When I was trying to think about the discursive communities I belonged to, I never realized how many specific communities I personally found myself in. But at the same time, I wasn't sure what criteria were needed to fit into these communities and be "accepted." Then I learned that it was a community of people who shared common interests, life goals, and ways of communicating. From this I was able to quickly identify with a community that I strongly identified with and was very involved in. This specific community I'm going to talk about today is the veganism community. I personally entered this community learning the truths behind the cruelty of factory farming, the environmental impacts and health aspects of animal products. I gained knowledge behind this community by researching and exposing myself to the truth, leading me to be successful in joining the community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I still vividly remember how I felt when I was first exposed to the world of veganism. I had come across a YouTube video titled "The Best Speech You've Ever Heard - by Gary Yourofsky", an American animal rights activist. This was the first time I had seen a video or documentary on this topic. I remember listening to his speech and it sending shivers down my body. This triggered a great push in me. I felt like I'd been lied to my whole life, like there was this whole hidden cruel industry that supposedly no one knew about or talked about. I was exposed to the truth and things I had never even imagined before. I also experienced it by watching documentaries like “Cowspiracy” and video clips on the conditions of intensive farming. I remember watching these videos for the first time and seeing the cruelty and abuse they suffer. I saw animals on factory farms crammed and trapped in sheds with no windows, no fresh air, where they would never see daylight or green grass for months at a time, or even at all in their short lives. Stuck in cages and pens so small they couldn't even move, where they ended up sitting and lying in their own feces and urine just waiting to be slaughtered, only if they hadn't died of disease and infection first. The conditions they are subjected to were absolutely shocking to me; the suffering these poor innocent animals go through is unreal. It really makes me nauseous. I couldn't believe this was happening. Why weren't there more people speaking out and fighting against the conditions they go through, how is this allowed, and why is it still happening today? After watching these documentaries and videos it was definitely the moment I truly understood that I needed to change my lifestyle and diet. I might even call it my awakening in life, as if my purpose in life was to change. In the vegan community, we all have somewhat common goals, whether it's preventing and ending the abuse of factory-farmed animals, living a healthier lifestyle, reducing our environmental impact on this earth, or all of the above. above. We share the goals of making veganism more widespread and accessible to people, educating others on how to live a more ethical lifestyle and fighting for animal rights. For the most part, we all just want to raise awareness about the unfair and cruel treatment of farm animals. Veganism is an entire community of its own, but there are many other separate stem communities that share it.