, and sometimes they even make us mad. We have real relationships with our pets – real bonds that can’t be broken. We take them to the doctor when they are sick, we feed them the best food, provide the best life for them, and reward them when they do good. They are truly our furry kids, aren’t they?
Why is it ok to love a certain type of animal and kill and eat a different type? How do we make the determination of what is a pet and what is food? Is it based on culture? Society? The media? Advertising? Is it because dogs are easy to bond with? What about farm animals? Aren’t cows and pigs capable of having bonds with people and being playful? How do you know if you haven’t tried? It seems like the less an animal is like a dog (or any domesticated pet) the more detached we are from their wellbeing. Would people be more outraged by animal industries if it was our dogs and cats being slaughtered, rather than farm animals who are harder to relate to?
It’s a double standard to love an animal we consider a pet, and to eat an animal that is considered food. It is also a double standard to allow cruelty to animals, since we don’t allow humans to endure the same suffering. All animals, just like all people, share the ability to think, feel, and love – and of course, they all feel pain and have the capacity to suffer greatly.
What if everything was reversed and people were kept as pets and slaughtered by animals? How would the animal world decide who is a pet and who is dinner? What if they chose pets based on beauty, class, talent, and adaptability? That would mean all the unattractive, lower class, undesirable or illegal outcasts would be slaughtered for meat and clothing.
Would this be acceptable from our point of view?
What if the unlucky ones lived out their entire lives in cages about the size of an airplane bathroom? What if our animal dictators kept pregnant women in cages so small that all they could do is lay down with their bellies pressed against the bars? Would people be ok with this? What if human babies were immediately taken from their mothers after birth and tossed around by careless workers like bean bags? What if workers castrated your baby and cut notches into his ears without any anesthetic? What if mothers never got to touch, hold, breastfeed, or nurture their child, EVER, because they are separated from them at birth? What if your baby was chained by the neck and forced to grow up in a box, unable to move, only to be slaughtered for their meat when they are only a few years old? What if your child was auctioned off after birth and you KNEW you would never see them again, because they would be taken to a different farm and eventually hacked up for their meat and skin?
What if you were beaten because you were too sick to leave your cage? What if they gassed you because you are unfit for slaughter, but it didn’t kill you right away – you just die slowly and painfully. What if you were crammed into a transport truck and the weight of all the people on top of you broke your arms and legs? What if you had a rope strung through your nose and workers yanked on it to get you to move faster, causing your nose to rip and bleed – all because you are too sick and weak to do what they want? What if it’s your day to die on the kill floor, and you struggle, so they beat you and poke you with an electric prod to keep you moving? What if you had to watch the guy in front of you get stunned with a bolt gun, hung upside down by his foot, and bled out from having his throat cut? What if you were next in line?
What if you lived your whole life in a prison the size of a dog crate? What if you had to sleep in your own excrement? What if you had open wounds, bed sores, and atrophied muscles from lack of movement? What if you went crazy from being experimented on and living in a tiny cage where you sleep on top of bars and never see sunlight or experience love? What if you were force-fed to the point that your stomach explodes? What if you were clubbed in the head, stepped on, and conscious as heartless workers cut and rip your flesh from your body? What if you had to watch your fellow humans get skinned and gutted knowing you are next?
What if you cried yourself to sleep at night wondering why the world allows you to suffer a life of hell so that consumers can indulge in every part of your body, while other humans get to be loved and cared for as pets?
Imagine the fear. Imagine the horror. Imagine it as if it was happening to YOU.
If you think about it in human terms, it would be absolutely unacceptable and intolerable to treat people like this, so WHY do we have a double standard when it comes to animals? The most common answer given when factory workers are asked if animals feel pain, is, “No, they don’t feel it.” Really? The animal is struggling, scratching, screaming and jerking while you are mutilating and beating him, but I’m sure you’re right – he can’t feel a thing. Are people really that ignorant? So, because animals can’t express themselves the way humans do, means they can’t feel pain? Come on, people. Stop playing dumb.
Would it be ok if I hunted your pet and mounted his head on my wall? Would you kill your own pet to wear him as pants or a jacket? Would you slaughter and EAT your pet? Would you allow your daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers to be raped and milked by machines every year of their lives until they are no longer able to bear more children and sent to slaughter? Would you silently stand by and watch your sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers get their testicles and limbs cut off and branded with scorching hot irons all without anesthetic? Would you allow your newborn sons to be thrown into a grinder to be ground alive because they can’t be used for eggs? What if your beautiful children were scalped and skinned alive (and beaten during the process to prevent struggling) because someone wanted to make a coat or rug out of their hair and skin?
Do you get the picture?
If you love your pets, please stop supporting animal industries that oppress and harm animals. Do some research and find small organic farms that behave ethically – IF there is such thing. I recently did some research on a local organic dairy farm who looked great on paper, but then I read a disturbing blog that changed my mind about them. A woman visited this farm and blogged about her experience. She learned that these “happy” cows are immediately separated from their calves at birth. The calves NEVER get to suckle from their mother or interact with her. The calves are kept in stalls that isolate them from other cows and they are bottle-fed a formula that allows workers to regulate their health. Really? She also learned that male calves are auctioned off to meat farms, and they have no way of knowing where the cow will end up. It is possible that the males will end up on cruel farms where they will be abused and live in horrible conditions. But hey, business is business.
If you really want to help stop these industries, make the choice to become vegan. There is a whole new world of food awaiting those who want to make a difference. It can done. You can be vegan, be healthy, and still enjoy food (despite the ridiculous rumors that you can’t).
If it’s not ok to do these things to humans or pets, then it’s not ok to do it to any animal.
God Made Animals For Us To Eat
Posted: September 13, 2011 Filed under: animal cruelty, vegan, vegetarian | Tags: animal cruelty, animal rights, bible, creation, God, religion, vegan, vegetarian 3 Comments »Or did He? The belief that God made animals for our consumption has been brought up time and time again in the debate over animal rights. A lot of people feel justified in consuming animal products because “God gave us animals to eat.” This was my own belief for a long time, so I struggled to make sense of why I felt so passionate about animal welfare if it was God’s intention for animals to be used this way. My opinion has changed, however, and I will back up my new belief system with scripture.
Let’s start at the beginning. Genesis 1:29-30 (NJK) says it all for me:
And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.
So, was it God’s intention for humans to eat animals and animals to eat each other? No. So, what happened? The fall of man happened. Up until the temptation and fall of man, humans and animals co-existed together and fed on plants, herbs, fruits, and veggies. Adam and Eve didn’t even realize they were naked, so there was no need to kill animals for clothing. Everything was perfect. This was God’s ideal plan for us – no slaughter, no fur farms, no filthy assembly lines. Before God created Eve, Adam’s only companions were the animals. Imagine the bond he must have had with them. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and gained awareness of good and evil, they became more like God in knowledge and understanding. They became ashamed of their nakedness, so they covered themselves with leaves they sewed together. God became very angry at their disobedience and replaced their leafy coverings with tunics made of skin. Yes, God was the first leather producer. Was God trying to make a point? Was this another punishment for sinning against Him? Did they have to watch the slaughter? How shocking it must have been for them to wear the skin of their animal companions. Maybe this was God’s way of showing them that sin leads to death, and death leads to the destruction of unity and harmony among all creatures.
Because of one wrong choice, this is what the world gets to look forward to: sin, violence, slaughter, and death. So, were animals put on the menu after the fall of man? No. There is evidence of religious animal sacrifice, but nothing suggesting they ate animals. It wasn’t until after the great flood that God gave man permission to eat animals. My theory is that the flood destroyed all plant life, so in order to survive, God allowed Noah and his family to eat animals. It says in Genesis 9, “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.” Maybe there’s some truth to the theory that there was no vegetation left for food after the flood, so God, in His kindness, gave man permission to eat animals – for survival purposes. Or maybe God was just sick and tired of His disappointing creation, so He threw in the towel and gave animals over to suffer at the hand of man. Who knows. And why did God require animal sacrifice in the first place? It’s very confusing, considering God loved and cared for ALL His creatures. Perhaps, once again, He’s making a point that sin leads to death.
It doesn’t make sense that every living thing must endure the consequences of the actions of Adam and Eve. They were brand new humans. They had no human relatives to learn from. No self help books. No wise human parent, grandparent, or mentor to slap their hand away from the tree or intervene when the serpent tempted them. All they had was God – the great and powerful author of good and evil who tested them. Why allow them to be tempted in the first place? Why entrust them with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?
I see a much different world than the one being sold to me in ads. I don’t see a fun place filled with perfect families, fun things to do, cool things to buy, and dreams that come true. I see an evil world hidden behind a veil of cleverly concocted deception. I do enjoy life’s pleasures – they make life bearable and enjoyable – but all the pleasures available to us are just distractions. I know this, so I question everything. I pay attention when I feel things aren’t right. In the case of animal suffering for human consumption, I know I’m not wrong. There is proof of it and everyone has access to it. It’s real and I know it sickens God. If God IS love, then He IS heartbroken by the atrocities committed against animals. Some might argue that God has “bigger things to worry about” than animal welfare, but I completely disagree. All the cruelty in the world, inflicted upon animals and humans, showcases the very corruption that God hates in humanity. Man’s evil is the very reason God sent the great flood to destroy the earth. I know God is grieved by these industries because they desensitize their workers (and consumers) and gnaw away at their capacity for empathy and compassion. A person who abuses animals is very likely to hurt humans as well. It’s just unacceptable to use the excuse that “animals don’t have feelings like us.” When my Chloe yelps and holds her paw out for me to remove a sharp sticker stuck in her paw, I know she feels pain. Animals do not speak our language, otherwise, I think the world would be shocked at what they have to say. Why does God have such love for people who are capable of such horrible things?
I wonder – did God’s original plan for man and animals include vivisection, gestation crates, veal crates, skinning of conscious animals, bleed outs, force feedings, constant impregnation and milking, unwanted animals beaten and left to slowly die, animals boiled alive in soups, feathers plucked from live geese and ducks, animal abuse during circus training, and animals living their entire lives in tiny cages with no access to nature and covered in feces, wounds, and plagued by madness? God is ashamed. When He gave man permission to consume animals, this is NOT what He meant.
The Bible is filled with examples of God’s desire for humans to eat a vegetarian diet and show kindness to animals. Numbers 22 tells the story of Balaam, a man who angered God, so God sent an Angel to stop him while he traveled on a donkey. Balaam’s donkey saw the Angel standing in his path with a sword, so the Donkey moved away. Balaam could not see the Angel and struck the donkey for going off the path. The Angel appeared to the donkey twice more, and twice more she steered Balaam away, and twice more she was struck by Balaam’s staff. God allowed the donkey to speak and she asked Balaam why he kept hitting her. Balaam threatened to kill the donkey, so God opened Balaam’s eyes and allowed him to see the Angel standing before him with a sword. Balaam became very afraid and fell to his face. The Angel spoke to Balaam, saying, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
Deuteronomy 8:7-10 says:
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Any mention of eating animals here?
Psalm 104:14-18 says:
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth food from the earth,
And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
Proverbs 12:10 says:
A righteous man regards the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Ezekiel 34:1-10 accuses shepherds of foul play. God condemns them for feeding themselves and not the flock. They eat the fat, wear the wool, but don’t tend to the needs of the flock. The sheep wander away, their wounds do not get treated, the weak do not get strengthened, and “with force and cruelty you have ruled them.” God is angry because His flock is lost and has become food for predators because no one looked after them. God says, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”
God also had rules concerning the Sabbath – that everyone rest on that day, including the animals. He clearly wanted humans to be kind to animals, so if the world we live in is NOT kind to animals, are we still permitted to consume them? We are sick. We are tired. We are dying at a much faster rate than those back in bible times. Why? Because we have perverted the resources God gave us and sadistically modified the way we consume animals. It’s all backwards. It’s all wrong. We will pay with our health, sanity, and our lives.
- Ashes and Snow © Gregory Colbert
“In exploring the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards rediscovering the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals. The images depict a world that is without beginning or end, here or there, past or present.”
—Gregory Colbert, Creator of Ashes and Snow / www.ashesandsnow.org
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My Heart On A Plate
Posted: September 13, 2011 Filed under: animal cruelty, vegan, vegetarian | Tags: abuse, animal cruelty, animal rights, animals, china, food, fur, vegan, vegetarian, vivisection Leave a comment »This post is why I started this blog. I wrote this about a month ago while I was in distress. This was a defining moment for me – a true life changer. I have had three major defining moments in my 32 years of life- becoming an addict, getting sober, and now becoming vegan. Changing the way I eat has ignited a deep passion in me – a passion for justice that begins with what I put in my body. The day I wrote this post, I had spent a couple hours researching animal industries and watching horrible footage of graphic animal cruelty in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. It broke my heart and enraged me. How can people be capable of such evil? How can Americans be so blind to the ugly truth behind their favorite foods and fashions? This post is my attempt at working through the intense emotion I was feeling after watching and researching the horrible truth behind all animal products. I originally posted this on Facebook, but I decided to start an actual blog because I feel freer to get really personal and talk about everything that’s important to me. At the time I wrote this, I used a lot of vulgar language which has now been edited out. I believe my point can be made without it.
:::Written August 13, 2011:::
I am in tears right now while I write this. I feel like I’m in hell – literally. I am enraged and heartbroken. I feel overwhelmed, like my chest is gonna explode. Once again I’m faced with the ugly reality of what I’ve just seen – the cruelty that exists in this world toward animals. Most people don’t think twice about it because people love their meat. We live in a country of excess: food, clothes, entertainment, cars, nice homes, technology, instant gratification at our fingertips. Most people don’t want to take the time to think about where all of our food and possessions come from and how they are produced. The ugly truth gets glossed over and sugarcoated by sleek, sexy advertising designed to manipulate you into lusting after whatever is being sold, regardless of the price that was paid for it.
I am so upset right now that I could seriously burn everything I own and go live in the middle of nowhere where there is no TV, no internet, no excess, and no corrupt, money-grubbing industries. I am not trying to be self-righteous here, I’m just really upset right now. Of course I know that as much as I would love to strip my life of all it’s comforts and escape the world as I know it, I would eventually start to miss all the luxuries I get to enjoy now.
This same exact feeling came over me a few years ago when I accidentally stumbled across some graphic slaughterhouse videos that showed evil people doing evil things to animals. IT WAS EVIL. I felt like I was gonna throw up or pass out, but I made myself watch it. I watched the most disgusting, revolting acts of cruelty against animals here in the U.S. and in other parts of the world. I felt it was my responsibility to watch since I had been a meat eater up until that point. If I can eat a piece of steak or have pepperoni on my pizza, then I sure as hell can watch how that meat got on my plate. Shame on those who stuff their faces with meat but refuse to get educated on the cruelty behind it. Ignorance is bliss, right?
Unfortunately, it’s become so cliche to protest animal cruelty, but I have to do it because it’s absolutely shameful to me. We are living in a real hell, but don’t even realize it most of the time because we are so easily distracted by toys, goodies, and entertainment. Anything to get our minds off of what’s really going on around us. Well, I’m in no mood to hide from reality right now. I am sickened to the core of my being. People are evil. Some people deserve the most wretched hell in the next life.
I’m fed up with having awareness. It’s miserable to live in a world where you know these things are taking place, and even worse, we enable it to happen by consuming the end product.
So why am I writing this? I saw a post on Facebook about The Cove – a documentary about the secret dolphin massacre in Japan. It made me curious about it, so I went to the movie’s website and from there I ended up on Peta’s site. I never really checked out Peta’s website before, even though I had previously become a vegetarian because of animal cruelty. I had a misconception about Peta because of all the dumb celebrities who endorse it. I just thought it was some trendy organization who liked to make naked anti-fur ads using celebrities. I heard lots of mixed press about Peta but never took the time to see who they are for myself. Maybe all those “dumb” celebrities that endorse Peta aren’t so dumb after all. I’m not claiming that every word on their website is fact. I don’t know if it is or not. The only reason I believe they’re telling the truth is because I’ve seen tons of horrible footage from various websites. The best way to find out the truth is to watch it with your own eyes, but it’s very very graphic and very difficult to watch; and of course it only shows one side of these industries – the evil side. Is there a good side? If there is, show me.
The first time I saw graphic footage of meat industry evils, I became a vegetarian, so this is nothing new to me. I stayed a vegetarian for about 3 years, but didn’t stick to a healthy enough diet so I ended up not feeling well and decided to start eating chicken again. I have now been eating chicken and turkey for the last year. Shame on me. I was torn about it, but my husband is a meat eater and it was annoying trying to plan dinners that we could both enjoy. Excuses, excuses. How easily we forget who we are and what we stand for just because of a little inconvenience.
Now I’m faced with the moral dilemma of whether or not to stop eating meat again. Seems like a no-brainer considering how passionate I am about this, but I have a freezer full of turkey and chicken that will now probably go to waste. Becoming a vegetarian again is gonna be annoying and a little inconvenient, but that’s the price I have to pay to keep my conscience intact. I’m happy to do it. I wish more people cared about stopping these industries. How can we stop them? We probably can’t. The only way to fight them is to stop consuming the product. Maybe writing some letters to our government would help. Maybe. If only I was God for a day. What a wrathful God I’d be. Justice would be served and the innocent would be avenged.
I challenge any person reading this to at least read about how your food and fur gets from the farms to the stores. If you want to really experience hell’s waiting room, watch the videos, but I warn you, it’s revolting. If you have a soul and a pulse, these websites will sicken you, enrage you, and break your heart.
I will never forget the horror of watching dogs in China being skinned ALIVE and then left to die slowly on a pile of other dying dogs….twitching…looking around stunned and confused….with no skin on their bodies….just skeletons covered in muscle, veins and organs, yet they are still alive and obviously suffering. Why? For FUR. Before they are skinned, the dogs are flung through the air and slammed to the ground, but it doesn’t kill them, it just stuns them. They are clubbed in the head and stepped on. If they cry out and squirm too much while they are being skinned, the workers hit them in the head so they can continue to cut and remove their flesh. Why don’t the workers just kill the animals before skinning them? Because these people are wicked, godless monsters who deserve to burn. The workers in all the videos are stone-cold killers with no feelings, as if torturing and killing animals is second nature to them. Some even get off on it and enjoy it, like the guys at the Butterball turkey farm. Welcome to hell.
If you are too afraid to know where your food and fur comes from, then maybe you should burn your wardrobe and stop eating meat. Maybe I should too.
Ignorance IS bliss….a bliss I will never get to enjoy.
This world is hell and we’re all invited to dinner.
:::::::::::::::::::::
Now that I’ve had some time to recover from what I saw, I feel much better…and by much better, I mean, I’m depressed about it- not (as) homicidal. I feel less like I’m gonna pass out and more like standing up and being strong for the cause. Feeling that low made me more grateful for the good in life. Without God and goodness we would be living in a world that I could not bear. It’s hard enough to deal with the world as it is now, but without God and goodness it would be a true hell for all of us.
It’s official. I’m a vegetarian again. Hopefully I’ll make the switch to being vegan soon. I just can’t be a consumer of meat anymore – my conscience won’t let me. If I knew for a fact that these so-called “humane” farms really existed, then I might buy from them. Honestly, I don’t know if “humane” really exists. Organic cage-free farms definitely provide a better life for their animals, but they slaughter them in the same way as inhumane meat plants. The standards of cleanliness and animal welfare are supposed to be much higher, but the animals are stunned and slaughtered in the same exact way. Who knows if these so-called higher standards really get enforced. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. Just because something says organic or cage-free doesn’t mean the animals died in a quick and painless way.
I also realize that Peta and other animal welfare organizations probably post the worst stuff they can find to shock people into believing in the cause. Or maybe it’s the only footage they have, because everyone they investigate is guilty of abuse. I want to be fair, so I will allow myself to entertain the idea that maybe not ALL meat and fur farms are as horrifying as the ones I saw in the footage, but who knows, maybe all of them really are like that. I pray not. Knowing that it’s even a possibility that animals were tortured for my consumption makes me want to ban the whole industry altogether. So I am.
Let me be clear – I’m not against eating meat. If it’s a matter of life and death and you have to eat meat to survive, then fine, I get it. However, I’m against the abuse and killing of animals for profit, fun or for sport. The moment slaughtering animals for their meat became big business, ethics HAD to go out the window. Same with dairy and fur. These industries are no different than other big businesses in that they are greedy and money-driven. Time is money. The faster they work, the more animals they kill, the bigger their paychecks. Standards of cleanliness and animal welfare aren’t enforced because the farms are over-crowded and there’s no time to hold anyone accountable. Plus, when you kill for a living, your conscience gets seared over and you no longer see a living animal with feelings – you see an assembly line that leads to a paycheck. These workers are so dead inside that they have no problem torturing living beings that clearly have feelings, awareness, and intelligence. And we give these assholes our money.
I know that Prop 2 passed in California back in 2008, which is at least a tiny baby step toward doing the right thing, but it’s not even close to being enough. It doesn’t even go into effect until 2015. It means that these horrible farms have to give their animals enough room in their stalls to stand up, turn around, and stretch their legs. OH WOW. God bless America! Give these guys a medal for allowing these poor animals to live in confinement stalls large enough to allow them to stand up and stretch their legs. Unacceptable. Here’s a fun fact: animals on these farms live such stressful lives that their immune systems get weakened due to stress, which makes them susceptible to diseases, which then get passed onto YOU.
Hey, Prop 2, what about the routine mutilations, branding, beak trimmings, castrations, and other painful procedures that take place on animals that have received NO ANESTHETIC of any kind? I watched a piglet get his ears mutilated and genitals cut off while he screamed and squirmed in pain. We gonna do anything about that? And how about the lack of care given to sick and wounded animals who are left to suffer and die without any help. The ones who are too sick to be taken to slaughter are disposed of by mentally ill workers who stand on them to suffocate them, swing them through the air and slam them to the ground (which often takes a few times to finish the job), and kill them in ways that are unnecessary and intentionally cruel. Often animals are still alive when they are thrown into scalding tanks, skinned, and/or slaughtered. Animals used for fur are crammed into small cages and live their whole lives with no room to move around and no medical care when they get sick, acquire wounds, and contract diseases. If that isn’t torture enough, the events that lead up to their death are jaw dropping. Why is all this being ignored?
All this has led me to a stark realization – I am not proud of the way I have been living my life. I indulge. I want. I have. I do nothing that gives my life true meaning. I feel like I’ve lost who I am and I’m just floating through space and time waiting for my life to take shape or end. I went through so much darkness in my life and was saved by so much goodness, I should be doing good in this world, but I’m not. There is a big bad world of living beings that need help and I am contributing nothing. Becoming a vegetarian is the least I can do to support a cause that is SO important to me. Being good to animals is just as important as being good to people. How a person treats animals is a true reflection of their character.
The people who are out there helping other people, fighting for animal and human rights, or just living more for others and less for themselves are the ones who are really living. I’m not saying you can’t live for yourself, but when your become so immersed in your own stuff, you tend to forget that there are others around you that could use some love too. I forget daily.
Maybe distractions aren’t so bad. They help me forget the horrors that occupy my mind.
::::Update::::
I have officially become vegan since writing this post. I have been a devout vegan for about three weeks now. It feels amazing. More to come about this challenging, empowering decision.
