I've pledged to myself to start speaking out on what I believe in!

Hello fellow Steemians!

I have started on steemit twice now since the middle of last year and I have let life get in the way of really giving this platform a go.

A small meeting with two of my good friends who I may start building a business with, led to us setting goals for each other. We heard each other out on our overall visions and our goals for the next six months. We then ensured our goals were SMART: Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timely. Sounds dull but the reason it was successful was because it was with other people.

One of my goals I set was to use Steemit and compose 10 well-written blog posts by the end of February. What a great platform for free speech to do that on? How cool would it be if there are other humans who are interested in what I have to say?

So, you can most probably tell by my user name, veganism and atheism (or extreme agnosticism in one direction but wasn't as catchy) are topics that I'd like to share my thoughts on and discuss them with you. Please, if you love to debate, get in touch - it's healthy. People get heard and people get hurt in the war of ideas; the beauty of free speech is that you can discuss the BAD ideas and freely demonstrate why they are bad. It's plain then why ANY attacks on freedom of speech, are shots fired against freedom of ideas and freedom of thought, ultimately predicating the Orwellian society so brilliantly and accurately posed by George in 1984. That's why I'm a HUGE fan of Steemit. This is where we can fight back! Don't forget to keep spreading the word and promote this invaluable platform!

Live by Voltaire's highly important words,

"I Disapprove of What You Say, But I Will Defend to the Death Your Right to Say It."

Some points I will try to put across will try to stress the impact on the environment, the human health implications, and how sentient beings are being tortured for us to have that pleasure of eating their flesh or drinking their young's milk. Simply put, I do not think the consumption of animal-derived products is necessary and the world would be a healthier and happier place if we were all powered by plants.

My second hope is that I can encourage the world to really stop thinking there is a sky wizard who created everything, a celestial dictator that knows all your thoughts, can punish you for thought crime, determines the state of your soul for eternity, is responsible for everything that happens, that makes you a slave but is who you will defend in your delusion of security and assurance. I can only encourage rational thought, a quest for knowledge and truth, free speech and a rejection of ideas without evidence, in both defence and in attack of this poison that damages our civilisation.

If anything I've said resonates with you, then please share, resteem, etc. and let's start some great constructive discussion across the community!

I look forward to speaking to all of you.

With love and peace, always,
G.A.V.