|
October 2, 2008
I have begun re-reading “Diet for A New America”, an amazing book by John Robbins, a book that had a profound effect on me in my early days as a vegan. I had become vegan based on concern for the wellbeing of animals alone and this book introduced me to a whole spectrum of reasons to be vegan, leading me to believe that it is a lifestyle choice that every person should be making, regardless of their individual values. There is a reason for every person. There is no excuse to still be consuming animal products.
Another thing that this book opened my eyes to, is the corruption of governments and their willingness to lie endlessly to the public in order to obtain revenue. I consider myself to be somewhat of an economist, as it is a subject that I am quite intrigued by, it is one of the few classes at school that apply to real life and the world around me. Something that economics has shown me is that profit maximization is the number one goal of every organization, except for, of course, non-profit organizations. Business can be dirty, corrupt, but the overwhelming desire for money has an incredible ability to block out rational thinking and compassion.
Slave labor and the food animal industries are perfect examples of this, of how industry turns living, breathing, thinking, feeling beings, human and non-human, into expendable resources. This year in economics, we have studied how the Government is essentially, a large firm. As much as we’d all like to think that the government has our best interests at heart, and although in many instances it may, it is still largely driven by a desire for the dollar.
The New Zealand government’s number one source of revenue is through the agricultural and pastoral sector. New Zealand is known as a farming country, it’s something that a lot of kiwis are very proud of, the majority of us have grown up on a farm or knowing people who own farms. In this small country, we have one monopsonist who produces all of the commercially produced dairy solids in New Zealand, Fonterra.
Being a vegan still at school, my internet access is controlled by an internet provider called SINA, which is supplied by the Ministry of Education, part of the government. This provider is in place to prevent students from accessing pornography and social networking sites on school computers, basically anything that could be considered distasteful or illegal. I find it very interesting to note that as a student, I am banned from almost all animal rights sites, and anything to do with veganism. However, I don’t find it surprising at all.
Fonterra, (it is sometimes called Fonterror by those who are less than happy with their exploitation of the land and animals) is New Zealand’s largest multinational monopsonist, who is the sole purchaser of all of the dairy solids produced here. It is owned co-operatively by more then eleven thousand dairy farmers. It is the world's leading exporter of dairy products, and the sixth largest dairy company in the world.
I can get onto the Fonterra website instantly, without a proxy. This would mean that if anybody was to ever do some form of research assignment on the food animal industry, the resources that they have access to will only be showing one side of the story, most likely a very equivocational one, about how cows just love having their babies torn from them, so that they may supply us with their breast milk.
What I do find rather upsetting, is that the government is so determined to disallow its young people from free thinking. It has indoctrinated us with its meat eating, dairy guzzling ideals all of our years of education; teachers are employed by the Government, we are taught only material that the government allows, our health system is run by the government. We are told that slaughterhouses are an important part of our country, as the export of carcasses is one of our biggest industries. We are told that it is healthful to eat meat for dinner, followed by a glass of milk. We aren’t told that meat, eggs and dairy have the highest fat content of all foods and that high fat foods are linked directly to strokes, heart attacks, diabetes and cancer of the colon, breast, prostate and bowel, as well as many other life threatening and severely debilitating diseases. Why? Because we might break our spending patterns. Because we might think to ourselves, “I actually want to live a long and healthy life.”. Because it’s much easier to continue to believe the same lie that we have been swallowing for as long as any surviving generation can remember. It’s too easy.
Supply and demand, a simple economic concept. If nobody wants it, nobody will sell it, because there is no money to be made. If New Zealanders stopped eating meat overnight, the farming and slaughter of animals would decrease rapidly, although I cannot say that it would stop altogether, if there were still an overseas market for it. If we, as a country, demanded fruits and vegetables and grains, our farms would be converted to grow these things, because the consumer is king. Producers will produce exactly what it is we demand. As a whole, society demands animal products, and so, animal products will continue to be produced. Unfortunately that’s just the way it is.
Ignorance keeps the average New Zealander content with the food they are consuming, led to believe that they are going to grow healthy and strong, never being ill or deficient in any way, as animal products have been marketed as super-foods. Anybody who has read a medical journal or a well-researched book on nutrition will know that this is an utter lie. A plant-based diet is by far the best for a human body, indeed the way God originally intended it. Genesis 1:29 "And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food'”
Society cannot be blamed for its ignorance. This reflects only how the government has shaped them to be. If more people were aware of the treatment of animals in labs, farms, slaughterhouses and zoos, more people would be making an informed decision to abstain from the practise of enslaving these beings. Informing people of these crimes committed against all those who love and feel, is an important part of being a vegan, I feel. Who else will represent our helpless brothers and sisters? I see no end to the violence and hatred in the world while we are still, as a whole, content to consume food derived from agony and death. We will never experience true equality while it is still acceptable to confine and exploit a living, feeling being. Cages will still be shining in the fluorescent light, stacked from floor to ceiling, crammed full of bald hens. Cows will scream in fear, as they are herded into the slaughterhouses that dot the beautiful New Zealand countryside. Butcher shops will still be on the main street of town, bold paint and bright colours boasting glad wrapped limbs. Every third person's father will still be a dairy farmer, every second girl will be wearing make up tested in the eyes of rabbits.
As long as there is profit to be made at the expense of the well-being of animals, lives will be cast aside, because, as any good business man or woman knows, profit maximisation is the number one goal of any firm. The wool is over the eyes of the rational consumer, and it keeps them cosy and warm.
July 10, 2008 Vegetarianism is growing. I have noticed it over the past two months. There is an awakening of consciences sweeping through my immediate realm. More and more I am finding compassionate fellowship with friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances. For once, I am not the only one overcome with disgust when dining in social situations. For once, I am not being so severely ostracized for my beliefs. Young people are, it appears, opening their eyes and seeking alternatives to the corpses their families try to pass off as food. It’s amazing, and incredibly pleasing me to have growing numbers of allies in the war against speciesism. In my group of close friends, there is almost an even number of vegetarians as there are meat-eaters. Admittedly, the only two vegans are myself and Pete, but to me, vegetarianism is a vast improvement from meat eaters. I hope that their vegetarianism will evolve naturally into veganism as they become more educated about the farming of animal products and the cruelty embedded in these practices. It proves to me that through the shining example of a few, many others become aware that consuming animal products is barbaric and unnecessary, a “norm” which must be rebelled against, an injustice we must rise up and fight. By being around my peers and behaving in a way that could be perceived as normal teenage behaviour, I have helped to breakdown a lot of the stigma surrounding veganism in society. They see that I’m just as happy as them, that I’m perhaps even “normal“, and I’m abstaining from something that they take for granted at every meal.
Our school just had its annual Cabaret (equivalent to the senior prom, I think) and being the Head Girl, I have had quite an active role in the organization and execution of the event itself. An area which I was largely involved in was the catering, which meant that I was in a position to ensure that vegetarians and vegans were well fed on the night, because in the past, such events meant I had had to starve, due to a lack of food for the compassionate amongst the masses. Also, I knew that this year, there would be more than the odd one or two herbivores to feed, because, as I mentioned earlier, vegetarianism is growing. It was pleasing to know that these people could now enjoy the night as wholeheartedly as others attending, because they weren’t constantly having little morsels of death wafted under their noses. As it happens, a lot of meat eaters were opting for the vegetarian and vegan food rather than the meat because it was just so good. This was really pleasing to me and I got a lot of positive feedback about it from vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. However, in regards to the Cabaret, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for me being a vegan. Setting up for the night was a big task, meaning that we had to stay behind after school, some evenings some dedicated workers remained until two in the morning, in an effort to get the decoration finished. This meant that we were all dining together in the staffroom, in a bid to save time and get more work done. Although vegetarianism is growing noticeably, I am still the only herbivore on the Senior Council. One particular night, the usual jokes about how much they were all looking forward to devouring the animal laid out before them came and something inside of me snapped. A realization dawned that these people were heckling the very cause that I am seeking to devote my life to, the cause I see as my purpose. I was sick of being the butt of their jokes, I was sick of humouring these people who were supposed to be my friends, my team mates. I hated how I was mocked for caring. I was weary of having to defend myself against those too blind to see the poison they were being fed. I demand respect, yet still I yearn for understanding. I said to
them, in what was perhaps a louder voice than I had intended, “Do you want
to know why I am vegan? Because I love you. That’s right, because I love
each and every one of you. I’m vegan because I haven’t let years of social
conditioning and brainwashing and corporate advertising dull the beat of
my heart or block out the voice of my conscience. I’m vegan because I love
the earth and I care about the fate of all who inhabit it, human or not.
I’m vegan because I don’t want to pollute my body with death and despair.
It hurts me that you think it’s ok to tease me for that, but it hurts even
more to know that you all think it acceptable to eat what you are about to
eat. A life was taken, stolen, ended for it.” “This is the path I was chosen to walk. This is my purpose. Did you ever stop and think about that? Do you even think at all? Or is it easier to let someone else think for you, for the government to dictate what is ethical and healthful for you to consume? You don’t care, nor do you want to. And I do. I’m always going to be different from you, if that is the case. I know it’s easy to pick on those who are different, just like you use the justification of physical differences to allow you to eat the animal that died for you tonight, without a trace of guilt. But by persecuting me for the way I live, you only strengthen my resolve, you add fuel to the flame that burns in me. I will not stop, I‘ve woken up and smelt the death and corruption. Isn‘t it about time you did too?” I got really worked up, if I’m telling the truth, and it shocked them. I’m always eager to have lively debates with them, but tonight I was overflowing with passion and perhaps even anger. I got an apology from them; they knew they had genuinely upset me. Their apologies meant little to me, they put death in their mouths, and death comes out, in the form of lies and insults. You are what you eat after all, and each one of them was as dull as the flesh they so greedily consume. As you can see, this single experience really cut to the core of my being and it really only made me more determined. I’m not the sort of person who is weakened, in fact I’m really stubborn. Pete and I were talking about it afterwards, and I said to him, “I know I’m fighting an uphill battle, against something which has become so ingrained in everyday life, but it’s a battle I’m going to fight without ceasing, with every ounce of strength in my existence.” I leave no room for weakness, I leave no room for second guessing anymore. Veganism is who I am, and who I always will be. If people are made uncomfortable by the way I am, good! Their discomfort is for a good reason, I’m saying no to injustices, while they are simply turning their backs to them, blocking their ears, numbing their senses and carrying on with their cosy little lives. If only it were that easy. Unlike those I’m fighting for, I have a voice, a God-given gift, and I am going to use it.
Vegan Relationship Survey How do you describe the extent to which you take your veganism? I don't really think there should be any variation of commitment when
it comes to Veganism, for if one isn't striving to eliminate all cruelty
from their life in every possible way, they aren't, in my opinion,
Vegan. It is a complete way of being, and it's not something that you
can have a half-hearted attitude about. It is life encompassing.
Veganism is a huge part of who I am, I will take it is as far as I
possibly can until all cruelty is eliminated from every aspect of my
life. Veganism is incredibly important to me and I take the suffering of
animals very seriously. My parents dislike my being vegan, simply because it means I am constantly challenging them about their ethics and choices. They sometimes say to me, "Can't you just be normal?" to which I reply, "I'd rather be regarded as a freak than be cruel and ignorant." They long for a daughter that accepts what society tells her she should accept, one that will sit down, shut up, and eat what they put on her plate. A daughter they shall indeed, never have in me. Nevertheless, they do allow me to be vegan, and for that I am forever grateful. They worry about my health but all in all, they tend to leave me to my own devices. The only way they have changed their attitude towards my veganism
over time is that they have stopped teasing me as much. They also
sometimes tell extended family members to leave me alone when they are
hassling me about my differences from them. I live with four non-vegans. They are my immediate family, mother and father, younger brother and sister. It is working out okay, they taunt me at times, just as I challenge and debate with them constantly. It can be disheartening at times, to spend my day researching about
animal rights issues, or writing animal rights based works, or informing
people in my school about how they can help to eliminate animal cruelty
and then come home to a family sitting down to a meal comprised of pain
and suffering. But, to be honest, it makes me more determined to expose
the truth about animal products to people like them, people who have a
stubbornness to follow the traditional ways that they have been brought
up with, regardless of how wrong they may be. My veganism is indeed related directly to the influence of a relationship. In fact, my veganism is directly related to my relationship with every life form on the face of this beautiful earth and born out of my concern for the wellbeing of those beings, despite our physical differences. Also, I was introduced to the brilliance of veganism by a school
research report written by my friend Punawai, who was at the time, the
caretaker at the Gentle world property in Kaitaia. Having always loved
animals and growing up on a farm where I was constantly confronted and
heartbroken by the death of the creatures I had loved and cared for,
Veganism came as a ray of light, shining glory and hope into a dark
existence. Once protected from the harsh realities of the industries
profiting excessively from animal cruelty, a burning desire to expose
these injustices was awoken within me. I would consider Gary Yourofsky to be one of my heroes, for his uncompromising stance on animal rights. He is someone whose actions reflect his ethics always, he is dedicated to educating people about animal rights issues and his vegan articles are well-written and inspiring, two things I value greatly in a person. I look up to this man a great deal and have so much respect for what he is doing. Also, I have always loved Pamela Anderson as a celebrity and her vegetarianism always inspired me in my youth. All activists inspire me though, anybody who has the strength to
stand up and fight such a socially accepted injustice is a hero in my
eyes. I have influenced three friends to become vegetarian, one of whom
evolved to become a vegan. I have high hopes for the other two also.
Also, I have offered support and advice to those who were independently
considering a vegan lifestyle for themselves. People say they are
influenced by my writing, my constant discussions and willingness to
soundly support my arguments, my own personal dedication, by lending
resources, by giving speeches about veganism at my school; just by
talking about it with others and by not being afraid to fight for what I
know to be true. Since my last catastrophe of a relationship with a non-vegan, yes. A
firm yes. Yes, I would strongly object, as my beliefs comprise a huge part of who I am and animal rights is something I am really, really passionate about, it is something I want to dedicate my life's purpose to. I cannot be in a relationship with someone who is willing to accept cruelty. Veganism is to me, a continuous journey, along which, more and more cruelty will be eliminated from my life. Having a partner who is not vegan, is bringing cruelty into my life. Being able to share veganism with my boyfriend is one of the greatest joys in my life, to know that I am creating a deep personal bond with somebody who also believes that a sensate life is not simply a disposable resource in a production process, a way to make a profit. I simply could not date someone who eats animal products, it would
destroy me. Veganism is me. It's who I am and I'm never going to change.
No relationship could ever be worth compromising my beliefs. I know of no unhealthy vegans. I don't know any unfit, overweight,
constantly ill vegans. I have also noticed in myself a greater
resilience to illness, weight loss, being able to listen to what my body
is telling me more clearly, better condition of skin, nails and hair and
an ability to become physically fit much more easily. People are shocked usually, followed by curiosity. Some people like to challenge my veganism, some people scoff and think of me as stupid, while others congratulate me and offer me encouragement (non-vegans do this, which I find odd, because if they herald vegans so greatly, why not become vegan themselves?) A lot of people have weird, pre-conceived ideas of what I must be
like as a person based on the fact that I am vegan. I must be an
un-educated, bi-sexual, promiscuous, tree-hugging, unemployed, hairy,
bra-less, unkempt hippy simply because I firmly abjure the mistreatment
of my fellow sensate beings. I think both are as open as one another, but it's social constraints that make men more unwilling to admit their compassion for animals. Society dictates that the New Zealand man should be tough, beer swigging, hairy and out killing animals all day whilst grunting incomprehensibly to his "mates", whereas it is more acceptable for a woman to show love and compassion towards animals. I think more men would be publicly open to veganism if it weren't for
the social stigma of vegan men being "weak" and "pansy". I don't see
veganism as emasculating at all, in fact I see it as quite the opposite.
As a vegan woman I find it incredibly sexy to see an empowered man, a
man unafraid of what others think because he is willing to see outside
of his immediate realm and into the lives and suffering of others. This
is, to me, what comprises a true man. A man who follows the crowd is the
weak one. My friendships with non-vegans will never be the same as those I have
with vegans because to me, being with my non-vegan friends and seeing
their almost eager willingness to accept animal cruelty, makes me feel a
strong disharmony in our relationship. It is a boundary which I find
difficult to overcome, because it is something I feel so strongly about
and their uncaring attitude becomes all I can see in them. There isn't
that element of ostracisation in my vegan friendships so it's one less
barrier to overcome in that respect. I am definitely more compassionate towards others, which I view as a
natural progression of character since becoming vegan. I am less
tolerant of ignorance and cruelty, I am also more understanding of
people who are misunderstood and stereotyped, as I have experienced that
on account of my veganism. My family has two dogs, one cat (all three of which are carnivores, my parents refuse to feed them vegan) and two vegan cows. When I am living independently, my dogs will definitely be vegan but
at this point in time, I don't have the authority to make that choice. I don't think it has much, as I have always had an affinity with animals. The only difference is now I can look an animal right in the eye and feel happy in my heart, knowing that I will never consume anything that came from this beautiful creature's torment and death.
June 16, 2008
Compassion is a tenet which is
core to most vegans' lifestyles and influences most of their day to day
decisions. The dictionary defines compassion as "a suffering with another;
an act of mercy".
June 9th, 2008
I have been invited to write regularly on this site by the very charming Angel, from Gentle World. Gentle World is the organization that in fact, planted the seed which led me to become vegan. We agreed that this blogspot should begin with a brief bio about me, and my journey with Veganism so far.
I am a seventeen year old girl and I am lucky enough to call the beautiful country, New Zealand, my home. I was raised in your average, meat and three vegetables family, and up until two years ago, Veganism was an obscure and foreign concept to me.
I had grown up knowing no vegetarians and never questioning the slaughter of animals for food, despite my fervent love of all creatures. I suppose, like many children, I was reluctant to join the dots and accept that the animals I loved so dearly, lost their lives simply so I could enjoy a Happy Meal.
However, with the onset of my teenage years, I began to realize that there was something inherently wrong with the way that everybody around me was living, including myself. I desired strongly to give up eating flesh, as it sickened me to know where it really came from. But admittedly, it was harder for me to stand up for what I believed in than I had expected.
Living in a strongly agricultural society, people often become bristly when their livelihoods are being questioned by the very lifestyle choices of an individual. My parents were not very fond of the idea; I was often made to feel, by many people I knew and loved, that my decisions were unpatriotic and unsupportive of the New Zealand way of life.
It took a research report on veganism, written by my beautiful friend Punawai, to open my eyes and realize that the New Zealand “way of life” was something I wasn’t ok with. She and her father were the caretakers at Gentle World one winter and she spoke to me about veganism. Her research report spurred me on to carry out an investigation of my own, and after reading “The Vegan Sourcebook”, by Joanne Stepaniak, I became a vegan immediately and have not looked back.
Having my eyes opened to veganism was a truly life-changing experience; I would have never imagined that there was cruelty ingrained into so many areas of modern society. People I talk to are as surprised as I was to learn that the everyday commodities that they take for granted have been purchased at the cost of another being’s freedom, and in many cases, life.
Veganism has made me a more compassionate person; it has made me appreciate all life forms. It has led me to question my consumption patterns and alter them to line up with my beliefs. People are so quick to jump in and say, “I’m against animal cruelty". And yet they go home and consume animal products without blinking an eye. I fail to see how murder can be interpreted as anything but cruel, it’s truly amazing how willing people are to live their life by a double standard, simply because it's convenient and socially acceptable.
Being a vegan in a non-vegan world means that I am learning things about human nature, the economy, animal rights issues and so much more, on a daily basis. By choosing to exclude animal products from my diet, the way I see the world has altered considerably. Ignorance is no longer something I embrace, but rather, reject keenly. The truth has set me free from the mindless, excessive consumption that so many youths revel in.
I couldn’t be happier.
At the end of the day, only I can decide how much I will contribute to the atrocities committed in this world, and it is only to my own conscience, nobody else’s (thank goodness) that I must answer to. Veganism has become such a huge part of who I am and hopefully, through the way I behave, more and more people will become educated about animal rights issues and begin to question their own ethical standard.
I am the Head Girl (kind of like Class President) at my school, Kaitaia College and so I have the opportunity to discuss these issues with many young people on a daily basis. It is really important to me to inform them about how their everyday decisions impact on so many other lives, as they are less stubborn about their eating habits than the older generation.
Also, the young people who have become vegan have provided enthusiastic support for campaigns I have done both at school and within the community. I plan to do many more before I leave and their zeal makes things so much easier for me. I am forever grateful to them.
Watching other people becoming impassioned about the fate of the world and all things in it is truly one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. I have seen three other people become vegan in the time that I have known them and numerous others become vegetarian. I have no doubt that these numbers will continue to swell considerably as time wears on, as the consciousness of those around us expands.
Activism is a passion of mine and I hope to one day make it my career. I feel that God has put me here to help create as much awareness on behalf of the voiceless as possible.
My other interests are writing and literature, cooking (although I am rather terrible at it), music (listening to it, not playing), Christianity, friendships and animals.
My boyfriend Pete shares my passion for animal rights and it warms my heart more than almost anything to see him impassioned about veganism.
It is my hope that this blog will provide an interesting, entertaining and educating insight into the everyday trials and triumphs of a young vegan.
|
The Everyday Trials
"Unlike those Brooke Gore
"I know I'm fighting an uphill battle, against something which has become so ingrained in everyday life, but it's a battle I'm going to fight without ceasing, with every ounce of strength in my existence."
Brooke & Daisy |
