Animal Writings

Are you a nice person? Do you smile at strangers in the hall at work? Are you polite to salesclerks? Perhaps for lunch you had chicken. The chicken was killed at seven weeks old. Already by that time, he was at risk for a heart attack, because his upper body was bred to be so obese that his heart could not keep pace. Perhaps your heart will compel you to try the veggie chicken next time, which is not made with those cruelties.

Are you a nice person? Would you return a wallet to its owner if you found it? Maybe for a snack you had some yogurt. The dairy industry is built around stealing calves from their mothers, when they're two days old. What could be meaner than stealing an infant from his mother? The mothers bellow in despair, and look around for their missing calves for days or weeks. The calves, once taken from their mothers, do not get to drink their mothers' milk. That's reserved for humans, so they can eat yogurt and put cheese on their hamburgers (which may be the ground-up remains of the mothers, who are killed around five years old). The male calves are often shut in veal pens, where they are chained, denied all exercise, and fed an iron-deficient formula that makes them crave iron and makes their flesh become pale and soft, so restaurants can advertise their great veal chops. How could a nice person to this to such gentle animals? Try soymilk, or give it another chance if you tried it five years ago and didn't like it. Each brand has a unique flavor; some people prefer vanilla soymilk. Tofutti cream cheese tastes just like cream cheese; I guarantee you'll like it on a bagel.

Are you a nice person? Do you give clothes to Goodwill and put money in the Salvation Army box? Did you have any products with eggs this week? All those hens that lay all those eggs are bred in factories. Half the chicks are female; they become layers. The other half are male; they're killed on their first day of life. Common methods of killing include gassing, suffocation, being crushed, being chopped up in a woodchipper, or simply dying from exposure. The tiny chicks are peeping before they are killed. The laying hens are usually confined to areas so small that they go through life without ever being able to raise their wings. When their egg production drops, after one or two years, they're trucked to the slaughterhouse and killed to be made into soup. The number of laws that protect birds in the slaughterhouse is the same as it was in 1906, when Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle—none. Virtually any cruelty is allowed, including ripping the heads or wings off live chickens. The chickens, while hanging upside down by their feet, before their throats are slit, are dunked into electrically-charged water that paralyzes their muscles but does not render them insensible to pain. Is this nice? There are hundreds of eggless products that have recently come on the market. Bananas are a great replacement for eggs in pancakes. Amy's Tofu Scramble, for a frozen instant breakfast—made from tofu, at that—is pretty darn good. Even I was skeptical; now I eat it regularly.

Are you a nice person? You walk your dog every day. You hug him, feed him good food, and take him to the vet. You really love your dog. Are you going to have ham for Christmas? What about a BLT for lunch? Or sausage for breakfast? Here are excerpts from a recent investigation of a typical factory-style pig farm, the source of almost all pork products:


Veggie sausage and bacon tastes great. So do veggie versions of bologna, ham, and other lunchmeats. You can find these products easily in most grocery stores. Smart BBQ tastes like barbecue without the bitter aftertaste of cruelty. If you're not convinced to start transitioning away from pig-derived products, please look at these pictures taken during the investigation.

Holding the elevator door open for someone and saying thank-you to the cashier are all well and good. But these niceties are miniscule compared to the severe misery — excruciating physical pain, intense confinement, unending deprivation, sheer fright — to which you contribute when you buy meat and dairy products. The vast majority of farm animals live in conditions that are so horrid, if we had to endure them for even a few days many of us would beg for death. Please help end these animals' suffering. Go vegetarian. That is a nice thing to do.

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Related Resources:

Compassion Over Killing's Vegetarian Starter Guide. It is divided into sections on health, animal welfare, and recipes.

This vegan starter guide page from Vegan Outreach has a number of "how" and "why" articles for people just considervegetarianismansm, as well as for established vegans. Very informative and easy-to-read. Has many suggestions for off-the-shelf and home-cooked food.

Here's another nice thing you can do.