So let's just get right into it and let me ask what is the first thing you think of when you hear "vegan"? Weirdo, right? You'd rather just avoid them altogether because if you stick around, you'll be hearing one lecture after another on why eating meat is so horrible. You don't want me to pull out photos of abused animals or tell you you're eating Babe during your morning bacon and egg breakfast. Welp! I'm here to change you mind on the way you view vegans. ..hopefully.
I'll start off by saying yes, Adam and I watched a documentary and that was the initial cause of living this lifestyle. It was "What the Health" and before you roll your eyes and say "that documentary was a load of bull (literally) and he was exaggerating about everything", I AGREE. I agree that he over exaggerated on a whole lot and the way he approached certain scenarios were silly and questionable. It was one-sided but to be completely honest, it's supposed to be one sided...that was the whole point of the documentary; to turn meat eaters! Aside from that, I don't really care if he was over-exaggerating to make a point. There shouldn't even be an ounce of truth in what he was saying, but there was. That alone caused enough conviction and outrage in us to the point of taking all animal products out of our diet. (and in time, our products)
I've gone through a couple of different mindsets during this transition. ANYTHING that had to word "vegan" on it, I ate. Ok, not all vegan food is good food! I'm currently watching my soy intake because, I mean, cancer. When I was pregnant, I couldn't stand the taste of curry... and I think it led into postpartum Seleste. Sad. Until recently, I thought that humans weren't meant to eat meat. I didn't think it was biblical. I knew there was fishing, but nothing else. (I'm also not a huge Bible reader unfortunately, so don't judge me) It turns out in the VERY FIRST book of the Bible, God says every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And later on in Romans, it says "Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats." That completely redirected my attention. I do not think eating meat is wrong. I repeat! I do not think eating meat is wrong! BUT I do think there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it.
Do you know where your food is coming from? Do you know what people are injecting into your food? Do you know how they were treated? Do you care? If not, bye.
I understand the ignorance; I used to be that way. I didn't want to see it or hear it. I just didn't want to know because if I knew, I'd feel guilty. Welp. I know now. There's no un-knowing it. Factory farming is disgusting. The living conditions of these animals are the conditions of a freakin' concentration camp. These animals are pulled from their mothers at birth, and then injected with GMOs to make them grow 10x bigger and faster than they should, and then tortured from neglect and mass production, then slaughtered at the age of 6 weeks. ....we're eating that. I know I know; they're not human. But if a human is capable of treating an animal (who has the capacity to feel love, be scared, and be heartbroken) this way, there's no doubt in my mind they're capable of treating a human the same way. I joke by saying this, but I feel like there's some truth to it: the people who torture and slaughter these animals are murderers that are trying to contain their sickness by keeping it in a legal barrier.
Now, there is a good way to do this if you're a meat eater. Free range. Organic. Do your research. The stress level and living conditions effect the taste as well. (my heart just broke a little wile typing that)
We have decided to keep this vegan lifestyle because we are animal lovers and its done wonders for my health. We know it's not for everyone, so we don't force our opinions on other people. We also don't judge you. I have so much passion for animals and the way they are treated, but I will never be standing in the middle of the street with a sign reading "meat eaters are murderers". I am aware that it is the circle of life, but I'm also aware there is a better way to do things...in a loving way. With that said, fellow vegans, PLEASE don't pass judgment on those that eat meat! The most we can do is be happy with the way we are living life and if someone asks (because they WILL ask), we'll tell them and hopefully they'll try it! And meat eaters, PLEASE don't have this generalization about vegans. There are many shapes and sizes. We're not all on the same page and that's life.
Now, DON'T GET ME STARTED on the Yulin Dog Meat festival in China because I WILL stand in the middle of the street with a sign, and maybe taser. I'm going to save those doggies. You watch.