This is something I have been wondering for so long, but I have realized a lot in my research about these types of things, that we all often turn away from reality in the United States, but in the Asian culture, they often are not ashamed and do not try to hide what they do from the public. 

I do not in any way agree with the torment and actuality of how we abuse, torture, and kill animals, but there is a certain level of respect I see when it comes to telling the truth. From my encounters in this area, many people are in fact numb to the innate feeling of compassion, (whether they lost it at a young age or adult, I don’t know), but they certainly do not mask the reality of the situation. As I walked past this restaurant, the man carrying the pigs was whistling a happy song, and I couldn’t fathom it. There is the argument, that “that is their livelihood,” yet it is no excuse for the way we dismantle the incredible intelligence of these beings and disregard them as though they are just things, not living beings. 

Slaughterhouse workers have admitted to knowing the souls of these animals and how they do not want to die. To have an employee, someone who is paid to kill these beings, admit such a thing, should speak volumes to everyone who hears. Unfortunately, people still, turn the other way, because they know, that they themselves are the reason for their suffering. 

As I snapped this picture, a man stared at me in confusion and curiosity as to why I was taking it. I had nothing to say, and neither did he, but I felt as though there was an innate, common understanding as to why I did. It is sad and screwed up, and to see it in real life, instead of videos and undercover investigations was a mere shock to the heart. 

Animals that we slaughter and favor on our plates, are so intelligent beyond belief, but society has made them out to be useless for anything other than food. Animals do not want to die. They do not want to witness their friend and family’s death, they smell blood, they sense fear and anger, they feel pain, sorrow, EVERYTHING (AND MORE) that humans feel, and to deny such facts displays one’s ignorance.

As someone who wasn’t raised vegan, I can understand the “not knowing” aspect of certain things. However, even if I wasn’t vegan now, there is no way that I wouldn’t know the truth of what actually goes on in a slaughterhouse. There is so much information out there, (we are in 2024), so for someone to say “I didn’t know” in today’s day and age; I find it very difficult to believe them. 

There is a level at which someone doesn’t look those things up (understandable to a degree), but Veganism and going Plant-Based have become so mainstream that if someone didn’t question what it was, I can’t say that I would fully believe them (LOL). Everyone loves to have an opinion, especially about Veganism, good or bad, so that information is in one’s brain somewhere, but what they do with it, is where the actionable accountability takes place. 

Culture and action from culture is a weird thing, and to use it as a justification for the way we abuse animals, is not anywhere near a valid excuse. Animals deserve to live just as much as we do, and no tradition, culture, or religion can justify otherwise. 

All of which makes me ask why 

Why do we hurt them 

Why do we murder them

Why do we call them food when they love like us 

Why do we call them inferior when they feel just like us

There is a topical view that we all see 

We make assumptions and make them out to be 

These unloveable creatures so far from our hearts 

We make excuses like tradition and culture 

As ways to define the horror that we barter 

Are you the one that turns the other way

Are you the one that thinks we are at the top of the food chain

Did you know that being at that level doesn’t give your the right to be unkind

But it becomes a social norm because we don’t face a fine 

I challenge you to look for them 

Watch the way they live 

They love and feel just like us 

There is truly no difference 

We used to hunt and gather at a time in the past 

When it was a “necessity” 

A thing of the past 

We use knives to slit throats

Put guns to their heads 

They beg for mercy 

But we would rather have “meat” instead 

Veal is a baby cow

Pulled pork is a pig

Labs are torture chambers 

Where we justify these things 

Organizations like 

The NIH endorses such cruelty 

And make you think

That this is the only way 

The only way to know 

Who can survive in this horror life of a show 

Kindness is not a weakness 

It’s ignorance that persists 

If you want to talk to this topic 

I suggest you know your shit. 

Being kind is important 

Just like talking is true 

Remember those screams, the ones who once knew you

As a child we innately love them 

We think they are cute 

But little are we told 

About who becomes our food 

The ones we once called friends 

Become one with our plates 

From a knife to a fork 

A mindless escape

We teach kids that this is okay 

We tell “little white lies” to justify our plays 

Would you eat your dog? 

Would you drink milk from your mom now? 

It’s a complex and screwed-up action 

That makes me wonder how

Know that what you do and buy 

Contributes to this crime 

If you can live with it 

That’s sad 

If you can’t 

Simply change it 

You are the reason these industries persist 

They make money from raping mothers 

And taking away their kids 

If you take one thing away from this poem tonight 

Know that you can help them out 

By simply being kind. 

Thank you,

Lauren Breuer

(I have attached the link to this information below in addition to a screenshot from their website (2023) speaking to this point).

If you notice, the internet highlights the first sentence, “In the day-to-day development of our products and services we do not undertake, support or sponsor studies that harm animals,” giving immediate “satisfaction” to the consumer, knowing that most people don’t like to read further… but the truth lies within the blue highlights and then some.

They DO take part in scientific research with dogs, cats, fish, and horses and say that they conduct the research at the highest welfare and ethical standards. But is any testing ethical? Animals are restrained, and deprived of a natural environment which skews results and creates inaccuracies. 

They say that they do not endorse animal testing, and strive to replace it, meanwhile, it is a part of their business in order to proceed in development. They mention under the Food Safety section that: 

“On very rare occasions, we need to introduce a new raw material that has not been used in foods before. Legal and regulatory requirements compel us to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of this new raw material. In other circumstances, we may need to provide safety data on existing ingredients as part of due diligence upon scientific review. In these isolated instances we may sponsor a limited number of studies involving rats, mice, fish and other aquatic species.”

Why are we continuing to test existing ingredients in addition to newly developed ones? If something is not natural or safe for us to eat, why would we eat it? We are talking about candy and snacks, something that is so far from a necessity, and if children knew what went on behind their candy bars, they would be scarred for life. Would you show your child who suffered to make their candy bar?

Some of the MARS brands include:

• Snickers 

• 3 Musketeers 

• Altoidis 

• Pedigree 

• Combos 

• Life Savers 

• Starburst 

• Milky Way

And these are not all of their products. 

Alternative Brands: 

• Choco No No’s 

• Choco Yum’s

• Unreal 

• Max Sweets Yum Yums 

• Love Raw 

• 7th Heaven 

• Enjoy Life 

• Cocomels 

Based on the law, it is written that lab animals must be thoroughly taken care of, but in all of the years of animal testing taking place, it has been documented that this is not the case. 

Here you can find the legal requirements: 

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title7/chapter54&edition=prelim

https://www.nal.usda.gov/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare-act

This is all just a little insight into what we are not fully educated on. It is important to know what you are eating and how it affects others. Do you want to cause harm to another being specifically knowing that what you want is not a need? And even if it was, there is no reason for us to go about using animals for testing purposes. There are much more accurate and up-to-date testing practices that are proven to produce more accurate results while not harming anyone in the process. 

Some examples include: 

• Organs-on-chips

• Computational modeling and in silico testing 

• In vitro testing

• 3D bioprinting

How can YOU make a difference? Simply buy purchasing products that don’t support such methods. It is valuable to know, and impactful to understand and do something about it. 

Thank you so much for reading guys! I truly appreciate it. 

Love always, 

Lauren    

Information on MARS and its Animal Research Policy can be found here:

https://www.mars.com/about/policies-and-practices/our-animal-research-policy#:~:text=To%20maintain%20consumer%20trust%2C%20we,sponsor%20studies%20that%20harm%20animals.