rain forest

[Soledad]

Kater -

You are obviously a smart girl who has thought about this issue. I have too. I was a vegetarian for several years, and vegan for some time.

This is not something I take lightly, nor know little about.

I used to be a member of PETA, as well. From my perspective, I cannot abide by PETAs actions. I do not believe that the health and safety of human beings is secondary to that of animals. When people release sick and diseased animals onto an unwitting public, that is wrong and I will not support an organisation who feels that that is perfectly okay. I am more than willing to hear things that I might fear, but I am not willing to hear that I should contract a disease because of a monkey's right to be free. There is a thing called balance, and I do not believe PETA has that.

I want to live in a world where animals are treated the way they deserve. I want farmers to be under strict guidelines for humane treatment, shelter and slaughter. I do not want to impose my ideas onto the rest of the world about what should and shouldn't be eaten. We are dependent upon animals, and animals are dependent upon us. We will continue for some time consume either their flesh, their wools, or their skins. I would rather concentrate my efforts to make sure that it is done in a humane and dignified way than try to preach to the world that they should give up milk and drink rice milk.

I've been a vegan, and from my point of view, it is not nearly as enjoyable as being a vegetarian or a meat eater. It is not natural, in my view, and it is very difficult and expensive. It is wrong, to me, to force veganism onto a public with limited money and time. It is a choice of the privileged. And that's fine, but it is unreasonable to expect the world to adopt it.