Every Life Has Equal Worth
In our society, we place arbitrary value on the lives of different animals. We love dogs, protect elephants, and recoil at the idea of harming them. Yet, we slaughter pigs, test on mice, and cage sentient beings without a second thought. This double standard reflects our conditioning, not any moral or biological truth. A pig feels fear and affection just like a dog. A mouse seeks safety, just like an elephant protects her young. None of these animals values their life any less than the others do.
The image of these four beings reminds us that worth isn’t based on species, size, or cultural role. It’s based on sentience—the capacity to suffer, to feel, and to want to live. Once we recognize that truth, we can no longer justify harming some while protecting others.
Being vegan is not about perfection. It’s about justice. It’s about extending our compassion to all who need it—no exceptions.
"A mouse seeks safety, just like an elephant protects her young."
And a mouse protects her young, too. I lifted a ground lid (water valves), and saw a nest of pink baby mice, and the mother was frantically moving each baby through a hole at the bottom. Like any good mother, it was risking its life each time that it returned for another baby. I closed the lid so the mother could nurture her young without any further human interference.