A BIG Thank you

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

 

Although most of my posts have had to do with restaurants, I'm not just a

vegan for the amazing food! And although I'm not the sort of person to go

around handing out flyers or showing videos, I just wanted to express my

respect for those who do.

 

I grew up mostly vegan (no eggs or milk and only white meat or fish once

or twice a month) but my parents never talked to me about why they didn't

eat meat. (I was allergic to eggs and milk.) When I became a teenager, I

was able to eat eggs and milk but stayed off the meat and fish. I knew I

liked animals and didn't want them killed for my food, but I never really

did research on slaughterhouse conditions, and I was one of those

vegetarians who ate gelatin because I didn't bother to look up the sources

of ingredients. At the end of my teen years, I went to Europe with my

best friend who was also veggie, but we had no money and ended up eating

meat if it was given to us.

 

When we returned, my friend stayed veggie (and eventually went vegan

shortly before I did) but I had very little self esteem and began to date

a meateater, so I ate meat too. Once we broke up, it took a few years of

still eating meat once in a while before I knocked it off for good.

 

I feel horrible about the years that I ate meat and I've thought about why

I did it. Mostly it had to do with not feeling good enough about myself

to take the time to care about others. Then I wonder, what would have

happened differently had I met people who were actively vegan/veggie?

 

Well, I had my answer last night. I went to the PFA in Berkeley to watch

a movie, and on our way back to the car, my husband and I (now vegan for 3

1/2 years) passed by a car on Telegraph Ave where two women were handing

out " try vegetarian " flyers and showing a video of pigs, presumably in a

slaughterhouse. As she held out a flyer, I said, " we're already vegan "

and kept walking by, taking enough time to see a whopping 3 whole seconds

of the video.

 

Although I have looked at many photos of horrible conditions, I've not

watched any footage of farms or slaughterhouses. The emotional reaction I

felt from seeing this poor pig with his mouth open, being " herded " with a

hooked stick in his ear was so strong that even as I write this posting, I

am starting to cry. What I saw was not surprising or new; I've read

plenty of literature on the subject, like " Fast Food Nation " and " Diet for

a New America " , and Matthew Shepherd's book " Dominion " , which is

particularly full of horror. I also volunteer at Wildcare, working with

injured wild animals, and I deal weekly with animals in pain and terror.

 

And yet I feel more sad and upset than I've ever felt about animals.

 

I wish that this had happened to me when I was younger so that I would not

have had those 2 years or so of eating animals. I think that showing

videos around town is a wonderful idea, and I can see how it would show

people things they never think about.

 

I want to thank those young women - who may be part of SFBAVEG - for

reminding me of how important my veganism is, and what it means to me.

 

Sincerely,

Emily