Karen Joy

About me:

I am against eating of any animal flesh, animal cruelty, and animal testing, etc. I adhere to a strict vegan diet. Although I may unintentionally make mistakes at times, I persevere as I believe very strongly in the animal rights/liberation issue. I diligently try not to use makeup or household products that have been tested on animals or wear clothing, purses, shoes, jewelry etc., anything else that has been made from animals or animal biproducts. I am constantly checking to making sure that products that I use are not animal based/animal tested. I will never go back to my former lifestyle of eating animals for my own selfish gratification. Vegan is definitely the way to live. VEGAN FOREVER!
I actually used to have an eating disorder and, in one of my desperate attempts to lose weight yet again, I turned to the book "Skinny Bitch. As if I wasn't neurotic about food enough, just what I needed was another diet book. After reading just a few pages summarizing in graphic detail of what happens on factory farms, slaughterhouses, dairy farms, etc., I was completely mesmerized, yet horrified! I then started looking up vegan sites on the net and wandered onto PETA's website as well as GO VEG. While there, I saw several videos documenting the cruelty to the defenseless animals which are raised on these so-called factory farms. I started researching more and more; of course, becoming steadily obsessed as is my nature. I can never do anything halfway; everything is either black or white, all or nothing!! Okay, this is where I admit I became TOTALLY confused. As I started researching different sites which assist in helping people become vegan or vegetarian, I started pondering the beliefs that encompass the vegan lifestyle. My mind started racing, and the whole concept started snowballing on me. If I don't eat meat, then what about eggs? If I don't eat eggs, then how can I fathom the thought of consuming dairy products? Wait, I love yogurt! Okay...if I don't eat dairy products, what about wearing leather or using any leather products, i.e. belts, purses, OMG, all my shoes!! Then, of course, the ultimate hit me!! Makeup, cosmetics, shampoo, household products, anything really -- my mind was spinning!! Everything seemed to be connected – being vegan, saving animals, as well as trying to conserve energy, recycling, being concerned about global warming, all this just by reading one friggin' book! Needless to say, this book changed my life forever! I had originally wrote the following statement for my profile here at My Space when I first ventured into the veggie lifestyle: "I truly believe we all need something to really stand strong for OR against, whichever you prefer. In so doing, we should lead our lives in keeping with our own individual belief system without being so radical, avid, or, in some cases, LOUD about a particular issue that we, by example, turn people against the very thing we are trying to advocate - does that make any sense?" When I initially wrote that, I really meant it, but, as I become more interested in the animal cruelty/rights movement, I cannot help but get more avid and speak more LOUDLY and more passionately about the subject. I think that is one of the reasons that, while I love my family and friends very much, when I try to discuss my beliefs with them or any other non-vegan person, they sometimes can become offended because the subject matter is too delicate and/or graphic, they just don't want to discuss it, they aren't ready to discuss it, or they just plain like dead flesh, errr, meat, way too much!! Of course, my intention is not to offend; I am just very passionate about this because I truly believe in it 100%! I don't want to hurt anyone, I want to ENLIGHTEN. I just want to be able to DO SOMETHING, anything, to help these poor, defenseless animals who are undergoing unspeakable acts of torture, maybe even closer than your think, perhaps a neighbor's house (cruelty can happen anywhere), testing laboratories, in the oceans, in the slaughterhouses, on factory farms, in puppy mills, animal shelters, so many other different places; it's a horrible nightmare that has to stop. I just want to aid in the fight in stopping it. Now that the knowledge is out there, we cannot just turn our backs on it. We have to listen to what our heart and conscience are telling us is right, irregardless of species.
I have a topic that needs to be addressed. Since becoming vegan and becoming involved in the animal rights issue, it seems some people do not understand the reason why I choose to campaign so diligently for veganism/animal rights and not some other worthy cause, such as child abuse, women rights -- both nationally and internationally, human trafficking, local/world hunger, etc. While I believe these issues are very important and worthy causes, and they deserve many, many people to support them with very strong activism, I, myself, became involved in the vegetarian lifestyle pretty much by chance and the animal rights issue just naturally followed. I feel like it chose me for some odd reason, I did not choose it. As I have said here previously, I had read a book and took it to heart so strongly that there was no other choice for me, no other path to follow. I feel that, if presented with the chance to protest against child abuse, the women's movement -- especially in the Middle East as women are so oppressed there, hunger on both national and international levels, etc.,(these are just a few issues that I STRONGLY believe need attention), I would, of course, choose to do so. I just have become too involved in the animal rights issue to back out now. It has a piece of me now and is inside me deep down; however, I still feel like I am somewhat aimless, I need a little push in helping me get going in the right direction as far as animal activism. I do not know exactly where to begin. Although I am signing petitions, trying to get involved in email campaigns, and also am working on a website (other than my profile) for veganism/animal rights so that I can pursue a local vegan community, I still feel that it is not enough. Perhaps, when I feel like I have contributed somewhat to the vegan/animal rights community, then I can then branch out and start contributing my time wholeheartedly to other causes. I just feel like I need to put most of my time in activism down this particular avenue first to truly initiate a change in my local community; maybe that is my purpose, my starting point. I do look up other issues online and sign petitions for them and write some letters. I wanted to let people know that I am not heartless to humans or other causes. I never dreamed becoming vegan and pro animal rights would stir so many emotions in myself and other people. I hope this makes sense and is not misunderstood! If you have any thoughts on this or anything else from my profile, feel free to contact me.

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