Eating is a big part of the human experience, but interestingly, many people don’t think much about what they’re eating, or what took place before it got to their plate. I believe that if more people were aware of what exactly they’re supporting with their dollars, they would be horrified. Knowledge and awareness are important, so I think it’s important to question the things we do, especially something we do regularly and so often, like eating.

This post is a challenge to people who consume eggs, dairy and meat. It’s an opportunity to face some direct questions and to really be honest with yourself.

On to the questions!

1. Could you personally kill a baby chick?

   Picture one of those cute little yellow chicks in front of you. Could you put the little guy in a blender and press the on button? Or could you ever put that chick in a plastic bag, and keep it tightly shut, until he dies? If the answer to those questions is no, then you probably shouldn’t be eating eggs, as eating eggs supports the maceration or suffocation of billions of baby male chicks, who are useless to the egg industry. That is standard practice, worldwide. As Wikipedia states, “it occurs in all industrialised egg production whether free range, organic, or battery cage.”

   In addition to being a cruelty-based product, eggs are not even legally allowed to be called “healthy” or “nutritious”, due to the high amount of cholesterol and saturated fat, which studies have shown increase the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Also, eggs cannot even be referred to as “safe” because as Dr. Michael Gregor says, “more than a hundred thousand Americans are food poisoned by Salmonella from eggs every year.”

   Please reconsider eating eggs, for all the reasons above, and as a firm statement against treating God’s creation like garbage.

2. Could you permanently separate a calf from his mother?

   With your own hands, could you permanently separate a newborn calf from his mother, whose natural instinct is to nurture and love her baby? If the answer is no, then please reconsider your consumption of dairy, since cow-calf separation is standard practice in the dairy industry, not only in factory farms, but even on the smaller, so-called “humane” farms.

   Cow-calf separation is just one of the many cruel practices that take place daily, in the dairy industry. The entire industry is incredibly exploitative and cruel. In a nutshell, we force the mother cow to become pregnant so that she will lactate, we steal her baby, causing deep distress to both the mother and the baby, just so we can take the milk that was meant for the calf.  If the calf is male, he is either killed shortly after birth or sold to be raised for veal or beef.   Meanwhile, the mother cow is basically enslaved as a milking machine, then forced to go through that same cruel cycle year after year, having her babies taken away from her, exploited for her milk until she is so worn out she can’t go on anymore. At that point she is slaughtered, usually for cheap hamburger meat. If you haven’t already seen it, please take 5 minutes to watch this short but powerful video, Dairy is Scary.

3.  Could you ever personally slaughter a pig or a cow? (In a non-survival situation)

   Picture a pig or cow in a slaughterhouse, who clearly wants to live. Could you personally stab him in the throat and kill him, when the animal means you no harm, and there are other options available? If the answer to that is no, please think about the fact that you are paying someone else to do something you wouldn’t be able to do…not simply because it is messy, but because it would go against your conscience.

   Many people love animals and would never want to intentionally harm them. Most people wouldn’t dream of intentionally harming their beloved dog, who trusts and adores them. Yet those same people pay others, on a daily basis, to not only harm an animal, but to exploit, terrorize and torture innocent, sentient animals who have a strong will to live.

   We, as individuals and as a society, have the ability to stop the unnecessary horrors that take place everyday. It’s about supply and demand. As there is less demand for animal products, there will be less exploitation, abuse and needless killing. These cruel industries will slowly but surely go out of business, if more and more people choose to no longer support it with their dollars.

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