“I Like Meat”
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One of the most common responses to the comment that “I’m vegan” or to vegan activism is “I like meat.”
It’s really strange to hear because it’s completely unrelated.
I’m always tempted to reply,
“So? What’s your point? Crack addicts like crack, too. Doesn’t make it good, healthy, or ethical.”
or
“I like John Cusack.”
And I’ve actually replied,
“You can read, right? OK then, here’s a flyer about factory farming.”
But the smart-alec approach isn’t always the best. And while it might allow me to let off a little steam, it’s probably more effective to say what Vegan Outreach suggests:
“Although I also used to like meat and though it may taste good, eating it supports a great deal of cruelty that I hope you would not want to pay for.”
The only problem is, for me, it’s not true. I can’t remember what meat tastes like so I can’t honestly say that I used to like it. I was a child when I went vegetarian. Other vegans can’t offer the suggested response because they didn’t like the taste of meat. Furthermore, I’m not entirely pleased with the idea of promoting veganism as a boycott. The above response suggests that it’s OK to eat animals if they haven’t been factory farmed. So… we need another response.
Here are a few ideas off the top of my head:
- “It’s a matter of ethics, not taste.”
- “Many grain meats taste just as good as animal meat.”
- “Compassion tastes better than meat.”
- “Nothing tastes as good as doing the right thing feels.“
Got any ideas yourself?
Honestly though, when I do vegan outreach and someone says something really ignorant or rude to me, or even if they simply try to use the excuse “I like meat” to justify lack of thought about the ethics of eating meat, I try to ignore them. I don’t waste my time. I just say, “OK” and then move on to the next person.
Vegans’ commitment to animals is ALWAYS stronger than meat-eaters commitment to their taste buds. We will outlive them, outlast them, and outsmart them. If they don’t join us, they’ll be left in our dust. We ARE the future.
I love “Compassion tastes better than meat.” Good one!
The “I like meat” argument is so maddening to me! Can you imagine if that excuse was used to justify other types of cruelty? The pedophile example: “I like molesting children.”
Haha, or if the abusive spouse said, “I like beating my wife” or if the cannibal said, “I like eating babies.”
Maybe the most appropriate response to “I like meat” is to actually say something like “I like molesting children” or the like. It does kind of make the point that liking something doesn’t mean it’s at all ethical!
Usually I will in turn ask them why they like meat to get a conversation slowly rolling. From there you could explain why you like vegetables/fruit/legumes/etc. and explain how it’s more humane and environmentally friendly.
Jeff, somehow I don’t think that would be all that effective
I have friends who clearly have blinders in this area, and obviously they have plenty of company. When I mention I’m vegan they say, “I could never be vegan because I like meat too much” or “I can’t imagine eating without meat”. Recently a friend faulted her vegetarian stuffed peppers (she made them for a sick veg friend) because they lacked that meat flavor. There is such a denseness, a complete lack of thought at all, in this position, that I have yet to answer it adequately, and usually don’t answer it at all. I really would like a one-liner for this because this is a group that is not trying to have the discussion at all.
I like the direction Jeff takes, although of course “molesting children” isn’t the one I’d choose. What then?
I like “It’s a matter of ethics, not taste.” Straight to the point.
Mmmn, John Cusack. He’s yummy.