Definition
The definition we use for the "vegetarian
diet", generally accepted around the world, is a diet that includes
fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, Dairy products, eggs and honey.
The Dairy Industry
The Dairy industry is inextricably linked
to the Beef industry. Unwanted calves, both female and male, are either
sent directly to slaughter, as "vealers", or become beef cattle, to be
killed later as adults.
After a lifetime of service to the dairy farmer, many (if not all) older
cows, who are no longer producing as the farmer requires, are also
killed for meat. The Dairy cow is forced to become pregnant, so she can
produce milk for vegetarians' cornflakes and coffee. The only way that
the cow's milk can be given to humans is to deprive the calf of its
natural milk. So, the calf is taken away from the cow, which is very
distressing to the mother cow, as any human mother can imagine. Can you
imagine the outcry if humans did this to human mothers? It did happen to
the Australian Aborigines, with appropriate outrage! Not to be outraged
by this behaviour, is to be "speciesist". Would you support or condone
this industry?
The Egg Industry
Many billions (yes billions) of chickens
and other egg-laying birds are kept in small cages their entire short
lives, to produce eggs. A small percentage of these birds are kept in
"Free-range" conditions. Most (if not all) birds are killed for meat
when their egg production falls below the farmer's economic level. Male
chicks and some female chicks, even in free-range farms, are killed as
unwanted animals. Both the "battery-hen" and Free-range farming systems
kill birds when they are unwanted. So the egg industry is involved in
killing many billions of birds each year. Would you support or condone
this industry?
battery caged hens - a life sentence |
Conclusion
As many billions of animals are exploited, suffer and are killed, in
the Dairy and Egg Industries, and the vegetarian diet includes eggs and
dairy products, it is obvious that the vegetarian diet is directly
responsible for and supports the exploitation, ongoing suffering and
killing of animals.
Many people increase the quantity of dairy products and eggs in their diet when they become vegetarian.
When this is true, we can truly say that the vegetarian diet is more cruel than the omnivore diet, a sobering thought.
As Vegans, we do not support or condone
the exploitation, suffering and killing of animals. So how can we as
Vegans support vegetarian groups?
It has been said that the vegetarian diet
is a stepping-stone to the Vegan diet. If this is true, it is only due
to the shortcomings of the Vegan movement in not making it very clear to
omnivores that the vegetarian diet actively supports the suffering and
killing of animals.
As Vegans, let's not "sit on the fence"
on this issue. Let's actively campaign to make sure that any vegetarian
we come into contact with is not left in any doubt as to the cruelty
involved in the vegetarian diet.
Furthermore, rather than support the
vegetarian "movement", let's instead, use that time, money and effort to
promote the Vegan movement, as we strive to create a gentle world!
Reposted from : vegansworldnetwork
Reposted from : vegansworldnetwork