These videos center around the theme ‘Best Case Scenarios’ inspired by the realization that even animals that “have it good” are subjected to treatment we would consider horrific to endure ourselves. I share a few examples from my own life to illustrate the point. To learn about my journey from a meat-eating shark advocate to vegan click here.
The Shame of Point Reyes (Full Short Film)
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The landscape of one of my favorite "nature preserves" is completely dominated by cattle. That alone bothered me, but after a little research I discovered the environmental impacts of the cattle were devastating. But that was only the beginning; the real horror began when I discovered, first-hand, what happens on a dairy ranch. And these dairy ranches are the celebrated ones that we can supposedly feel good about our products being sourced from. It's a real wake up call for those willing to listen...A perfect example for the theme of 'Best Case Scenarios'.
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The Pig's Great Life
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Watching this screaming pig fight for it's life (and continuing to watch as it's throat was slit) wasn't a realization that our meat comes from killed animals, but more a realization that this pig lived a life that was an absolute dream compared to the vast majority of our factory farmed meat. So if this nightmare is a dream, can we even truly fathom the hell of factory farms?
This was the first inspiration for the theme of 'Best Case Scenarios' |
Kind Castration
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I grew up in a small town in the midwest where farming and livestock were primary ways of life. It's interesting to look back on those times and contemplate the psyche of the human mind. How was I at peace with what I was surrounded with, with what I participated in? Is it simply a factor of how easily influenced we are as children by seeing regularly what all the adults have taught us in normal, acceptable, and even good?
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Goat Cheese Farm
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As I've said a few times, this has been a journey for me, not just a quick decision. Part of the journey included attempts to continue to enjoy certain things I didn't want to let go of, such as the occasional cheese with wine. I figured if I went to the farm itself and observed acceptable living conditions for the animals that I could be at peace with purchasing my cheese from there. Instead this trip became another lesson in just how disconnected from reality we are.
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The Shame of Point Reyes: Part 1
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This "National Sea Shore" upon closer inspection seems to actually be a huge cattle ranch with the wildlife limited to fenced areas. I thought that was sad, but then I discovered, first hand, the horror of dairy farms.
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The Shame of Point Reyes: Part 2
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Babies! It's what's for dinner!
The existence of veal pens alone should stimulate people to take a long, hard look at the human race. The excuses and justifications are varied and plentiful, but in the end, they were all arguments to treat a baby animal like complete shit. Is that what we are? Creatures that fight for the right to abuse babies and their mothers? |
The Shame of Point Reyes: Part 3 (coming tomorrow)
The Pig: Full Text
On a 5 day, mostly vegetarian boat tour around some islands in the Philippines, one day the crew surprised us with a pork dinner. Apparently on one of the islands we stopped at the crew got a pig from a local farm and brought it on board. Everyone else on the boat was unaware of the pig’s presence, but then I heard some commotion and looked over the top deck onto the side of the boat. Some men were struggling with a burlap bag and I was beginning to hear animal sounds. When the bag was opened a screaming pig was pulled out. The ankles of both front and back legs were bound so the animal could do little more than wriggle and scream as the men grabbed it and carried it to the table in the back where it would be slaughtered.
It occurred to me that the pig had spent the hours from when it was brought on board in the night until dinner time the next day bound and inside that bag. Can you imagine yourself in its place and what it must have been going through? There was no doubt in my mind that pig sense it’s pending death as it fought in vain against the men who held it down then slit its throat. I watched the entire process…watched the life slowly leave the body of an animal that wanted to keep living.
Boo hoo, right? It’s just a pig. We’ve got to eat. That’s just the way it is. Millions of pigs are slaughtered every year.
That’s actually the point I’m getting at. This pig’s life was a relatively good one living on a small farm on an island in open space. In fact, this pig’s life was an absolute dream compared to the conditions that produce 98% of the meat we consume. And this “dream” life consisted of treatment we couldn’t even fathom enduring. What’s that say about the other 98%?
I don’t expect you to quit eating meat because you read/watched this. Just start with accepting the truth of best case scenarios for animals we’ve turned into commodities.
#mercy #coexistence #vegan #mercyforanimals #directactioneverywhere #thesavemovement #pig #death #watchinghumans #bestcasescenarios
On a 5 day, mostly vegetarian boat tour around some islands in the Philippines, one day the crew surprised us with a pork dinner. Apparently on one of the islands we stopped at the crew got a pig from a local farm and brought it on board. Everyone else on the boat was unaware of the pig’s presence, but then I heard some commotion and looked over the top deck onto the side of the boat. Some men were struggling with a burlap bag and I was beginning to hear animal sounds. When the bag was opened a screaming pig was pulled out. The ankles of both front and back legs were bound so the animal could do little more than wriggle and scream as the men grabbed it and carried it to the table in the back where it would be slaughtered.
It occurred to me that the pig had spent the hours from when it was brought on board in the night until dinner time the next day bound and inside that bag. Can you imagine yourself in its place and what it must have been going through? There was no doubt in my mind that pig sense it’s pending death as it fought in vain against the men who held it down then slit its throat. I watched the entire process…watched the life slowly leave the body of an animal that wanted to keep living.
Boo hoo, right? It’s just a pig. We’ve got to eat. That’s just the way it is. Millions of pigs are slaughtered every year.
That’s actually the point I’m getting at. This pig’s life was a relatively good one living on a small farm on an island in open space. In fact, this pig’s life was an absolute dream compared to the conditions that produce 98% of the meat we consume. And this “dream” life consisted of treatment we couldn’t even fathom enduring. What’s that say about the other 98%?
I don’t expect you to quit eating meat because you read/watched this. Just start with accepting the truth of best case scenarios for animals we’ve turned into commodities.
#mercy #coexistence #vegan #mercyforanimals #directactioneverywhere #thesavemovement #pig #death #watchinghumans #bestcasescenarios
