Why I went Vegan

I can remember very clearly reading the book “Animal Liberation Now” by Peter Singer. Singer is a prominent Utilitarian and animal rights activist. His original 1975 edition is widely known as the driver of the beginning of the animal rights movement.

In the book, Singer lays out a comprehensive guide for aspects of our lives that lead to significant pain and difficulties for animals, particularly within scientific experiments and farmed animals.

I have been a Utilitarian of sorts for a significant aspect of my life. In addition, I have been obsessed with the question of how can I use my time and resources to do the best possible good.

Animal rights is a conversation I feel gets largely ignored in the greater public consciousness. Because there is such a significant disconnect between the food on our plate and what it took to get there, that we don’t realize the amount of pain and suffering that goes into the process and system.

I started to get the idea of going vegetarian in January of 2023, and made the transition a few months later. I found the process to be much easier than I had previously thought, as much of my experience with cooking and food didn’t center around meat-products.

My transition to veganism has been a much more recent process. I find the importance of making it easy to transition based on my overall culinary knowledge, and my ability to make healthy and sustaining meals without using any animal-based products. It has been such a fulfilling process.

During my entire time leaning into this side of my life, I have never backed down from being vocal about my choices when pressed. I can’t count how many hypothetical situations friends have presented to me that would involve me eating meat. My goal in life is to have open and honest conversations about my choices, and the reality of what it takes to have that 5.99 rotisserie chicken onto the dinner table.

I will never back down when it comes to what I believe in, and the most important aspect to my life in this sense is being able to have open and honest conversations with others, as I believe that to be the most effective method of understanding one another, and coming to a consensus.