Many animals suffer to feed us at Christmas

THE EDITOR: I love Christmas; it is a magical time of the year that all people (but especially the young) look forward to. It is a time of gift-giving, parties, Christmas food, and other goodies.

However, because these foods and goodies involve animal suffering, I abhor the food aspect of Christmas and prefer to focus on the religious significance where goodwill to all takes precedence over the food that most of us have grown up enjoying.

Have those who partake in ham, baked chicken, or a myriad of other baked goods like black cake (that involves the use of eggs and butter) ever consider the suffering that all of these animals endure before they end up on our plate?

Fish and other seafood are the most slaughtered animals on the planet, followed by chickens, pigs, and cows. However, it’s not just the quantity of animals that are slaughtered, it’s the inhumane conditions under which live their entire, albeit short, lives. It would be considered illegal if those atrocities were meted out to dogs and cats, animals that Trinis love and treasure.

According to PETA, “Animals on factory farms endure constant fear and torment: They’re often given so little space that they can’t even turn around or lie down comfortably. Egg-laying hens are kept in small cages, chickens and pigs are kept in jam-packed sheds, and cows are kept on crowded, filthy feedlots.”

For those who believe that meat is essential to human health and well-being, I stand as living testament that after living more than 20 years meat, dairy, and egg-free, I am living proof that eliminating animal products from my diet has made me healthier and without any ailments whatsoever (imagine saying adieu to pharmaceuticals).

Furthermore, mounting scientific evidence shows that meat, dairy, and eggs are responsible for many ailments as we age. Health benefits of an animal-free diet are: fighting disease, feeling stronger, and living longer.

“Remember the phrase you are what you eat? While we are certainly more than what we eat, scientific evidence is demonstrating more and more that what we eat affects us. Choosing which foods we put on our plates – and which we avoid – gives us an unprecedented power to live longer, healthier lives” (nutritionstudies.org).

Moreover, animal farming has proven to be detrimental to the environment. According to www.onegreenplanet.org, “Our current global food system is responsible for one-third of global greenhouse emissions and it completely depends on fossil fuels for transportation and synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.”

Therefore, on many levels, humanity can benefit from keeping away from animal products – better health, protecting the environment, and the end of animal suffering.

A Merry Christmas to all – humans and animals alike.

REX CHOOKOLINGO

President, Trinidad Animal Protection Agency

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"Many animals suffer to feed us at Christmas"

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