Vegan

I'm vegan because I care about animals and don't want to contribute to their suffering. Once I learned how even eggs and dairy often involve harm or exploitation, I realized I didn’t want to be part of that system anymore. It just feels right for me to live in a way that matches my values of compassion and respect for all beings.

My thoughts on honey.  I rarely use honey as a sweetener. I mainly use maple syrup and coconut sugar.

Some vegans choose to make exceptions like local honey from responsible beekeepers, especially when:

It's not industrially produced,

The bees are well cared for, and

It supports local agriculture and pollination.

I really believe that if a lot of people were aware of how their food is processed when it gets to their plate, they would be vegan too.  Many people are conditioned to believe that it's just the way things are.  For others, they may care but feel overwhelmed by the idea of change, or they justify it because it’s convenient, tastes good, or is part of culture.  

I was vegetarian for a while. I did consume dairy products and eggs. I would tell myself that it's okay because I tried to find places where the animals were treated humanely. Deep inside I knew there was some problems with the way the animals are treated.  Hens are forced to lay eggs at an unnatural rate that can harm their health. 

Vegans don’t eat meat because they want to avoid causing harm to animals. I believe animals have the right to live free from suffering, and raising animals for food often involves pain, confinement, and killing. It's an ethical choice rooted in compassion and respect for all living beings.  

I've had people even say to me that I kill plants to eat them. It's true that eating plants involves using living things. The key difference is that plants do not have a nervous system or a conscience, so they don't experience pain and suffering like animals do. 

I do consider traditional hunting for food as okay because it’s a distinct situation from modern animal agriculture. The key difference is respect, necessity, and sustainability. I don't look down on  people for their choices.  I would rather educate and try to help people make better choices. Everyone is on their own journey and changing habits take time.