Here's what's really hard

Here's what's excruciatingly difficult - impossible, actually: Participating in violence against animals when it is so easily avoidable. I know how badly the animal wants to live, and the meaning he or she gets from life, and I know animals' capacity for pain and suffering, and I know right from wrong, and the Golden Rule. I know I have a profundity of vegan options. I could cook something different for every meal just from browsing the Internet, and have a hugely satisfying and diverse vegan diet - and I'm not kidding and I'm not exaggerating.

I would have difficulty living with myself if I knew I was contributing to the misery and death of animals simply for pleasure, or out of habit, or because I felt like it, or out of moral laziness.

I desire peace of mind - as we all do - and I can think of no more surefire way to achieve that than by doing good, by doing right, by being as kind as compassionate and respectful of life as I can, by being non-violent, by obeying the golden rule.

Knowingly engaging in violence against innocent animals - that's hard. No matter how good you are at rationalizing or denial, deep down you know you're doing something unmerciful, unkind, unjust, and wrong. That catches up to you one way or another.

Being vegan is easy. It's beyond easy - it's simply the right thing to do. It's deeply satisfying to bring your diet in line with your morals.