Above is yet another HSUS investigation revealing systematic cruelty to American dairy cows.
THIS, FOLKS, IS WHERE MILK COMES FROM.
Just a few years ago, after I decided to give up meat (as a result of an overwhelming sense of guilt and disgust), I remained willfully unconscious about the nature of the dairy and egg products I was still eating.
It was easy for me to associate the pain of slaughter with pieces of meat on a plate of chicken or fish, but milk, for instance, remained an abstract “product.” It took me about two years to finally make the connection.
Could I really believe that dairy cows were going to be any better off, or reach a happier end, than a broiler chicken or a tuna? Of course not.
Moral schizophrenia is one of humanity’s more impressive mindtricks, and what I was doing was just telling myself, “I don’t want to think about this now.”
But, then the sense of hypocrisy just grew until there wasn’t much more room in my life for both of us. Seeing videos and reading books about the kind of thing you see above, was like another alarm clock going off — waking me up to the nonsense of my excuses.
These innocent beings are mothers. They’ve already given their offspring, the milk intended for their offspring, their health and their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, even on the last days of their lives, they are abused, tortured and “finished” without a thread of dignity or kindness.
The good news is that no one needs to support or partake in this anymore.
You don’t even have to give up “milk” and “cheese” — there are huge new industries evolving around plant-based alternatives and it’s just a matter of time before these cruelty-free alternatives become a lot more convenient in most places.
If you feel motivated to try alternatives, I highly recommended the website and podcasts of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. If you’ve had enough of the brutality you see in the video above and feel angry or sad, but don’t know how to replace milk products with something more compassionate (and healthier for you!), CompassionateCooks.com is the place to go.
Or join us at a a Vegan Social Club of Beijing event and ask your friendly neighborhood vegan for ideas on implementing a diet that is cruelty-free.
