What's behind the suffering?

[Guest guest]

>Also, Victor, you make the point that here

>in the bay area, we would do well not to

>emphasized suffering as a reason not to eat

>animals. I have to say that I find that

>confusing. That is the main reason that I

>and many others here are vegan. Could you

>say more about what you find effective in

>talking to bay area people about veganism?

 

Hello Stephanie,

 

Many people do cite the suffering of animals as their reason for being

vegan. I myself did so for many years and I spoke with countless people

about veganism from that POV when working for an animal welfare

non-profit. Every day, I found myself having frustrating conversations

like:

 

Me: Help stop cruelty to animals! Look at how they're confined in the

factory farms.

Omnivore: That's why I eat free range.

Me: Uh, well, transport and slaughter are the same.

Omnivore: No, they kill them right there at the farm I buy my meat from.

 

Me: Animals in factory farms are suffering!

Omnivore: I agree with you. That's why I buy my meat from local family

farms.

Me: Uh, well, I guess that's better.

Omnivore: Yes, the meat tastes better, too!

 

Although the reducing suffering argument seemed so obvious, these

conversations made it clear to me that there was something missing.

Every example of cruelty I cited could be side-stepped and I would be

forced to shift my argument. I started questioning what I had been told

about veganism. When I did so, I realized that suffering IS a problem,

but it's an effect of a deeper issue – human exploitation of animals.

If we end the cause of the problem, then we end the suffering as well.

Steven Roggenbuck described his own

awakening to this understanding:

 

"My first 'aha!' moment came when I realized that preventable nonhuman

suffering is only the result of oppression. Then it wasn’t a matter of

asking, 'Would I rather end suffering or end oppression?' Instead, it

was a matter of seeing, 'If I want to end suffering, then I need to end

oppression.'"

 

This has radically changed how I think and speak about veganism. The

conversations now run like this:

 

Me: This is happening because we humans have power over other animals

and think it is acceptable to use them without their consent.

Omnivore: That's why I eat free range from local farms.

Me: Those animals are still being used and killed without their consent.

Omnivore: Well, where can I buy humane meat?

Me: No matter where you purchase animal products, it still comes from

animals who were used and killed without their consent.

Omnivore: What about Niman Ranch? Oh, wait, I guess it's the same, huh?

 

Framing veganism in terms of use without consent leads directly to the

idea that there is no ethical way to eat eggs, dairy, or flesh. Because

it is simple and speaks directly to the heart of my reason for being

vegan, there are no lengthy debates about nuances, loopholes, canine

teeth, dairy, or 'humane' meat. I no longer need to know any

facts about animal exploitation except one: that animals are used

without their consent.

 

When I spoke about veganism from the standpoint of animal suffering, I

always felt like I was desperately trying to convince people to go

vegan. Now, speaking about veganism as anti-oppression, I feel like I

am working with people as they discover there is no way they can

justify to themselves their consumption of dairy, eggs and meat.

 

A growing number of people see veganism in this way as the struggle

against all forms of exploitation, non-human and human. I think this is

one of the most exciting and important developments in veganism in

recent memory. It builds anti-speciesist struggle upon the

understanding of power and privilege drawn from the extensive body of

anti-oppression struggle in the human realm (including anti-ableism,

anti-ageism, anti-classism, anti-heterosexism, anti-racism, and

anti-sexism). For many of us, this is the holistic view of veganism we

always believed in, but for which there was no home among the animal

welfare groups.

 

For examples on speaking about veganism in this way, I suggest Why

is Veganism Important? and this FAQ.

If you're curious about learning more about this view of veganism, I

recommend reading The

Vegan Ideal, The

Dreaded Comparison, and LOVE's vegan blog.

 

Victor

 

P.S. As a historical note, you may be interested to read the Vegan

Society's definition of veganism published in 1951 at the

Vegetarian World Forum. It speaks, not to suffering and cruelty, but to

the exploitation of animals.

-- Veganism as Anti-Oppression: http://loveallbeings.org/

The Vegan Ideal: http://theveganideal.blogspot.com/