After being genetically manipulated, mutilated, and senselessly culled at a quarter of their lifespan, their cries are swallowed up by the sounds of 20th-century killing machines and short-tempered workers. Only to be given the name of a main course or an appetizer, as if they were only ever an ingredient to begin with. 

Eighty billion land animals and 2.8 trillion marine animals are mercilessly killed every year for the sake of taste. A taste that we can recreate with human ingenuity and the power of plants. The same plants we use to season the beings we mutilate, cook, and package on our grocery store shelves. 

Nevertheless, plant-based nutrition is hardly ever presented as a mainstream option. It's made out to be a fad, or it’s seen as an "extreme." However, when you take a closer look at the things we do to non-human animals, you’ll find that they are the most abhorrent and extreme things you can do to other feeling beings — things that you would never condone being done to a "pet" animal.

The animal rights movement asks one simple thing: extend the same instinctive compassion you feel towards some animals to ALL animals. Don't decide who deserves empathy based on the culture you were raised in, or who tastes better after being cooked at 400 degrees and slathered in sauce.  

For the nameless, please choose empathy; choose vegan.