We all think we are fair beings, that we can logically justify our actions. We can easily put two and two together but it feels like that once we enter the supermarket and head to the meat department, we are no longer logical creatures. As we put the neatly packed pieces of dead animals in our shopping cart, we shut our minds and our hearts to the voiceless creatures – we ignore the blatant fact that we are sponsoring the barbaric norms of the livestock industry with our actions and our money.

I’m guilty as charged. Although I don’t eat large amounts and I buy free-range, still, I do contribute. Or used to, until last week. I’ve been reading about animal farming and cruelty and I cannot ignore the reality anymore. I tried to become a vegetarian a couple of times in the past and I failed. It wasn’t hard but there were some inconveniences that made me give up. But I can no longer brush off the fact that there is no moral justification for eating meat, full stop.

When we grow up in a meat-eating society, this is just the normal thing to do. Meat and animal products are everywhere, everyone’s been doing it since the caveman, it tastes good, that’s what animals are for. But just because it’s an accepted practice, it does not mean it is right. Slavery was once accepted, women until a recent past could not vote, etc. Besides, the caveman ate wild animals or scavenged meat, fat and organs from dead animals left behind by their predators. They were not eating animals raised in overcrowded farm factories as are most cattle, chicken and pigs today. For those unfamiliar to what happens in those factories, please don’t turn the blind eye. Do your research. It’s “hell on earth”.

Humans have evolved since the stone age. Our large brains tell us that it’s wrong to inflict suffering and death on 56 billion animals a year because they taste good or for the convenience of having animal products readily available. I truly believe that most people think this way but find it hard to resist the temptation, break away from the norm and live up to their own moral beliefs.

But I also believe that the more individuals talk about these ethical issues, the more people will be confronted with their own personal beliefs about how animals should be treated and act accordingly. Collectively we can pressure governments to reform legislation and corporations to change practices to reduce the suffering of animals.

My journey toward an animal free diet began this week, I’m not turning vegan overnight but I’m removing as much animal products from my diet as possible because cruelty is wrong and eating a plant-based diet is the logical thing to do.

Learn more and make a difference:
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/
https://www.voiceless.org.au/