Most of us would agree that unnecessary suffering is unjust and should be avoided. And yet, most of us turn a blind eye to cruelty every single day. The tragic thing is that most of us don’t even realize it.

I grew up loving animals; I loved to draw them, watched them on television, read about them. If animals were involved, I was into it. On the contrary, I also grew up eating animals. I grew up with messages to love your pets and to appreciate animals, but here- drink this milk- eat this hot dog.

We are raised in a society where they place blinders on us immediately. We’re brainwashed into thinking we need to eat animals. You need meat to be healthy; we’re carnivores. If we’re carnivores, why do we not hunt our prey? Why do we have the digestive tract and jaw structures of herbivores? Why does eating a raw, dead animal- guts and all- sound disgusting to us? We are told we need milk for our bones. Do we really need the mammary secretions of another mammal? That milk is intended to grow a calf into a full grown cow. Nothing else! The acidity in cow’s milk is neutralized in human bodies by leaching calcium out of our bones so it’s actually unhealthy. Are eggs healthy? Isn’t it gross that we’re eating the menstrual cycle of a bird? And if they’re so healthy for us, then why do they contain the highest amount of LDL, the harmful cholesterol found in animal products which is linked to many disease such as heart disease. But health is besides the point- the main reason for being vegan is ethical. There is no ethical justification for eating animals.

I used to think vegans were extreme. But how is it extreme to stand against something that is wrong? What is extreme is raising billions of animals every year so we can eat their flesh and secretions. In short, there is no way to eat animals without murdering them. That’s not okay, and deep down, all of us understand that. We have grown up in a world poisoned by speciesism (the assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of animals). We have to unlearn the false messages that we have been taught.

The disconnect that we have from one animal to another, or from a human to an animal is astonishing. We love animals as children, we cherish our pets, we get excited any time we see an animal; and at least three times a day, we contribute to their enslavement, torture, and murder. It took me twelve years to even realize the meat on my plate came from a murdered animal. It took me sixteen years to realize that using animals in any way is wrong. I used to think so many things that I now know are lies- that you can eat dairy without separating mother from child, that eggs aren’t cruel, that leather is okay.

We don’t even realize the effects our food choices have on animals, our bodies, our planet, and other people as well. If we didn’t have animal agriculture, and therefore did not need to supply food to the billions of animals we are breeding, we could end world hunger. I’ve only been vegan for a little over two years. The amount of intellectual growth I have experienced since the day I decided to go vegan has been remarkable. My life has completely changed, and all for the better. My only regret with going vegan is that I didn't do it sooner.

I plan to primarily write on my profile about veganism. I don’t think people are bad for eating animal products; I think they are simply uneducated. I am not here to attack anyone. I am here to educate. My goal is to help as many animals and people as possible. A lot of people question who am I to talk to them about their food choices. What we eat is a tricky subject. It’s personal. But what about the animals? 1.2 billion animals are murdered every week; that’s more than all casualties of all wars combined. That’s per week. I have to be a voice for animals; a voice for the voiceless.

It’s simple. People try to make veganism complicated, but it’s really not. The consumption of animals- in whatever form- is cruel and unjustifiable. It is slavery that ends in murder. It is inexcusable to use other sentient beings as resources.

I hope that whoever you are, wherever you’re reading this, you decide to educate yourself. Make the switch. For the animals, for your health, for the planet.

Vegan Resources:

Please feel free to write any questions you may have about veganism. I'll be more than happy to talk to you about it.

Earthlings: http://www.nationearth.com/earthlings-1/

The Best Speech You’ll Ever Hear:

The Extremism of Veganism:

(The woman who made this speech has a youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/BiteSizeVegan that is extremely informative)

Cowspiracy: http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/

(the video is available streaming on Netflix)

101 Reasons To Go Vegan:

Forks Over Knives: ForksOverKnives.com

(the video is available streaming on Netflix)

http://www.adaptt.org

www.drmcdougall.com

https://www.vegansociety.com

http://www.peta.org