The answer lies in compassion for ALL sentient beings
Re: “Vegetarians have become missionaries for a racist creed”, Have Your Say, January 16.
I can assure A Johnsen that vegetarians/vegans care about all animals on our planet, including the infinitely beautiful diversity of land, marine and human animals. We also understand their desire to survive in the many harsh environments they may be forced to live in. I object however to being called “racist”, and we are far from being “navel gazers”, as you so eloquently described.
Vegans choose not to eat animals since they know and care about what happens to our food animals between “paddock and plate”. We want to encourage people to look behind the pristine plastic wrapped carcasses, eggs and dairy in supermarkets. Mr Johnsen, the cruel way animals are bred, kept, transported and slaughtered is definitely not a separate discussion, but rather is about “what man is eating”. In fact, vegans adhere to the principle of “ahimsa”, the Sanskrit word meaning “Do no harm”.
Diane Cornelius
South Australia
