By Sarah Jacques
Round Table editor-in-chief
In the world today, the public has continued to believe the 1950’s principle that no meal is complete without a piece of meat and some dairy products. The meat and dairy industry is thriving now more than ever, what with the successful advertisements of fast food chains around the world and the old wives’ tale that one cannot maintain healthy amounts of protein without consuming meat.
This is why, in this society where anything short of a meat-based diet is considered “radical” or “hippy,” I have gone vegan.
The change was quite abrupt. I went from a girl who made sure (like the majority of the American population) to include milk and meat in every meal to switch them out for soymilk and Tofurky. But after learning the true story about the animal products industry, I couldn’t ignore the facts that told how the meat met my plate.
Avoiding gross detail, I will simply say that the way animals are treated by the meat industry is completely inhumane and obscene. Animals such as pigs, which have been proven to be smarter than the average three-year-old, and cows, animals that scientists have observed have relationships as complex as those of humans, are being brutally treated in order to satisfy the palate.
Cows and pigs are not the only animals whose health is deteriorating from the meat-based diet, but human health as well. The consumption of meat has largely been linked to heart disease and cancer, two of the most deadly yet common diseases, not to mention obesity.
And dairy products aren’t free from blame, either. Milk, a drink which throughout history has been considered a haven of calcium, may actually be linked to osteoporosis, a disease that deteriorates bones.
The meat-based diet has also harmed the environment. Rainforests and land are being cleared away to make more room to farm livestock and provide food for the animals. Not only has this destroyed the habitats of wildlife, but has also enflamed the global hunger crisis, taking land to grow food away from third world countries.
The meat industry is the number one pollutant of water, and flatulence emitted from livestock contains poisonous gases that are destroying the ozone. So, thanks to that burger, the world is being polluted by animals that are being treated cruelly.
After hearing all the negative news centered on my meat-based diet, I made the switch to vegetarianism for two months, and now have become vegan.
Temptations have definitely been rough. In my first two days of veganism I was offered hot, salty chicken tenders and sweet, milk-based Spanish pastries, but managed to turn them down, remembering my beliefs and feeling good about my decision.
The reactions of others have also strengthened my resolve. Some people do feel that vegetarianism is incredibly odd and unrealistic; while others wish they could make a difference through vegetarianism but feel they are unable to give up their favorite foods. When I can show others that through simple replacements they can enjoy food in a vegan way, it makes a huge, positive difference in the way they view veganism.
Veganism is definitely a struggle, especially where fast-food-eating and temptations are concerned, but I hope I can make this lifestyle last to protect animals, myself, and the planet.
