A former vegetarian turned vegan, Author Marlene Deschamps shares her story and perspective going vegan called “1%”.
By Marlene Deschamps
The atrocities I’ve seen in posts and videos are too horrific to comprehend. I can only state that we as humans are far beneath the heart and soul of any other creature that walks, crawls, slithers, or flys here on earth.
We are repulsed by the images that weaken our bountiful bellies, but have no issue consuming the wicked deeds for the pleasures of the tastebuds or flamingoing a new fad, fashion… Weather from recalled moments in time or something new, Most only get pleasure after seasoning, to disguise the deathly taste and odor of a beat, battered, broken, grounded, skinned and or raped innocence.
But we don’t want to focus on how or why it gets to the farms, butchers, grocers, or fashion houses only how we will present, prepare, parley, and consume.
Let the farmers do the murder and rape, as long as we don’t have to see it, right?… No see, No hear, No speak, No do… Out of sight Out of mind, Out of guilt… After all, not our fault, right? Blame it on the parents who introduced meat to us, their parents to them, and so forth, and so on. I consumed what I was given as a child, My mother too poor to have a choice.
I remember on a few occasions coming home from school and the aroma of liver and onions sizzling on the stovetop burner filled the entrance of our frozen apartment… I don’t recall how many meals we had that week as they were few and far between. We were a family of five kids that survived one had died of SIDS at six months. But still, too many mouths to feed as our father was sick with alcoholism and left my mother no choice but to go it alone. So many nights mother would sing and hum our hunger to rest. Some days the nuns would sneak us into the side of the church to feed us a meal, other times an uncle would help out with a case of kraft dinner. Or we could get a real home-cooked meal at our grandmother’s house once in a while. But the times I recall feeling blessed, were the times I’d come home to smell that liver and onions sizzle. I was never sure where or how she managed to make food appear when we had empty cupboards and nothing in the fridge or freezer when we left for school and no idea what or if lunch would happen. I remember wondering if she took it from somebody in the graveyard I thought that must be where she got it, I hoped we’d not get sick but I felt assured my mother made sure it was fresh. I felt a deep sense of empathy for her as I imagined how difficult and scary it must have been in the graveyard but also I feared her whatever it takes gumption. I hopped with all my might I wasn’t eating human liver, but I didn’t know that animals had livers I was young and we were extremely poor, I just know my mother wore a smile to know her kids would be eating. I never questioned her about it, I think I just understood if we didn’t have that we’d have nothing. I knew that she was doing her best and I was so hungry it smelled like a home-cooked meal and that excited me, I felt rich and satisfied with my meal. Human or animal it didn’t matter, it made my mother happy to see us with food in our bellies and to see her delight made everything ok with me. P.s I can’t say for sure as I never did question it, but after I grew I was sure it was an animal liver.
I was fourteen when I chose for myself not to consume animal flesh, it was a no brainer for me. These creatures with eyes, ears, noses, heads, bums with or without tails, wings suddenly became as rightful to a full happy life as I was and I became a vegetarian. There was no transitioning for me, I understood and I acted immediately. Telling this isn’t to toot my own horn as I had still been consuming what else the animal could provide without dying for… Or so I thought for many years. I had been so stuck on what Dr’s said… At a very young age, I was told I had an ulcer from stress. I was put on pills and a strict BBB diet no bells, no whistles that meant no flavor for one year, and plenty of milk to coat. I followed the instructions and did manage to heal, but I believe my healing came from my willingness to follow a BBB diet and milk was only a Drs side order, because that was the teachings in those days.
I am 52 now, and 7 months ago with the urging of my daughter who gave up all animal products have become Vegan myself. I was compelled to open my eyes and watch what was happening, something I couldn’t bring myself to do prier cause that would not only mean giving up the foods I was allowing myself, cakes and cookies all the goodies that were made with eggs and milk… I feared the depletion of bone density at my age given a diagnosis of -onset osteoporosis. But opening my heart to a crushing scene of abuse, neglect, rape, kidnapping, and brutal murder of these animals had me scared shitless.
Was I a part of this brutality because I had consumed dairy products? Was there an alternative for calcium just as good as “milk” My ignorance, selfishness, and fear kept me blind, I was scared of my mortality without the help of theirs… I refuse to watch horror movies of any kind but I knew I couldn’t close my eyes anymore to this. They need us to speak for them.
And I have witnessed on posts the brutal killing of other animal species, we humankind. Women and men in some countries being buried and beaten their necks sliced open for leverage over political gains. Rape victims being beaten over there head with large rocks while a crowd of women and men, young and old all cheer them on. We can not watch this yet if Hollywood can fake it for us that be great please and thank you entertainment industry.
We witness the disgust and cruelty of dogs being cooked, cut, skinned alive for their meat. And we turn with repulsion at how humans can be so cruel we turn from it to cook a slice of cow meat for supper, then come back and preach how disgusting the post/video images are… Yes indeed disgusting why can’t we just not know about these things right? Oh, let’s just get rid of that horrific scene we don’t want to extend our focus on such deeds I mean after all we can’t help them, we don’t know where they are or we can’t get to them so why torture myself with seeing it… Out of sight… Out of mind. We are all animals we are all vulnerable I could have been a cannibal would I the right to take your liver, to cook?. A pig, a cow, a cat, a dog a bear a human a bird, a bee, we are all entitled to life.
I am still doing my best to understand and implement a vegan life. From the material on my back, I thought was a harmless shave to the honey in the cupboard I thought was a harmless borrow, after all, they can make more who cares about a bee right? I am learning about ingredients or how ingredients are made and it astounds me how toxic and addictive something as small as how it’s processed can affect us in such negative ways.
I discarded all the dairy and egg products then learned how to replace the products still treating myself only now in a way that not only felt good morally, but my whole being changed. I no longer craved the cookies and cakes and felt repulsed at the memory of the taste, as I once cheated myself and the very animals I’m trying to stand for and gave into having a bite. I soon felt nauseated I could taste something I never noticed before, It was the egg in the cake it tasted somewhat metallic and somewhat rancid, but to the rest indulging, it tasted as they would expect. I discovered and still discovering everyday new and amazing ways to have all the goodies we want with a few differences. It tastes so much better, It’s healthier and you do make a difference for our cohabitants. So congratulations! You the 1%
I have seen such animosity towards the Vegan community as they do their best to wake people on what’s been happening to animals. They are not in any way trying to harm you the people, rather they are doing their best to save as many lives as possible. You get angry if they douse ” YOUR ” fur with red paint… They want you to understand you have on your back, around your neck, on your head the animal’s fur coat… (THEIR FUR COAT!) NOT! “YOURS'” But not only do you wear (Their fur coat) you wear (Their skin.) You fund the slaying of them for your fashion and consume their flesh between your teeth, You boil their bone and cartilage for broth for onto your backs necks heads, feet and into your belly, they and those next in line shall perish.
Your hands are not clean of these atrocities because you didn’t hand-pick the one you wear or consume at the dinner table. All you have to know is that what is on your body or your plate was once a living, breathing soul of the earth. This is such an Unpopular post… 99% of you will dismiss it as a radical opinion. But I’ve never been one to give credence to the popularity of my posts, Welcome you 1% and on this particular matter, any such hesitation is null. This isn’t a popularity contest this is a plea to the 1% that this post may reach and awaken. Welcome! You 1%
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