The quote, “if slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian” is more commonly known from a narrative by Paul McCartney (who is vegan) from a sponsored PETA video:

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It’s obvious why this phrase sticks: if a slaughterhouse was truly made of glass, we could see the very reality we fight to avoid admitting on a daily basis. Or — more gruesomely — we couldn’t even peer through the blood on the glass itself to see the truth.

Factory farming. We all know at least some information about it. Most of us have sat through a quick advertisement that flashes horrendous images of animal suffering — but nobody wants to embrace those conditions, proudly own up to the torture and merciless slaughtering of millions of animals. I have never witnessed someone puff their chest, raise a proud hand and exclaim “I am PROUD of all this suffering!” It’s ridiculous; imagine someone doing that in the middle of a KFC restaurant, full chicken wing in hand. The reactions wouldn’t be celebratory, because everyone knows at least a little bit of the truth.

But knowing the truth doesn’t prevent a majority of the population from reacting to it. This is because we are taught the values of speciesism from birth. Speciesism: the assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of animals. Since we were children, we have been educated that the world we share with millions of other species are below us. Sure, some are more dangerous or scary, but it doesn’t prevent the belief we hold that humans are still obligated to being better.

Fact: Over 56 billion farmed animals are killed every year by humans. This number does not include the additional marine life.

That number is impossible to comprehend, isn’t it? Therefore, it has no impact. No impact = no change.

I have a challenge for you: watch this video, for as long as you can. "Earthlings" is a full documentary available to the public on YouTube, with only 18,500 views.

Not interested in watching the reality of animal suffering, from pets to food to entertainment? Okay, let’s talk about your diet, then.

That’s right, another long video, this time bluntly titled “101 Reasons to Go Vegan." Perhaps this video is too long for the average attention span, or the idea of changing your lifestyle is not appealing. That’s okay, I found a short video for you that even has famous "Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage (who is a longtime vegetarian):

There are big-name people speaking out to the world in attempt to bring awareness to suffering, but you still chose to remain ignorant. In this day, where change is encouraged and injustice is fought to end, animals are still left in the dark. Why is this?

I could list so many reasons, but the main excuse to avoid a change in diet is due to the power of manipulation. We have been raised to see our foods as normal and acceptable, we are rarely encouraged to challenge what is on our plate, and we are influenced by the advertisements of food companies.

It’s up to you on how you handle the truth, but it is the truth. Animals are suffering for our satisfaction.