This Is Vegan Propaganda (& Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You)

by Ed Winters

In 2019, a cow affectionately named Daisy by people online escaped from a slaughterhouse in Carlisle, England. Daisy ran into a nearby cul-de-sac and prompted a huge outcry from people wishing for her to be rescued, even though she was running away from a fate that is determined by the actions of many of these people, most of whom would happily have eaten her had she not escaped. The police ended up shooting Daisy and killing her, leading to public condemnation.2 This story reveals so much about how we view animals and their slaughter. The fact that we yearn for escaped animals to live speaks volumes about how we value their lives once they become separated from the anonymous herd. We then acknowledge that they are individuals with their own personalities and a clear desire to live. We recognise that there is something they are trying to escape from, that they are fearful and in a situation they do not want to be in, which is so troubling that they would rather take the risk of running into the unknown than allow what is happening to them to continue. In essence, we view these animals as underdogs, heroes overcoming adversity, and yet the adversity they are trying to overcome is us. They’re only there because of the choices that we make. These animals are not simply escaping the slaughterhouse or trying to evade the police. They are running from us, the people who have decided their fate long before they were born. It may be the slaughterer’s knife or a police officer’s bu...