Thursday, December 29, 2016

Try to Remember


Does Compassion Matter?

I’ve seen discussion of using words such as *compassion* in vegan dialogues. I am not seeking a debate and not intending to dispute anyone’s views on this, we all do what we believe is right. However, I’ve thought about this a bit…isn’t that what we are calling on? Our inherent nature? The average person’s sense of right and wrong? Some inherent *goodness* that we all assume most other people carry? If you simply don’t *care* then you probably don’t give a shit about “justice” either so that seems ineffective.

Trying to reduce oppression, exploitation, suffering, and violence depends upon both the *recognition* of these issues of and the *desire* to ease it, requiring at least some ability for compassion, IMO. If you don’t care to ease the suffering of others you will continue. Period. That is why sickos abuse animals and children in their basements and backyards – they have no sense of right and wrong and/or utterly lack compassion.

Yes, it is true, I could HATE children and not go around punching them in the face because I recognize the wrongness of doing so (an inadequate summary of the rationale for the lack of need for these words but you get my point). However, the true sociopaths among us could very well *punch that baby* without remorse, so I actually do want people to be decent, *compassionate* people. I actually just want them to be the people they say they already are. The people they believe they are.

I’d love to live in a society where we do things because we do hold an actual sense - not only of justice and equality - but that behaving along those lines of “justice” MATTERS even when others aren’t watching, e.g. compassion and love.

You can have a sense something is *wrong* and just not give a shit, which is not the world I seek.

Give a shit.
It IS the right thing to do.
It IS justice.
But it is also a character-defining true expression of love, respect, and compassion for others, including other humans.

Go vegan.

Monday, December 26, 2016

A Very Vegan 2016


A VERY VEGAN 2016

2016 closing, 2017 soon to begin
Many indications the world is changing!
People are stocking cruelty-free kitchens
and vegan athletes are crushing competitions.
Places like Sea World are tanking, no pun,
people no longer viewing exploitation as fun.
New vegan products crowding out vile abuse on store shelves
When we take care of others we also take care of ourselves!
Many people aren’t buying the *products* of torment
Vegan sales have exploded by 1500%!!!
Ben and Jerry’s jumped in with some vegan ice cream,
and Tyson bought in to the Beyond Meat (vegan) team.
They can see all the sales, the shift in the spending
Google reports “vegan food” a top in the trending!
Hellmanns tried suing - a desperate last phase,
before losing the lawsuit and then made vegan mayonnaise!
One must mention Anita and the resulting case file,
in a master flip of the script they put cruelty on trial.
Vegan chili and cupcakes taking the prize,
and the word vegan on packages grown to quite a large size!
People worldwide have answered the call,
to discard their dissonance and apply their morals to all.
Every vegan helping make positive stride -
Thank you so much for letting your ethics decide
I cannot wait to see what 2017 brings our way.
If you are not vegan please go vegan today.

~ POEM BY KARYN SWANEY
©Karyn Swaney

Sunday, December 25, 2016

I Have Nothing to Gain and Lots of Other Stuff I'd Like to Do



Vegans get no personal gain from talking to others about veganism. Vegans simply understand their obligation to speak out against atrocity and injustice. Vegans are fighting a very powerful industry who is dependent on the consumer continuing to exploit others for no physical necessity. As long as people financially fund these appalling practices they will continue. Conversely, if people change how they spend their money a massive amount of suffering could be alleviated and we would be rewarded with improved health and a cleaner planet.

If you are not vegan please go vegan today.

Propaganda and Lies


This picture is a poignant depiction of the lie consumers allow themselves to believe and the mass propaganda being distributed…propaganda that is meant to shut down the consumer brain so they continue to be the primary reason there is ongoing needless horrific abuse and exploitation of animals.

Nonvegans are incredibly and appallingly cruel to intelligent and sensitive animals every day but are unable to *see* clearly and therefore they don’t accept responsibility for their actions.

Vegans are fighting a very (very) powerful industry who is dependent on the consumer continuing to choose to hurt animals and decimate their own ecosystems. An industry who is currently allowed to blatantly lie and skew reality. An industry who OWNS the media most people listen to. An industry that names their products things like “Laughing Cow” to insidiously perpetuate a huge consumer misconception about the animals they are (ab)using.

If you are not vegan please go vegan today. Please stop inflicting such atrocious violence and suffering upon other innocent earthlings.

Find out about veganism here
http://www.vegankit.com/
https://goveganworld.com/why-vegan/
http://www.howtogovegan.org/

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Anything Except the Most Important Thing?

“You look lost in thought, anything I can do to help?”

(hesitates) “People who exploit and hurt animals for sheer personal pleasure…I feel morally obligated to speak up and stand against such horrible injustice, so I was just sitting here working out some thoughts on how to effectively help.”

“I am soooooo with you! How anyone could hurt an animal?!?! I love animals sooooo much!!!! How can I help?”

“Well… you could act the way you say you believe and you could live vegan.”

silence…

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(Going vegan is simply about taking personal responsibility for our actions and living in alignment with the morals people already claim to HAVE.)

Friday, December 16, 2016

Ditch the Dairy; Dairy is Cruelty



HOW TO GET MILK FROM AN ANIMAL
1) SEXUAL ASSAULT OF MALE
2) SEXUAL ASSAULT OF FEMALE TO FORCIBLY IMPREGNATE
3) AFTER BIRTH, TAKE BABIES AND STICK IN CRATES SO WE CAN EAT THEM
4) TREAT ANIMAL AS MACHINE AND NOT AS A LIVING BEING, TAKE THE MILK MEANT FOR HER BABY
5) WHEN THE FEMALE’S MILK PRODUCTION DECLINES, REPEAT PROCESS FROM STEP ONE. IMPREGNATE HER AND USE HER AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
6) WHEN SHE IS ‘ALL USED UP’ SLAUGHTER HER, CONTINUE TO USE HER FEMALE BABIES FOR YOUR ONGOING SLAVERY AND EXPLOITATION. KILL THE MALES.
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DAIRY IS CRUELTY.
Please live vegan.

What Kind of Person Are You?

“Forget the pig is an animal - treat him just like a machine in a factory.”
~ Hog Farm Management magazine

“The breeding sow should be thought of, and treated as, a valuable piece of machinery whose function is to pump out baby pigs like a sausage machine.”
~ National Hog Farmer

“So our animals can’t turn around for the 2.5 years that they are in the stalls producing piglets. I don’t know who asked the sow if she wanted to turn around.”
~ the spokesman for the National Pork Producers Council in a National Journal interview

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Anyone who convinces themselves they can be humane and continue to eat animals is seriously fooling themselves. Treating living beings as objects. Utterly disgraceful.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Reactions to Veganism

With rare exception there are two general reactions from the majority of nonvegans when presented with information about veganism and animal exploitation.

REACTION 1) Feels societally justified so probably finds at least some of my words insulting. Likely feels defensive and uncomfortable. Denies the truth and has no intention of actually checking any facts or doing any research. Decides to close their mind and stay with societal groupthink so dismisses my words and goes on with their life as usual, willfully ignoring their terrible behavior, sometimes choosing to instead be uncomfortable around me.

REACTION 2) At least initially probably feels some societal justification, may or may not find my words a little insulting (I do understand being told behavior is morally repulsive is not a pleasant thing to be told, albeit the truth). Might feel defensive, maybe even uncomfortable. Decides to *see* for themselves so they can make informed decisions about their personal ethics and boundaries. Does some research, which leads to many “holy shit” moments, often with feelings of being sickened and sorry for what you unknowingly participated in for so long. Changes their daily choices to reflect their life values.

I’ll give you one guess as to which reaction I had… ;)

Does anyone actually BELIEVE that ‘reaction 1’ is an appropriate reaction for ANYTHING?
I happen to think that making informed ethical decisions about my behavior actually MATTERS.
:) :) <3 <3

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Open your eyes, be open to new knowledge. I understand when someone questions everything you’ve been conditioned to believe your entire life, you’re going to meet it with ignorance and hostility, just like I did. Believe me, when veganism was brought to my attention…I met it with ignorance and hostility, because you’re essentially telling me the way I live my life is wrong, and I’m not having that shit, my ego won’t have that shit! But, the point is, it is wrong.”
~ Jordan David

you can catch one of his videos here: https://www.facebook.com/100007845646642/videos/1643232592614913/

Please Define "Normal"???



I am not an unkind person. With rare exception people who know me IRL would not call me unkind. I do try to be straightforward. Yes, sometimes blunt. Personally, I value honesty, even brutal honesty.  But I say nothing with the intent of being hurtful, and in general, unless one is hurting someone else I say nothing at all. But when you harm another in my presence? Be it ANY species (humans included), I have LONG been known as ‘the guy who steps in’.

Ever seen that show, “What would you do?” When a SCARY percentage of people do NOTHING? Yeah, that is NOT ME.

So please DO NOT EXPECT me to sit by and be quiet when something is being done of such injustice, of such horrific barbarism that I cannot believe I even sit next to a person or speak with any human on this entire Earth who is capable of such atrocity. Willful ignorance does not excuse such abhorrent deplorable depravity and systematic destruction of so much life, including that of our Earth itself. Oh no, it does not excuse what they are doing, and forcing us to be a part of.

This does not mean I do not love or like people who are nonvegan individually, but most vegans deal with some very conflicting emotions at times. We meet *nice* people all the time who are destroying everything we love. We *love* people who are pillaging the very beings and ecosystems we are trying to preserve. And they flat-out refuse to know. So it is admittedly hard not to look at them differently, to think of them differently.

I lack the ability to effectively understand them and what drives such a strong addiction to rotten flesh and pus drinks, or their animal-torture coat, or their love for the beaten-into-submission circus animals, etc. Such trivial and unnecessary *items*! At such a COST to others. But societal groupthink is so strong, that this triviality is seen to them as life-or-death *items* (which is ironic, since the true “life-or-death” is actually in reverse).

Such a strange world, now that I can view it a little more clearly - living in peace is seen as *extreme* but living covered in the blood of tortured and sexually assaulted animals, grieving mothers, dead babies, and enslaved animals is considered quite *normal*.

(Though this is changing, the word *vegan* is EVERYWHERE now! Thank you to so many who are working tirelessly to make the world a better place for all of us and to bring awareness to the masses, I sooooo appreciate you all!!!)

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The Weight of it All

I never knew I was covered in the blood and suffering of animals, or that it weighed so much.

VEGAN FOR LIFE.

Vegan is Peace



I'm vegan because I opened my eyes and took responsibility for *seeing* the effects of my actions and I quickly came to understand the simple and obvious truth - it is morally reprehensible to not be vegan.

It is abhorrent. Appalling. Horrific. Nonvegans know it too, which is why they pay some psychopath to abuse, exploit, and kill vulnerable beings...so they don't have to *see* for themselves.

I could not live with myself knowing what nonvegans cause if I did not live vegan. Just could not live with myself.

I have heard the screams, I have seen them choking on their blood after their throat was sliced...I have seen the gore spattered everywhere, I have watched them struggle for life and seen the terror and/or pain in their eyes.

I am not like that. I wouldn't do that. I am not that kind of person.

I LOVE living vegan.

Vegan is peace - both internally and globally.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

There is a Difference between Being Vegan and Plant-Based #3!

*Plant-based* does not mean *vegan* although vegans consume only plant-based foods and products. But they are not the same! If I use the words *plant-based* I am referring only to food and diet – the science of nutrition and health - and I am careful to try to avoid the word *vegan* in these posts/discussions as it is NOT the same.

Plant-based diets are conclusively proven to be the healthiest diet possible with medical benefit beyond compare…but people who seek purely the health benefits are living plant-based. One is not vegan for their own health.

Plant-based diets are also the least resource-intensive, ecologically sustainable way of eating possible…people who seek merely the environmental benefit are simply that - environmentalists (you can’t possibly call yourself an environmentalist if you eat animal products).

But when I use the word *vegan* it is in reference to our ethical/moral nature. Veganism holds a much deeper significance and meaning well beyond what we eat.

Ironically, though the terms *plant-based* and *vegan* are different, both carry an amazing amount of positive energy and both completely solve or ease many of the global issues we are faced with.

All people can start to make the world better right this very second, for all species including their own family! Go vegan and behave in accordance with the morals we already hold, and eat/live plant-based for what is statistically the longest life span with the least disease and most beneficial to our planet.

The word that comes to mind is “alignment” - how ALL available science in such a wide range of issues all basically comes to the same conclusion – the same SOLUTION – is truly awe-inspiring.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

I Understand the Before, But I Cannot Understand One Who Doesn't Change


I understand you didn’t know. I exploited animals in a variety of ways for many years and I never even thought about it. Then someone told me the truth…they told me I was causing others to suffer immensely.

I wanted them to be wrong, but when I looked for the facts I found out they were right, and it was far worse than any words I could ever write. I was horrified and I changed immediately. I could not possibly call myself ethical, decent, or humane if I hadn’t.

So, I understand you didn’t know. I didn’t either. But now I am telling you. If you are not vegan your actions cause tremendous suffering to others and is inhumane and inexcusable.

Now you know. How we choose to behave from that moment forward deeply defines our character.

If you are not vegan please go vegan today.

Find out about veganism here
http://www.vegankit.com/
https://goveganworld.com/why-vegan/
http://www.howtogovegan.org/

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Ending Discrimination In ALL Forms

Do you like all people? Or only some people? I mean, do you dislike Asian people? Or Mexican people? How about Jewish people? The Irish? Do you think it is OK to discriminate against anyone? No? Why? Because we recognize discrimination as wrong? That they have emotions/feelings and needs similar to our own regardless of irrelevant characteristics?

Do you like all animals? Or only some animals? I mean, do you dislike cows? Or pigs? How about cats? Dogs? Do you think it is OK to discriminate against anyone? No? Why? Because we recognize discrimination as wrong? That they have emotions/feelings and needs similar to our own regardless of irrelevant characteristics?

THINK!

*Decent* people will be completely opposed to the discrimination in the first sentence, but will hug their dog and cat tight while they dispute the validity of the second sentence, albeit identical.

Please learn to recognize personal bias. Help stop unnecessary violence and discrimination.

If you are not vegan please go vegan today.

The only difference is your perception.

Choose Vegan


The only one who benefits from the *humane* label is the consumer who willingly accepts this obvious and outrageous lie to soothe their conscience. People will not - they cannot - watch slaughter because they know it is violent, bloody, horrific, barbaric - they cannot bear to know of how hard they fight for their life, the terror in their eyes, their cries and screams - but then will turn around and insist on their decency and humaneness.

It cannot be both. If you are not vegan please be brave and strong and make yourself take responsibility for your actions. SEE what you do to others. It is a stain on your humanity and decency to look the other way while causing such horror.

Be violent and cause tremendous suffering or be vegan.

Please choose vegan

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Being Humane


This is the *farming* of today. Please do not believe the lie of ‘humane’ slaughter or exploitation *NO MATTER WHERE* you buy your exploitation from, because that is like believing in unicorns – it simply does not exist.

ALL industries that exploit animals utilize common practices that are horrific to animals and perpetuate the exploitation. When it comes to eating animals most people can’t bring themselves to watch a video of slaughter even at its most *humane* (doesn’t exist), so how can they claim to be in favor of it? Even go so far as to defend and support it? All while knowing they would be horrified to watch and certainly unlikely to directly participate?

It is impossible in our modern society to eat, wear, and/or exploit animals and live a humane life. It is simply impossible. If one says they are opposed to causing animals to suffer or abusing animals then they need to stop abusing them and causing them to suffer. It is that simple. Otherwise the words are empty.

If you are not vegan please go vegan immediately. Vegans have nothing to gain other than the terrible knowledge of what nonvegans are doing to others - what most of us once participated in without a second thought. When we became aware of the suffering, the depravity, the devastation we were inflicting we made different choices. You can make different choices too. You can stop this. Help us stop exploitation by making some simple but incredibly meaningful life changes.

GO VEGAN!