Chapter 1: You've been lied to your entire life
This is going to be different from most things you’ve read…
The purpose is not to blame or accuse - nor is it to sugarcoat or mollycoddle.
It is simply to tell you the truth.
Our aim is to take the blinkers off, open your eyes, and present things clearly, directly, and without excuses.
You will probably never have been spoken to like this or held to account in this way.
You may feel defensive or uneasy - that is normal.
That reaction does not mean the message is wrong; it means the issue has been hidden from view for a long time.
Many of the ideas presented here are things you’ve been raised to accept without question, so it’s natural to feel challenged or defensive.
All we ask is this:
During these 7 short chapters, keep an open mind and be willing to have your beliefs challenged.
These chapters exist to demand justice for a group of victims who are all too often ignored:
Animals.
The exploitation of animals is the longest-standing and largest injustice in history. And yet, they have been victimised for so long that most people do not even recognise them as victims.
Exploitation means using someone else for your own purposes.
In the context of humans exploiting animals, this is typically for food, clothing, entertainment, or experimentation.
As defined by Leslie Cross in 1951:
Veganism is the principle of ending the exploitation of animals by humans.
Many people think veganism is:
a diet
a lifestyle choice
or a trend
Others attach labels like ‘extreme’ or ‘radical’ to it, as a way to stop the conversation before it even begins.
But veganism is not a diet
It is not a trend
It is not a personal identity
It is not about health, nutrition, or the environment - though those may be positive side effects.
Vegans don’t consume meat, fish, milk, or eggs, but those are merely actions, not the principle itself.
At its core, veganism is a justice movement.
It challenges human supremacy - the belief that humans are entitled to use other animals simply because they can.
Believing humans are inherently more important than other animals is ‘speciesism’ - a prejudice that claims one species is morally superior to another.
If we reject racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression because exploitation is wrong, then the same truth applies here.
Animals are living beings who can think, feel, and value their own lives - just as we value ours.
Their lives and bodies belong to them.
If you agree that we shouldn’t exploit animals and that they deserve respect, then we’ll leave you on this question:
Can you truly respect animals if you still consume their flesh, milk, and eggs?
To reflect on this question truthfully and continue the conversation, it’s important to see the reality clearly.
It may feel uncomfortable, but that discomfort is part of understanding.
Watch this short 4-minute video to consider the question from the animals’ perspective.