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Veganism
Aguidetononviolence
1: Based on the 2007 United Nations Food and Agriculture report. Figures considered for a two second timespan.
Over 50 billion animals are killedevery year worldwide.In the time it took to read thatsentence, 3,163 chickens, 170ducks, 87 pigs, 36 sheep, 40turkeys, 25 goats, 19 cattle, and 1buffalo were killed across the globe
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OurrelationshipwithanimalsVeganism
Animals are constantly a part of our lives. They share our homes, sleepin our beds, and may even greet us at the door. We turn to them for emotional support, consider them membersof the family, and mourn their deaths whenthey pass. These animals may not be able tobalance a checkbook or speak our language,but we love and value them highly. Webelieve they enjoy their lives as much asthey enjoy the company of others. For other animals who are, in many ways, nodifferent from dogs or cats, we stick forksand knives into their cooked bodies andwear their skin as clothing. If we believeviolence just for enjoyment against a dogor cat is wrong, how do we reconcilewhat we do to other animals? Wecertainly do not need animal productsto be healthy; we consume animals outof habit and because we enjoy the taste or convenienceof their products. This strange contradiction is our “moralschizophrenia.” If we want to overcome our socialaffliction, we must take the first step in beingnonviolent and become vegan.
Veganism is not a diet, but a way of lifewhich excludes the use of animals for anyreason. This means a vegan does not eat, wear,or use animals or their products. Instead, vegans thrive ondiverse plant-based foods, animal-free clothing, and findalternativeways to doinganything thatwould involve ananimal.
A mo t h e r so w i n a g e s t a t io n c r a t e.
The following pages provideexamples of how animals are usedand why veganism is easy, healthy,and necessary if we claim to takeanimal interests seriously.“Do not let new welfarists [or anyone else]convince you that veganism is “hard” or that vegans think that they are “special”.Veganism is increasingly easy in the 21stcentury. What’s hard is being a nonhumananimal whose property status robs her of any meaningful moral consideration.”-Roger Yates
Whatabout“humanely-Raised”products?Can’twejusthavebetterwelfare?
“Never doubt that asmall group of thoughtful,committed, citizens canchange the world. Indeed, it isthe only thing that ever has.”-Margaret Mead
An increasing number of consumers attempt toaddress the devastation we cause to animalsnot by going vegan but by purchasing productsadvertised as “humane” or as produced“ethically.” However, as you’ll see, these labelsare practically meaningless. The conditions of “humanely-raised” animals are no more of animprovement than putting air fresheners ina torture chamber. Meanwhile, these productsencourage the public to believe it is okay toexploit animals simply because we enjoy it.When our habits arethreatened by our instinct todo what is right, we oftentry to rationalize ourselvesout of breaking our habits inorder to avoid this conflict.One of these rationalizationsis to believe the solution for animals, if welfare regulation fails, is simply tohave better welfare. This is the vicious cycle of animal welfarism. As you’llsee in the succeeding pages, the past three hundred years of animal welfarelaws have shown as long as animals are property, they cannot have rights.Without rights, their exploitation is not only continued but protected by themantra of their increasingly better conditions. We all know the propertystatus won’t go away overnight, but with veganism, each one of us and thefriends we encourage can gradually reduce the very demand for their exploitation in the first place. Goingvegan is easier than you think andthis guide will help you through it.
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