I agreed with everything until you got to the last one. Although I understand your point, but it’s the same thing as saying, “I will only molest the child a little bit” or “I only beat my wife on Mondays”. While less consumption is better, animal cruelty is still animal cruelty whether you do it a little bit or not. The only thing an animal owns in this world is its life and humans still manage to steal that from them. No animal wants to die even if it’s just for a Sunday dinner. So, it doesn’t matter if they are just doing it a little bit, it should never happen to begin with.
I see what you mean. But I don't think it's the same thing, actually. Both the things you mention are already viewed by society as objectively bad things to do - while eating meat is encouraged and celebrated. Society condemns those who molest children or beat their wives, but it doesn't condemn meat-eating. On a level of suffering and justice there is absolutely no difference, as you say. But this discrepancy exists, and the reason it exists is because of widely ingrained speciesism in our society. It will continue to exist until society as a whole recognises animals as sentient individuals worthy of respect. And that's a mindset shift that will NOT happen overnight, no matter how much we want it to. It will take generations, unfortunately. And the way it begins is with...small steps. The way it did for many of us.
The thing is that we need to change that perception and those perceptions cannot change if we say it is alright to do a little bit. A perception of a little bit is alright and the perception that none of it is alright are completely different and a little bit alright is not going to change the whole situation or people’s understanding.
If we had said that slavery is a little bit alright during the civil war nothing would have changed. Or a little bit of racism is alright we would not be evolving into a more civilized society.
Whether society views abuse of humans is not accepted and the abuse of animals is accepted does not matter when we are trying to change perceptions. It’s ALL horrible abuse is the point and to think it is different just because society thinks that way is speciesism and will not change perception. The more we think a little bit is alright the slower this movement will create change.
The non-human animals were just born into a different body. They feel just like us and should not be discriminated against just because a farmer bred them into existence - for any reason or excuse - ever.
You’ve said it all, I’m just commenting to congratulate you on the brilliant work and hoping the algo pushes this piece up. 10+ years vegan is incredible! 7 years and some change here, pescatarian 6 years before that
Thank you! I was pescatarian from age 11 to 29 before finally going vegan. Every time I meet people who've been vegan for 20-30 years, I'm so amazed. Seven is also really great, keep up the good work!
Oh man me too! Wow I envy you! I only discovered veganism 8 years ago 😭😭 which shows just how important exposure is. I would’ve gone vegan before had I known. I interviewed a 40 year vegan (he’s in his 60s), world champ in bodybuilding.. incredible stuff
This was funny!! I chuckled at "just shoot me" and I too have said "I eat what I want" and have gotten the bewilderment. The new braindead "objection" on the block that I deal with a lot as an activist is "well did you know that you're actually responsible for far more death of all the insects killed for your soy?!??" Let's just say we're not friends anymore LOL
yeah, there is that soy thing - because people are unaware of just how much soy is fed to farm animals! If you care about the insects killed for soy, the best thing to do is...go vegan.
I agreed with everything until you got to the last one. Although I understand your point, but it’s the same thing as saying, “I will only molest the child a little bit” or “I only beat my wife on Mondays”. While less consumption is better, animal cruelty is still animal cruelty whether you do it a little bit or not. The only thing an animal owns in this world is its life and humans still manage to steal that from them. No animal wants to die even if it’s just for a Sunday dinner. So, it doesn’t matter if they are just doing it a little bit, it should never happen to begin with.
I see what you mean. But I don't think it's the same thing, actually. Both the things you mention are already viewed by society as objectively bad things to do - while eating meat is encouraged and celebrated. Society condemns those who molest children or beat their wives, but it doesn't condemn meat-eating. On a level of suffering and justice there is absolutely no difference, as you say. But this discrepancy exists, and the reason it exists is because of widely ingrained speciesism in our society. It will continue to exist until society as a whole recognises animals as sentient individuals worthy of respect. And that's a mindset shift that will NOT happen overnight, no matter how much we want it to. It will take generations, unfortunately. And the way it begins is with...small steps. The way it did for many of us.
I recognize exactly what you are saying.
The thing is that we need to change that perception and those perceptions cannot change if we say it is alright to do a little bit. A perception of a little bit is alright and the perception that none of it is alright are completely different and a little bit alright is not going to change the whole situation or people’s understanding.
If we had said that slavery is a little bit alright during the civil war nothing would have changed. Or a little bit of racism is alright we would not be evolving into a more civilized society.
Whether society views abuse of humans is not accepted and the abuse of animals is accepted does not matter when we are trying to change perceptions. It’s ALL horrible abuse is the point and to think it is different just because society thinks that way is speciesism and will not change perception. The more we think a little bit is alright the slower this movement will create change.
The non-human animals were just born into a different body. They feel just like us and should not be discriminated against just because a farmer bred them into existence - for any reason or excuse - ever.
it's not that it's "alright". It's that it's a start. And every evolution needs to begin somewhere.
‘Mind your own protein’ hahahaha
You’ve said it all, I’m just commenting to congratulate you on the brilliant work and hoping the algo pushes this piece up. 10+ years vegan is incredible! 7 years and some change here, pescatarian 6 years before that
Thank you! I was pescatarian from age 11 to 29 before finally going vegan. Every time I meet people who've been vegan for 20-30 years, I'm so amazed. Seven is also really great, keep up the good work!
Oh man me too! Wow I envy you! I only discovered veganism 8 years ago 😭😭 which shows just how important exposure is. I would’ve gone vegan before had I known. I interviewed a 40 year vegan (he’s in his 60s), world champ in bodybuilding.. incredible stuff
This was funny!! I chuckled at "just shoot me" and I too have said "I eat what I want" and have gotten the bewilderment. The new braindead "objection" on the block that I deal with a lot as an activist is "well did you know that you're actually responsible for far more death of all the insects killed for your soy?!??" Let's just say we're not friends anymore LOL
yeah, there is that soy thing - because people are unaware of just how much soy is fed to farm animals! If you care about the insects killed for soy, the best thing to do is...go vegan.
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