A Different Perspective...

We all love animals…but why do we feel more compassion towards a dog or a cat when compared to a cow or a lamb. Why is it unacceptable to mistreat a dog, but it’s okay to slaughter farm animals inhumanely. Animals have nervous systems, feel pain, experience happiness and companionship. Did you know that pigs are just as smart as dogs? Now imagine locking up your intelligent furry friend…in a cage…for his whole lifespan. Keep him in that cage, where he has no room to move and doesn’t see the sun. And just like pigs, his teeth will need to be cut off because he will eventually try to chew his way through the wires.
Some of you may think that farm animals were simply put on this planet to feed us...but you have to ask yourself the most important question of all: Are they meant to suffer?
Maybe not all farms are inhumane, but do you know where your meat is coming from? Odds are if you are buying boxed meats and fast food…they came from a factory farm. People have this idyllic image of a farm in their head. Well, in these times it’s all about mass-production. Personally, I want to choose a diet that promotes life. Don’t you all?

Here are some excerpts from Alicia Silverstone's book:

“From maternal separation to forced feeding of antibiotic-and pesticide-laden grains to being locked in ridiculously small quarters and being pumped so full of growth hormones that they can no longer support their own weight, their lives are pure torture. But the real price is paid in a way we rarely consider; the chicken, born with wings to flap, never flaps them. Her beak, meant for pecking the earth, is cut off. The cow, meant to roam, is confined to a stall carpeted in her own waste. Sixty five million pigs are raised in confinement factories where they never see the light of day until they are trucked to slaughter.

The greatest crime being committed against these animals is not the eating of their meat, but our willful ignorance of their experience. As long as we keep our eyes closes, we can feel comfortable, and as long as we’re comfortable, they will continue to suffer and die.

How could I spend so much energy saving one group of animals, then turn around and eat the other ones? There was a fundamental hypocrisy in my thinking. Weren’t they all living beings? Why did we buy some of them cute little doggy beds while slaughtering others? I had to ask myself-in all seriousness-why don’t I just eat my dog? The realization helped me make up my mind once and for all. I realized that, until I stopped using my dollars to purchase meat or other products that are created through violence or cruelty, the suffering would never end. It wouldn’t stop because I wanted it to. It wouldn’t stop because I wished it would. If I really wanted to end cruelty to animals, I had to boycott it completely”

Alicia Silverstone
The Kind Diet

Alicia's book is a great place to start. She explains everything in great detail but keeps it interesting with tons of new recipes and tips for lifestyle changes. It's worth the read :)