In Massachusetts there lives a man and a woman who were third generation dairy farmers. Cows have milk just like any other mammal, as breast milk for their babies. Just like dogs, horses, or humans, cows only have breast milk when they have a baby. So, in the dairy industry, the cows are impregnated. When the babies are born, they are taken away to be killed for veal and the cows’ breast milk taken away for humans to drink. The mom cows scream for months for their babies.

This couple, after three generations of taking babies away from their moms and milking the cows, looked at each other one day and said, “We can’t do this anymore!” They closed their dairy and turned the farm into a sanctuary. Now, they save animals from the dairy and meat industry and give them sanctuary for the rest of their lives. They promote a vegan diet and are more than making up for the past.

As a vegan and an animal activist, it is so easy to judge people’s behaviors. The truth, however, is that each and every single one of us is evolving at our own pace and there is hope for everyone to learn more, grow more, and make kinder choices to help people and animals. I have never met this couple but one day I hope to meet them. They knew what they were taught and became the people they were raised to be. Some people never change and stay the same person they were groomed to be until they die. These lovely people realized one day that they were causing harm to animals and instead of clinging to their blissful ignorance, they made a change. Change is hard and scary, yet they followed their heart anyway. To me, they are heroes!

The world is changing and evolving and there are more and more people who are making kinder more peaceful choices. When Hitler tried to obliterate anyone other than Aryans, other nations came to stop the abuse. When Caucasians enslaved African-Americans, the Civil War was fought to end slavery. The suffering and abuse of animals will not be fought by politicians or ended with wars. The slaughter and pain will only end when enough of us decide not to support it. When we buy meat and dairy or products tested on animals we are paying their producers to harm animals on our behalf. When we spend our money on cruelty-free foods and products, more and more companies will choose to adopt those policies and fewer animals will be killed. It is up to us, each and every single one of us. If third generation farmers can make a change, we all can!

For support and information on a plant based diet, go to www.gentlebarn.org