Friday 6 July 2012

Why I am who I am



I haven’t written an entry for a while. A lot has happened.
Today I will concentrate on addressing a very personal issue. An issue that others do not seem to understand or are able to get their heads around, ironically I can’t get my head around the fact that they can’t get their head around it....
A while ago, a few years back actually, I toyed with the notion of becoming a vegan but at that time I was not ready and I continued to label myself a vegetarian and was content. A few months ago I became a vegan, I was ready but sadly the world around me wasn’t.
I have had numerous debates, confrontations, arguments, tears have fallen, and all because I don’t want to eat dairy anymore. I am not harming anyone else, I still sacrifice myself for those I love, if a dear friend wants to eat meat I never have and never will say a word and will even accompany them to a restaurant. Throughout my time in Korea I did nothing but attend BBQ restaurants with exes and girlfriends so that I never was an annoyance to anyone and because I love them dearly. I am not a confrontational person, I wither under the stress of it and I know that those who love me know I am here if they want a serious discussion on the issue.
**Friends, if any of you really, truly want to ask me questions about my lifestyle choices it would warm my heart to discuss it with you**
Sadly, those who I considered friends and loved ones have attacked me and I dare say they do not understand the affect this has had on me.
I cannot help the person I have become. I am grateful for what I know and how I deal with it, I am sure it would be easier for those around me if I was a human rights advocate. This is something people respect and understand, I admire those who use their life to help other human beings. Colin and I made it a goal to always give money to those we pass on the streets, whether we think it is a good idea or not I still believe that given a choice NO ONE would beg for money. I can spare it. Today I bought a bag of clothes, a mish mash of unnecessary crap and because I do that I have no right to walk past a person and not offer some comfort.
But I am not a human rights activist, I am not a non-human rights activist, but it is not how my brain is programmed. I am an animal rights activist (or wish I was) I have sympathy with those without a voice, I weep for them and I wish their pain would go away. If this truly makes me a bad person then I apologize now but I will never be able to switch off to the suffering that happens every 12 seconds! 
I am not here to prove something but I really want those who know me to try and wear my non-leather shoes for 2 seconds. Every time someone asks me a question in relation to being a vegan it is clear to me the answer is not what they seek, they seek justification for what they do. I don’t want to give this anymore. I do not judge but I can not mother you and tell you what you do is fine because I know how the world has become corrupt and how the human ego is too big for the future to be able to handle.
Why am I vegan?
Recently I was asked this question and it brought me to tears because as I was saying my answer I know it was being interpreted and changed so that the ear it was funneling into could feel satisfaction that I am simply an abnormal loon.
Dairy is natural. Yes of course it is, for cows. For humans it is not. We are the only species that consume milk beyond our childhood and it isn’t even our own mothers. 
Would you care for a glass of dog milk? When I ask this question is seems ridiculous but to a vegan this is synonymous to would you like a glass of cow milk? What about monkey milk, the closest animal to us, wouldn’t this make more logical sense?


“Osteoporosis is a condition of abnormal porousness of bone resulting from gradual bone loss, leading to increased fractures, loss of height, hip and back pain, and spinal curvature. The disease affects about 25% of postmenopausal women in the US. Since osteoporosis is a disease of bone loss, and since 99% of the body's calcium is found in bone, it certainly seems logical that if people eat as much calcium as possible, osteoporosis risk may be diminished. The Dairy People capitalize on this idea by constantly reminding us that dairy products constitute some of the richest sources of calcium in the supermarket (never mind that calcium is found in varying amounts in all fruits, vegetables, and grains). But this "you need your milk" idea is not universally accepted.The truth is, there has been little or no success in preventing osteoporosis by eating dairy products. Plainly and simply, when enough calcium is consumed to prevent deficiency (which is much lower than the Recommended Dietary Allowance), taking in excess does little more than put a person at risk for kidney stones. In fact, Americans consume excessively large quantities of calcium, yet risk of osteoporosis continues to threaten millions of Americans. Most people are not aware that the US already has one of the highest calcium intakes in the world. Calcium deficiency caused by an insufficient amount of calcium is not known to occur in humans, even though most people in the world don't drink milk after weaning because of custom, lactose intolerance, or unavailability. In fact, nations with the highest levels of dairy consumption are the same nations with the highest rates of osteoporosis.” Taken from an article by the Michigan state University.
If you look at the above link you will note that cheese is ranked number 2 as highest foods rich in calcium, and yes that goes against my argument, but does it? really? Other dairy products are number 7 and cheese has a lot done to it before it gets to our table. Flax seeds, herbs, almonds, tofu and sesame seeds are all above milk and guess what? that is exactly what vegans eat!!  It angers me that when we are growing up all ads are veered towards dairy. ‘drink milk’ and the (in)famous white mustache when there are no ads telling parents to feed their children fruits, vegetables and seeds! Doesn’t that make anyone else pissed? *sigh* probably not.

Aside from the fact that I believe all this above, dairy is also considered a more brutal process than meat consumption. Don’t get me wrong we all know how I feel about meat consumption but the agricultural dairy factory farms in most countries has become a dark and dismal torture chamber. To get milk one must be pregnant, the cows are artificially inseminated and once they give birth the calf is dragged away. The mother bellows for her calf for weeks and the calf doesn’t get any of her mother’s milk. 
We do.
The calf’s fate, well what is the profitable use for a baby?
I have had people hate on me for saying this about the dairy farming industry and I know there are some ethical farms left but while there are some that are not, you can keep your milk.
One last comment, I have had numerous people unable to comprehend the fact that vegetarians/ vegans desire the taste of meat. I cannot comprehend how this is not comprehendible.
I am not going to even begin to argue that meat is not delicious. Although it has been 11 years since I tasted any I still salivate at the smell of a BBQ. I am human after all and the restaurants use the spices and herbs, sauces and ingredients available to them to make food as appealing as possible.
I loved the taste of meat but I cannot allow an animals to be abused the way it is just because I want a burger for a 30 second thrill.

I do not NEED meat, simply put, and so I choose not to eat it and instead I replace it with food that makes me feel that I am ‘normal’ and part of the majority. 

Please feel free to contact me if you truly desire more information and not just to attack me but other than that there are sources available to everyone (Information is FREE) and if you really want to know the answers than you can find them.