Meateater? Go Veg! Veg? Go Vegan!

The proposition is simple:

If you eat meat (from mammals, birds, or fish) give it up for one day a week.

If you're already a vegetarian, good for you! Now how about going vegan one day a week, giving up dairy and eggs?

The reasons are many; in coming pages we'll be exploring them in depth (while encouraging you to keep it up).

But for now, here's a summary:

Why go Meatless or Mooless on Mondays?

Do it for:

• Yourself: Vegetarianism/veganism can be healthier, and give you more energy (it has to do with how hard your body works to digest meat--you know how you feel after a big steak). In addition, we've met veges who do it because they just don't like the taste of cooked flesh.
• The Animals: Compassion and ethical behavior aren't just for people. Would you beat a dog? Strangle a cat? Then why would you eat a cow, a canary, or a cod?
• Others: The amount of resources consumed by meat vs. vegetables makes vegism a social justice issue. Resources are scarce; why consume more than your fair share?
• The World: The impact on water, air, and land by the meat machine means that the more meat you eat, the more you hurt our Mother the Earth.
• God(s): Lots of wise, ancient traditions advocate vegism. What do they know that we don't? Some people avoid eat meat to nurture the spirit and honor The Unseen.

I've mentioned meat above. What I said applies to dairy and eggs also. While the cows and chickens may not die for your meal, all of the reasons indicated--health, compassion, resource use, environment, and spirituality--are impacted by the dairy and egg industries.

So take the pledge: Go Meatless or Mooless on Mondays. If you do, step forward and tell us in the comments. We'll give you our full support!

Everything on these pages is © 2009 by James Baquet.