The Price of a Pork Chop
Every animal product comes at a cost, and that cost is suffering and death. Gary Francione’s quote is as simple as it is devastating: “All animal products involve suffering and death. All of them.” Behind every carton of eggs, every glass of milk, every slice of bacon, is a sentient being who wanted to live.
This isn’t just about meat. Dairy cows are forcibly impregnated, their babies taken away, and their bodies used until they collapse. Hens are mutilated, confined, and killed once their egg production slows. Even so-called “humane” farms exploit animals until they’re no longer profitable. Then comes the slaughterhouse.
Animals like the piglet pictured—curious, intelligent, capable of forming bonds—are reduced to products. Yet they feel pain, fear, and joy just as much as the dogs we love at home.
We have the power to break this cycle. Choosing plant-based foods is the most direct way to opt out of a system built on exploitation. It is a statement of compassion, justice, and respect for all life. And it begins on your plate.