Vegan Q&A column ~ Joanne Charlebois

[Carolyn Bailey]

I contribute a "Q&A" column to a local newsletter. Sometimes the questions have to do with animal rights, so I thought I would reproduce a few of those here. Here is the first one.

Q: I think that animals should have rights, but I feel that going vegan is
too extreme. Can’t I show my support for animal rights by eating

vegetarian food most of the time and only eating free-range, organic
animal products when I do eat them?

A: Because eating animal products is so common and accepted in society,
there is a misconception that while veganism may be a political
statement, meat- and dairy-eating is politically neutral. This is not
true -- the action of eating meat, dairy, or other animal products
implies that you accept the idea that it is okay for us to use animals,
including to kill them unnecessarily (as it is certainly not necessary
for human health to eat animal products, and “free-range” animals, even
those who are exploited for their milk or eggs, have their lives cut
short just like those raised in factory farms).

Support for “free-range” animal agriculture and the idea of “better” or “more
humane” conditions for the animals does not have anything to do with
animal rights, but rather animal welfare. These two positions are
fundamentally incompatible: one says that it is okay to use animals as
long as certain standards are followed with respect to their welfare
before they are killed, while the other position says that animals
should have the right to live out their lives on their own terms. This
starts with the right not to be considered someone’s property, for
while animals are property, people can do whatever they like with them
including killing them for personal or economic use. The property
owner's right to make the most of his or her property will always take
legal precedence over the interests that the animal property has in not
being harmed. An animal rights position says that no matter how well
the animal is treated, it is still wrong to use his or her body as a
production machine (such as in the case of dairy, eggs or honey) or as
a commodity itself (such as in the case of meat, leather, etc). These
are rights violations (and they inevitably lead to suffering).

Therefore, when we talk about “animal rights”, we need to be aware that the many
forms of institutionalized animal exploitation in our society,
including the use of animals for food, clothing, medical testing,
entertainment, and other purposes, violate the most basic right that
animals would need to be accorded by humans, the right not to be
considered property. If you are serious about wanting animals to have
rights, the first thing to do is to stop participating in violating
their rights, in order to live in a manner consistent with your ethics.
This does mean going vegan as the minimal baseline.

Veganism may seem overwhelming at first, but remember that nearly all vegans were
once in your position, and succeeded in making the transition. You can
do it as well. Your taste buds do adapt, and most vegans find that they
end up discovering so many new foods and recipes that they are eating a
greater variety of delicious food than they ever did before. Social
situations become easier as you become more comfortable with polite but
firm ways of expressing your commitment to avoiding animal products. Be
sure to also seek out support so that you don’t feel alone in your
beliefs and lifestyle - for starters, take advantage of NCVA
activities, or look for like-minded friends online. There are plenty of
great resources out there. You will no doubt end up finding veganism
very enjoyable and fulfilling, knowing that you're living in a manner
that is consistent with your belief that non-human animals should have
rights too!

http://thestartingpointisveganism.blogspot.com/search/label/questio...

[Carolyn Bailey]

Great reply, very informative!