Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

Take Up Today's Most Important Cause: Animal Liberation

Published on Fazed.com in October 2004

As an animal advocate, this is just one of the questions thrown at me on a semi-regular basis. After I answer it—no, plants have no nervous system so they haven't been shown to feel pain, and even if they did, it wouldn't justify animal suffering—I prep myself for the next question, I distribute information leaflets, and continue to write letters to influential editors.

I suppose my activism "career" began when I developed adequate enough repulsion at the abusive animal industries to break out of my shell and began to use my voice for those billions who cannot speak out for themselves. While I'd like to be able to say I became active (and likewise vegan) immediately upon reading about and witnessing pictures of the tremendous suffering animals endure, that would not be accurate. It was a year or so before I stopped eating meat and another couple before I ditched milk, eggs, and cheese for good. And it was even longer still before I hooked up with local animal rights groups.

There were powerful reasons behind my decision to become a vegan activist. The animal industries carefully shield the realities of how the dozen eggs ended up in that flimsy cardboard container. Perhaps that is because of the outcry that would ensue if consumers knew egg-laying hens spend their entire lives in cages so small there is not enough room for them to even flap their wings. Or that factory-farmed breeder pigs live in crates that prohibit them from taking more than one step forward and ever turning around. Or that tail—docking, debeaking, and dehorning-mutilations performed without any painkiller—are standard industry practices. Or...

I could go on listing the horrors of animal agriculture for at least ten more pages (literally!), but this article doesn't allow for that. Instead, I'd like to encourage you to get active. Simply by committing to writing letters to the editor, showing friends and family films exposing the truth behind animal agriculture, creating library displays, or distributing pro-vegetarian leaflets for just one hour a week, we can start to remove the bloody veil draped over every animal product we buy.

If you're not already vegetarian, commit to making the transition (and check out TryVeg.com for a free Vegetarian Starter Guide). If you're already veg, nix the dairy (just imagine no more sour milk stenches in the house!) and eggs. And, if you're already vegan, get active. My biggest regret is not doing so sooner. Don't make it yours, too.

Laurel Long is a 19-year-old college student and Compassion Over Killing Writers Group member.