(December 20, 2011) — Vegetarianism goes back a long way. Since ancient times, people have opted out of eating meat (or certain types of meat) for religious and cultural reasons. Certain health-related reasons have also induced people not to partake in diets consisting of meat. Some people have decided to be vegetarian because they are against the ways industry handles animal husbandry and meat packing. These are legitimate reasons for being a vegetarian. But then there are those who have taken the obvious and falsified it. Animals are not humans. They can’t talk, read or write. They can’t build houses and skyscrapers, nor can they discover medicine or invent technology. They can’t even operate simple machinery. When was the last time a pig introduced a revolutionary idea? George Orwell’s Animal Farm doesn’t count. So, what are animals good for then? They’ve served as a source of food and clothing to our ancestors, so they wouldn’t die from starvation and cold. Domesticated animals such as horses and dogs have protected us and provided us with easier transportation means. They’ve also helped us cultivate our lands. We owe our existence to our ancestors’ use of animals. Those of you who are against experimenting on animals just ask yourselves, would you rather have experimenting done on humans? Would you rather have all experimenting stopped and see no significant advancements in medicine? How are we to create vaccinations and test their effectiveness, so we can prevent the spread of diseases? Why not think of it this way? A few animals are sacrificed now and then so you and your posterity can enjoy your good health. Animals are here to serve our purposes; it’s not the other way around. Human intelligence has given us the ability to survive by using everything around us to our benefit. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Of course, this doesn’t mean we should abuse our intelligence, which is why we have created concepts like law and government. If you’ve stopped eating animals because you think animals are humans, think again. How can you think animals are humans without considering yourself an ex-cannibal? Surely, there must have been a time you ate burgers before you decided to convert to vegetarianism. Don’t fancy yourself an activist because you don’t eat meat. Gandhi was an activist. Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist. Animals don’t have dreams, humans do. If you truly want to effect a change and do something humanitarian (emphasis on human), then help your fellow human beings. Starving children, orphans and youth who have to stop going to school so they can work to provide for their families are the ones who have dreams. Humans aren’t in the center of the universe, but as far as society is concerned, neither are animals.