(1)堪薩斯州,David Potter
有許多原因讓我選擇吃素。在我很小的時候,我就是一位喜歡動物的人。我喜歡觀賞在我家後院遊玩的鳥兒,也喜歡到附近的公園,看鴨、鵝、松鼠及其他小動物們。對於動物的愛,在我童年成長過程中一直滋長著,然而,我還是一面吃著肉。
每當我看到電視上揭露屠宰場負面影像的錄影帶時,我總會覺得可怕,然而,長時間以來,我只是簡單的試著將這些可怕的影像與想法,從我腦海中移除,目的是為了方便繼續我”正常”(儘管是沒人性且不健康)的飲食。
接著,在我14歲時,整個變了。我逐漸了解肉類與其他動物產品應該為大多數人們的健康問題負責。除此之外,我眼中開始從過去所吃的漢堡、雞翅、與燻肉中,看得到懼怕與無依的牛、雞與豬。這些不是食物,而是有父母、有家庭、有感覺與權利的生情生命。
這些認知讓我見到餐桌上的肉時,將叉子放下。很快的,不同於大眾的認知,我發覺吃素既不困難,也不是一種對味覺的吹噓。我在我們這裡的健康食品店找到相關豐富的素食食品,包括口味很棒的仿肉食品。吃著”仿熱狗”,但卻不會對環境造成傷害或殺害其他活的動物,這種感覺真好。
幾年後,我將注意力轉到我所吃的蛋與牛奶製品上。我很高興選擇了吃素,且開始懷疑這些動物性副產品,對一個讓動物免於殘酷的生活型態是否是可以接受的。於是我決定做些研究,且很快的知道了人道對待動物組織(PETA)。
在本地一個展示會上,我拿了一份PETA的宣傳單,並驚嚇的發現這些動物副產品的製造環境。雞的嘴被烤焦,牛被榨取牛奶至死,這些都只是剛開始。在PETA的網站上,我發現更多的訊息,於是我決定吃純素,且不再回頭。
現在我21歲,不但比以前健康快樂,每天吃純素與運動,讓我具有最佳的運動員身材。我的血壓與脂肪指數均低,且比以前更有活力,每天晚上睡覺時我知道我過著在一個不再傷害地球上其他同袍的生活。畢竟我們是相繫在一起。我希望在像PETA這一類人們的幫助下,能讓我們這個星球成為它的子民(包括人類與非人類)一個更仁道、更慈悲的家。
David Potter, Kansas I suppose there are several reasons [why] I became vegetarian. Even as a small child, I was an animal lover. I had always loved watching the birds in my backyard and enjoyed going to nearby parks to see the ducks, geese, squirrels, and my other small friends. My love for animals continued to grow throughout my childhood; however, I continued eating meat.
I was always horrified when I saw undercover videos from slaughterhouses (frequently [videotaped] by our friends in PETA) in investigative reports on TV, yet for a long time I simply tried to put horrific images and thoughts such as these out of my head merely for the convenience of maintaining my “normal” (albeit inhumane and unhealthy) diet.
Then, at 14, it became too much. I came to realize that meat and other animal products were to blame for the vast majority of humanity’s health concerns. On top of this, I began to see frightened, innocent cows, chickens, and pigs where I once had seen hamburgers, wings, and bacon. I realized these items were not food—they were sentient beings with parents, families, emotions, and rights.
These realizations led me to put down the fork when meat was on the table. I quickly learned that, contrary to popular belief, conversion to a vegetarian diet was neither difficult nor a blow to the taste buds. I went to my local health food store and found a bountiful selection of delicious vegetarian foods, including wonderful imitation products for the meat dishes I had abandoned. It felt great to enjoy a “hot dog” without harming the environment or ingesting another living creature.
A few years later, I turned my focus to another element of my diet: eggs and dairy [products]. I was very happy with my decision to go vegetarian and began to wonder if these animal byproducts were really an acceptable component to a cruelty-free lifestyle. I decided to do some research and soon learned about PETA.
At a local show, I picked up a pamphlet from PETA and was horrified to learn of the conditions to which these “byproduct” animals were exposed. Chickens with their beaks seared off and cows milked to death were just the beginning. After learning more at www.peta.org, I made the decision to go vegan—and never looked back.
Now, at the age of 21, I am as healthy and happy as ever. My vegan diet, along with daily exercise, has put me in the best athletic shape of my life. My blood pressure and cholesterol are low, I have more energy than ever before, and I can go to bed each night knowing that I live my life without harming my compatriots here on Earth. After all, we’re ALL in this life together. I hope with the help of people like those at PETA, we can all make our planet a more humane, compassionate home for all its residents, both human and nonhuman.
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