Is widely regarded as the second worst crime in existence—surpassing even torture,
while falling infinitely short of the most heinous crime: rape. Taking the life of an intelligent, thinking, feeling being is monstrous, regardless of the context.
Yet, as tragic as it is, we must all participate in a form of that monstrosity simply to survive in this world, for it is impossible to claim that the animals we harvest do not think or feel.
There is, however, a distinction between necessity and malice.
Murder, in the sense we are most accustomed to, is the act of snuffing out a human soul.
It is the sudden, violent rupture that strips away what could have been a long and well-lived life—the tragedy that fills headlines and haunts communities.
To the world, murder is the unreasonable, premature end to someone's existence.
But true murder goes deeper than the legal definition.
It is killing purely for the sake of killing—taking a life only to waste the body and toss away the breath you just stole.
Taking a life without reason is horrific, but the absolute worst part of the crime isn't just taking it without reason; it is taking it without ever needing it at all.