...it continues to hold animals in a state of captivity.
Once you understand that animals value their lives just as much as you value your life, you will, indeed, begin to understand the meaning of life.
Please, don't talk about "freedom" if you condone animal slavery — it just makes you a hypocrite (I was one for 24 years).
If you think humans can achieve freedom while at the same time denying billions of animals that same fundamental right, you are misguided at best, a psychopath at worst.
Humanity will never be free so long as it continues to slaughter animals for food/clothing/science. No amount of whinging or whining will ever change that from being true.
You reap what you sow.