We feel guilty when our own kind is harmed but every day animals are being killed under cruel circumstances just because people refuse to change what they eat. If causing harm to anyone is wrong, why do we stop at animals? Why is animal killing considered a personal choice rather than oppression towards these creatures?
One obvious truth that we all know is that pain can be felt by all living beings, including animals. Yet, we don’t feel an ounce of remorse about the slaughter of billions of them simply because the majority of us are not willing to change our meal plans. In a world where plant-based alternatives are widely available, it could be said that our survival is no longer dependent on the consumption of meat products. Yes, it does take some getting used to, but personal convenience cannot be an excuse to kill a living being.
This issue does not stop at animal suffering. There is more to it. The resources needed to run an animal farm are considerable. Not only are many farms incredibly unhygienic and cruel to the animals, but they are also one of the leading contributors to climate change, water pollution, and deforestation. The simple decision of choosing to eat meat has an impact on not just the animals but also the very planet we all share. This is also one of the reasons why the consumption of meat never just affects one person; it affects everyone living on this planet.
The argument that people should be allowed to eat whatever they want is ethically incorrect as this freedom comes with an enormous cost: the lives of billions of animals and the possibility of losing our only planet, all because of the food choices we make. We condemn cruelty when it happens to us, but why not when it comes to another living creature?
Veganism is not just a diet, it is a way of living that prioritises the value of all living creatures and acknowledges the injustice that is happening to these animals at all times, and brings about changes by not harming these animals which are being killed even right now as you read this. Just as we once moved forward from other forms of injustice that happened to humankind, it is high time that we move beyond the exploitation of animals. Agreeing that it is our right to eat whatever we want is supporting this injustice and becoming an ally of this cruelty.
Together we can stop this so make a better choice.
THE NORTH STAR 