I was watching
CBS This Morning (which I watch almost every morning). I respect the co-hosts and their attempts to make the news both serious and entertaining when the topic is appropriate.
However there have been some comments made by the co-hosts lately that I have found troubling. The first one was made by
Gayle King in response to sad pictures of so many animals being stressed and killed by the killer fires in Australia. She indicated how much sympathy she felt for them. I agree that this is a tragic situation for the animals and for the people of the land down under.
This particular response to animals who are abused or injured is a good one; these situations receive a lot of press and sympathy from people. What really bothers me as a vegan is that so many people are moved by what is happening to these animals but many of these people do not want to know and/or think about the violence that takes place with farm animals every day in slaughterhouses all over the world so that the animal's flesh can be eaten. The animals are forced to line up and it has been shown that they fear what is coming soon - they know it will not be kind to them. Someone I know called this "
born to be slaughtered". In fact, 150 million animals are slaughtered world-wide every day and this gets no attention or no press. It concerns me further when the topic of meat alternatives is a news item to cut down on meat production to reduce animal violence, the climate and/or health,
Gayle King feels the need to indicate that she loves to have a
hamburger or
Tony Dokoupil dismisses the issues of vegans in a mocking way by saying "
they only represent 4% of the population anyway".
It is sad that the meat industry is such a threat to those who should be on the side of truth - journalism is supposed to teach and support the truth.
The public is not allowed to see the slaughterhouses or the way that animals are treated before slaughter when they are put in unclean and small little pens, and treated like a commodity, not a living, breathing creature sharing the planet with us.
In closing, there are many meat-free alternatives available now and recipes for so many vegan goodies. I encourage everyone to try them.
To move toward a more plant-based diet can be any individual's way to live every day knowing that your own personal efforts are playing a part in reducing animal violence, cow production of methane gas and pig lagoons, burning of forests for cattle grazing, and improving your and your family's health.
