I am from the eighth grade at The Community School and am writing in response to Karen Davis' letter to the editor and to the members of her group who have written letters to our school.
I am a vegetarian because of animal rights reasons, and I am constantly fighting for animal rights. Davis and members wrote that our teachers did not teach us about being vegetarian or vegan and that watching a video or going to a farm could help teach us the same lessons of vegetarianism that we learned by doing this project. Our teachers, one a vegetarian and the other an aspiring vegan, did teach us about vegetarianism. Unfortunately, simply going to a farm and watching a movie, both of which we did, didn't have a lasting effect. Even though my classmates know that eating meat isn't a good thing, they found it very hard to change.
Throughout the project, we were all told that we didn't have to partake in raising or killing the chickens. Many who didn't go to kill the chickens, yet still eat meat, realized that maybe they haven't been making the right choice. They made the connection that a lot of people haven't made yet—meat does come from animals—and others in my class are starting to realize the sacrifice that animals make.
The food unit and chicken project changed everybody's view of meat dramatically. It was a whole different experience than watching a video or hearing one's classmates' opinions, and I know that the effects were dramatic. We have been inspired long-term. I believe that every single kid in our class walked out of this project wanting to eat less meat, and when they do have to eat meat, they try to buy it locally. Now, when I nag my classmates about eating meat, they actually listen and see my side of the picture. They came out of this project inspired towards animal rights, not animal cruelty.
Arielle R.
The Community School
