You ask me why I am vegan,
why I would ever choose to not eat
any of the many foods you can name
you don't understand
or you don't care to know,
but one has to look at the bigger picture here
the selfishness you are inflicting on billions of animals
and humans
listen for the screaming see the smoke watch the effects
I'm not a masochist or a prude,
I just listen read watch and think,
and I know better, now.

I don't know how you can fail to see
that the issue above all of the other
environmental, moral, health,
personal, economic, and even religious issues
is that animals are their own creatures,
existing in their own right independent of humans
born into the world like you and I to live
a life not market by a corporation
in the most terrifying conditions
the most unspeakable daily life
and dying in horrible ways.

But even in the most favorable conditions
it's not right
because animals were not made for humans
to use for whatever man sees fit
bodies, objects, products, parts
put on earth to be killed and consumed
faceless and meaningless

like women were not made for men
to use for whatever man sees fit
bodies, objects, parts
put on earth to serve and stay silent
faceless body parts and lust
opinion less and brainless

like other races were not made for white people
to use for whatever man sees fit
bodies, objects, products, parts
put on earth to be sold, traded around, and
slaves, subordinate, stupid
identical and
worthless and nameless

and
don't say
“Oh don't worry, unlike 99% of the population
I only buy organic and free-range animal products,”
because you are still supporting the idea
that animals exist for humans to exploit
as beings turned products

and also
free-range animals still live out only a small portion of their lives,
and are only given access to an outside area,
or just live in the same unimaginable conditions,
only outside
and all animals are killed in the same manner
once productivity decreases.

In the 1800s slave abolitionists
wouldn't have said,
“Well okay, we really hate slavery,
but as long as you promise to
treat them at least a little better,
go on ahead exploiting these human beings for a while.”
They didn't stop until slavery was realized to be
morally corrupt.

It just took a few ahead-of-the-time individuals
committed to the cause, and patience.

Just because something is tradition
does not mean it is right,
or even sensical
and so I think that you live
in the master's house
even though you are 'oh so cool'
you are a punk rock
liar and you should listen up
because punk rock is about
standing up not lying down
while you get patted on the head
by corporations for spending your money, ensuring the vicious cycle continues.

But, you know, as long as you're comfortable
as long as you have your cable TV
your three car garage hideaway neat hidden neighborhood
hundreds of stores shopping mall
Styrofoam packaged meat eggs in nice rows milk in tidy bottles
music talking about nothing, anger at the wrong people, and
your black clothing and hipster friends
you can just keep thinking that
you are really cool.