I find it surreal to speak about nonviolence and then not be honest about the enormity of the violence caused by the brutal slaughter of 55 billion creatures each year who can feel pleasure, pain, boredom, fear and frustration. It simply makes no sense. If you want to be nonviolent, more than a vow or a badge is necessary, and fortunately you don't have to donate a penny! What you have to do is align your actions with your belief in nonviolence, and those actions begin with your next meal or your next shoe purchase. I don't know how anyone can take the notion of nonviolence or social justice seriously when they continue to support institutionalized exploitation of humans, nonhumans, and Planet Earth.
I find it surreal to speak about nonviolence and then not be honest about the enormity of the violence caused by the brutal slaughter of 55 billion creatures each year who can feel pleasure, pain, boredom, fear and frustration. It simply makes no sense. If you want to be nonviolent, more than a vow or a badge is necessary, and fortunately you don't have to donate a penny! What you have to do is align your actions with your belief in nonviolence, and those actions begin with your next meal or your next shoe purchase. I don't know how anyone can take the notion of nonviolence or social justice seriously when they continue to support institutionalized exploitation of humans, nonhumans, and Planet Earth.
For plenty of resources to help you go vegan, check out Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine at http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/index.html.
Childhood habits may indeed be hard to break, but habits that are violent deserve to be broken.
Mary Martin, Ph.D.