Vegans Against Veganism
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I recently attended a vegan potluck hosted by a local animal rights group who had a person from a national animal welfare organization to speak about factory farming.
According to the speaker (a vegan), this national charity (consisting of a mostly vegan board of directors) is working to improve the conditions of farm animals by trying to eliminate battery cages, reduce transport times for animals on their way to slaughter, provide sick and injured animals with proper veterinary care, and generally make the lives of “food” animals better during their exploitation and as they’re killed.
Did I mention they also promote “certified organic, humane certified, free range or free-run” animal products? I thought I was dreaming, and pinched myself to make sure. Then I asked how a group of vegans can, in good conscience, promote the killing and consuming of animals in any way, shape or form, and suggested that it might be a better use of their time, energy and money to actually promote veganism instead.
That didn’t go over too well with a number of vegans in the room, who accused me of being too extreme. They also told me that vegan education and legislative reforms are not mutually exclusive and since everybody reacts differently to different approaches based on their life experiences, all forms of awareness need to be utilized, including happy meat campaigns, instead of just vegan outreach.
Someone said that people can’t just go vegan overnight because it’s too hard, so baby steps are necessary (baby steps in this case meaning animal welfare reforms and humane meat campaigns) to help the animals. Another said it would be counterproductive if all animal rights groups were only promoting veganism, because people aren’t ready to embrace it yet.
I had to think about that one for a minute – all the animal rights organizations in the world only promoting veganism. Yeah, that would be horrible. And for the record, I’m so tired of animal rights people and vegans saying veganism is hard. It’s not, especially with all the meat and dairy alternatives available today.
One of the many problems, as I see it, with animal rights groups promoting animal welfare is that it’s dishonest. These groups don’t really want people to eat certified organic or humanely-raised animals at all but they’re afraid to say so out of fear of alienating people. So they lobby governments for more humane methods of confining, transporting and killing animals, hoping the public will jump on that bandwagon and pressure the government for reforms.
And if the government listens to them and passes legislation five or ten years down the road, then they can claim victory: the animals are now a little bit more comfortable and killed a little bit more humanely (whatever that means) and that’s great because it’s what these animal rights groups wanted all along, right? Wrong. What they really wanted was for people to stop killing and eating animals.
Still unsatisfied (even though it’s what they said they wanted), they’ll start a new campaign for even more humane treatment of animals being exploited and killed for their flesh, fluids and eggs, and if they get that, they’ll ask for even more! This song and dance will go on and on until one day, perhaps a million years from now, they might actually get around to encouraging people to give up animal products altogether.
What a monumental waste of time, energy and animal lives! It’s also deceitful. If you want people to stop eating animal products, say so. If veganism is your end goal, then have the conviction to state it up front. If you don’t, the public will feel that they’ve been lied to and you’ll lose all credibility, with those you’re trying to educate, and with those fighting for animal liberation. Have a little bit of faith in the people you’re trying to educate. Not everyone is going to become vegan but a lot will. And we’re only going to find out how many are willing to embrace veganism when we start promoting it.
The other problem with these kinds of campaigns is that it confuses people. Upon hearing about the horrors of factory farms, a person at the potluck asked, “So you’re saying free-range is good, right?” And that’s when the “ums”, “wells” and “actuallys” started. The speaker said that um, well, she wasn’t actually personally endorsing free-range (but the group’s literature and website does) and um, well, they would actually prefer that people eat less, or no meat. These are mixed messages. People concerned about animal suffering are looking for leadership and direction. And young people are the next wave of vegan activists so we have to be clear about what we’re trying to do and teach them the right way from the start.
If you think that negotiating with the exploiters or petitioning the government to do the right thing is the way to go, you’re sadly mistaken. And tricking the public into believing you’re for one thing when you’re really for another is false advertising. The answer is vegan education, at the grass-roots level, one person at a time, one day at a time. As the number of vegans increase, the demand for animal products will decrease. It’s as simple as that.
But if vegans aren’t going to promote veganism, who will?
Very good points. I have to say, I often tend to fall into that category, but you nailed it on the head by saying ‘These groups don’t really want people to eat certified organic or humanely-raised animals at all but they’re afraid to say so out of fear of alienating people.’ It’s true, I don’t want my family and friends eating meat, but I often let myself get away from strictly promoting veganism because I am afraid to offend or alienate but I wonder if that actually makes me a less credible source. Excellent food for though, thank you.
-K (working on sticking to her guns about veganism in a non-vegan society)
Somehow, Im not shocked, having known several “stealth” vegans personally.
Reminds me of the presidential tactic regarding the health care debate – play right into your opponents’ hands by offering an extreme compromise as your starting position, and then keep compromising from there – works great, doesn’t it?
I don’t get it. How can ethical vegans gain any respect if they deny our ultimate goal of ending human exploitation of animals? Have some guts and integrity, people!
Definitely in agreement. What is this happy meat? Why are vegans saying going vegan is hard?
With negotiation, starting with the most outrageous stance is often the most effective as well, not starting with ‘baby’ steps. It makes people think they’re getting one up on you, when actually they’re becoming vegetarian…
Providing a forum and audience for an organization that has different goals than your own isn’t necessarily selling out your cause. It just depends on the context.
It sounds like this particular event was centered around building a consensus that factory farming is cruel, factory farmed products should be avoided/boycotted, and alternative foods are desirable.
The food at the event was all vegan, right?
That’s the most important part!
Good points everyone. Thanks!
Great topic! I have found in my activism that the “baby step” approach at least gets people to take the first step and gets them off the defensive. I think people are so hugely connected to the food they eat. Most of us are raised to just “accept” that eating animals is natural and that God put animals on earth for man to eat. It’s natural to them. For 3 years I’ve had an ongoing conversation with a die hard carnivore, who happens to hunt and fish. He was totally unaware of factory farming. I opened his eyes to this world, showed him the videos, etc. Even watching the horrors did not make him become a vegetarian, let alone a vegan. He did vote Yes on Prop 2 and also told me that if he hadn’t had these convos with me, he would have blindly followed his political party and voted it down. My point is, to me it’s more effective to get my foot in the door than to shut the door on people that have thought one way for so many years. And, honestly, I think it is unrealistic to think that we can strive for a meat free world without taking these baby steps. I work at a vegan restaurant. 80% of our clientele are carnivores. Should we turn them away at the door?
In closing, I would like to propose this question. If all animal agriculture was eliminated, what would these people do to make a living? If this question is going off topic a bit..sorry! It’s a question I think needs to be answered if we really are serious about changing the world and eliminating animals from the food chain, clothing chain and entertainment chain.
Thanks everyone for all you do for the animals.
My position remains – “it matters to this one”.
I don’t condone meat-eating but I don’t confront it every time I see it either. I voted for prop 2 because I want to help the animals who are there today. I do not want animals to suffer more because I take the hard-line stance that it’s all or nothing. I can do something to help some of the animals today, and I take the opportunities open to me. At the same time I am vegan and I promote this way of eating.
I do not say “veganism is hard” because I do not believe it is. I do believe that most omnivores I talk to are not yet able to get past years of beliefs, and I continually try to figure out the way in. At the same time many of these same people are cutting down on animal products and often listen to me when I speak of health benefits.
I honestly do not know how we reach that tipping point, the moment when it all falls down, the moment when eating animals becomes like smoking. But as I watch mainstream newspapers starting to recognize there is something real and meaningful to this vegan thing I do feel some hope.
I do not believe that caring about what happens to individual farm animals today contradicts my position that these animals should not be eaten at all. I believe “caring” is at the core of veganism.
you’re totally right tho not every one will appreciate anything other than the baby steps approach. i agree. no compromise! animal liberation now!
Society has adapted well to the way of the vegan. Getting involved, rather than alienating and segregating one self to something that you have the power to change, is crippling. Consumers of meat products aren’t going anywhere. However, there once was a time when the native americans honored and thanked the animals spirit, for the life force it gave to them. I believe this is a step in the right direction.
Ultimately there is no excuse for abuse.
A strong statement that I like is that “our human bodies function optimally with plant foods. Many diseases (heart attack, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis, ulcers, acne, congestion, ad infinitum) are preventable by changing to an herbal diet, the change is easy, research supporting those statements is abundant on the web. Please look into it.”
Human caused suffering is endured by hundreds of billions right now and veganism ceases the demand that the number continues to increase. Ethical veganism solves the problem of human induced suffering.
Do the only conscionable thing, cultivate veganism.
First of all, in my opinion, there’s no way the people from that charity are truly vegan. It’s ridiculous to say going vegan is hard and one has to take baby steps to get there. A true vegan knows if they have love and respect for non humans, they naturally become a vegan.
“all the animal rights organizations in the world only promoting veganism. Yeah, that would be horrible.”
Oh please! Bring the misery on (yesterday)!
I admit – when I first had my “trigger event” and went vegan… And researched more to find out about “animal rights” I was astonished to hear of groups advocating bigger cages/happy meat. It was incongruant to me then and is even more so now.
I try not to enter into conflicts with that ideolgy… They will not listen to me anymore than I will to them. Some “campaigns” like encouraging schools to *eliminate* eggs aren’t offensive – It’s the “cage free” eggs I have objection to. In any case… I try to judge each effort on it’s own merits – rather than throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Lily K – You asked a question about what will become of all the people in animal agriculture? I think “a vegan world” will happen quite gradually, and all “systems” will adjust accordinly. The displaced will find other employment – Not unlike “plantation owners” once did. Many I’m certain will adapt to find ways and products to feed all us very hungry, (nearly naked) vegans! And no one will be “starved” for “entertainment” without using animals as such.
Convenient Vegan wrote: “I voted for prop 2 because I want to help the animals who are there today.”
I appreciate your comments and agree with most of them, however I’d like to point out that welfarists also use the above argument to justify their “humane meat” campaigns too.
The problem with it is this: Prop 2 and initiatives like it AREN’T helping the animals today. Prop 2 doesn’t take place until 2015 so all the animals “who are there today” will still suffer and be slaughtered.
It’s also been suggested that those facilities unwilling to make the changes will just move to another state or south of the border. Then it’s back to the drawing board. What’s accomplished?
I personally know of people who have gone back to eating KFC here in Canada because groups like PeTA say the animals are treated better.
That’s not helping the animals today. Those animals are still suffering and dying. To each their own, but I’d rather spend my time promoting life, rather than a “kinder” death.
You don’t need baby steps to become vegan. My partner and I have been vegan for 30 years and once we realized what we should be doing we just went for it. We have brought up three children as vegans and it isn’t hard.
All too often we make excuses for the suffering of animals (others) it is about time we made a stand.
Lily asked, “If all animal agriculture was eliminated, what would these people do to make a living?”
I’ve answered it here before, but I’ll say it again. They could produce vegan food, they could install solar panels, they could build video gaming machines, they could answer phones, they could work at animal sanctuaries, they could do humane education classes for elementary school students, they could write books, they could run veggie summer camps, they could open vegan restaurants… there are a number of things they could do.
The question is similar to asking, “If people didn’t get so much cancer and heart disease, what would doctors and nurses do to make a living?”
Daniel,
a) Prop 2 banned battery cages and gestation crates.
It did NOT condone or encourage “larger cages,” as some here have suggested.
b) The Prop 2 campaign did help animals because it was a huge public awareness campaign. Many people had no idea that battery cages or gestation crates existed.
c) The law doesn’t go into effect until 2015, however, animal agribusinesses are still scrambling. They mounted strong opposition to the bill because they interpreted it as a major threat.
d) The Prop 2 campaign created a whole new group of animal advocates and gave them tools to succeed. These people are energized and ready to do more for animal rights.
A-freaking-men, pro-vegan vegan blog-mate!
Thanks for answering my question Eccentric.
As far as veganism being hard – I don’t find it hard now, and it took several attmepts over 2 years go fully vegan (food wise any way)even after being vegetarian for 18 years. During that 2 years I did not find it easy to stay vegan. Now, it’s as easy as brushing my teeth, but during the transition phase I found a few aspects of the vegan way of life to be extremely challenging.
Just my 2 cents! Not worth a lot in this economy
Daniel, I totally agree with your comments! I have been vegan for 30 years, vegetarian for 39 (since I was almost 12). I too
would rather spend my time promoting life, than a “kinder” death. There is NO way to justify the agonizing lives and mass murder of billions of animals worldwide to satisfy our tastebuds, or to create yet another hairspray or household cleaner. Animals deserve to be free and to live their own lives, to be respected as fellow inhabitants of the earth.
Susan
“Veganism: The Self Righteous Diet”…..It truly is embarrassing to reveal my dietary habits to strangers because all of the socialist drones out trying to proselytize the world into their naive Utopian worldview/religion……F-ck I hate white people.
sincerely,
a Vegan against veganism.
Interesting post. I am a vegan, yet I also tell people I’m a vegetarian. It just seems easier and less controversial… yet technically I am an ethical vegan. Hmmm….
Responding to Jacqueline’s post- yea I hear you- when people offer me some meat to eat I decline saying I am vegetarian and do not say I am actually vegan to avoid the stereotype that comes along with it. Almost all people appreciate the efforts of a vegetarian for animal-rights- they think slightly positively of you.
However, when I had to say I was vegan when I was offered something with dairy in it, I could sense the turmoil and negative stereotypes being thrown on me by my friends(great friends huh?). . .
This article though really inspired me to stick with my values and not temper it down in order to appeal to society more.
Hello everyone. I am 32 years old and I live in Athens, Greece. I have been a vegetarian (no eggs, no milk, but cheese)for the past 12 years and an ethical vegan for the past 5 months. Being a vegan is not really difficult for me in terms of food and other daily product “restrictions” which I don’t actually feel as restrictions. But, battling the negative stereotypes and social alienation can be pretty tough around here (I am not really familiar with laws and stereotypes in the States). The worst thing is being scoffed and ridiculed. I am also a neuropsychologist and most of the time I find it very difficult to convince even my colleagues and scientists-friends about the meaning or necessity of animal testing. It’s like even if they know they don’t care. Maybe, I shouldn’t speak being in Greece, but I don’t really believe in baby steps. On the other hand, I also couldn’t disagree more with any kind of restrictions upon our fellow meat eating humans. I do believe, though, in consistency and education for all things not just veganism. And I believe in believing. But that’s just me. I could be wrong.
OurTherapist@gmail.com
(This is my email. I would appreciate any helpful tips or suggestions from other vegan friendly persons out there)
Thanx!
Sorry, I meant the meaning and necessity to stop animal testing
Thanks for your comments Christophoros and congratulations on going vegan! I think you touched on a major reason why some people won’t go vegan: peer pressure. Most people don’t like being different or centered out. Ridicule or harrassment is especially common with children, but a lot of “mature” adults do it too. Stick to your beliefs and keep on believing!
.-= Daniel´s last blog ..We are not lions =-.
I am diametrically opposed to these views and would probably be one of those people that would irk “your kind” and no doubt be pejoratively labelled a dietary vegan.
Man, your form of Vegetarianism/Veganism is so tired and played out. The mixture of activist slogans like “stand up for your rights” and the narcissistic, auto-marginalization of “don’t be afraid to be different” combined with the whole outreach thing wears on me something chronic. Don’t you see that this rhetoric is from the dark ages and that Vegan outreach is just Evangelicalism that world does not need. We’re not in the 70s or even the 80s any more. People are not affected by that language or those movements anymore. You are not bringing anybody with you.
Wake up and have a look around man. You are doomed to preaching to the choir for the rest of your days. A pity seeing as you are clearly a reflective and passionate person. That’s good energy that would be better spent elsewhere.
I have had to study the specific effects of animal husbandry methods, intensive and extensive. I have also studied the market data for animal products and received paid, up-to-date information regarding trends.
From all of this, I have come to the conclusion that humane certification is one tool that we have to curb the destruction imposed through animal production. I would think that a panel of vegans came to this conclusion being privy to real data. While I agree that a perfect society would not consume animal products, I believe that the veganism which pushes the vegan-or-nothing agenda is not pragmatic. Vegan-or-nothing “activism” is not the only force capable of reducing animal production to a sustainable level (admittedly we are moving further away from a sustainable level).
China, as it becomes wealthier, is consuming more animal products. Their factory farm operations make American feed lots look like cow day care. The concentrations in some areas of China are many times that of comparable regions elsewhere, concentrated areas in Scandanavian countries not included.
The humane certifications at least defray some of the potential abuses. I don’t see how people draw the conclusion that humane certification encourages consumers to eat more animal products. To me, this is akin to saying organic certification encourages consumers to eat more conventional food.
-another longtime vegan who hates emotionally-based veganism
Anonymous says: “I don’t see how people draw the conclusion that humane certification encourages consumers to eat more animal products.”
I’ll give you two examples. First, I was leafleting a few years ago up here in Canada at an event that PETA was also at. PETA reps were handing out coupons for free KFC “vegan” chicken sandwiches. The reps were telling everyone, because KFC Canada had promised to look into developing more humane conditions for their chickens: “You can eat at KFC, they’re good now!”
Second, businesses that sell “humane meat”, like Whole Foods, are seeing a huge jump in sales. This is causing more people, even vegetarians and vegans, to go back to eating animals. Here’s the proof:
http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/happy-meatanimal-products-a-step-in-the-right-direction-or-an-easier-access-point-back-to-eating-animals/
Humane certification is a marketing tool for greater profits, that’s all. The number of animals slaughtered is the same, or higher, as more people consume “happy meat”.