Stupid Things Ominvores Say: Worry About Human Rights, Not Animal Rights
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A nonvegan woman recently told me I shouldn’t worry about animals (and thus shouldn’t be vegan) when there are human rights violations to worry about instead. Indeed, she had a point… up to a point.
Time I spend advocating veganism is time I’m not spending trying to stop the Iraq war or time I’m not spending working at a homeless shelter or time I’m not spending on other human problems. (Interestingly, the woman who told me this wasn’t spending her time to do human rights advocacy, she was spending her time shopping. And guess what she was shopping for? You guessed it: dead animals.)
Which is better:
- Spending your time advocating for animal rights instead of human rights, or
- Spending your time criticizing animal rights advocates instead of advocating for human rights?
But more importantly, veganism isn’t necessarily animal rights advocacy. Vegans walk the walk, but they need not advocate animal rights. Abstaining from harming animals is just the right thing to do. It’s not protecting them, it’s not being their ally, and it’s not advocating animal rights. It’s simply refraining from causing them harm.
“[B]eing vegan requires no significant time or effort that would take away from one’s time or energy available to help humans. Being vegan does not entail becoming an animal rights activist any more than avoiding cannibalism entails becoming a human rights activist or avoiding a career as a pimp entails becoming an outspoken feminist. One simply refuses to engage in exploiting nonhumans (or humans or women) and goes on with life as usual.” [emphasis added]
When you drive on the freeway and you see a deer, trying to avoid hitting that deer isn’t being an animal rights activist. Avoiding that deer is just the right thing to do. It’s good for the deer, it’s good for you, and it’s good for other motorists. It’s simply acting responsibly. Veganism is the same. Vegans refrain from directly causing harm to animals. It’s good for the animals, it’s good for vegans, and it’s good for other people.
Nothing about veganism makes it harder to work for human rights. One can be a vegan and also a human rights advocate. There is room to be both.
Great read.
Moby is a vegan, but he works with the Humane Society, so he is a perfect example of a vegan fighting for human rights.
~ Recent blog post: Monday randomness. at http://lazyvegan.wordpress.com ~
Hah! Lovely, I will show this article to those who speaks like that woman. :p
I have never been more aware of human exploitation till I became concerned with animal welfare. Being vegan for me, has become a spiritual awakening to all who beings who suffer. It is so much more than a “diet”…… it is a philosophy based in non-violence. Being vegan has expanded my circle of compassion – not reduced it.
Compassion has no boundries!
Yes, usually those who criticize animal rights activists aren’t doing anything to help people. The irony!
it is actually possible to do more than one thing at a time. would that woman suggest we do nothing about the environment until the war in iraq is ended?
i am an active feminist, socialist, vegan, who writes to my congress people about women’s issues, workers rights, the environment, social security, the war, animal rights, and so on.
i notice that the people who make the “why are you wasting time advocating for animals when there are people suffering” argument usually aren’t doing any activism for anyone anyway. they like to suggest that i’m not doing enough because i dedicate some of my energy towards animal rights when they’re actually not doing ANYTHING for ANYONE.
~ Recent blog post: Unapologetic Misogyny at http://www.vegantabulous.blogspot.com ~
Funny, someone tried to leave a comment on another article here at the Soapbox that read:
“I believe that slaughter houses should be run as humanely as possible, but to propose that they be eliminated is totally un-realistic. These people who are so concerned about treatment of animals should lend their efforts to caring for starving, brutalized masses of people in many parts of the world. {Africa, Asia, etc.}”
People who eat animals just don’t get it.
This is probably the least used argument to vegans/vegetarians i have ever come across, and as a meat eater it seems stupid.
that is so true many people say animals have no brain and therefore have no feeling i know this is utterly wrong therefor i thing my dog has more brains than people who think like that!
I think a lot of people hold this common misconception.
Animal and human rights go hand in hand… I could make this an exceptionally long response and explain my position, but due to my tendency to turn a brief sentence into an hour long rant I’ll spare your time and eyes.
I am a vegan for many different reasons, the obvious compassion… but not just for the animals. I understand that my dietary choices no matter how small do affect our surroundings… I understand that the ridiculous amount of land and funding supplied to raise animals for food, could be used for the growth of grains, fruits, and vegetables which would ultimately due a service to the world by supplying an abundance of food.
Veganism on a broad scale would decrease let alone wipe out world hunger.
Veganism IS direct action, an action that serves two purposes. Shame on anyone who isn’t intellectual enough to realize this. (Or even attempt to).
… and yes, I still whole heartedly believe that one person makes all the difference in the world. (Call me naive).
Nothing else could make as big an impact on the lives of humans as does the mantra of the vegan.
Refusing to eat or use animal products directly and indirectly helps humans live healthier lives, greenhouse gas emissions from meat production pollute the skies, it’s disastrous for humans, animal waste pollutes our rivers and waterways, omni’s eat the fish, that’s disastrous for humans, rain forests are being decimated all in the name of providing soy and grain for food animals, it’s disastrous for humans, I’m sure you could add many more to this disastrous to humans list.
Perhaps when you are tabling or leafleting and someone says, what about helping the humans first!!, it may be an idea to have a leaflet with some of the aforementioned facts ready to answer their concerns and tell them they can make a contribution to helping humans at their very next meal by having a baked potato with vegan sour cream or a veggie burger.
Tell them we’re all in this together and point them in the direction of the nearest veggie restaurant
sorry my previous post should have ended with a
I’m a fairly recent vegan (2 months or so), and today was the first time I’ve had to buy shoes. I was on my way to work and stopped at Voldemart (my sandals got eaten by my dogs and I’m not allowed to wear flip-flops to work) for a new pair of sandals. I saw a cute pair and was about to pick them up and try them on when I saw the tag that proudly proclaimed they were made of real leather.
I immediately put them down and found a pair that have no animal products. They’re cuter, too.
So at work I was telling a couple of my friends about it, and one of them asked why I couldn’t buy leather. I explained and she got it. But the whole thing got me to thinking.
I remember seeing, when I was 17 or 18, a museum exhibition from the Holocaust and being utterly horrified by a lampshade made of human skin. I wouldn’t wear shoes made from human skin. Why should I wear shoes made from animal skin?
Animals are sentient. Ask anyone who has a pet that s/he truly loves. What makes your dog any different from a cow, or a pig? And yes, I know there are people who clip the ears or tails of certain breeds of dogs, and I find that as disturbing as clipping the beaks of chicks.
Being vegan is about so much more than what I eat.
~ Recent blog post: Wonder Woman! ~
That last argument of yours is a red herring. There’s absolutely nothing related to avoiding killing a deer on a road versus eating it, other than the fact both dies.
One dies for no reason, another for a very good reason.
zhao, So… taken to it’s logical conclusion, you’re concept is that if you murder and then eat the person you killed, then it’s OK because eating them is a “good reason” to kill them. But if you just kill them through a hit and run drunk driving accident, then that’s not a good reason.