Hi.  Thank you for visiting this page.  First of all let me say that I'm not here to preach, convert, or judge anyone.  All I'm doing with this special page on vegetarianism, is to present how and why I came to be a vegetarian and give my limited view and some information on the subject.  Please, now that you are here, why not take the time to read on, and maybe educate yourself just a little.

The animals and the planet would appreciate the effort.

I'm only a recent convert to vegetarianism and the strange thing is, it was not an intentional happening.  I was going through life like everyone else, raised on meat and potatoes and oblivious to the behind the scenes problems of the meat industry.  One morning I woke up, with no specific thoughts on the subject, and decided not to eat any more red meat.  Just like that, no reason, nothing prompted the decision, I just woke up feeling no desire for red meat whatsoever.  I continued to eat chicken and fish for about six months, but by that time I'd done some research and decided, no way, I'm not eating them either.

Now, I know, there is a lot of research that shows we need meat protein in our diets, but I have found just as much research that shows, no we don't.  My thoughts on this are that times have changed.  For the longest time, meat was basically the only protein source available, but these days, the world has opened up.  Transportation of food is easier, giving us exposure to protein sources that were never available before.  Research has developed to the degree that we have found many substitutes for meat protein, and I have also found that many of them taste better than meat.

I think what people need to be aware of or try to understand is that the bygone days of the family owned farm, where you raised your own livestock and grew your own veggies is gone.  The image of green pastures where Bessie the cow lived a good life filled with lots of fresh air and good food has given way to the harsh reality of factory farms.  The problem begins with the demand for meat, which has increased so dramatically, and continues with the fact that the rural community is disappearing just as quickly. 

The result is that factory farms are producing and housing animals on areas of land comparatively smaller than what they can be humanely raised on, and the animals are suffering greatly.   The demand for meat is met by quotas placed on the people butchering the animals, and in order to meet these quotas, animals are often disemboweled or butchered in other ways while still alive.  I won't go into details, because I did say I wouldn't preach.  I will leave it for you to research the links that I have on this site.  You may find yourself upset, even horrified, by the truth revealed on the following links, but the decision to continue eating meat will be yours.  I'm only trying to open the eyes of some people who may not realize what goes on behind the scenes in order for them to be able to place that wonderful roast on their table for Sunday dinner, or make a quick trip to the local chicken outlet store for takeout.

Please educate yourself and make an informed decision.

That's all I ask.  Do keep in mind that some of the information and photos on these sites can be upsetting.  Personally, I can't look at the photos.

http://www.factoryfarming.com/index.htm

http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/

http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/index.asp

http://www.goveg.com/feat/a-favs-intro.html

This following site is an animal rights FAQ site and is very informative.

http://www.veganism.com/

Something you may not realize, not only are the animals suffering, but our environment is as well.  Pollution is a serious problem in today's society, and the insistence of humans to consume animals in a time when it is no longer neccessary to do so, is only adding to the pollution of our planet.  Check the sites below to find out how the planet is being poisoned by the mass production of animals for consumption.

http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/

http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/hwenv.html

Please, I implore you to check out some of the links.  Not only does the future health of our planet and children rely on decisions we make today, but millions of animals are being tortured and abused.  This is not right.  This is not moral.  This is not the way an intellectual species should treat any living being.

Please, help an animal by clicking on the above link