Become a vegan, be healthy, save lives

Last month, Mayor Alan Webber proclaimed the month of November as “Vegan Awareness Month,” a timely initiative emphasizing the numerous benefits of a plantbased diet for both personal health and that of our planet.

Over 95 percent of farmed animals in the U.S. are raised in filthy warehouses owned by giant Ag corporations. Chickens, turkeys and pigs are crammed by the thousands into wire cages and metal crates. Many die from painful diseases and infections. Animal products are often tainted with virus or bacteria. Between October and November this year, the USDA issued the largest beef recalls in recent years over suspected salmonella contamination.

Since farmed animals are confined in cages and crates their entire lives, there is no way they can escape when facing fire, floods and other natural disasters! In September this year, over 5,500 pigs and 4.2 million turkeys and chickens were drowned during Hurricane Florence. They were intentionally left behind. For agribusiness, their deaths were nothing more than a lost profit.

No, we can no longer ignore the scientific facts that farmed animals have the same pain receptors, central nervous system, and physical and emotional needs, deserving our moral and legal considerations. The growing vegan movement worldwide is a powerful testament that people can live healthier without consuming products from animal cruelty.