Helpless Cries
I became vegetarian when I was in my second year of university. I was taking a course about the food system and its connection with the land, resources, and the community. One day, the teacher showed a video about the truth of the meat industry to the class. My eyes were truly opened as I saw how cruel we humans are to animals. Pigs were shot in the head alive, calves were separated from the mother right after they were born, little male chicks were ground alive into meatballs, and so many other things that were unbelievable to me. I could hear the helpless cries of those animals as they were about to be killed. It’s a cry for help, a cry that’s telling us that they don’t want to die; they don’t deserve to die like that. At that moment, I finally realized that I couldn’t continue eating meat. Animals are just like us; they can feel sadness and fear, they want to survive, and be alive and free! I felt that I must also respect their lives – just the way I respect other people’s lives.
Liedia – Canada