I keep surprising myself

This past week, I finally was able to wear my bush/tree costume on stage for Halloween. It was a little late for Halloween, but I am really happy with how the look turned out. It was my first time back at the Monday Night Comedy Show and I missed those folks and that stage a lot.

As I was leaving the show, I grabbed a newspaper sitting by the door and saw that Dessa would be performing with the Minnesota Orchestra this weekend. I look up to her in so many ways and I have never seen her rap or sing live, so I ended up buying a ticket and going to the concert. She epitomizes what it means to be bold, sensitive, intelligent, and endlessly curious. She has made a successful career out of her wide-ranging creative work, which I find inspiring. She never stuck to one "lane." She is an academic and a free-spirited artist, when I typically see people gravitating to one or the other.

This week, my ethics professor also introduced me to Peter Singer, who is famous for his work on animal liberation. After reading some of his work, I did not purchase any animal products when I was grocery shopping. I can tolerate eating animal products when I do not think directly about how terribly we treat animals in the US (and around the world), but if I think about how my actions could have an impact on the treatment of animals, I feel terrible.

The piece my professor sent me is called "All Animals Are Equal."

In Peter's article, the utilitarian view is quite clear and strong. He asks "Can animals suffer?" and "Are we treating them as means to our ends?" I agree with his perspective that the answer to both of these questions is "yes." He also asks why we would treat certain animals, such as pets, so differently than we would treat the animals we consume.

I have stopped consuming animal products at various times in my life, for the same types of ethical reasons. Usually, I would be moved by watching a compelling documentary about the treatment of animals. And then, over time, I would be lulled back into my old behaviors, avoiding thinking about how my actions could contribute to the mistreatment of animals. I am embarrassed to admit I would do this, but it is a classic example of cognitive dissonance. There is also a lot of social pressure to continue consuming animal products, which contributes to this slide. I know some family members will be quite upset with me for choosing not to eat animal products. However, as I reshape my own ethical views, I plan to stop eating meat to do what I can to help prevent mistreatment of animals and reduce my environmental impact.

I also thought this line of Peter's was particularly striking: "Cruelty is acknowledged only when profitability ceases." It speaks to so much of how our culture in the US operates. 

I was surprised to find myself acknowledging that I feel it is best for me to not consume animal products. I was surprised to find myself having fun on stage in a costume I thought I might never wear and I was surprised to be able to see Dessa live.

And now I have to figure out how to politely tell my family I am vegan or vegetarian (have not decided where I will land yet) for ethical reasons. This will likely happen on Thanksgiving, when very large plates of meat are placed in front of everyone. So I guess I will get to surprise them, too.