Yesterday, November 1, was the 65th birthday of the formalization and naming of “Veganism.”
The Vegan Society was founded in 1944 by a man named Donald Watson, a very ordinary man who lived a very ordinary life. I think that his ordinary-ness (is that a word?) is what makes him so inspiring… because most of us can relate to his life and story, and see that even common people can change the world.
Watson founded a far-reaching and profound social movement, whose wisdom is becoming more and more evident as we see the detrimental effects of our use of animals — on animals themselves, humans, and the environment.
What does it mean to be an ethical vegan?
I have been asked this question many times – it’s a rare occasion that I don’t botch it, in the interest of time and the patience of the asker. It isn’t that veganism is complex, in fact it’s the simplest ethical philosophy a person can have: non-harm and non-violence. It is about moral integrity toward life. Vegans understand that using animals as food, clothing, entertainment, and testing of consumer products (and most, if not all, medical experiments), is unwarranted, unnecessary harm to other living creatures.
Therefore, veganism is not a religion, political stance, or a lifestyle… it is about social justice.
It isn’t quite accurate to simply say that vegans don’t eat meat, dairy, or eggs… not even if we also add that we don’t wear leather, wool, fur, feathers, or silk. Not eating or wearing certain items is merely a result of realizing that it is UNJUST to take from animals which is rightfully their own – their skin, their eggs, the milk their bodies have produced to feed their own offspring. It is UNJUST for us to confine animals to cages and deprive them of freedom and natural behaviors, and ultimately, their lives — in order for us to have these products, simply because we enjoy having them.
We may also enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, rodeos, zoos, and circuses, but is it fair to make horses pull us when we have cars to drive? Is it fair to prove “traditional cowboy skills” (that no one needs anymore) by harming domesticated animals? Is it fair to take animals from their natural habitats and social groups, teach them silly tricks, and put them on display… when we could film them in the wild to observe them instead?
Ethical veganism understands that it is vain jealousy and theft to take from animals what we, as technologically advanced and extremely clever humans, can produce and grow for ourselves. I hear this all the time: “Nature made us dominant of all other life, we can build rockets to the moon, what other species can do that? Aren’t we morally superior?”
Well, in fact, no other species can or cares to do these things – that is precisely what makes it NOT morally superior to take from animals. If the only things a creature has are a fur coat, dignity as a living being, and a desire to be free in their natural environment, then clearly it is unjust for us – who have so many other options for feeding, clothing, and entertaining ourselves – to take them away.
Most ethical vegans also accept that even plant-based products can be non-vegan, if they cause harm to the environment or other people. There is growing concern over the palm oil industry, because plantations are clearing-cutting habitat that belongs to primates and other animals, as well as native peoples. Many ethical vegans eschew chocolate and coffee that are not certified Fair Trade – because these products use human slavery. Would you be surprised to learn that it was the American SPCA that brought the first case of child abuse to court? Ethical vegans see that human rights and animals rights are intimately connected.
What about “Humane” farming?
Most people agree that so-called “factory” farming of animals is horrible, and many are calling for a return to the type of farming we had before farming went industrial. But here is what Donald Watson said about the farms during the early 1900s:
“They weren’t all they seemed to be, on the face of it, to a little, hitherto uninformed boy. And it followed that this idyllic scene was nothing more than Death Row. A Death Row where every creature’s days were numbered by the point at which it was no longer of service to human beings.”
And so it goes. The real question of rearing animals for our use is not about being “humane” — once again it is about justice. Is death row a JUST situation for an innocent animal to be placed? What crime did they commit, other than being “tasty,” to land on death row? Consider the plight of adoptable pets who are on death row in shelters because of human caprice… either we demand purebred pets, we don’t bother spaying/neutering, or we simply become tired of caring for them. Clearly it is UNJUST, to inflict suffering and death on guiltless animals because of our own shortcomings or flavor cravings.
I have come to see that veganism is a universal concept that most people can accept, and would accept, given the information needed to make a choice. Industries that use animals pay billions of dollars a year to prevent you from knowing that what they do is unfair… or to justify what they do as necessary to our well-being. In reality, using animals is both unfair and actually harmful to us.
I have not always been vegan, and my purpose in writing this is not to make people feel guilty or to finger-wag at your eating, clothing, or entertainment choices – it is to share what I know and understand, so that you can also make choices that are consistent with your own best values… one of which is almost certainly… a sense of justice.
If you have 12 or so minutes, I’d invite you to watch the following video – I think even Donald Watson himself would be proud of what veganism has become in the last 65 years.
For More Information:
First Edition of the Vegan Society Newsletter
http://ukveggie.com/vegan_news/
Unabridged Interview with Donald Watson
http://veganmeans.com/vegan_who/Donald_Watson.htm
Child Abuse: History, Laws, and the ASPCA
http://ezinearticles.com/?Child-Abuse:-History,-Laws-and-the-A.S.P.C.A&id=74428
Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, and Wildlife
http://www.cspinet.org/palm/
Chocolate, Unchained
http://dissidentvoice.org/Oct05/Hall1031.htm
Darla
on Nov 2nd, 2009
@ 8:33 am:
Is it “fair” to have horses pull us in carriages? What are you, 11 years old? How’s about asking is it “fair” to take jobs away from horses, making them irrelevent and gradually extinct? Horses will only exist if they have a purpose – and newsflash: horses LIKE to work, it’s GOOD for them. You just do not have a clue.
There is nothing “ethical” about meddling in humanely operated human/equine activities, to the detriment of all involved.
Wake up and grow up.
jill
on Nov 2nd, 2009
@ 9:19 am:
yes, it’s totally “fair” for domesticated animals to become extinct. we stop meddling
with nature and stop selectively breeding animals for our own purposes, care for the existing animals, and let them go extinct.
i grew up around horses and they most certainly did NOT like to “work” … occasionally, if
riding (ie lugging about a human on their backs) meant access to something they
normally didn’t have – companionship, a new, stimulating environment, opportunity to
exercise, etc. they might appear to enjoy “working” but i’d imagine they would have enjoyed whatever opportunities more, had they not had 100+ pounds on their backs and a hard piece of
metal shoved in their mouths, spurs jabbing into them, crops stinging them. not to mention the typical a$$hole-attitudes and actions you’ll find among horse-people, regarding their
animals and that they somehow have a right to force a creature to their wills.
the very concept of ‘training’ horses is called ‘breaking’, for a reason. sure, some people
may be a little more humane. but at the end of the day, it’s still using an animal for your
own purposes. don’t kid yourself that “work” is for the horse.
Veganacious
on Nov 2nd, 2009
@ 10:19 am:
What a lovely post! Makes me want to celebrate all over again.
Bill
on Nov 2nd, 2009
@ 11:16 am:
I couldn’t agree more with your insights! It is especially difficult as a vegan here in Northern Utah, where the animal industry is so prevalent in the local culture. I ma grateful for you and others who are bringing these issues to light. There is hope for the future as the younger generation embraces these ideals. It may seem rebellious or counter-cultural. But, so did the emancipation of the 1800’s and so did the civil rights of the 1960’s. Progress is being made and it is because of the boldness of people like Donald Watson, and yourself and several others that real change is being made towards a more sustainable future.
Happy belated World Vegan Day!
Catherine Burt
on Nov 2nd, 2009
@ 12:15 pm:
Darla, the justice problem of domesticated horses is that people like you seem to think that horses in the wild are somehow “irrelevant.” Given the choice, do you seriously believe that a horse would rather “work” for humans than live in the wild on their own terms?
Tough choice… run free in natural habitat… or work for humans. I suggest we leave them in the wild and see if any of them decide to picket AR groups, or petition human society to give them ” relevant jobs.”
Di Lewis
on Nov 2nd, 2009
@ 6:02 pm:
Catherine,
Not trying to be antagonist, rather curious, what is your stance on pets? While you don’t like the restriction of animals to zoos, entertainment (I’m assuming this also means in movies, etc), do you also find it unethical to keep animals for pets? And does that stance differ on the type of animal, i.e. keeping a snake in a tank vs a dog vs an outside cat? Does it make a difference if that animal is a service animal? Is that exploitation? Is there a debate about this within the vegan community?
Catherine Burt
on Nov 3rd, 2009
@ 2:57 pm:
Oy, reporters ask such tough questions Di! Yes, there is much discussion about pets among vegans. And because we are a relatively diverse bunch, there are various opinions about it. I can only give you mine.
“You are forever responsible for what you have tamed” – great quote from The Little Prince. One problem I see with pets is that they have no natural habitat… they are forced to live in our world, which isn’t always good for them (for example, in their world, there would be no anti-freeze to poison them or toxins in manufactured pet foods). That said, i don’t think it is ever wrong to adopt shelter animals and strays, as long as we keep our commitment to them and provide for their physical, emotional, and psychological needs.
I don’t agree with breeding animals for use as pets or service animals when millions of adoptable dogs and cats are being killed in shelters for lack of a home. I am glad that I’m not in the position to decide whether we should have pets at all – I think humans and animals have a natural affinity for each other, but I also see that keeping them in our habitats, on our terms and schedules, is not always fair to them.
I think a case can be made for some service animals, but I hate to generalize. As always the question is about what is in the best interest of the animals we choose to keep, not just a unilateral service relationship with humans. A blind person with a guide dog is vulnerable to the temperament and desires of the dog to be a guide. Search and rescue dogs may be naturally inclined to use their senses to help find lost people. I don’t see that as necessarily exploitative. I don’t think it’s exploitative that my dog barks at strangers and keeps my feet warm at night either, although I do benefit from those behaviors.
Snakes in tanks… I don’t consider them as pets at all. While I think snakes are awesome, most of us would probably agree that wild animals’ interests are better served in the wild. We benefit from keeping a snake in a tank because they are cool to look at (and they are)… but I can’t see that they benefit much from living in a tank. Is it a “just” tradeoff? Just my opinion here but… no I don’t think so.
Anyway, thanks for your comment Di, I know that was kind of a long answer, but that’s my take on pets
On Smoking and Veganism « Standard Examiner Blogs
on Nov 18th, 2009
@ 12:21 am:
[...] Some time ago, a friend of mine asked me about smoking and being vegan. As a then-new vegan, I explained that my reasons for it were ethical, not for health, so the fact that I smoked wasn’t in conflict at all with being a purposeful vegan. I didn’t really think much else about it at the time, since it seemed to answer my friend’s question. But the question has comes back to me as I learn more about what ethical veganism really is. [...]