Posted on 10/21/2010 7:55:43 AM PDT by Thunder90
We live in a world of infinite “-isms.” Some are widely familiar – capitalism, communism, nationalism, Catholicism – while others are poorly understood. I always hesitate to categorize veganism among such systems of belief, because it is neither a religion nor an economic or political ideology. It is grounded in fact and does not seek to serve the interests of its proponents. It’s really less complicated than people seem to think.
Despite its simplicity, many people have flawed perceptions of veganism. Either they view vegans as eccentric, self-righteous and elitist, or they admire them for their “extreme willpower” and level of self control that they personally “could never attain.”
Holy shit, do we have some clarifying to do.
Veganism: What it isn’t
1. Veganism is not a religion. Period. There’s nothing metaphysical or theological about it. It is grounded in fact and rejects the hierarchical structure of most religions. We’re not basing anything on blind faith. However, don’t take this to mean that veganism is incompatible with religion; there are many Christian vegans, Muslim vegans, Jewish vegans and Buddhist vegans in the world. Veganism and religion are independent issues.
2. Animal rights advocacy is not about propaganda or misrepresentation of the facts. We are not going for sensationalism here – the goal is to eliminate ignorance, not perpetuate it. Remember, animal advocates have nothing to gain from your decision to go vegan, but animal agriculture has everything to lose. Who is more likely to obscure the truth?
3. Veganism is definitely not about willpower or self deprivation. The idea that it takes so much self control to avoid eating animal products is completely unfounded. Veganism is anything but ascetic – once you know what foods are out there, being vegan is the easiest thing in the world. Every possible food you can imagine can be made vegan and taste just as delicious (if not better!) than the original.
4. Here’s a biggie: Pro-animal rights people are not anti-human. There’s this widespread notion that people who support animal rights are against human rights. This is ridiculous. First of all, remember that humans are animals too. But more importantly, the wellbeing of humans and the wellbeing of nonhumans are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, quite the opposite is true. Fostering an attitude of nonviolence towards animals is necessary if we are ever to end violence against humans. Consider the wise words of philosopher Gary Francione: “As long as we tolerate violence of any sort, there will be violence of every sort.”
Veganism: What it is
1. Veganism is the ultimate push to end discrimination. The animal rights movement (not to be confused with the animal welfare movement embodied by groups like PETA and Humane Society of the United States) is a grassroots effort not unlike the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The goal is to put an end to prejudice and bigotry based on physical differences.
In the ’60s, protestors sought equality among races. Vegans embrace this notion and take it a step further – we encourage people to see the similarities rather than the differences not only between races but also between species. There are more similarities between humans and nonhumans than there are differences – all you have to do is start looking objectively.
2. Veganism calls for dissemination of the truth and an end to ignorance. Animal agricultural industries pay a lot of money to hide the gory goings-on inside the walls of slaughterhouses and factory farms. But how can consumers be expected to make conscientious choices if they aren’t educated? This is where the efforts of animal advocates come in – they inform people about animal agriculture and the exploitative practices involved in the production of meat, eggs and dairy. (Granted, some people may prefer to remain ignorant about these things – but when one person’s ignorance results in the torture and death of another being, denial is no longer an option.)
3. In addition to disseminating the facts, veganism encourages people to question the societal norms we’ve been brought up with. Why is it socially acceptable to kill and eat a chicken or a pig but not a dog? It’s the same kind of arbitrary distinction that whites used for centuries to rationalize the enslavement of blacks and other racial minorities. This all goes back to ending discrimination. We cannot justify our arbitrary categorization of sentient beings for the sake of convenience or pleasure.
Veganism is about deconstructing popular worldviews that involve discrimination and subjugation and extending compassion to all living creatures, regardless of their genetic similarity to humans. Sentience is similarity enough.
Now, having said all this, I’ll be the first to admit that there are some vegans out there who make poor ambassadors for the cause. These are the people who emit a “Woe is me, my lifestyle is so difficult” pretension and that all-too-familiar air of moral superiority. These also tend to be the preachy, self-righteous vegans who are clearly overcompensating for some deep-seated self-esteem issues. Pay them no mind. That is not what veganism is. I just hope these people realize they are doing more harm than good for the animals they claim to represent. In fact, I encourage you to tell them so.
Sexually, she's likely a fruit. Mentally, she's obviously a vegetable.
There actually are Fruitarians, not a good idea actually. I know a few Vegans, and yes, most are left wing hippy types. One does it solely for perceived health benefits (leaky gut syndrome). I know two women who tried going Vegan, and got very sick. Some can handle it better than others.
We actually had a fruitarian come onto this board and try to convince us that we should not mow our lawns.... He/She did not last long...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1671828/posts
This girl needs to get laid...send in Laz!!
“Fostering an attitude of nonviolence towards animals is necessary if we are ever to end violence against humans.”
A glorious non-sequitor, perhaps the best of the day.
A considerable achievement, considering it is election time and the airwaves are full of lyin’ Democrats.
-Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the Walrus. I could be the Walrus. I'd still have to bum rides off people.
Adording to Beatles’ tune “Glass Onion” (off the album “The Beatles”), the Walrus was Paul.
I guess Ferris didn’t get the memo.
I have yet to meet one of these fine folks who doesn't believe that theirs is the only right way and that eventually they'll be able to force that way on others. Supposedly it will be done with "the benign force of reason" (as one local stoner/vegan explained) but it will none the less be done by eliminating alternatives (in a reasonable way of course). I’m glad the author clears the air by telling me there is no economic or political element to vegan beliefs so I can see that those vegans who plan to change the society to suit themselves are just evil herbivores like Hitler not evil because they’re herbivores. In addition, it’s nice to know other local vegans who feel like they’re returning to the “true way” that God intended us to follow back in the Garden of Eden and associate their diet with their faith are actually mistaken since there is no religious element involved with vegan beliefs either.
I, for one, found this article to be enlightening in that there is actually an entire realm of unreality inhabited by vegans that I was prior to this unaware of. I now see that unlike all of those who have over the years assailed me for eating meat, the true vegan the one who is detached from our shabby reality and thinking deep thoughts while chewing their cud. Obviously, vegan ism destroys the perceptive portions of the brain causing those so afflicted to miss or ignore important portions of reality. Fortunately, in their own eyes, that little inconvenience is more than compensated for by the visions of endless green fields full of contented vegans grazing naked under an endless summer sun. Visions that flood into the now vacant portions of their skulls keeping them calm and ignorant, but quite pleased with themselves and anxious to let others know just how pleased with themselves they are.
Regards
[ Consider the wise words of philosopher Gary Francione: “As long as we tolerate violence of any sort, there will be violence of every sort.” ]
In the even wiser words of myself: “In order to be intolerable of violence, one must use orderly violence to reduce disorderly violence, thus the above statement is a fallacy.”
[ Fortunately, in their own eyes, that little inconvenience is more than compensated for by the visions of endless green fields full of contented vegans grazing naked under an endless summer sun. Visions that flood into the now vacant portions of their skulls keeping them calm and ignorant, but quite pleased with themselves and anxious to let others know just how pleased with themselves they are. ]
Herbivore thinking, they just have to learn to herd together for strength when the morlocks start licking their chops at the sight of vegans in fields aimlessly grazing....
Inflicting a vegan diet upon a child means they will NEVER reach their full potential in height and intelligence.
You should see the sickly little anemic vegan children at the private school my niece goes to. Next to her Amazonian stature they look years less developed, and most are a year at least older than her.
[ “Death on display at grocery stores”
“I am sick to death of grocery stores’ discrimination against vegetarians. I do not believe in the premeditated murder of any creature, and these grocery stores are shoving violence right in my face.
When I have to walk past a tank full of lobsters waiting to be boiled and then see whole dead fish on ice, live clams stuffed in bags, and view shelves packed full of bloody raw carcasses,
chickens and turkeys just to grab a loaf of bread, that is a violation of my civil rights as well as other vegetarians.” ]
Yet the same people whole heartedly belive in evolution, they ignore the inconveinient facts that the modern day anthopologists unearth that the human brain only seems to have started it expansion after humans started hunting and cooking their meat that they savagely gathered from herbivores like themselves..... Instead claiming that the “only authentic way of living is to regress 3 million years of evolution”.
And they have the audacity to claim Young Eath Creationsts out of touch.....
[ Being a vegan as an adult is a perfectly fine diet, so long as you ensure you are getting what you need.
Inflicting a vegan diet upon a child means they will NEVER reach their full potential in height and intelligence.
You should see the sickly little anemic vegan children at the private school my niece goes to. Next to her Amazonian stature they look years less developed, and most are a year at least older than her. ]
They can be vegan all they want and raise their sickly family of nutritonaly induced mutants all they want, just don’t take away my steak, eggs, and milk.
These kids are not sickly and shorter and less intelligent because they are mutants, they are all that because they are not getting enough NUTRITION!
No mutation involved.
[ Nutritionally induced mutants? WTH did you get THAT from.
These kids are not sickly and shorter and less intelligent because they are mutants, they are all that because they are not getting enough NUTRITION!
No mutation involved. ]
They are mutated physically because they have Nutritional Defincies, much like how having rickets (vitamin D) deficiencies can cause a persons bones to grow all wonky. I should have said “Mutant Looking” as their DNA doesn’t actually change, it just doesn’t get expressed fully due to missing vital building blocks. Since the DNA doesn’t get a chance to express itself due to these deficencies it is almost as bad of an effect on health had they had an actually issue with their DNA. I should have been more clear.
Their DNA is expressing itself just fine in making the ‘assembly line’ of molecular machines that would make a fattened up healthy happy and intelligent child - if that ‘assembly line’ were provided with enough of the correct RAW MATERIALS.
Nothing wrong with their DNA. Their DNA is being fully expressed. They are not getting enough raw materials for their DNA and associated molecular machines to build the healthy tall and intelligent child that would otherwise result.
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