Thousands of cows, pigs, chicken, sheep, and turkeys live numbered days in cramped metal cages awaiting slaughter. Every second in the United States, 300 animals are being killed for food, according to Delaware Action for Animals.

Most Americans choose not to think about where their food is coming from. How else could they live with the grim reality that the animals they eat lived short, tortured lives before being murdered? The living conditions for animals in the meat industry are horrific.  Factory farm workers are allowed to do whatever they want to the animals in order to make a profit.

Every day 200,000 male chicks are suffocated or thrown into the grinder alive to be crushed because they cannot be sold for food or to lay eggs, according to Delaware Action for Animals.

Animals do have the same abilities to feel pain as humans do. They can also experience stress and fear. So why are they tortured and forced to live in inhumane conditions?

People do not need to eat meat to survive, but according to ProCon.org, only five percent of Americans are vegetarians. Vegetarians do not have to live with the guilt of being responsible for thousands of animal deaths. Many people believe that without eating meat, people will not have enough protein in their diets. That is untrue. There are alternative ways to have protein in your diet that do not include meat such as quinoa, eggs, beans, nuts, and tofu.

Vegetarianism has health benefits as well. According to ProCon.org, vegetarian diets lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Studies also show that vegetarians have a longer life expectancy.

Becoming vegetarian will help stop cruel and unjust treatment to animals. No animal should have to live behind metal bars, have its babies stolen, and be violently slaughtered. Join the fight for animal rights.

Rachel Amrhein is an Opinion Columnist for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.