How did that stereotype of vegans being painfully dense, preachy and vain ever get started?

Idiot hipster, get a reality check. Most of the people who do animal sacrifice are from the caribbean jungles. Get school in life shelterboy.

That is not accurate, not to mention animal sacrifice has been around since the beginning of time and is evident in most cultures.

In NYC, the animal sacrifices are done mostly by Dominicans and some Puerto Ricans and Jamaicans. Animals sacrifices are not done in most religions such as Hindu, Christianity, Buddhism, etc. It is Santeria and it is ridiculous to say they are sacrificing animals for good luck but it is bad karma if any. They are jungle people. I am half-hispanic descent and I have seen their santeria stores and it is pure ignorance to do spells to cast over lovers or make money etc....

"I have seen their santeria stores and it is pure ignorance to do spells to cast over lovers or make money etc"

What? Why? Spells are only cast for evil reasons?

I want to agree with you but it's difficult. I worked with some people who were part of Santeria and I found them to be nothing but peaceful and wanting harmony among fellow men.

Why do people think that it's evil spells being cast? Perhaps it's all for good weather and harmony and good luck.

HEY NOW, how do you know he/she's a hipster... oh wait.

Growing up in Washington Heights, I saw a lot of this. They should take a look in Fort Tryon Park and Inwood. My dog used to find crazy santeria stuff in the bushes.

Where's "felixthecat" when you need him to chime in on this important issue???

Christ was the ultimate sacrifice and these jungle people still believe in animal sacrifices.

eh, the suburbs has these animal killings.

any candle wax found at the scene?

Some of it could be santeros, other stuff might also have indigenous religious or witchcraft angles.A lot of people in NYC come from societies with kooky divination customs. Or it could be Satan's triumphant return to Earth to reclaim his throne from Ruben Diaz.

Slaughter is by defintion violent. Trying to argue otherwise is simply absurd.

Most humans suffer from a major case of delusional thinking in regards to our treatment of animals.

Animals that you eat, that you pay others to slaughter for you suffer horribly. It's not necessary for any of us to eat meat, most do it simply because they like the way it tastes. How is that any less frivalous, or somehow more noble than killing an animal for whatever god you happen to worship? You are culpable in their suffering and death--you are responsible for the violence that is done in your name. I'm a vegan. It's not being done in my name. I embrace non-violence as an ethic for life.

"Snatching me up from my

place of slumber,

and took me on high,

and higher still until we

moved in the spaces betwixt the air itself.

And he bore me unto a

vast farmland of our own midwest,

and as we descended cries of

impending doom rose from the soil.

One thousand, nay, a million

voices full of fear

and terror possessed me then.

and I begged,

'Angel of the Lord, what are these tortured screams?'

And the angel said unto me,

'These are the cries of the carrots,

the cries of the carrots.

You see, Reverend Maynard,

tomorrow is harvest day

and to them it is the holocaust!'

And I sprang from my slumber drenched in sweat

like the tears of one millions terrified brothers

and roared,

'Hear me now,

I have seen the light,

they have a consciousness,

they have a life,

they have a soul.

Damn you!

Let the rabbits wear glasses!

Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?

Can I get a hallelujah? Thank you, Jesus." –Tool, Disgustipated

I had a second helping of chicken tonight because of your comment.

I hope you choke on it.

I hope you choke on it.

I embrace non-violence as an ethic for life.

Your farms are taking away natural habits from various animals as well as speeding up soil erosion. Not to mention year after year your farmers sow and breed plants so that they can later rape them of their fruits. Plants have a desire to live just like any animal; if they didn't they wouldn't reach up for sunlight nor reach down for nutrients. I think if you really want to be ethical, you should give up eating plants and animals. Just hook yourself to an IV pack that contains all the synthetic chemicals your body needs. Until you do that, you're not that much holier than us meat eaters.

For all the hypocrites who are "freaked out" by someone killing a rooster or goat, why not think about what you ate for lunch today. Chances are, you engaged in another "violent ritual" by choosing to eat meat that you paid someone to kill for you. If killing animals for religion freaks you out, you have no business having other animals killed for you to eat. Its's ALL unnecessary. Becoming a vegetarian and vegan is the best thing we can do for the environment, our health, and the animals.

Not all slaughter is violent, and I wouldn't equate religious sacrifices with the everyday eating of meat.

I once swore off meat for a week and my farts didn't have the usually potency they once had. I'll never make that mistake again.