“He who injures harmless beings from a wish to give himself pleasure, never finds happiness, neither living nor dead… He who permits the slaughter of an animal, he who kills it, he who cuts it up, he who buys or sells meat, he who cooks it, he who serves it up, and he who eats it, must all be considered as the slayers. There is no greater sinner than he who, though not worshipping the gods or the manes, seeks to increase his own flesh by the flesh of other beings.”
–The Laws of Manu V (Hindu Text)
While I personally believe that anyone who is physically capable should embrace a vegetarian or vegan diet, I do understand that we all have free will, something that can serve to progress or inhibit societal growth. I also do not disagree with ethical wild-game hunting, as this encourages the natural cycle our ancestors were a part of, ensuring that the animal’s life is respectfully taken by the hands of those who will consume its sustaining body.
Instead, and like most animal rights proponents, my aversion is toward factory-farming. The undeniably torturous conditions in which billions upon billions of animals are raised for food, clothing, entertainment, and cosmetic chemical experimentation (testing) is something every person should consider as they go about their lives. I URGE you with the fullness of my being to check out the links below. Each one of us has a direct impact on the world around us, and animal rights is one step in bettering the earth. May all beings be free of suffering.
VIDEO: Meet Your Meat
Chickens:
The Chicken Industry
www.chickenindustry.com
Factory Farming: Poultry
www.factoryfarming.com/poultry.htm
Kentucky Fried Cruelty
www.kfccruelty.com
Pigs:
Wikipedia: Intensive Pig Farming
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_pig_farming
Animal Liberation: Pig Farming
www.animalliberation.org.au/pigs.php
Factory Farming: Pork
www.factoryfarming.com/pork.htm
Cows:
Factory Farming: Beef
www.factoryfarming.com/beef.htm
GoVeg: Cows Used For Their Flesh
www.goveg.com/factoryFarming_Cows_Flesh.asp
Howard Lyman: The Mad Cowboy
www.madcowboy.com
Veal:
Say No To Veal
www.noveal.org
Free Farm Animals: Veal
www.freefarmanimals.org/vc_intro.htm
PETA: Veal
www.peta.org/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=102
Dairy:
Milk Sucks
www.milksucks.com
Unhappy Cows
www.unhappycows.com
Factory Farming: Dairy
www.factoryfarming.com/dairy.htm
Seafood:
Seafood is a grey area for many vegetarians. Some eat it, some don’t. Some eat only certain seafoods, and some abstain altogether. After lots of internet research, I found this gem of a site regarding fish, seafood, the environment, and health. Click on the name of the seafood on the left hand side of the page to see how each type is caught, what to avoid, and what is environmentally (and thus ethically) “safe:”
Seafood Watch: Seafood Guide
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx
The Seafood Watch homepage is located at http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp
The Fur Industry:
Fur Is Dead
www.furisdead.com
Inside the Fur Industry: Animal Factories
www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=56
Fur Information: A look at the Fur Industry
fur.elehost.com
Vegetarianism, Veganism, and health:
The Vegetarian Society
www.vegsoc.org
Vegan Health
www.veganhealth.org
VRG: Protein in the Vegan Diet
www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
Vegetarian Starter Kit:
Though I disagree with many of PETA’s fundamentalist tactics, they have a wonderful vegetarian starter kit available for free at their website. Please order one! Totally free. AFA also has a great free starter kit, and both links are as follows:
www.afa-online.org/starterpack.html
AND/OR:
www.vegetarianstarterkit.com
