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To give your feedback on the magazine, email [email protected]. Maybe there’s an issue you would like to discuss
or you’ve seen something in the magazine that you agree or disagree with. Maybe you’d like to see a particular story
covered, or you just want to get your point across. Whatever it is, I would love to hear from you!T
hree years ago today, I killed a
calf. I dragged him away from his
wailing mother right after he was born
and I put him in a wooden box. He was
scared... confused... trembling. But I put
him in that box to make damn sure he
didn’t get his mother’s milk... the milk
that I needed for MY cheese, for MY
yoghurt, and for MY ice cream.
I left him in that box for eight weeks
and fed him some cheap replacement
formula while he lived in his own filth
and cried for his mother day and night.
Then I dragged him out of that box to a
room. While I dragged him to that room,
he tried to suckle my fingers. He reached
out for some kind of love... anything to fill
the void of his mommy. It was pathetic.
When we got to the room, I hung him up
by his hind leg and I put an end to his
misery. He only kicked for a minute or two
as he bled out. A few hours later, he was
separated into neat little packages and
shipped off. Veal. Mmmmm. Tender veal.
Three years ago today, I saw the video
that showed me this calf that I killed. It
didn’t matter that I didn’t do the dragging
or wield the knife. I was the one who
demanded the cheese, the yoghurt, and
the ice cream. And wouldn’t you know it,
there was someone out there more than
happy to supply them to me.
Three years ago today, I fell to my
knees, cursed the heavens and all of
humanity, and bawled like I've never
bawled before. I screamed for that calf.
I screamed for forgiveness. No one
answered.
I had spent my entire life believing
that I loved animals, and I had spent
the last 20 years abstaining from eating
their flesh because of that belief. But
until three years ago, I had no idea that I
was still harming so many of them. Not
just harming. Torturing, maiming, and
depriving them of the mother that EVERY
baby on this planet needs. Depriving
them of any semblance of comfort or joy.
I could not have been more cruel.
Three years ago today, when my
bawling stopped, and my sudden,
overwhelming hatred for all of humanity
began to subside, I swore to every calf,
every chicken, every pig, every turkey,
every fish, every shrimp, and every other
animal that I had ever consumed, that
I was done. I was DONE. The truth had
been hidden from me for so long. But
now I knew. God damn it. Now I knew.
Three years ago today, I went from
being a vegetarian to being a vegan. I can't
change the past. But I can learn from it. I
can learn how and why this horrific truth
was kept from me for so long. I can make
those liars pay for coercing me into being
so cruel for so long. I can make them pay
by telling others the truth... others who I
know care as much as I do... others who
I know do not want to kill that calf. I am
now, and forever will be, vegan. For the
rest of my life, I will speak for that calf. I
will spend my life trying to make it up to
him... trying to make his life have some
meaning. I never meant to harm you. I
will never harm you again.
J.RosenbergT
hank you so much for this
awesome magazine that I picked
up today. I am just starting out on my
vegan journey and not sure how to go
about it, so I googled this morning. So
much info, I was getting so confused,
came across your magazine in google,
went and bought a copy, flicking
through to page 10 and found four
separate resources under download to
make it easy for me and my transition.
Downloading now. Thank you, looking
forward to more of your mag.
D. RansomH
i Michaela, Thank you SO MUCH
for publishing The Australian
Vegan Magazine. I felt compelled to
write to you because I am sitting here
crying tears of joy and relief. This is
because it can be lonely and saddening
living in a mainly non-vegan world
where the only vegans I know are
online! But I am so happy and relieved
today as your mag feels like home, a
little vegan island. Seeing other people
and businesses in the vegan community
making a difference makes me feel
heartened and less alone. To see
non-human animals suffering through
other people’s food and lifestyle
choices is hard but I am feeling strong
and inspired by your mag and Editor’s
note to go out gently into the world
with our message of vegan compassion
for the animals. Have a lovely day and
keep up the excellent work.
B. Palframan.J
ust got my copy yesterday, and
it’s brilliant! As a major fan of The
Veronicas, I was delighted to read the
interview with Jess Origliasso and her
plans to release a cookbook. Also loved
the message from 360 on the back cover
encouraging others to become more
body confident. One of my first internet
communities I started back in 2000
was called “NAVEL”, which stands for
“Naturists Advocating Vegetarian and
Environmental Lifestyles”. If we’ve got
any readers who are interested in naturism
as a means of helping to protect the natural
environment, feel better about our bodies
and also protest against the mistreatment
of animals by several industries, then
please feel free to join the group at:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/navel.
Hope to see some of you on there. :)
D. WesternG
ot my magazine yesterday and
loved that I could read it from
front to back and found everything
interesting. Have given up buying
magazines because I find most of the
content boring. I have already put my
name down at the newsagent for the
ongoing purchase of The Australian
Vegan Magazine. Thank you and well
done.
S. PearceLetters to the editor