More from Maddy

You know when you leave somewhere, and you think, "Oh, I should have said XYZ!"  That's what happened to Maddy.  Here are some additional things she meant to say:

Killing animals is not easy. But animal protein is a great source of protein for us (omnivorous mammals with big brains). Not that there aren't a lot of vegetarian options (processed usually, be it soyrizo, canned beans with rice, or tofu (and canned beans are processed, so all processed food is not to be feared)), but there are even more options, and very tasty ones at that, by including animal flesh in our diet. It is not easy, but a farmer who sees to it that their livestock can fully live their lives as they should (grazing grass, pecking at bugs, whatever) is more mentally prepared to slaughter that animal. 

The people who work in large industrial processing plants, where thousands of conventionally raised livestock end up, can have serious lapses in ethical behavior. Industrial farming will take you to the dark side. The documented abuse and torture of some of the animals makes it very clear that there are serious problems with our accepted practices of raising and processing animals for food. Like Ghandi said (roughly), "you can judge a society based on how it treats its animals."  

By eating animal protein so frequently (read: constantly and thoughtlessly) we are accepting these practices. Do I eat out at restaurants? Yes. Do I know that their steak or chicken or pork has been sourced from a sustainable and organic farm? No. Do I like this hyprocrisy  in my life? No. Do I want to be more vigilant about my eating habits? Yes. But this is all a process. You start somewhere, do not discount your small victories, or dwell on your poor decisions. Just keep going. Keep thinking about where the food on your plate came from. How many steps did it take to get there? And all of these decisions will be much more personal once you all graduate and gain employment. Then your money can be used more closely based on your personal values. And I know that organic is more expensive, as I touched on in one or two classes. Grass-fed beef is expensive compared to conventional; hence, I do not eat beef everyday. I do not even eat beef every week. And remember, beef was a cow, a real cow, living and breathing, doing its thing to the best of its ability in its given circumstances. Just as pork was an actual pig somewhere. Remember those baby pigs in the pictures? They are probably dead and long digested since that photo. But it's a cycle, and we're all a part of it. Whether you choose to pay attention to that cycle and how you participate in it is up to you.