Martin Luther King
“Violence anywhere hurts everyone, everywhere.
One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals, will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them.
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscious stupidity. “
These powerful statements were taken from a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King March 25, 1965, on the steps of the Alabama State Capitol. This man had a great dream to help empower all beings from being mistreated. It is my dream that this important message is to help all human and animal beings to live their own lives with respect and kindness.
When I became a veg nut several years ago, I read as many books as I could to learn about why I felt so compelled to live a compassionate life that includes not wanting to harm any animals. The ethical component of what I put on my plate at every meal became a way of life for me. Being an example of living this way, I hope, will help people think of what they are eating, and that all beings have feelings too.
Dr. King, Jr got it in his time. Everyone comes to their diet and lifestyle choices through a series of decisions that evolve from childhood, schooling, family, and media. When I talk to people about this subject I am amazed at the answers to the question “how do you think we humans came about eating animals?” Most will say we have been eating animals since we could make tools, and others will claim that an omnivore diet is a natural diet for us because that is the way we have been eating since we were babies.
There is some truth in these claims, however, just because it has been a way of life does not mean it is the correct way. Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Michael Greger, Dr, John McDougall, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Colin Campbell PhD, Dr. Brian Clement and many other researchers will say that a plant-based diet is the best diet for humans because it does not clog the arteries as animal foods do. As we continue to see an overweight population that is dying of diseases of excess such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer we have to question what role the standard American diet plays. The answer often is the standard American diet is lacking in nutrients and is loaded with processed, sugar laden, and fatty animal foods. This has caused us to have many ailments not prevalent in other countries.
It is my dream that more people will find the benefits of a plant-based diet to be as satisfying and healthy as a few million of us have discovered.
2 comments