vegan frustrations of late
as of late, my greatest frustration involving animal rights has been vegans.
allow me to explain.
i really think most vegans still think humans are inherently worth more than other beings and that viewing other beings as of less value is perfectly fine, normal & acceptable.
daily, i come across vegans justifying the exploitation and objectification of other species. "if they were just treated better..." is the oft-used excuse people give for why they would or could continue consuming meat, eggs, dairy, fur, leather, wool, etc. "it was a gift" or "it was free" are driven into the ground time and again with their repetition--the non-vegan items and the excuses sought to justify them are both 2nd-hand. "i was drunk and ate..." is slung around carelessly, as if almost a joke.
and, even worse, hordes of people respond in endearment and support.
whether an item is new, used, free or purchased, received as a gift or dumpstered, that does not erase its exploitative origins. i understand that we must reduce waste. i do. i dumpster whenever i can. i keep things as long as possible before throwing them out. however, we cannot allow ourselves to become vegans 'with exception.' it appalls me to find that most vegans do not seem to view other species any differently than does the general public. to many vegans, other species are still 'just animals' and are of inherently less value than humans. their lives are worth less than ours, simply by birthright. is this the worldview we should accept as vegans? as so-called animal advocates, can we allow ourselves to profit from their exploitation? can they be commodified for our use? will we support that, directly or indirectly, monetarily or implicitly?
do we not simply compound the problem when vegans utilize items made from suffering? we all complain when someone says "do you eat fish?" after hearing that we are vegan, but that has its roots in so-called fish-eating vegans. how is it different to be a vegan who wears grandma's old fur coat, that leather jacket you got for xmas or some old clothes made from the subjection, pain and death of other species?
are we still speciesist? i know where i stand on this. i think every vegan needs to address these concerns personally and internally.
do we view other species any differently than does the general public? are other animals' lives worth less than ours, less than humans? are the products of animal enslavement and objectification ok for our use? are they here for us to dominate and exploit?
or, are their lives really, truly worth something?
if so, we MUST stop profiting at their expense. there can be no justification for it. no one would accept "oh man, i got drunk and accidentally killed someone/date raped someone!" no one would accept "well, the slave was donated to me..." why can we not accept those excuses in terms of our fellow humans but accept them in terms of our fellow animals, so long as they are non-human?
point blank: if you're vegan, there cannot be any excusing of animal cruelty and exploitation committed by bloody human hands. if you can justify the objectification and use of non-humans for human ends, then it is time for your mindset to shift. animals need to truly mean something for their own sake, not simply for what they can offer to humans or so long as they are treated 'nicely.'
viewing another as a being whose exploitation can be overlooked on any grounds means you still view that being as an object, and nothing more.
this is a call to arms.
Q: What is a vegan?
A: A vegan is someone who tries to avoid - as far as is possible and practical - all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. This is for the benefit of people, animals and the environment. Vegans eat a plant-based diet free from all animal products, such as meat, animal milks, eggs, honey and gelatine. They also avoid animal products like leather, wool and silk for clothing or other purposes.
http://www.vegansociety.com/phpws/index.php?module=faq&FAQ_op=view&FAQ_id=1
allow me to explain.
i really think most vegans still think humans are inherently worth more than other beings and that viewing other beings as of less value is perfectly fine, normal & acceptable.
daily, i come across vegans justifying the exploitation and objectification of other species. "if they were just treated better..." is the oft-used excuse people give for why they would or could continue consuming meat, eggs, dairy, fur, leather, wool, etc. "it was a gift" or "it was free" are driven into the ground time and again with their repetition--the non-vegan items and the excuses sought to justify them are both 2nd-hand. "i was drunk and ate..." is slung around carelessly, as if almost a joke.
and, even worse, hordes of people respond in endearment and support.
whether an item is new, used, free or purchased, received as a gift or dumpstered, that does not erase its exploitative origins. i understand that we must reduce waste. i do. i dumpster whenever i can. i keep things as long as possible before throwing them out. however, we cannot allow ourselves to become vegans 'with exception.' it appalls me to find that most vegans do not seem to view other species any differently than does the general public. to many vegans, other species are still 'just animals' and are of inherently less value than humans. their lives are worth less than ours, simply by birthright. is this the worldview we should accept as vegans? as so-called animal advocates, can we allow ourselves to profit from their exploitation? can they be commodified for our use? will we support that, directly or indirectly, monetarily or implicitly?
do we not simply compound the problem when vegans utilize items made from suffering? we all complain when someone says "do you eat fish?" after hearing that we are vegan, but that has its roots in so-called fish-eating vegans. how is it different to be a vegan who wears grandma's old fur coat, that leather jacket you got for xmas or some old clothes made from the subjection, pain and death of other species?
are we still speciesist? i know where i stand on this. i think every vegan needs to address these concerns personally and internally.
do we view other species any differently than does the general public? are other animals' lives worth less than ours, less than humans? are the products of animal enslavement and objectification ok for our use? are they here for us to dominate and exploit?
or, are their lives really, truly worth something?
if so, we MUST stop profiting at their expense. there can be no justification for it. no one would accept "oh man, i got drunk and accidentally killed someone/date raped someone!" no one would accept "well, the slave was donated to me..." why can we not accept those excuses in terms of our fellow humans but accept them in terms of our fellow animals, so long as they are non-human?
point blank: if you're vegan, there cannot be any excusing of animal cruelty and exploitation committed by bloody human hands. if you can justify the objectification and use of non-humans for human ends, then it is time for your mindset to shift. animals need to truly mean something for their own sake, not simply for what they can offer to humans or so long as they are treated 'nicely.'
viewing another as a being whose exploitation can be overlooked on any grounds means you still view that being as an object, and nothing more.
this is a call to arms.
Q: What is a vegan?
A: A vegan is someone who tries to avoid - as far as is possible and practical - all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. This is for the benefit of people, animals and the environment. Vegans eat a plant-based diet free from all animal products, such as meat, animal milks, eggs, honey and gelatine. They also avoid animal products like leather, wool and silk for clothing or other purposes.
http://www.vegansociety.com/phpws/index.php?module=faq&FAQ_op=view&FAQ_id=1