Ellen Degeneres: Vegan

I think anyone who knows me is well aware how much I love her, but theres one big reason for that: she’s VEGAN! Wooo, go Ellen! 

A few years ago Ellen gave a wonderful speech on why she is Vegan and I think it is worth a watch for anyone who just really doesn’t understand why ‘we would want to do it to ourselves’. (Ignore the part where she goes on about energy, that ruins it). 

I think she mentions one very important word early on: disconnect. Yes, its easy for many people to put animal cruelty out of their mind - and I think this is what separates those that are vegetarian or vegan from many of those that are not. I cannot comprehend the amount of people who say that they disagree with animal cruelty, but then go ahead and eat meat. The reason for this? they put a wall up in their brain. The problem is, this wall doesn’t stop the cruelty. If people had to kill the animals themselves, then i’m sure the wall would disappear within most of the population - which again highlights that it is a disconnect which justifies the killing of innocent creatures within so many peoples minds. Or maybe its a lack of education, but to be honest, we are a pretty intelligent world and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the fact that being killed isn’t pleasurable.

50 billion animals a year, 50 BILLION are killed, just for us to have something extra to add to our already brimming plates. If we are to take a closer look at the UK, the figures are as follows; 2 million cattle, 8 million pigs, 9 million sheep and lambs, 80 million fish and 750 million birds are slaughtered for human consumption. If I am correct that is 849 million living creatures being killed every year (JUST IN THE UK), purely for the selfishness which is human consumption. 

For anyone who is still struggling to comprehend the volumes of animals being slaughtered, the following link is rather good for showing the reality of the situation; the stats show, ‘the numbers of animals killed worldwide by the meat, egg, and dairy industries since you opened this webpage’ http://www.adaptt.org/killcounter.html - shocking right? 700+ marine animals before you’ve even blinked. 

The next point which Ellen highlights, which I think people often forget to think about, is the pain that we, as Vegans have to live with. I find it so so so hard to live with the knowledge of what cruelty animals face. Just the other week I nearly had a mental breakdown when I saw a lorry full of chickens on their way to be slaughtered. I was thinking ‘how can I go through life knowing what goes on?’ I, personally don’t know how those who are against animal cruelty but continue to eat meat, live with themselves. 

Oh and to those of you who are STIlLL not convinced, please watch Earthlings. I haven’t, but as someone who is already aware of the cruelty that exists and therefore stands up against it, I don’t feel the need to. Clearly if you’re not a vegan, you’re happy with the abuse and you can therefore sit through the documentary. 

Why Vegan?

So, it’s a question I get asked A LOT and so I thought, after six years I would shed some light on the apparently shocking life decision I have made.

The answer which I most commonly give is this: cruelty. 

I don’t understand why, but people seem to find this a pretty hard word to decipher, so I shall expand; I don’t care if animals ‘are here for our use’ (and for the record, I don’t believe this to be the case), at the end of the day, whether they are here for us or not, it still hurts to be tortured and killed. 

I cannot just turn my head and stay oblivious to what happens, instead I put myself in the shoes of an animal. I try to imagine the excruciating pain that they go through - would I want to go through this? NO. Then why should anything else? (especially for my selfish benefit).

Once I have finished my spur on cruelty, the next question often follows.  Well, actually its normally shouted at me as more of a statement; ‘animals are not killed for dairy products and egg though’. Did I say that they were? NO. But they can be tortured, which to be honest is probably worse than being killed. Take eggs for example; free range doesn’t exactly mean a life of freedom. Free range is classed as one metre per chicken. ONE METRE. In my opinion, there is no way that this is free range. Eggs have also been stated as free range if the chickens are let out for say, an hour a day. 

There is then the matter of milk. Not many people seem to realise that cows, like us, have to get pregnant in order to produce milk. What happens to their calves who are not needed? (specifically the males?). You guessed it: killed.

(Note: I shall save the more complex products of wool, honey etc for another post...)

So, thats the very basics of why I am a Vegan and I shall go into much greater detail in due course, but for now I shall finish with a quote that I truly believe in (courtesy of PETA); ‘Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way’.