manipulating the conscience

Despite the fact our taste buds and memories of favourite foods give us pleasure, they also weigh heavily on our conscience. And that’s in addition to many other habits which persuade us into damaging our world. The waste and pollution we cause every time we drive the car, our lack of generosity that allows kids to starve in Africa. We feel guilty. But we also feel fully extended. We can’t spare any more room in our conscience for animals! There’s a sort of numbness that comes over us when we try to think of sentient animals suffering. We try to pretend that none of it matters - ignoring the fact that the animals (kept alive only to be eaten) are presently living in terror and dying the most ugly death anyone could imagine, in order that we humans can feed our habits. We may say it is “outrageous” but we still don’t feel it personally. We still allow it to happen.
By continuing to spend money on animal products, we participate in the death-camp treatment of animals. We try to ignore it, and by way of some nifty mental gymnastics we can relax at our table and eat what we’re given. We let this most damaging habit continue, minds shut off: mouth open. How can we allow ourselves to be manipulated in this way?