Everybody says they're against animal abuse. Yet, humans abuse and kill nearly 100 billion land animals and two trillion marine animals every year. It is the responsibility of each of us to not harm others and live in a way that aligns with our values.
Activism is critical because societal change does not come from complacency. Social progress has only come about when people stand up and push for change, from workers unions and labor laws to equality for women and people of color. The victims don't have time for us to wait, the place is here and the time is now.
Veganism is the idea that all animals have fundamental rights to their own bodily autonomy and to be free from needless cruelty and violence. Veganism is a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as is practicable and possible, all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, entertainment, testing, or any other purpose. It is the least one can do, to not contribute to animal cruelty.
While vegan diets can certainly be healthy, veganism is not about health or the environment.
In order to produce milk, dairy cows are forcefully impregnated (aka raped). Once they give birth, their babies are stolen and put into solitary confinement (or killed if male) and the cows are milked until they are exhausted, at which point they are slaughtered.
Learn more with our dairy playlist.
Egg-laying hens are some of the most mistreated creatures on our planet. They are stuffed into tiny battery cages, where they have about the size of a letter sheet of paper to move. They undergo forced molting (starvation) to force their bodies to produce more eggs. Moreover, all male chicks are ground up alive at birth, as they serve no use.
Learn more with our egg playlist.
It is a violation of fundamental rights to kill someone who doesn't want nor need to die. In addition, animals raised for their flesh face immeasurable cruelty and suffering during the process, and 99% of farming in the US is considered intensive "factory" farming.
Pigs routinely have pieces of their body cut off, are confined into farrowing crates so small that they can't turn around, and are eventually killed in gas chambers. Chickens are bred to be so large that they collapse under their own weight. Cattle are branded and have their horns cut off and bolted in the head in their last moments.
In all instances, no matter how the animal is treated before slaughter, it is clear at the slaughterhouse that they don't want to be there, that they want to live, as they make every effort to escape their premature death.
While the video below is centered around Australia, the methods mentioned are standard practice across the globe, including in the US. In fact, there is a pig slaughterhouse in Xenia where local residents have complained of the sound of pigs being gassed.
In addition to the disastrous ecological impact of the fishing industries, we kill nearly two trillion fish every year. About 40% of this is by-catch, fish that are not even the intended species. Fish are suffocated alive, and the oceans are destroyed in the process.
Learn more with our fish playlist.
Horses are routinely used in entertainment, both for carriage rides and as race horses. Once race horses are done, they are frequently killed in slaughterhouses. Carriage horses are frequently mistreated and forced to walk while in pain. This is animal slavery, as they do not give consent.
Fur farming is an incredibly cruel practice that involves trapping or breeding small animals to skin them and wear them. 12 animals can go into making a single fur coat.
Dominion is a 2018 documentary centered in Australia that reveals the cruel practices of animal farming.
Earthlings is a 2005 documentary about humanity's use of animals in food, clothing, entertainment, and testing.
Milk: Make Your Own Mind Up is a 2020 documentary by Joey Carbstrong that reveals the horrors of dairy farming.
The Most Important Speech You Will Ever Hear is a speech by Gary Yourofsky that will cause you to question your actions.
See our vegan playlist, intended to be watched in-order, that covers all important fronts for new vegans.