By Pareli Amirkhanian

Many people label themselves as “animal lovers.” They explain how they would never dare to lay hands on an animal or hurt them in any way. Let’s take a look at the “animal lover” phrase, and see how accurate the phrase really is.
“Animal,” as we know, means any living organism that feeds on organic matter. And to love something means to have an intense feeling of deep affection for it.
So, going along with someone saying, “I love animals,” it asserts that they love all animals, and would not dare to hurt any. After all, you do not hurt anyone or anything that you love; or else you do not really love it.
This is where the hypocrisy comes in with meat eaters asserting this phrase. After all, a meat eater is someone who consumes animals. Therefore, how can a meat eater love animals? It is basically a paradox in itself.
The same thing goes for meat eaters who own dogs, cats, or any other house-held pet. Would they murder them violently, skin their fur off, cut their meat, and fry it?
No, and they probably would not to that to any dog or cat they encounter. All that would take place is a gentle petting of the head or body. What is so different with pigs, cows, chickens, and other animals victim of murder for pure human taste buds every second?
There is no difference. As a society, we have become so prone to the murder of these innocent beings that we do not even define them as animals anymore. Meat eaters may know by definition these animals are actual animals, but subconsciously have blocked out the meaning behind the word.
Meat eaters can say that they are peaceful and kind, but do these words correlate with other parts of their lives? Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Sure, this may be true in other parts of a meat eaters life, but is someone truly kind and peaceful if they are contributing to the mass murder of innocent animals simply for taste?
Most people would not correlate the Yulin Dog Meat Festival participants, who violently murder dogs and eat them, as peaceful and kind people, correct?
What is the difference with violently murdering cows, pigs, or chickens?
It’s simple. There really is no difference.
I understand that many do not correlate the meat they are eating to the bloody murder that took place for it; I was once naive to it myself.
However, more people need to start questioning their surroundings, beliefs and morals and start practicing the true meaning behind what they say.
One cannot truly love animals until they stop eating them. Besides this, meat eaters need to start saying something like “I love animals, except for the ones that I get to eat at dinner with my potatoes.” I mean, it’s the truth right?
People need to start looking at the true definition behind their words, and realize how for the most part they are not practicing what they preach. If you want to be an animal lover, be kind to animals, be peaceful with animals, and respect animal existence, you need to stop eating them. It is as simple as that.