Romancing the 'farm'...

 I see a lot of people with a romantic notion about animal ‘farming’. Even some who are familiar with ‘standard farming practices’ seem to romanticize the farming ideal that is only fantasy in children's books. 

Many think of rolling green hills, open fields, big red barns, adorable baby animals, and possess a general vision that does not recognize the extremely dark and depraved acts that always must be included if one intends to ‘farm’ animals in any way. 

Personally, I do not see visions of any such delusions. I see baby male calves killed for veal. I see male chicks killed simply for being born male. I see repeatedly assaulting a female - a mother - to produce offspring, both only to be seen as ‘products’ to be exploited, used, sold, and/or murdered. I see castration and dehorning and branding. I see the selfishness and pure ignorance of taking a life because they are no longer of use to me to oppress or exploit, or to partake in some utterly unnecessary personal pleasure.

In the 15+ years I've been vegan I've seen many "animal farmer turned vegan" stories. The dark side of farming ultimately took a toll on them and the person they were born as – a kind, decent, merciful human – was somehow reawakened. They simply could not sustain lying to themselves about the many terrible things that must be done to be able to “farm” any fellow sentient being.

The reality of animal ‘farming’ is not suitable for a children’s book and there is nothing romantic about it. 

Create sanctuaries. Grow life-sustaining plant-based foods. Live in peace. Live vegan. 

https://freefromharm.org/animal-products-and-ethics/former-meat-dairy-farmers-became-vegan-activists/

UNnecessary evil

Almost all of us were raised to suppress and ignore our true character. We were told raising and farming animals, eating animals, wearing animals, and generally ‘using’ animals was a “necessary evil”. We were told we needed to feed the hungry, provide clothes, keep people nourished and healthy, etc. 

We were taught it was OK to treat others differently based upon what they looked like or their species and rank them solely by what form of service they could provide. It was repeatedly ingrained that others are of less importance, less intelligence, less feeling, that their lives did not possess inherent value. That their only worth was in what profit or product we could take from them. And we believed it.

Most are still so societally indoctrinated they have a difficult time envisioning a better way. They forgot their nature. They defend the obvious wrongs that once upon a time - as a child - they would have been (or were) traumatized by. 

But “necessary evil” was the explanation…until we stopped questioning, or maybe we just never thought to ask the questions at all…

We were lied to. Not one bit of it is “necessary” – in fact, it’s not even rational. Not. One. Bit.

I now know they are lying. That there is another way. I have chosen to be a different person than a violent, self-centered one who believes anyone else’s life holds less inherent value than my own. I don’t believe that and don’t think I ever did. I just forgot for a very long time. Finding out about veganism simply reminded me of who I truly am, and I am thankful for that every single day.

I see the truth of the picture…both are being deceived. What you see is the abuse and betrayal of 2 individual thinking and feeling beings – one who is being taught to betray trust and love, taught to ignore his true desire for mercy and compassion; the other about to see a dark and depraved side of humanity – such confusion for this poor vulnerable animal who once knew of our true human nature of kindness. 

Many of us go on to find out the truth. That none of it was ever necessary. Just evil.

Not. Necessary.
It. Is. Abuse.
Stop. The. Betrayal.

Vegan for LIFE.

No silly comparisons needed!

 

Vegans will factually state that we are not lions, and we know that animal testing has no relation to the human body, but the next post I see is saying since the "strongest animals" eat mainly plants (such as elephants) that means humans can be strong without eating meat. I don't think people truly analyze the things they say...you can't pick and choose when a comparison suits your personal confirmation bias. You are not a lion. You are not a rat (often used in testing). You are also not an elephant or a gorilla. Use consistent rational thinking. Our HUMAN anatomy and physiology is all the proof required as to our species appropriate needs and needs involve no animals nor any of these silly comparisons.

I was wrong. It's that simple. I am better now.

I used to feed the birds in my backyard while I ate birds. I planted native flowers, shrubs, and bushes for the wildlife I thought I appreciated while I was wiping out biodiversity by eating animals. I cheered for animal rescue stories while I was destroying lives. I hiked in woods I believed I loved while I was burning down forests to consume animals. I believed I was good in my profession while I was following guidelines that do so much harm. I always tried to be decent and humane in my life and I was so sadly indecent and inhumane. I loved the antics of the squirrels and racoons while I did not check my garments to be sure there were no torture of other animals. I felt so lucky when deer roamed through my yard while I was stabbing other sentient animals to death. I appreciated the baby animals that came through and how fiercely mommy animals looked out for their young, while I was forcibly separating babies from equally loving mothers. I was against breeding and sexual assault on any being while I paid for forcible breeding by the billions. I rescued dogs and cats my whole life yet I was other individuals’ executioner.

I am so glad veganism found me.

"It is what we think we know already that often prevents us from learning."
Claude Bernard

Humans and Their [lack of] Thought

 

I often ponder how humans think (or don’t). Personally, I gather as much knowledge as I can in every second of every day. I try very hard to have an open mind and be willing to change when faced with information that contradicts my previously-held beliefs.

People say weird things to vegans, many people feel instantly defensive (because they ‘know’ deep down and it comes from inside them, not the vegan). Statements like “you can’t make me vegan” or “don’t push your beliefs on me” (whether on not you even actually SAID anything lol).

Of course I can’t make anyone vegan! I also can’t make people not abuse children, or rape women, or not be racist, etc. But when I woke up to the horrible behavior I was displaying in pure selfish ignorance I changed. People like me are grateful to ‘know’ because we care more about being a decent and informed human than we care about following along with society’s illnesses and violence.

Beyond just normal FB paranoia there is excess paranoia with vegan posts – anyone not vegan will likely feel you are targeting them. I have been posting the same stuff for over 12 years now and not one person who has come or gone has changed that or will EVER change that. I am here for one reason and one reason only, and there is ZERO doubt in an exploding vegan population that we ARE changing the world!

Veganism is just the basis of decency – same as not abusing children…it does not make me special, I am only meeting the bare minimum of not being a discriminatory animal-torturer.

There is a meme I have seen and it makes some sense…replace the words in the sentence:

“I could never be ____ [vegan]”

Replace that with any of these words/phrases: compassionate, kind, aware, informed, against animal abuse, against discrimination, etc.

e.g. “I could never be against animal abuse.”

That is how people sound to vegans. It is incredulous to us. People and the smugness some demonstrate regarding their societal training is scary. It tells me that they would be harming my family too and not giving a shit if they didn’t directly know me…as we know animal agriculture is destroying so many families...of all species, including human.

There is nothing to be ‘smug’ about in not being vegan. There really are 3 scenarios

1. vegan (of course)

2. completely uniformed of the impact they are having and the terrible behavior they support and therefore feel very justified by their trained behaviors (but being ignorant actually isn’t OK in my book)

3. understanding the impact and the terrible behavior and not changing (well - with no apology - then you are just not a very good person to participate in such abhorrent behaviors).

That’s it – all 3 choices. There are no others. I choose vegan.

What is the quote?

“Your response when you found out how badly you were behaving speaks volumes about your character?”

Or something like that anyways…

It doesn’t reflect at all on me if someone isn’t vegan. This reflects only on them. My values are iron strong and I don’t need anyone’s assurance about differentiating RIGHT from WRONG. So, while others are feeling smug about behaving in ways I would NEVER knowingly behave, I’m likewise would have to admit to feeling a bit smug in these situations that I am far better than that.

Their Pain of Living

We all know or see people here and there whose child(ren) have died. We have witnessed or read the tributes from grieving parents and how they ache so badly they do not feel they can live another moment.

I have experienced grief, but not as a parent. I find that pain hard to envision as by pure witness I have at times felt my breath lock up and such deep sorrow that I wonder how it can be any worse…

I have heard a human mother scream for her child in agony. I have also heard this sound – this wail of pure emotional pain - in other species. It is a terrible, bone-chilling sound where you immediately feel at least part of their profound suffering.

I have watched mothers try with all their strength and will to defend their children, but these gentle vulnerable beings are no match for the bullies. No match for those who demand their blood and bodies and who show no mercy.

Many species – maybe even most – are loving, protective mothers. Yet we repeatedly thrust this intense grief upon them. We take and kill their beloved babies, or females are kept and entered into the slave pool as soon as physically possible to begin to assault her for forced breeding and we will emotionally traumatize her too…and we do this repeatedly until their bodies can give no more. Lives as slaves - no matter how well we treat our slaves - is still a life of slavery. Feeling another is ‘not like you’ and is therefore OK for barbarism, violence, confinement, enslavement, forced breeding, oppression, and exploitation are dangerous and deplorable ways to think.

A better way to think is that we have certain morals – most of us do – and we can just choose to live by them. We can just agree that inflicting violence and suffering on another is something to be avoided at any time we can. We can just agree that we do not want to cause each other harm. We can just live in peace and have incredibly happy, fulfilled lives without completely destroying someone else.

I make a difference. It doesn’t matter if anyone thinks I don’t, because I know better. We all do. It is just whether we want our influence in the world to be as positive as possible or we want to intentionally ignore and/or misunderstand the language of suffering to continue thoughtless personal convenience and general societal acceptance.

Willful ignorance sometimes allows us to hold tight to the belief we are humane and caring when we are acting in the most inhumane ways imaginable. But willful ignorance does not actually make us humane - it just makes us ignorant.

Please let your actions reflect your morals. Go vegan

Surrounded by Horror

I see the shelves for what they are…

a world of hurt

the corner where patrons dine on their hamburgers I visualize the irreplaceable rain forest burning

the tank where silent pleas for help represent the abject apathy of a dying ocean

the colorful bakery counter brings to mind the many mothers who have lost their babies

- to harbor so much grief and pain within those walls -

neat rows of packaged death, oppression, exploitation…

I can *see* them all and I feel an overwhelming helplessness to stop this senseless violence

to communicate effectively with people who are decent at heart but cannot *see*

please stop

that’s is all I can do – plead with people to stop

what we are doing is beyond terrible

beyond offensive

revolting

atrocious

depraved

disturbing

vile

disastrous

all are insufficient

vegans try to avoid complicity as best they can

with a uncaring, unthinking, unmerciful, violent monster

please stop

the screams surround me