For whatever reason this post has been so hard to write. I’ve had this screen up since 9 am, it’s now 5 pm & I’m JUST starting to write. If you want me to be honest, I’ve had this post in my head for literally 2 years. Yes, TWO years (major eye roll).
So I’m going to dive right in.
I became a vegetarian 2 1/2 years ago. It was really like an epiphany. One night I was reading a pamphlet that I got from my school that was addressing how factory farm animals are treated. I was mortified, & from then on I swore to never eat meat again. Some would say I was going through a “phase” or they didn’t take me seriously, which is okay. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. But I knew in my gut that I’d never let another animal suffer because I thought I needed to eat that burger or chicken.
Here’s the thing, I don’t put myself above anyone or anything else. Animals are equal to me, I am not superior. This is why I believe that I don’t have the right to eat them. Some people don’t understand where I’m coming from, some want to make fun of it or give me a hard time, and some don’t agree with me. & again, that is okay. Not everyone is going think and feel the exact way I do.
I see animals, all sorts of animals, and don’t think they’re just some thing. Animals are intelligent beings that love and mourn. They connect to one another the way humans connect to each other. They can feel the pain they’re going through like a human would. That is why I choose to not eat meat. I can’t stand the thought of eating something that once had a beating heart and that had to suffer at the expense of me. I believe animals deserve more than that.
I decided to choose this lifestyle for moral reasons, rather than health reasons. But ever since I stopped eating meat, I started educating myself on how animal agriculture harms the environment (& not to mention, how horrible they treat these animals), the pollution it creates, how deforestation is worse than it has ever been, & so on. By taking meat off of your plate, you cut your carbon footprint in half. Even though this all started due to moral reasons, it has now grown into more than that because I want to make a difference & a positive impact on the planet, whether it’s large or small.
It’s time to care. It’s time to stop turning a blind eye because you don’t want to hear how factory farm animals are brutally murdered. It’s time accept that things need to change, but things can only change if we can take a step in the right direction.
Since I’m diving right in, let me put this out there: I strongly believe you don’t need to meat to survive, therefore killing animals so we can eat them is unnecessary.
All I’m doing is trying to protect what I love.
& I’m choosing to have a voice for the voiceless.
“All life is precious, no matter what our species. In a world where we see such horrible acts bestowed upon some of the most gentle beings, the least we can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.” – Sheridyn Fisher