Why Are You Vegan?
When I posted an article about a pig farmer going vegan to my sanctuary’s Facebook page, I found a few of the responses interesting.
The farmer went vegan for health reasons and no mention was made whether he still raises pigs.
One person was angry, because the farmer makes no mention of how his behavior inflicted immense suffering on the animals he raised and consumed. Another person suggested we should create a more supportive community and that, whatever their reasons, all vegans should be welcomed and embraced.
I went vegan because I love animals. In my 13-yr-old brain, eating animals = not loving them. Granted, it took my 22-yr-old brain to realize milk and eggs came from suffering animals too. Once I knew, gone were dairy-based milkshakes and scrambled eggs. All very simple for me.
If you are vegan, what compelled your choice? If you did so for health reasons, did you eventually embrace the ethical reasons too?
Should we embrace people like this pig farmer who isn’t vegan because he cares about pigs but because he cares about himself? If so, how?
Stephanie Ernst
Marji
Kelly G.
Deb
Mary Martin
I first went vegetarian after learning about the intelligence of pigs and chickens. It took my brain much longer than yours to associate “meat” with animal cruelty; I was 29.
Nine months later, after listening to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s podcasts, I felt too guilty to continue eating dairy or eggs.
Personally I don’t care why people go vegan — be it for the animals, the planet, or the person’s health. All are good reasons, as far as I’m concerned.
I haven’t read the story you refer to, but I would hope he no longer raises pigs for slaughter.
I love this question. The short answer is for ethical, health, environment, hunger issues, love.
Yes, we should be open to those that choose to be vegan if only for themselves. At some point they may see the bigger picture. Sadly I have noticed that there are some who do it for a reason other than the love of animals, do not usually stick with it. These people are usually the ones who are taken up by the fad, that since their friends are that it must be cool.
I will always be vegan. I have made a promise to my other be-ings here on this planet.
In the case of people who adopt a plant-based diet for health (or other reasons not directly related to concern for animals), even if they don’t initially think much about (or are even opposed to) the notion of animal rights, I certainly believe in engaging them on AR issues and in being polite, respectful, and patient if it takes them some time to add this other hugely important reason to their list of reasons not to eat animals or animal products, with the hope that their point of view regarding animals themselves will indeed change too, with time, information, and discussion, especially now that they’ll probably be exposed to a lot more information and perspectives regarding the animals themselves once they are eating and learning about (and connecting with people over) plant-based eating.
Holy crap, that was a long sentence.
Anyway, I obviously get the instinct to be frustrated when people don’t consider the animals or when we want to see personal change happen more quickly than it does. And I think it’s important to continue engaging and educating and having disussions with non-AR plant eaters, given that their dietary habits may not extend to their clothing choices, personal product choices, entertainment choices, etc. and given that they’re more likely to start eating animals again at some point if animals themselves aren’t their concern, if how they think of animals doesn’t change. And in this case, I’m obviously not up for holding up someone who seems to still be killing aimals for a living as an ethical example. But it also makes me cringe, in general, when some vegans lambast and alienate those who’ve stopped eating animals & animal products for health reasons. There are a number of people (including inspirational, impactful, influential people) who’ve gone vegan for health initially and who’ve then come into animal rights later, and I’d hate to think of folks like them never getting to that point because they were initially ridiculed or shunned for not yet having had that lightbulb moment.
And this guy — if he is still raising and killing pigs for a living, but he’s come to this realization about the impact of eating animals & animal products on his own and others’ health, I imagine deep down he has to be feeling some conflict about how he’s making his living, right? About what (whom, to us) he’s feeding people?
I don’t know — maybe he’s the kind of person who over time and in stages could change and open up in a lot of ways. Let’s hope. The world could use more Howard Lymans and Harold Browns.
I suppose this begs the question of whether we consider veganism to be a particular set of dietary practices, as it seems this pig farmer does, or whether it is, as Donald Watson and his colleagues originally defined it:
“A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”
I consider veganism to be the latter; it is, for me, a practice of applying the principles of anti-oppression and non-violence to nonhumans as much as I am able to in my daily life, which includes (but is not limited to) dietary practices that might coincidentally be better for my health and for the environment than an omnivorous diet would be, but those are side-effects of being vegan, not reasons in and of themselves.
As someone once said (I think it might have been on The Previous Blog, but I can’t remember–sorry!) it’s very likely that a person might be able to perform vivisection on animals without harming their health or the environment, but they certainly shouldn’t be considered vegan, regardless of what their dietary habits might be. I would say the same about someone who raises and slaughters pigs for money, or, for that matter, someone who eats a plant-based diet while owning and operating a large chain of natural food stores that sells enormous quantities of supposedly “happy” animal products as an integral part of their business model. They might be consuming a “vegan” diet, but since they are not behaving in a manner that is consistent with a philosophy of non-violence towards nonhuman animals, I think it’s more appropriate to call them vegetarians (a term that normally refers only to diet) rather than vegans.
Here’s what I think. I don’t care why you do it as long as you do not murder and torment animals ever again. It’s not like each and every one of us doesn’t hurt other people because they truly don’t want anyone to suffer, most do it because they are afraid of the law and the consequences. In the end the important thing is that animals are saved. Of course it would be better if everyone was vegan for ethical reasons but that is just not going to happen. And I don’t care what approach will make you stop murdering them as long as you stop it NOW, and save as many poor things as possible.
I think that on no account we should dissuade anyone who wishes to be vegan however faintly, for no matter what selfish reason, because if we do, the only thing we’ll achieve is to venge our feelings over how horrible this whole thing is. But that won’t help the animals at all. It will be selfish in fact to do it, just because we can’t stand it that they keep thinking about their damn selves. We don’t have to support their reasons( that health is the only reason anyone should go vegan) but if we don’t support that they actually even this way still don’t hurt animals chances are they won’t be veg for long.And they won’t ever listen to us too.
Not to mention than even if those people in the beggining absolutely refuse to listen to facts about veganism, chances are that they will listen later. Because one of the main reasons people don’t want to listen are bacause they don’t want to give up something they have grown up with, but quess what ,when someone has already given up meat, can be more willing to listen that someone who, if he does listen, will have no choice but to stop eating meat.And also given that it’s so difficult for people to find true information accidentally about veganism (our goverments make sure of that) many people find out what it trully is after they change their diets for health reasons!And then become very passionate about it.And not to mention like this we have an opportunity to reach more people who have seen that you can be vegan and not eat just lettuce and be healthy and even if they too don’t become vegans for ethical reasons , so what, more lives are saved!!!
And we have to realize that there are two different cases in this one. First there are those who are adamant in their approach as to why they are only health vegans . And then there are those who just happened to make first the connection about health, and then about the murders and tortures. And they repent, sooner or later. And I ask, how can you know what will happen? How can you know what that person is going to believe, in a few months or years? How can you deny the possibility that they will actually realize the atrocities that happen? How can you deny that chance?
While my main approach is to very passionately talk about the ethical side of veganism, I think it’s vital for animal’s lives to be as logical as possible when dealing with people that what actually stops them from being vegan is, not their evil nature, but denial and laziness. You have to take the right approach if you want them to actually stop and listen to you and not just shut off what you say. And this is one of these cases. There’s an opportunity with these people to see the veganism for what really is, and to toss that chance I think is foolish.
I think the correct approach is this, while on no account pretend that veganism is anything other than ethical treatment of out fellow animals while additionaly doing great things for your health and your planet, embrace those who have taken the first step, even for selfish reasons.
I think I have written a lot here, but it’s something that I am very passionate about, because I think in our love for our animal friends and our horror with their predicaments we do a lot of mistakes on how we handle situations, and we don’t have the results we want.
In the end, anything that saves animal’s lives is ok with me. It won’t change what true veganism is, it will just save even more precious animal lives. And that’s our goal isn’t it?
I went vegan for ethical reasons (for my health I’d already given up dairy the year before), but I think why people go vegan is less important than that they stay vegan. Plus I’d rather that people feel compelled to go vegan for a whole host of reasons (even if we like some reasons better) because the more mainstream veganism becomes, the more vegans there will be, and the more animal lives we can save.
My reason was the same as yours. At 12, the guilt of killing an animal for food was too much. At 17, I just stopped shutting out all I knew about animal agriculture and fully realized that animals are killed for any animal agriculture. At the time, killing was my problem. I knew about the suffering, but I couldn’t stand the killing of animals. I believe that a creature’s life is her or his own. Now it all affects me, the suffering, the killing, how unhealthy it is, how it’s bad for the workers working in it, how bad it is for the environment and for the most likely poor inhabitants of the surrounding areas of filthy and repulsive feed lots and fields of feces. I’ve always viewed animals as people really, and it just takes a while when you’ve been raised a certain way to realize that animals deserve the same as people. They deserve not to be exploited or killed. That’s it.
I had been playing around with going vegetarian for years, by considering God’s creation of animals, etc. but a lifetime of eating meat was a powerful magnet pulling me back. My wife and I had backed down to a Mediterranean diet – just occasionally eating fish and some chicken.
Then I got a call from my physician saying my last blood tests had indicated a severe case of diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. He had a barrage of medicines laid out for me when I went back in to see him. I had a book – Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes. He agreed to let me try the totally vegan program for the three months recommended by Dr. Barnard.
Three months later I had lost 30 pounds, all my “numbers” (blood sugar, cholesterol, BP) were in the healthy range, and all my aches, pains, and acid reflux had vanished. My doctor was so impressed that he got on the same program with similar results for him.
Then I began wondering what it was about animal products that had damaged my body so badly. I researched meat additives and the meat industry and was stunned by what is done to the “food” we consume. I watched Meet Your Meat and was broken hearted about what I saw.
Three years later, I am still in good health (except for one ill advised return to cheese [curse you, demon cheese!!] which set me back a bit), and I can say a blessing over my meals that includes, “Thank you Father for providing such wonderful food for us and for not having to harm any of Your babies to have it!”
I think confusion has arisen because the term veganism has been so misused. As someone else has pointed out, veganism is the denial of using any products that come from animals. Whereas the term is often used only to refer to the dietary aspect of eschewing animal products.
I’m suspecting that farmer is not a vegan but is just eating a plant-based diet. Rather than slamming him people should take this opportunity to speak to him about animal rights. I think that this is the only reason that will keep people vegan. My sister turned to a plant-based diet after she saw the health benefits it had for me. She didn’t care at all about the animal rights aspect and has now turned back to being omni. Health and beauty just wasn’t a compelling enough reason for her. She felt like she was constantly denying herself rather than embracing an immensely positive philosophy.
Personally, for me it’s the animal rights = veganism = animal rights.
That’s difficult and it comes as I’m trying to turn over a new leaf and stop actively hating people in general and trying to be kind.
I was vegetarian for 10 years before I became vegan, and it was all for animal rights reasons . I saw that article on a Mercy for Animals site and was bothered, too, that no mention was made of the “farmer” having switched his profession or at least transitioning to vegetable growing or something.
He’s a pig farmer, and I want to say no, he should not be welcomed in the AR vegan community. He eats vegan, but he is not vegan under the term as I understand it, and that’s a big distinction.
It could be to pigs’ eventual assistance, however, if we’re nice to him. Try as I might, I cannot see embracing him or welcoming him with open arms because he fails to understand that what he’s doing is not only harming pigs, but, um, if he’s vegan for health reasons what does he think he’s doing to the millions of people who buy the carcasses for consumption?
I think there are people who could be nice to him, and probably encourage him towards giving up animal farming, but at this juncture I don’t see myself as one of those people. Best for animals and me and him if I stay as far away as possible from him. I really really have difficulty dealing with hypocrites.
At the risk of sounding like the vegan police, if he’s still a pig farmer, he’s not “a vegan.” He’s following a diet free of animal products, but he hasn’t adopted a standard of non-harm. It’s great for the animals in question that he’s not eating them, sure, but it doesn’t sound like he’s changed his mind or philosophy on the ethics of using animals for profit. When I saw the article in the MFA newsletter, I wondered why MFA cared at all. Are they getting into the “go vegan for health” trend, too, which I consider off-message and distracting from the ethics of veganism? What’s to support? Lots of people change their diets on doctor’s orders.
Hmm, maybe I was too hasty; after reading STEPcoach’s response, I guess some people are more prone to considering their actions deeply, and maybe this farmer will turn out to be one, too.
I went vegan 4 years ago a few months after going vegetarian. I did so because I supported animal liberation and realized my hypocrisy in being so devout in the anti-fur and anti-animal tested products movements while eating animals. The whole thing was a fast transition from becoming an animal activist to veganism.
I do think we need to respect all peoples reasons for going vegan as valid. HOWEVER, when a guy is responsible for the suffering and death of hundreds of animals, he’s not vegan to me just because he eats vegan. That’s just how I roll.
There is that issue with white middle/upper class vegans getting all pissed because vegans of other demographics chose to first do it for health, or liberation from bad food, etc or AR vegans getting mad because people only do it for the environment or whatever. I think that’s fucked and we need to respect all choices- especially since veganism for those reasons often leads to an understanding of the ethical issues with other animals as well.
One more person on a plant-based diet is one less person demanding animal products for food. While eating a plant-based diet does not make him vegan, it does result in him causing less harm to animals – regardless of his other activities. Every one of us is on our own journey and inclusivity is the way to move forward, not marginalisation of others. I too would battle to sit down at the table eating a meal with him if he is still a pig farmer, but I must if I am to engage him in discussions (and emotions) of the lives of animals and the immense cruelty he inflicts each day. Or is my veganism for me and not for the animals?
I became vegan solely for ethical/emotional reasons. Eventually though, I also started embracing the environmental aspect of it, and actually, being vegan was what got me interested in environmentalism in the first place.
I have to say though, I’ve never thought going vegan was something anyone should do for health reasons. That might sound crazy, but people that become vegans primarily for health reasons, really are doing it for selfish reasons. We can argue about whether or not that is a bad thing, but we cannot argue about the fact that it is selfish, since it is done primarily to benefit that human, and not the non-animals in question.
We should also remember, those people who go vegan for health reasons, are probably less likely to object to animal testing, leather, other people eating animals, etc., as these things are not actually physically unhealthy for them. On the contrary, some might even argue that things like animal testing and experimentation are necessary for human health and survival. Should we even be calling these people vegan?
Ask any real vegan what the word “vegan” means, and they’ll tell you it means trying to live a lifestyle completely free of animal suffering and exploitation. After all, that was what the word vegan originally meant. Too many people think vegan simply means what you put in your mouth, so by that logic, are all vegans also muslim/jewish/hindu, since by default they follow those religions’ dietary restrictions?!? Of course not (and I know veganism is not a religion). By calling these people vegan we’re just indulging their egos.
And while people call us “radical” and “extreme,” health motivated vegans get called “strong willed” and “models of good health.” What does that say about society, when those following a philosophy of peace and compassion are labeled “threats to society,” and those following the next superficial fad are labeled “good role-models?” Remember the whole “hegans” craze? That was the first time I had ever seen the media cast veganism in a positive light… when it related to (gasp!) men becoming vegan, and for purely aesthetic/superficial reasons.
I’m sorry, but I don’t think the plight of non-animals can be truly helped until people realize that going vegan is something they should do out of peace and compassion. Remember we live in America… a country in which people in general are clearly not interested enough in their health to give up 95% of their existing diet. KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy’s are all testament to that. Wake up people.
For me, veganism is about animal rights. It’s ultimately the only reason that I have become, and intend to stay, a vegan. Other reasons such as health, environment etc are secondary.
I believe that it would be very difficult for someone to stay vegan if animal rights were not important to them. For example, if a person becomes vegan for health reasons (like this pig farmer), and their health improves on a vegan diet, what’s to stop them introducing some meat back into their diets as a ‘treat’ for all their ‘hard work’? What’s to stop them having a turkey at Christmas or eating cheese on special occasions? If you don’t see meat/dairy as morally problematic then you’re going to eat it again, eventually. Also, many animal products are widely considered ‘healthy’ such as oily fish, honey etc, so it’s not hard to see how these could creep back into the diet of a purely health-conscious person.
Another commenter above also had a good point – what about non-consumable animal products like leather, silk, etc?
Even going vegan for environmental reasons has its pitfalls, as many environmental campaigners argue for the consumption of small amounts of organically-reared meat, and if people are convinced that they can eat meat and still be environment-friendly, they’ll do it. If they don’t care about animal rights, that is.
As for whether the pig farmer should be welcomed into the vegan community… well… firstly I would struggle to call someone ‘vegan’ if they farmed pigs. Directly making money from the killing of sentient beings? Nah, not vegan. This reminds me actually of Oprah Winfrey and her vegan ‘cleanse’. It’s a co-opting of the vegan diet for reasons that have nothing to do with ethical veganism.
I would treat this ‘vegan’ pig farmer the same as I would treat any other non-vegan, by informing him about why *I* am vegan and by continuing to support and advocate for animal rights.
I would tell my vegetarian husband over and over I would NEVER be vegetarian. He never preached to me but once we walked into a store that sold fur and he asked me the question that changed my life, “Do you know how they kill the animals?” I cried in the middle of this store after hearing the answer. I was so furious! I was so unaware of the terrible ways that animals were treated. I correlated the animals for fur to the animals for food. I had also been gaining weight and felt unhealthy, so going vegetarian was a great choice. That night, I went online to research the animal industry and was disgusted with everything I saw. I was so naive before. A few months later, I started reading up on eggs and dairy and the abuse involved. I realized how completely unnatural humans eating animals, eggs, and most of all, dairy was. I hate to admit it but I watched a slide-show on PETA about the pus etc. that is in dairy. After that, I couldn’t eat cheese (which was my favorite food). Eventually I couldn’t eat anything with milk or eggs because it felt unnatural and cruel. That’s how I got to be vegan, which is totally my life. I can’t believe I never was vegan. It fits who I have always been deep down. I LOVE IT!
As for reasons to be vegan: I love hearing others’ reasons on why they went vegan. I am excited for anyone who is vegan, regardless of the reason, because they aren’t contributing to the suffering of animals. I do get frustrated, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like they will come around to the idea of animal rights one day. They just have to, as our planet has to one day. One day far away. But so worth it.
I first went “vegetarian” when I was 16. Dissecting animals in biology class had disgusted me. Because I was so young, I wasn’t 100% committed to vegetarianism. Not long into it, though, I started doing research into animal rights, and became so disgusted with what I learned that by the time I entered college 2 years later, I was dedicated lacto-ovo-vegetarian.
I met my first vegans in college & thought it just seemed completely off the charts. But the animal rights side of it clearly spoke to me… It seemed right, though, to be vegan considering my personal views on the topic. I never turned vegan but I never stopped thinking about it…
I went through some crazy periods where I fluctuated wildly in my eating habits, especially during pregnancy & nursing, but my natural desire was to be vegetarian, which I then was for several years after my baby weaned. I am heavily into yoga and my teachers had constantly encouraged me to go vegan – claiming the spiritual and physical benefits of a vegan diet. I toyed with the idea until eventually my (then) husband became lactose intolerant. It became clear to me that this was my opportunity to incorporate non-dairy products into my own diet and see how it went. After 2 weeks of using only soy milk, staying away from cheese & dairy, I was feeling great! I had none of the cravings I had anticipated, and quite frankly I wasn’t *missing* anything!!
So that was it. Veganism stuck. It does help that there is a love of animals & a passion for animal rights at the heart of my veganism. But my beliefs on animals are very private for me especially when the “average” person asks me about veganism. I take a diplomatic stance on veganism because I think it is pointless & counterproductive to scare people. It takes a lot of dedication to just leap head first into a “rights” mindset if you’ve never thought about it before.
Let’s face it: I wasn’t about animal rights at the start, I LEARNED about animal rights as I went along. I’m not the only one who went through this kind of process so it is unfair of me to think that Joe Omnivore is going to just instantly change their mind about animal rights & suddenly be a gung-ho vegan! Nope. That is naive & cruel of me to think.
I don’t push veganism on people, I push *awareness* and conscientious eating & purchasing. I personally think it’s easier to encourage people to make small changes gradually over time than to just force cold turkey on them. And I think that makes everyone more successful as advocates.
I am vegan because it is the right thing to do.