Myth: Vegans Are Extremists On The Fringe
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“veganism is still tied to the animal-rights movement and is out there on the fringe.”
I disagree:
Veganism is neutral. The main principle is non-interference. A vegan doesn’t intentionally cause harm to other sentient beings unnecessarily. That’s neutral, not extreme.
In fact, eating animals is extreme. Forcefully breeding, torturing, and killing animals is extreme. Proof:
- More than 10 BILLION birds, pigs, and cows are killed every year in the US for human consumption.
- Spent dairy cows are killed at a quarter of their natural life span. The cows tortured in HSUS undercover video of Halmark Meat were spent dairy cows.
- “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation.” ~ United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization
- 70% of the grain grown and 50% of the water consumed in the US are used by the meat industry ~ Audubon Society
- Farmed animals produce an estimated 1.4 BILLION TONS of fecal waste each year in the US. ~ US Senate Committee on Agriculture of 1997 Minority Staff Report
- On average, 990 liters or water are required to produce one liter of milk. ~ United Nations
- 75% of world marinne stocks are fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted. ~ International Whaling Commission
- Approximately 200,000 pigs arrive dead at US slaughter plants each year. ~ Pork, May 2005
I appreciate your well-crafted responses to anti-vegan provocations.
A veal pen is extreme. Slaughterhouses are extreme. Dark, cavernous, stinking sheds with 80,000 chickens, all of whom are genetically altered to be so top-heavy they can barely function – that’s extreme. Refraining from avoidable violence is not extreme. The golden rule is not extreme.
One of the most common excuses for failing to stop an exploitative habit or wrongful behavior is defining the alternative – i.e., refraining from intentional exploitation – as deficient, flawed, impossible…extreme. I don’t think this superficial justification for wrongdoing is ever truly convincing to anyone.
I think that at our core we have an affinity toward other sentient beings, we want to be peaceful toward others, and we recognize that by being kind we are rewarded back and are thus even more prepared to spread peace and kindness – we achieve a well-functioning positive feedback loop. The more we depart from this harmonious lifestyle, the more we create conflict, hurt, and harm in ourselves and in others. In that respect, the daily consumption of animals who wanted to live but who were brutally killed, and the construction of defense mechanisms to shield one’s self from the violence one does – is extreme. And extremely unfortunate. But completely repairable.
~ Recent blog post: Carnival Against Vivisection: A Small Sample of Recent, Ongoing Abuses and Welfare Violations in Animal Labs ~
“I think that at our core we have an affinity toward other sentient beings, we want to be peaceful toward others”
I agree. I think the vast majority of people care about each other and animals. They just have a hard time showing it sometimes.
I had someone call me extreme a couple weeks ago. I really hate that. The whole stupid infrastructure involving animal agriculture is extreme.
It’s no wonder people say AR activists are always pissed off. It’s because of all the stupid, dumbass comments by dumbass dominionists.
I agree. It’s difficult to keep my cool and not get angry when I receive hateful anti-vegan emails every single day. It’s difficult to stay hopeful and joyous when 10 billion land animals are raised and killed for meat, eggs, and milk every year. It’s difficult to be kind and forgiving.
Keep your spirit. And don’t let those e-mails hurt you!
I am a half vegan, my parents are real vegans so I don’t eat meat at home. But I do sometimes.
I always find those people stupid who say ah Vegan food is not good and things like that, because I always eat vegan food and it’s delicious!
.-= Watch Fringe´s last blog ..Fringe S01E20 – There’s More Than one of Everything =-.