Now, before you panic and get defensive, just hear me out.

Though we may not see eye to eye on anything and have completely different agendas, we all want the same thing: justice for the animals. So why argue? Vegans will be vegans and meat-eaters will eat meat…and that’s totally okay. I will enjoy bacon and cheese on my hamburger and I won’t judge you for what you choose to eat. Because here’s the truth: you can’t change the world’s opinion just because it doesn’t match your own, and attempting to do so is only going to cause a fight. So let’s worry about what we put into our own bodies, and what we can do for the animals we are blessed to be in the company of. Oh…and while we are at it, why don’t we try to get along? Or at least be respectful of our different opinions.

Kidding...

My apologies as I stray from the topic at hand to remind us that we are not all supposed to have the same thoughts and opinions. It seems we have all forgotten this. We are all different, I know, it’s crazy. The things we encounter in this life affect us all differently, and it is these encounters that shape us into the people that we are. I choose to understand that although I want to eat meat, ride horses and go hunting, other people may not. I also believe that as long as these animals are taken care of and respected during their final moments, whatever I choose to do with them is totally acceptable. So animal right’s activists, if you choose to see otherwise, please understand my choice and know that I will devote my life to my four-legged friends and that I will stand beside you for any inhumane treatment of them.

Before I go on to defend the farmers and ranchers of the world, I’d like for you all to understand that I, myself, am a stewardess of the animals. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I devote my life to my horses. I’ve spent countless hours stressing over my finances as I provide my horses with the best lives I can give them. I pay their board, keep them regularly vaccinated, regularly hoof-trimmed and shod, feed them the most elite feed and supplements, take them to the vet before I’ll go to the doctor and get them adjusted while I can’t stand up straight. In no way am I complaining, or claiming that I’m the only one who does this. What I am saying, is that I would never put that kind of money into these horses if I didn’t love them more than I love myself. So yes, it does offend me when people try to tell me that I don’t have a right to use and take care of my animals.I have nurtured orphaned animals of all kinds back to life, and I’ve also watched the life drain from an animal’s eyes. My heart has broke for my horses’ injuries and I’ve stayed up all night with sick animals in their time of death. I firmly believe that taking the life of an animal, and helping an animal as it suffers has given me the respect I need as an owner. Farmers and ranchers, as well.

You may despise ranchers, and claim that they care more about the money than the animal, and there may be times when you are right. But I’ve seen ranchers give their own lives to save their livestock. And I’ve seen their somber faces as they put down an injured animal. And I’ve seen them pay more in vet bills than the animal is worth. And I’ve also seen them furious at those who do not take care of their livestock. They are good men and women. They know first hand what it is to be broke, to love and to lose. They know what it is to miss basketball games, family dinners and a good nights sleep. And they know what it is to keep fighting when it gets rough because they love what they do. Because it is their life.

Suppose we do take away the right to eat, use and enjoy these creatures, what would happen? Factually, I can say that the livestock industry uses selective breeding among their animals. This means that the breeding is controlled. There are not more animals produced than can be utilized. If we were no longer allowed to control the breeding of animals, whether through selective breeding or hunting, the breed populations would become outrageous. All of the contained animals would roam free to get hit by vehicles, to starve as they run out of vegetation and no one is allowed to feed them. Animals would suffer until their death with no one care for their injuries or put them out of their misery. The price of non-animal products would skyrocket as 7.5 billion people would now be eating them solely. There would be fewer places to grow crops because free roaming animals would destroy fields in search of something to eat. And lastly, a lot of people would have a huge hole in their heart, where their beloved animals used to be.

So animal rights and animal welfare activists, let's work together to stop the abuse, shut down the facilities that truly do not play their part as stewards of the animals and most of all: Let’s tell the truth. Do not deceive the uneducated, and skew facts to portray the wrong picture. Do not blaspheme those you disagree with. And do not preach of the things you do not know for sure to be true. We all love our animals, so let's all be mature.