It's Simple: If You're Not Vegan You Exploit Animals
We all agree that “unnecessary” animal suffering and death are morally wrong. If that means anything at all, it must mean that we cannot justify animal suffering and death by reasons of pleasure or convenience. But what is our best justification for imposing suffering and death on the 56 billion animals (excluding fish) we eat annually?
Pleasure. Convenience.
So the only justification we have is that which we agree cannot suffice. This is moral schizophrenia.
If you are not a vegan, you are participating directly in animal exploitation. Being a vegan is easy, better for your health, and the most powerful way that you, as an individual, can say “no” to animal exploitation.
If you are vegan, then educate others about veganism.
The World is Vegan! If you want it.
Gary L. Francione
©2010 Gary L. Francione
Related posts:
- Veganism: Just Another Way of Reducing Suffering or a Fundamental Principle of Justice & Nonviolence?
- The “Luxury” of Death
- Gandhi: On the 62nd Anniversary of His Death
- And You Wonder Why We Suffer from Moral Schizophrenia?
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Let's face it. Human beings have always eaten meat and always will. There's no way to change this.
If individual people prefer to be vegetarian or vegan,that's fine. Cruelty to animals is despicable if done purely for the sake of cruelty and sadism,
but people must eat meat. But there is absolutely no way to make all or even most of humanity vegan or even vegetarian.
And being vegan is absolutely no guarantee that you will live longer or be healthier,nor does eating meat mean that you cannot live a long life in good health.
First of all Humans have not "always eaten meat" and most likely they will not in the future.
Secondly "people must eat meat" is blatantly false!
Lastly There are no guarantees in life but, providing a healthy diet to your body by eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, and avoiding unhealthy foods like meat and dairy can certainly increase your odds of living that long healthy life.
Your point is well taken but its inconsistent and ultimately unsatisfactory.
The exploitation of animals is not just using them for food and clothing. They are exploited everytime you choose to use their land, air and water as a waste dump for your unnecessary use of cars, gas, and electricity. They are exploited everytime you buy from a farm that poisons, displaces, or shoots only those insects and mammals that it feels threaten your food. These actions do not fall under the category of "necessary" animal use. They hardly are and humanity survived perfectly well for millenia without them, and many still do today. Why do you use these things and buy these products? Or if you believe that its not possible to completely eliminate them, fine, but then why do you use as much as you do?
Pleasure. Convenience.
One may justify away all they want, and i'm betting most will. But if we're honest, we're simply proving the rule that what we judge in others is actually what we dislike about ourselves. You're living your definition of moral schizophrenia.
This is not an argument to denounce veganism or to say that because of this argument we should just throw our hands up and use animal products, nor am I saying that I am not guilty of this as well. (i am a strict vegan by your definition and also participate in the exploitations I listen in paragraph 2). The argument is simply the plain truth. So your article's title "If You're Not Vegan You Exploit Animals" is equally as true as "If you ARE vegan, you exploit animals".
I *know* that you're not one for saying a person who does "less or gentler" rape is what we should be promoting. So why do you continue to promote exactly that and pretend that you're not? Why not go with the truth?