Food for thought...

You may have heard Ellen talk about it on her show, maybe you've seen the poster, or maybe you have seen it for yourself. If you have you have seen it you have probably felt the way I do now.
But in case you don't know what I am talking about Earthlings is a documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and touches on the relationship between nature, animals and humans, or, earthlings.
I first heard Ellen DeGeneres mention it on her show a while back, and she said that it was due to this documentary she became vegan. I had not long become vegan and I was intrigued. Well I finally watched it tonight.

Don't watch it unprepared, however. This film is quite graphic, and I believe it should be! The film shows and talks about how we humans exploit non-human animals in the interest of food, fashion, pets, sports/entertainment and science, in particular vivisection.
This is a "meet your meat" kind of documentary, but not just meat; medical treatments, couches and coats. Also what happens to horses, bulls and sheep that are used in sport, as well as animals, especially elephants, that are used in circuses.

This heartbreaking and difficult to watch. It should be.
I don't care what anybody's background is, whether they are rich or poor, from an English speaking country or not, vegan/vegetarian or omnivorous, I feel that everybody needs to watch this film.
My hope is that within my lifetime farming methods will change to be sustainable, clean and cruelty-free, so that those of us who choose to eat meat, dairy and egg products will be doing it less regularly, but also in a much healthier way for the animals, the consumers and our planet. Of course I would rather see nobody eat meat, dairy or egg products, but the longest journey must start with a single step. To me that step is education, educate people who are ignorant to where where dinner or shoes came from, educate people who work in palm oil plantations or who capture monkeys from the wild and sell them in the exotic pet trade.

I'm angry and upset as I knew I would be, so I'm going to sign off with some of my favourite quotes:

"If slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian." Sir Paul McCartney

"As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields."
"What I think about vivisection is that if people admit that they have the right to take or endanger the life of living beings for the benefit of many, there will be no limit to their cruelty." Leo Tolstoy

"In their behavior toward creatures, all men are Nazis. Human beings see oppression vividly when they're the victims. Otherwise they victimize blindly and without a thought." Isaac Bashevis Singer


"The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men." Leonardo da Vinci

"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love." Pythagoras 
        

You can stream Earthlings for free at www.earthlings.com or on YouTube. You can follow Earthlings on Twitter @EarthlingsMovie or like them on Facebook, they often post articles from around the globe.