Why Vegans Don't Eat Cheese

A lot of people probably think that when they eat cheese or drink milk they're not supporting the killing or abusing of an animal. This, however, is incorrect. Let's take a brief look at how the cheese on your pizza, and the ice cream in your bowl, got there.

Most of the milk that Americans drink, and meat that we eat, comes from factory farms. So the cows used to produce milk and meat don't, nor will they ever, know what it's like to live on a lush grassy field. Dairy cows are artificially inseminated (impregnated) because the farmers and workers don't have time to wait for a female cow to become pregnant naturally. The same day that the cow gives birth, her baby is taken away from her, never to see her mother again. Now I don't know about all you mothers out there, but I wouldn't want my baby to be ripped away from me and never get to see her again.

The human body has no more need for cows' milk than it does for dogs' milk, horses' milk, or giraffes' milk.

 - Michael Klaper, M.D.

So what happens to the female and male calves? The female calves have the same fate as their mothers and are "first impregnated at around thirteen months." As for the male calves, they are chained in a tiny "metal, plastic, or wooden crate in a way that makes it impossible for him to turn around, walk, stand, or lay down comfortably. This is done so that he will not have developed muscles." You see since baby male calves cannot produce milk they become veal calves. Baby male calves are killed for their meat when they're only a few months old. One might think that after these dairy cows can no longer produce milk that they're set free. This again is incorrect. After they can no longer produce milk they are sent to the slaughter house. In good conditions dairy cows can live to be twenty years old. The sad fact is "the typical dairy cow gives out at about four or five years of age." If you think buying organic milk or cheese is better, it's not. They use the same methods of production.

We all say that we love animals, and we're all against animal cruelty, but we pay people to mutilate, torture, and slaughter animals. And it's not for any necessity, it's not because we need them for our health, it's just because we like the way the taste.

- James Aspey 

These sweet, innocent creatures are abused and inhumanely killed for no justifiable reason. The baby cows don't even get one drop of their mother's milk. They will never know the love that their mother has for them. We are the only species on earth that drinks another animal's milk after we're weaned. As far as getting calcium and protein there are TONS of different, and humane, ways to get these nutrients. Various studies have shown that America has the highest rate of osteoporosis, despite the fact that we're also the country with the highest milk/dairy consumption. There are tons of different milks out there that we could be consuming: rice, soy, almond, etc. There are different non-dairy cheeses and ice creams. In fact I've had some non-dairy cheese on a pizza and it was really good!

I strongly believe that if people were more open and educated that they would reconsider what they buy and put on their plates. The abuse and cruelty alone are bad enough, but the dairy and meat industries are also damaging the earth. We're destroying land and habitats for other animals just so we can produce food that we don't need.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this.  I encourage you do some research of your own and watch documentaries to find out more. You can find links to some of the documentaries we have watched on our Links & Resources page.

Blessings,
Joy


Sources:

"Torture and Infanticide: Why Vegans Don't Eat Dairy". veganrabbit.com. The Oxygen Theme. Web. 6/5/2016.

"Explain Like I'm 5: Why Is Eating Cheese Cruel to Cows?". onegreenplanet.org. Web. 6/5/2016.

Copyright 2016 by Dee Dee Wike and Joy Wike. All rights reserved. www.feelingveggiegood.com