This time, we have one by my friend Bud Burdick.
A dancer, yogi, and capoeirist, he has been vegan for 6 years. He is strong, positive, whimsical, a clear, logical thinker, and someone I am glad to call my friend.
Here is his story about his journey with veganism...
It was a video that really influenced me to make a change. Graphic and real, this video portrays the way animals, particularly those used for human consumption, are violated, mutilated and abused regularly in an industry that views them as commodities. This industry ignores basic needs and desires of the animals yet falsely portrays happiness and bliss on packaging and in the media. In 2004, following a couple years of healthier eating, I became vegetarian, eventually transitioning to veganism in 2007. I had previously eliminated Pepsi, sodas, and fried foods from my diet, but the transition to becoming vegetarian was much larger as I eliminated all animal products except for “cage free, organic” eggs.
I was always surrounded by cats, various rodents and other animals that I did not consider food, yet never thought of the animals that I ate as being the same as, and having the same desires as the animals I embraced and took care of. It was not until I approached a table at a concert and saw trapping videos and fliers portraying the atrocities of the animal industries that I began to question what I knew as normal.
I decided to look further into the information I received from the Syracuse Animal Rights Organization (SARO) at that concert and watched the film Meet Your Meat by PETA. This is when I decided to change. Two and a half years after my transition to vegetarianism, I saw through the smokescreen of the cage free industry. I learned about the methods used including suffocation or grinding up of male chicks and decided to go vegan. Some eggs must be hatched so that spent egg laying hens can be replaced and since males cannot lay eggs, they are seen as useless and are subsequently destroyed. Coming from a Hamburger Helper, hotdog, and eggs over easy kind of background, I had a lot to learn.
I did not know any vegetarians or vegans when I began my journey, but eventually sought them out. I joined the Rochester Area Vegetarian Society (RAVS), eventually becoming a board member. I have found that to be successful, one must be willing to experiment with food, try new things, seek out people with similar feelings, and find ways of sharing knowledge about the issues and atrocities that occur. Early on I ate a lot of homemade pizza on whole wheat crust since it was an easy way to pack in the veggies and calories. From there I picked up recipe books and really started experimenting with food ingredients and combinations.
The transition to vegetarian and eventually vegan was fairly easy for me since I felt so strongly about the issue. Reaching out to others in the vegetarian community and representing my lifestyle wherever I went, has allowed me to spread awareness of vegetarianism and the issues of the factory farming industry, all the while maintaining myself as a fit, strong individual. This has allowed me to shatter the very false myth of vegans being sickly and weak.
I find that there is a disconnect in society about what is right and what is wrong. The footage in the video I watched presents situations in which animals are blatantly abused. Had a pet been placed in a similar situation, animal cruelty charges would be brought up. So what really is the difference? Cats, dogs, cows, pigs, people, we all feel and we all have desires. Even if they are as simple as surviving and not being in pain, why should these feelings and desires be denied? Why should a pig not be allowed to be a pig, a chicken a chicken, and a human a human?
The ability to dominate and control is how humans differentiate from these other animals, oftentimes feeding our egos as we engage in activities in which we have the upper hand. If we could get over our egos we could better realize how others suffer from our actions and decisions. If we stepped down from the pedestal that we hold ourselves up to, we could open our eyes to what is going on around us and we can begin to work toward change. Becoming a vegan is a major way that I work toward change. I refuse to support the actions that are prevalent and allowed in the animal industries. From the abuse animals endure, to the impact on the environment, to the labor issues related to underpaid and overworked factory farm employees, this system only hurts those involved, whether they walk on two legs or four.
I moved to Brooklyn from upstate New York a year and a half ago. Since arriving, I have become a part of a growing, caring community of vegans and vegetarians. The availability of vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants and markets within the city leave those with even the smallest inkling of becoming vegan no excuse not to. Outside of the city it may be harder, yet even the smallest college towns seem to have cafes and restaurants that promote veganism and healthier lifestyles popping up. Vegetarian groups and college clubs are common and offer great information and events for the curious. There is a multitude of ways to get the information one needs to be successful.
It may begin with one day a week of not eating meat or you may decide to completely abstain from animal products. If you are considering making a transition to a healthier, more compassionate lifestyle, find what works for you and allow that to grow and become something that you can be proud of and represent in all aspects of your life.
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