It's good to be back writing after such a long pause. The year has flown by, with leaving my old job and beginning a new one; helping our younger daughter with a project of hers; and having our older daughter move back locally. Lots more has happened, and I may write about some of those things in due course. For now, it would seem like a good time to come right up to date with recent events (with a little background) ...
Back in the summer, I visited Bristol Vegfest with my daughter. We both had an amazing two days. One of the stalls there was run by Manchester Pig Save, a group set up as part of the The Save Movement, begun in Toronto. They showed us what their organisation does. On reflection, on the way home with my travelling companion, we pondered the group's name: 'PIG SAVE', and wondered what on earth it meant? How did standing outside a slaughterhouse 'save' the pigs?
Over the next few months, I noticed more and more posts on social media from save groups, I started to realise that their purpose is to open people's eyes to the horror, brutality and gruesomeness of these places in which beautiful animals are sent en mass to die young. The facts have been hidden for far too long, and people buying meat for food, have in the main become so far removed from the grim reality, that most never question their social and cultural conditioning.
Around this time, I began to wonder if there was a save group locally, or how to set one up. There wasn't one, but at this point, some lovely people set up Cornwall Animal Save. The group has been holding vigils outside the gates of a local slaughter house for almost a month now. We have been joined and supported by people from West Yorkshire Save (a seven hour drive away), and Devon Animal Save. The group is growing.
So ... what makes people stand outside a slaughter house for hours in all weather enduring this horror?
Generally, a need to show people what happens (just a few moments from their home). There's an initial shock and disgust, and a heart wrenching encounter with a truck full of cattle, sheep, pigs. There then follows a feeling of helplessness which gives way to a burning need to highlight as much as possible of what is happening to these helpless souls. And that is why the save groups around the uk, and globally, summon every ounce of strength - so that we can bring the truth to those who, perhaps through no fault of their own, have not yet realised how much suffering, pain and death their 'food' causes. These places are truly brutal!
To those who now have me down as 'weird' or 'extreme', ask yourself this: could you stand with us, shoulder to shoulder and remain unaffected? Could you watch the Input (= live animals), output (= heads, entrails, skin and eventually 'meat' (the stuff 'normal' people eat))? Could you listen to the screams interspersed with the mechanical sound of the killing? Could you smell the stench of decomposing flesh whilst eating your steak? Could YOU look a beautiful animal in the eye and send it off to its gruesome end, and then eat it? If you have a dog or a cat, could you imagine sending them to this cruel fate - to strangers who shout and inflict suffering?
If so, I feel helpless as to how to reach you. Oh my goodness, look your bacon in the eye for one moment. If you have no feeling, then I feel for you. :-(
But there is another way, a compassionate way with the bonus of doing the least harm possible on a global scale regarding environmental damage as well as world hunger and alleviating suffering. There is no shame in a change of view, and there is no judgement for not realising sooner. There are plenty of resources available for those who wish to learn more.
Thank you for reading if you got this far. Much love. xx
