Each of us can make a difference

I would like to respond to the recent letter in the Bee concerning a local family which felt harassed by vegetarians.

First I’d like to apologize. I am sorry anyone has had a negative experience feeling judged morally by animal advocates, and I am painfully aware that images of animal suffering can be quite disturbing. I agree that the majority of omnivores would feel less offended by a soft sell approach from well-meaning vegetarians. I’ve learned that many family members and friends will continue to misunderstand my lifestyle because I choose to have compassion and support mercy for animals.

Like many of my animal advocate friends, I’ve made moral choices from an early age. I felt morally challenged as a child at the sight of terrified animals being killed for our family dinner, and again on the playground stepping in between the schoolyard bullies and the overweight, crying third-grader who was surrounded by laughing, jeering classmates. I am guilty of making moral judgments when it comes to any form of bullying, lack of kindness, or abuse of power.

What we’ve attempted to do at Sandpoint Vegetarians (albeit imperfectly) for nearly 7 years is to present a wide range of educational topics in the hopes of stimulating thinking and discussion.

We’ve presented how a plant-based diet could improve human health, and decrease environmental degradation, water pollution, soil depletion, and the over use of public lands by cattle grazing. We’ve also presented that the current use of animals for food has increased human exposure to disease through the overuse of antibiotics in factory farmed animals, and is rapidly decreasing our safe drinking water supply. As well as the fact that the oceans are being rapidly depleted of sea life.

We’ve tried to help raise awareness that over-breeding of domesticated pets has lead to millions of unwanted cats, dogs, and rabbits being killed annually in our country. We invite all humans to consider the fact that all species wish to live out their natural lives without being confined, subjected to castration, forced pregnancies, and being treated as non-living possessions.

Global hunger now afflicts nearly 1 billion people. The most current estimate of children who go hungry in the United States according to the USDA is 15.8 million, and over 4 million of our senior citizens go hungry. One million children worldwide will die from malnutrition related causes each year. The grains fed to animals raised for meat would more than feed the world’s human population. I propose that a plant-based diet would benefit the global human race, as well as be significantly more merciful for animals.

I don’t consider myself better than anyone. I do, however, feel strongly that I, as one person, can make a difference. Each of us has a choice whether or not to look at the options that would best reflect our values, not only for our own needs and wants, but also for the helpless, homeless, forgotten, and future generations of both humans and animals.

CINDY AASE

Sagle