PERSPECTIVE: Adopting the lifestyle that is veganism

[Guest guest]

From the daily free press - boston: I have always been harbored by a fascination with vegetarian and vegan diets. I've read books upon articles upon journals by scholars arguing back and forth over the various forms of vegetarianism, but it wasn't until I was forced to attempt the vegan diet for five days for a class that I discovered -- beneath my unrelenting obsession -- my true passion for animal rights.In her book The Pornography of Meat, Carol J. Adams explains that "[she] knew what it was like to look at a nonhuman animal and have an individual look back at [her] -- not as a (human) subject gazing at an (animal) object, but as two subjects." This sort of visceral experience came to Adams when she was eating a hamburger but found herself unable to finish it. The imaginary line our culture draws between animal and meat faded away when she visualized her recently murdered horse in place of the beef -- or cow -- she was currently

consuming. Adams claims that animals are objectified by society in order to be eaten; animals go from living, breathing beings to meat - this passive, inanimate form of nourishment for humans. She calls for a conscious effort in our culture to eliminate the disconnect between living animals and the meat on our plate. This concept of visceral ethics is something of which I have gained a much clearer understanding since my attempt at the vegan diet. On the first day of my vegan diet, I was doubtful. Although the dining hall provided a suitable vegan option most of the time, my diet still seemed far too restrictive for my unruly taste buds. I checked the ingredients on everything at the grocery store, and when I was tempted to purchase cookies baked with eggs, I envisioned a chicken and tried to evoke a sort of visceral conscience in order to resist. This visceral conscience didn't last long though, and it wasn't until bite five of a slice of white

chocolate raspberry cheesecake that I realized I had broken my diet around lunchtime the second day. By then, I reasoned with myself, I had already cheated, so why stop now? As I sat there in a dark corner of a little coffee shop watching the crumbs of cheesecake on my plate stare up at me in disgust, I became enveloped by shame. Pangs of guilt shot through my full stomach as the freshly digested cake -- made possible only because a cow was exploited for its milk by a greedy milking machine -- growled at me. To alleviate my guilt from my weakness, I confessed to a friend and sparked her interest in the vegan diet as well. She saw veganism as the ideal diet because it means cutting down to the essentials and minimizing consumer greed since, as she said, "we as Americans eat so much more than we actually need anyway." On that inspiring note, I completed the rest of the day animal product-free, and that night, I confessed to my journal that the vegan diet might

actually be livable -- maybe even beneficial. The biggest setback to the vegan diet for me was its inconvenience. I've never been a picky eater, and the vegan diet required more special accommodations than I was ready to demand. But I had to ask myself where my priorities stood, and I hoped the next three days would reveal the answer. By day three of the diet, I had reached an understanding of visceral ethics. Before this vegan diet, I considered myself a vegetarian but had not yet felt an actual repulsion from meat. I still thought it looked rather appetizing but opted not to eat it for health reasons. On that third day, though, I felt nauseated for the first time by the sight of a steak. It wasn't a piece of meat anymore; it was a tortured, mistreated and inhumanely slaughtered cow. I couldn't look at eggs without seeing a hundred chickens stuffed together, unable to spread their wings as they were injected with steroids to reach slaughter weight faster.

I then asked myself if I cared more about convenience or the fair treatment of animals, and I finally discovered my answer. I could no longer justify supporting the meat industry as it turned animals into objects. The vegan diet implies a lifestyle, not just a diet, and after three days, I had started to gain an understanding of what beliefs and ideals that lifestyle included and what that meant to me. After reaching this understanding of the diet, the next two days were a little easier. I was still tempted, and I even gave in one or two times, but the awareness was always there. I was always conscious of what had to be sacrificed in order for me to enjoy my warm slice of cheesecake or my juicy steak, and that recognition was enough for me to make some changes. A year later, I am writing this as a self-proclaimed vegan. Although I prefer not to burden others with my diet specifications when visiting friends or returning home for breaks, I fully

restrain from consuming any animal products when feeding myself. I'm not writing this to instill guilt, and I'm certainly not attempting to convert the world to veganism. All I ask, along with Adams, is that our culture attempts to recognize that yesterday's livestock becomes the meat we absently consume today.Emily Calvin is a junior in the College of CommunicationPeter H

 

The all-new Mail goes wherever you go - free your email address from your Internet provider.

[Guest guest]

I felt the same ... before choosing veganism I did not see meat as a

bad thing to consume; even still wanted it. After being educated, I

saw it for what it was and lost ALL desire to be an active consumer

of abuse and neglect.

 

*mona

 

, peter VV <swpgh01 wrote:

>

> From the daily free press - boston:

> I have always been harbored by a fascination with vegetarian and

vegan diets. I've read books upon articles upon journals by scholars

arguing back and forth over the various forms of vegetarianism, but

it wasn't until I was forced to attempt the vegan diet for five days

for a class that I discovered -- beneath my unrelenting obsession --

my true passion for animal rights.

>

> In her book The Pornography of Meat, Carol J. Adams explains

that " [she] knew what it was like to look at a nonhuman animal and

have an individual look back at [her] -- not as a (human) subject

gazing at an (animal) object, but as two subjects. "

>

> This sort of visceral experience came to Adams when she was eating

a hamburger but found herself unable to finish it. The imaginary

line our culture draws between animal and meat faded away when she

visualized her recently murdered horse in place of the beef -- or

cow -- she was currently consuming.

>

> Adams claims that animals are objectified by society in order to

be eaten; animals go from living, breathing beings to meat - this

passive, inanimate form of nourishment for humans. She calls for a

conscious effort in our culture to eliminate the disconnect between

living animals and the meat on our plate. This concept of visceral

ethics is something of which I have gained a much clearer

understanding since my attempt at the vegan diet.

>

> On the first day of my vegan diet, I was doubtful. Although the

dining hall provided a suitable vegan option most of the time, my

diet still seemed far too restrictive for my unruly taste buds. I

checked the ingredients on everything at the grocery store, and when

I was tempted to purchase cookies baked with eggs, I envisioned a

chicken and tried to evoke a sort of visceral conscience in order to

resist.

>

> This visceral conscience didn't last long though, and it wasn't

until bite five of a slice of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake

that I realized I had broken my diet around lunchtime the second

day. By then, I reasoned with myself, I had already cheated, so why

stop now? As I sat there in a dark corner of a little coffee shop

watching the crumbs of cheesecake on my plate stare up at me in

disgust, I became enveloped by shame. Pangs of guilt shot through my

full stomach as the freshly digested cake -- made possible only

because a cow was exploited for its milk by a greedy milking

machine -- growled at me. To alleviate my guilt from my weakness, I

confessed to a friend and sparked her interest in the vegan diet as

well. She saw veganism as the ideal diet because it means cutting

down to the essentials and minimizing consumer greed since, as she

said, " we as Americans eat so much more than we actually need

anyway. "

>

> On that inspiring note, I completed the rest of the day animal

product-free, and that night, I confessed to my journal that the

vegan diet might actually be livable -- maybe even beneficial.

>

> The biggest setback to the vegan diet for me was its

inconvenience. I've never been a picky eater, and the vegan diet

required more special accommodations than I was ready to demand. But

I had to ask myself where my priorities stood, and I hoped the next

three days would reveal the answer.

>

> By day three of the diet, I had reached an understanding of

visceral ethics. Before this vegan diet, I considered myself a

vegetarian but had not yet felt an actual repulsion from meat. I

still thought it looked rather appetizing but opted not to eat it

for health reasons. On that third day, though, I felt nauseated for

the first time by the sight of a steak. It wasn't a piece of meat

anymore; it was a tortured, mistreated and inhumanely slaughtered

cow. I couldn't look at eggs without seeing a hundred chickens

stuffed together, unable to spread their wings as they were injected

with steroids to reach slaughter weight faster.

>

> I then asked myself if I cared more about convenience or the fair

treatment of animals, and I finally discovered my answer. I could no

longer justify supporting the meat industry as it turned animals

into objects.

>

> The vegan diet implies a lifestyle, not just a diet, and after

three days, I had started to gain an understanding of what beliefs

and ideals that lifestyle included and what that meant to me. After

reaching this understanding of the diet, the next two days were a

little easier. I was still tempted, and I even gave in one or two

times, but the awareness was always there.

>

> I was always conscious of what had to be sacrificed in order for

me to enjoy my warm slice of cheesecake or my juicy steak, and that

recognition was enough for me to make some changes. A year later, I

am writing this as a self-proclaimed vegan. Although I prefer not to

burden others with my diet specifications when visiting friends or

returning home for breaks, I fully restrain from consuming any

animal products when feeding myself. I'm not writing this to instill

guilt, and I'm certainly not attempting to convert the world to

veganism. All I ask, along with Adams, is that our culture attempts

to recognize that yesterday's livestock becomes the meat we absently

consume today.

>

> Emily Calvin is a junior in the College of Communication

>

>

> Peter H

>

>

>

>

> The all-new Mail goes wherever you go - free your email

address from your Internet provider.

>