On Single Issues and Vegetarians
In my outreach, I use single issues such as dog racing and breeding, horse usage, sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation, and now TNR, as entrees into vegan education. And guess what I've found, 100% of the time?
Not a vegan in the bunch.
There are at least a handful of vegetarians in the group, and the funny thing about them is how vehemently anti "meat" they are. They talk about how disgusting it is, and most won't allow meat in their homes (so if a bunch of people are working at their home for the day and bring lunch, no meat is allowed). Now, I'm willing to bet my entire net worth (which has definitely been shrinking) that these vegetarians have no idea how closely connected frozen yogurt is to veal, and they're the first ones to speak out against the cruelties of veal. I believe this is simply a matter of education.
The vegetarians have one significant trait in common with the single issue people: they believe they're already doing a lot to help animals. And they've certainly demonstrated their willingness to change their behavior a bit and change the way they spend their time and money in order to help animals. What better place to introduce veganism?
Thanksgiving's coming to a nightmare near you in two weeks. We're still trying to get out of being in a home that has a carcass on the table and go to Sublime. Whether I bring food to our friends' home or we go to Sublime doesn't matter much, though I clearly have a preference. What I can definitely do from now until Thanksgiving is emphasize the similarities between greyhounds and turkeys. And between feral cats and turkeys. And between sea turtles and turkeys. Single issues present an odd kind of speciesism, and vegetarianism is often the result of misinformation. Both of these challenges can be easily addressed (though the outcome is not in our hands) with a little patience and compassion.
Remember that single issue people think they're already on the side of animals. Rather than showing them how they're not, why not show them how they can take their compassion or desire for justice even further?
Mary, I think the "single issue" thing extends way past single-issue animal defense positions (like dogs vs pigs vs fur) and extend to other social movements in general (like peace and justice, civil rights, conservation). A lot of member of all of these movements think they are focused on the most important movement of all. They will privilege those they are trying to help over all others if need be.
Instead of coalition-building across movements to strengthen each, they become constructed as competing,unrelated issues. Further, each activist thinks s/he is doing enough: s/he doesn't need to go veg, recycle, stop using sexist advertisements, stop buying sweatshop clothing, oppose torture, etc… I believe this refusal to have a multi-faceted approach and philosophy ultimately undermines all of our efforts.Oppression needs to addressed simultaneously!
Dani @ The Vegan Ideal writes very insightfuly and extensively on this. Everyone should check it out: http://theveganideal.blogspot.com/search/label/anti-oppression
Mary, I think the "single issue" thing extends way past single-issue animal defense positions . . .
I agree, Adam, and that's why I've written about that frequently. But here I'm referring to specific groups that I am in contact with. Thanks for the link!
One of my favorite things about Steve Best is his insistence on alliance politics, and he always makes sure to call out environmentalists. Most recently (http://www.animalperson.net/animal_person/2008/11/on-humanism-elitism-and-elephants.html) I linked to his treatment of how the slaughter of elephants in South Africa isn't just about elephants, and the situation is made possible by a much larger web of oppression (and refusal to consider the environment): http://www.bestcyrano.org/THOMASPAINE/?p=1201 .
In my outreach efforts I too have met vegetarians who (like I) thought they are doing all they could for the animals… A few minutes into a conversation, they describe their (compassionate) diet – of which they are convinced is cruelty-free… the yogurt, the cheese, the ice cream and milk – "What could possibly be the harm"? Then I ask the (forbidden) question "what do you think happens to the baby boy calves"? Yikes! There has yet to be anyone who was previously aware -and not horrified to learn the daily practices involved in making dairy "food". Actually, I'd say most people are angered at this industries "dirty secret". I know I was (am). I feel it's very important to dismantle the wholesome image that the dairy industry puts on – and let people know about the agony of the mother cow that is immediately separated from even her "lucky" daughters… about the mastitis, the nipple infections, the inevitable lameness and the sad fate, a few short years into her life at the slaughterhouse.
And then, not unlike me – their concerns are directed to calcium, iron, vitamin D needs… happily, I have a wealth of personal experience of improved (vegan) health and direct them to the plethora of alternative food choices to supplement "dairy".
About "Thanks-for-not-killing-Day"… or "Thanks-for-Living Day"… I wish Sublime was not so very far away – I like Ethos in Orlando, but they are closed for the event. Still, there's lots of invites from local groups in Tampa and St.Pete (?)… Or I may just stay home and host a bountiful meal, inviting a few ("I could be a vegan if the food was good enough") people I know… And on this "Happy Thankful Day" I'm aware that vegans still are activists – and they don't get a "holiday" – cause there's still so much to be done.
I just experienced this with a coworker. She acted all incensed about veal and I reminded her that eating dairy supports that industry. She was basically clueless about the reality of calves being a necessary part of milk production and once she got a little education she stated "Well, I can't give up dairy" to which I replied, "Then you're supporting that cruelty".
It seems like willful ignorance to me – they don't want to be inconvenienced so they try to ignore the facts. How else can you explain vegetarians who know the realities, but stay stuck in a half-assed lifestyle? (Vegetarians irritate me more than uneducated omnis in that sense.) Or they don't eat flesh for reasons other than morality/compassion concerns.
Anyone else find vegetarians harder to veganize than omnis?
Quote:
"The vegetarians have one significant trait in common with the single issue people: they believe they're already doing a lot to help animals."
In my opinion, which is what's suggested in this post I think, vegetarians, for example, are already doing a lot for nonhuman animals. I find, while still accepting veganism as the baseline, that endorsing the efforts made thus far by some people, which engenders further conversation about why they are doing X, Y, and Z, is an effective form of activism. We ought to avoid simplistic generalizations about "Well, I respect animals more because I'm a vegan." That's simply destructive.
Kim,
I do find vegetarians difficult, as they have made an implicit decision to NOT be vegan, and you have to find out why and sort all that out. But with omnis, you can just go with what you believe and get them to go animal free day by day or meal by meal, and with a theory that makes sense and doesn't have strange exceptions.
Alex,
I don't think vegetarians aren't doing ANYthing. That's why I like to focus on their reasons for doing what they do and trying to get them to make some more and different connections. No matter what their reasoning is, going vegan will make their actions align better with their beliefs. It's doing that in a loving, patient, kind way that can be challenging for me (because the situation is often very frustrating!).
Hi Kim… you mention "willful ignorance" concerning vegetarian's who refuse to *turn-off the power of cheese/dairy*. I understand what you are saying. I once ran into a vegetarian and we started discussing the "veal" reality of dairy. The woman literally put her hands over her ears and started humming (gibberish) to herself. Some people really don't want to know – no matter what… At that point – I'm ready to move on to someone rational enough to listen (and care) about the truth.
But I often wonder about Dr. Neal Barnard's take on the narcotic opiates in caseine… maybe dairy is more addictive than we all ever admit? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3214100593069532942&ei=Fh4eSercNoSargLYkPnjBg&q=addictive+cheese&hl=en
adam,
The animal rights movement might be commonly associated with the political left, but if you were to poll people in the other social justice movements you cited, you’d find the same tiny percentage of vegans as you’d find in society at large. Of the people I know who were most vehemently (and correctly) opposed to the former president’s war, not a single one of them is vegan. Not a single one of them even has the daily torture and slaughter of animals on their ethical radar screen. When a highly publicized proposition like California’s Prop 2 makes it onto the ballot, many of these “progressives” will say it’s a wonderful thing, that it makes them feel good about humanity that it passed so easily, etc. etc. but ask them if they plan to stop ordering chicken for dinner and they’ll tell you, let’s not get carried away now. Conversely, one of the three main speechwriters for the former president (can’t bring myself to use this former president’s name) is a committed vegan who recently wrote a book on animal rights. Granted, vegans probably as a rule tend to sympathize with “peace and justice” movements, but environmentalism aside, these movements are extraneous to the fight for animal rights and the promotion of veganism. To say that an animal rights activist should also concern herself/himself with, say, sweat shops is like saying she/he should enjoy playing cribbage. The two are not mutually exclusive, but there’s no necessary relationship between them either.
When I first went vegetarian I consumed tons of dairy/cheese/eggs, because I didn't see anything wrong with these products. However, I quickly learned the problems involved with each of the vegetarian animal products and became vegan sympathetic. I drastically reduced my intake of animal products, but couldn't bring myself to go all the way. It took me another 3-5 years to finally call myself vegan and live according to my ethics. Meanwhile, I ate a mostly vegan diet at home, but cheated in restaurants and, more importantly, while invited to others. The social stigma of vegans as being "difficult", "extreme" and "strange" is very hard to confront and I simply avoided it by turning my back on the animals and my truth.
I think there are many vegetarians like me, in different stages on the path to veganism. With relatively little help, these people should be the easiest to veganize. Sadly, many of them do not reach all the way for different reasons, and identifying those reasons should be of high priority.
I was lacto-ovo vegetarian before I went vegan. I stopped eating meat because I didn't want animals to die for my food, and then I learned about the dairy and egg industries, and decided to go vegan. I also eventually adopted an abolitionist position (while I didn't believe in oxymorons like "humane slaughter," and didn't consume animal products, I still supported some forms of animal exploitation like eggs from backyard chickens, etc.), and realized that there can never be such a thing as humane slaughter OR exploitation, for as long as sentient beings are used as a means to an end–in other words, seen and treated as commodities–there will always be cruelty, and exploiting or killing animals in itself is immoral. I do believe that people's connection with dogs and cats and disgust of veal are stepping stones for us to use in our vegan activism.
David — I agree with most of your post except for this statement:
>>>"To say that an animal rights activist should also concern herself/himself with, say, sweat shops is like saying she/he should enjoy playing cribbage. The two are not mutually exclusive, but there’s no necessary relationship between them either."<<<
I don't believe that sweatshops and recreational activities are comparable. I believe there should be a relationship between animal rights and human rights, as long as we are accepting that all sentient beings deserve the right to not be treated as a means to an end. A vegan may not have to like cribbage, but I think they should be concerned about human exploitation. To say that such a concern is "unnecessary," is excluding people from our circle of compassion, and is just as speciesist as those who care only about dogs and cats but don't care about cows, chickens, fish, pigs, turkeys, etc. I understand that there often is not a relationship between an organization such as a feral cat TNR rescue group and a vegan outreach group, or the activism on behalf of cats being synonymous with vegan outreach, but that doesn't mean it isn't necessary. Getting rid of the discrimination, the hierarchy of species, and hypocrisy, is important if there is ever to be a vegan world in which all species, human and nonhuman, are respected and recognized as having inherent value.