These are not my own words, though I completely agree with them. They are the voice of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, an activist and cookbook author. These are all from Patrick-Goudreau's book, The Vegan Table. The emphasis in the text is mine. I apologize in advance if this offends anyone. I believe in sharing the essense of who you are with those you love, and these words really touched me.
"It would be disingenous, however, to say there isn't something special about a gathering where no animals were harmed for the sake of our pleasure. When a sense of consciousness informs our actions, when our intentions reflect kindness and nonviolence, when our thoughts turn to someone else's needs rather than our own desires, there is no denying that something profound takes place. In the absense of suffering, there is peace. In the presense of compassion, there is joy."
"Most people don't look inside a slaughterhouse because if they did, they might be compelled to make different choices. It is our fear of change---our attachment to old habits---that drives us to keep eating animals and their products. It is our fear of doing something different that keeps us stuck in old behavior.
This is what I mean when I say that this habit harms our relationships. Our ability to compartmentalize our emotions and justify the pain of other living creatures in favor of momentary pleasure cannot but affect us on the most fundamental level. How can we function as whole human beings when we consciously cut ourselves off from a part of ourselves every time we sit down to eat?
Some people even believe that the fear, pain and violence experienced by the animals during slaughter are taken up into their flesh and fluids and then come into our own bodies when we consume them. Hokey as it may sound, we cannot deny that a plant-based meal is built from life-giving rather than life-taking foods. This is what I want to serve to the people I love most."
"I didn't stop eating animals because I didn't like the way they tasted. I stopped eating animals and their products because I didn't want to contribute to the violence and exploitation of another when I didn't have to. It is a powerful and empowering way to live.
The sense of peace you feel when you align your behavior with your values is tangible. It connects you with everything and everyone around you, and I can't think of a better way to deepen our participation in this world than by feeding our loved ones food that heals rather than harms.
May the dinners you create expand your heart as well as your palate, and may they draw you closer to those you love."
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