Have you ever said something you wished you could take back, but couldn’t?
If so (and who among us hasn’t), you have peeked at the power of words. There are so many words and expressions that humans use regularly that feature animals in a derogatory way. Think, “what a pig!”, “what are you – a chicken?”, “she’s such a cow”, “he’s a weasel”, etc etc. It can be difficult to eliminate this type of use of words, but if you are mindful, it gets easier. Afterall, the derogatory behavior we often associate with animals is not described by the actual animals at all! Today, notice if you go to use one of those words, and find an alternate way to say what you want to say. It’s all habit and with a little effort and perseverence, the use of animal names as derogatory insults can and will be eliminated.
Emma Levez Larocque is an author and photographer living on the west coast of Canada. She has been veg for 18 years, vegan for 3. Her passion is working to make veganism mainstream to promote a better, kinder world for all beings. 
