Getting Our Priorities Straight
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Some nonvegans think vegans haven’t got our priorities straight. They think we ought to care first and foremost for humans and then for animals:
“Why not first strive for peace between humans and then worry about animals?”
One simple response is a quote from Leo Tolstoy, “As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.” That is, peace amongst humans is directly related to peace towards animals. Humans cannot be truly peaceful while continuing to torture and kill animals needlessly. In other words, peace begins on your plate.
If we were cannibals, then maybe nonvegans would have a point. But that’s not the case. Vegans don’t eat humans and we don’t eat animals. That’s not difficult to understand, so why do they act as though this website (or my videos or my other activism) is somehow causing genocide in Africa?
I can’t answer that. All I can do is try to explain the vegan philosophy a bit here and there to those who will listen.
The funny thing is, vegans absolutely have our priorities straight. Most of us began our lives not eating humans and then broadened our circle of compassion and stopped eating animals. We started by not wearing the skin of humans and we extended that idea: we don’t wear animal skins. We don’t experiment on humans so we simply included animals and thus we don’t approve of experimenting on animals. We don’t abuse humans and so we don’t abuse animals. We don’t unnecessarily force our will upon humans and so we don’t unnecessarily force our will upon animals. Animal rights follows from human rights. They are not incompatible, they are related.
I was recently asked this question above. Here’s essentially how I answered it:
a) We don’t choose our causes, they choose us. Most of my activism is related to animal issues because that’s the cause I found first. At age 6 I wasn’t able to stop family violence. I wasn’t able to stop political corruption. I wasn’t able to stop war. But I was able to stop eating animals. So I did. (video about living your values)
b) My work for animals doesn’t hurt anyone else’s work for humans. In fact, at times they overlap. For example, I volunteered at a temporary animal shelter post-Katrina. We helped reunite lost ‘pets’ with their ‘owners.’ And we helped bring some joy to new pet parents who adopted abandoned animals. Another example, I volunteer at an animal shelter for the pets of family violence victims. Because pets are often used as pawns in violent situations, abused persons are less likely to leave their abusers if they can’t bring their pet along with them. Often, caring for animals directly aids caring for people. (link for more info)
c) Eating animals is a direct cause of animal suffering. Human suffering isn’t as simple. I can’t just choose to eat one thing instead of another and have the result of saving a human life. But I can choose to eat plants instead of animals and have the result of saving an animal life. (And by the way, there’s nothing about veganism that precludes human rights-friendly consumption practices: I try to buy organic, fair trade vegan foods.)
d) Going vegan benefits humans. It’s good for human health and for the planet, which in turn is good for future generations. (link for more about health) (link for more about the environment)
By the way, this topic has been covered at Vegan Soapbox in the past:
Very good points.
I also like to ask them: “How is your eating meat HELPING humans exactly?”
and then add all the environmental facts which we all know.
I am a human so of course I am concerned with the survival of the human species, but I also realize that all species and all ecosystmes are linked, and if they die, so will we.
A funny story about this: My wife and I were shopping for pants for me. We spent over 3 hours going from shop to shop looking for vegan, fair labour slacks (and ideally made of natural fibres instead of synthetics)
We finally found a store, that had some products (not all) made in Canada under good labour conditions. But most of their pants were wool, except for two pairs. Well the clerk asked why I didn’t want to wear wool. And we told him about the wool industry and that we were vegan.
To which he replied that he cared more for humans than animals.
I said: “That’s great, so what do you do for humans?”
he stuttered and had no response.
“Because there was a huge demo last week in which we made a big peace sign near city hall, asking for the world to work for peace. Did you know about that? There were like two thousand people there, all human rights and peace activist groups were there.” he looked at me and had no examples of any action, activism, or cause that helped humanity that he was involved in.
At which point I told him: “Meanwhile my wife and I have just spent most of our day walking through all the stores in the city to make sure that we don’t buy a pair of pants that was made in conditions that abuse humans. But yes, we care more about animals.”
he blushed and conceded.
The reality is that veganism leads to a different view of the world, to a more critical view of the world, and as you say veganism is our hope for peace.
And while some may disagree with us, at least we offer a plan.
And to those who are not vegan and want peace on earth I say “HOW? What is YOUR suggestion for peace on earth?”
When everyone else have pipe dreams and vague hypocritical notions, we vegans have a clear plan.
Very good responses and points. I’ll have to use those in the fuure. Thanks.
When people say that we should worry about humans first, what they are really saying is that animals don’t matter. I think it helps to try to understand what someone actually means so you can better respond to what they are saying. A top priority for vegans should be to show non-vegans that animals do matter, that they are thinking, feeling, iteresting individuals. Most people only experience animals as food, as pets, as property, as things.
“When people say that we should worry about humans first, what they are really saying is that animals don’t matter.”
Matt, You’re right.
And Antoine, you’re right, too. Often the people who say “worry about humans first” aren’t actually doing much for humans themselves.