Why Are You Vegan?

The Joyful Resistance of Veganism By Sylvie Abate

Being vegan is pure joy.

But it is not simply about what I eat. It is about who I choose to be.

Veganism is a quiet, radical act of love—a daily promise to walk through this world with open eyes and an open heart. It is a vow to cause as little harm as possible to sentient beings who share this fragile Earth with me.

I believe the way we treat animals is a mirror, held up to our own humanity. When we turn a blind eye to cruelty, it seeps into the roots of everything—into our hearts, our culture, and our planet.

Factory farming is a poison running through the veins of our history, and I cannot, and will not, be a part of it. To eat meat today is to participate in a brutal system that sees life as a commodity. Ninety-nine percent of all meat comes from factory farms—where suffering is hidden behind closed doors, sanitized for mass consumption.

We’ve been conditioned to see cows and pigs as somehow “different” from the dogs who sleep at our feet or the cats who purr in our laps. But the truth is—they’re not. Pigs are among the most intelligent animals on Earth, capable of forming deep bonds, feeling joy and sorrow, and even dreaming. But intelligence shouldn’t be the measure of worth.

Justice is not about intellect. It is about the capacity to suffer. It is about the right to live freely, without harm or exploitation. All beings—regardless of species—feel pain, fear, and grief. And all beings deserve the freedom to live their lives without cages, cruelty, or commodification.

Speciesism—the belief that one species (our own) is inherently more valuable than all others—is the invisible foundation of this injustice. It is a form of supremacy that allows us to harm others simply because we can. But might does not make right. No being exists for the benefit of another.

The industry works hard to keep its darkest secrets from us. But truth, once seen, cannot be unseen. Documentaries like Dominion have torn the blindfolds from our eyes. Once you know, you can either deny it—or you can change. For me, the choice was clear.

Yes, being vegan takes effort. But it is a beautiful effort—a conscious living. The world is full of delicious abundance: vibrant fruits, hearty grains, soul-nourishing vegetables. There are endless recipes, meal plans like Purple Carrot, and a growing community that makes this life not only possible but deeply fulfilling.

I am vegan because I want what enters my body—and my soul—to be rooted in mercy, in compassion, in reverence for life.

The Silent Suffering We Must Not Ignore

The dairy industry cloaks itself in soft images: green pastures, happy cows. The reality is a horror few dare to face.

Cows are repeatedly, forcibly impregnated, their bodies used and discarded. This violation is called "standard practice," but let us name it plainly: it is assault. Their calves are torn from them within hours of birth—their anguished cries echo in metal barns across the factory. If the calf is male, he is deemed worthless and either killed or shackled into a veal crate where he will know only confinement, anemia, and an early death.

The cows, broken and "spent" after just a few years, are slaughtered, though their natural lives could have spanned decades. They are treated not as beings, but as machines. Their suffering does not end at death. Their living conditions foul the air, poison rivers, deplete precious freshwater, and carve deep scars into the lungs of our planet. Cows, gentle by nature, are made into the unwilling soldiers of an environmental war we are losing.

In the end, what factory farming offers is death—to the animals, to the Earth, and to the parts of ourselves that know better.

A Broader Reflection: The Hidden Cruelties

The cruelty doesn't stop with cows. It stretches into every corner of factory farming:

• Chickens confined to battery cages, unable to spread their wings.

• Hens starved for weeks without food and water to force one last desperate cycle of egg-laying.

• Mother pigs imprisoned in gestation crates, unable even to turn around.

• Mutilations performed without anesthetic—debeaking, castration, tail docking—carving suffering into every fiber of their lives.

• Chickens and turkeys bred so large, so fast, that their bones snap beneath their own weight.

• Even the way animals are killed—through methods like ventilation shutdown, where millions suffocate slowly to death—reveals a staggering disregard for life.
  

The Ripple Effect: Health, Spirit, and Earth

When we choose veganism, we choose life—not only for animals, but for ourselves. We lower our risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. We lighten the burden on our bodies by avoiding toxic chemicals and cholesterol. We nurture glowing skin, vibrant energy, balanced hormones, and a clearer mind.

And we do not stop there. We choose a cleaner Earth:

• Fewer greenhouse gases.

• Less deforestation.

• Healthier oceans and rivers.

• More room for wild creatures to live and thrive.

We heal not only our bodies but the sacred web of life that holds us all.

Each meal is a prayer whispered to the Earth: "I see you. I cherish you. I will do no harm."

My Heart’s Message

If you have ever looked into the eyes of an animal and felt a spark of connection…If you have ever felt awe beneath a wide, starry sky…If you have ever believed that kindness matters…

Then you are already halfway there.

Veganism is not a burden. It is a joy. A love story between your soul and the world.

And it is a story we can all be part of—one meal, one choice, one breath of compassion at a time.

---

#VeganForLife #WhyAreYouVegan #SylvieAbate