Having recently seen the powerful documentary Earthlings, which is a painful reminder of the animal abuse that goes on to bring us food, clothing, and entertainment, today’s Veggie Pride Parade in NYC was a joyful celebration of why I became vegetarian 20 years ago. The Parade, organized by the Viva-Vegie Society, gives me hope that more and more people are awakening to the cruel facts, and making changes to improve their dietary choices, for their health, the animals, and the environment. It was colorful and fun, with great speakers, and free vegan food!