The Vision

I believe in us, and in what we can do.

The reality of humanity now, today, is that we are hurtling toward our own doom. Unless we choose to rise above our current ways of thinking, we will destroy this planet and everything on it. We need to consider that we are part of a global community, and that as its self-appointed caretakers, we have a responsibility to protect the other species on this planet -- not to abuse, consume or disregard them as disposable commodities. There is no reasonable, coherent justification for causing unnecessary harm to anyone or anything.

 

Veganism is the logical first step in this process: we must abolish any and all forms of animal use, and adopt a non-violent, plant-based mode of survival. We must cease and desist all animal breeding and exploitation, take care of the domesticated animal population that remains here, and learn how to coexist with other species in a mutually supportive way. There is no coherent justification for continuing to harm animals when there is no necessity for it.

 

A whole foods, plant-based diet can and does improve health, fights disease, and with more land being used to grow crops that feed the people (instead of feeding the animals who will eventually feed the people), we could feed every person on Earth for generations while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Veganism can put an end to world hunger, and combat food-centric diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. There is also research to strongly suggest that such a diet can work to prevent and fight cancer. 

 

We also need to abolish the concept of material wealth, and pour whatever resources we have into the betterment of the entire planet. We have enough wealth in 1% of the North American population to easily move us toward the future we need, but callousness, greed and excess have led us in a direction that is killing the planet and everything that lives here.

 

Many scholars and authors have shown examples of utopian societies in which veganism and non-violence plays a central role. We can achieve this easily because we have all of the tools and resources to eradicate disease, crime, poverty hunger, pollution, overcrowding and even physical labour.

We can elevate the human species to near-godhood just by shifting around a few priorities and making a conscious effort to live peacefully. We can set a standard for quality of life, and then make that life freely available for everyone. Health care, education, worthwhile employment, and the same rights and freedoms  we are already taking advantage of every day.

 

We can replenish the world, make it perfect for life to flourish without a lot of outside interference, and act as its peaceful caretakers. In Biblical terms, we can recreate Eden right here on Earth, no apocalypse required.

Does that mean we have to abandon our technology? No. We need science. But a great deal of our research should be refocused to support the purification and stability of the ecosphere, to put an end to all diseases (human and animal), to maximize the use of renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power, and to develop newer, greener building materials. We can continue to live in our world of Netflix, Facebook and online gaming, and we can look forward to the same future of flying cars, robot butlers and space travel just as we always did -- but we will do all of those things faster, more collaboratively, and (best of all) without harming anything.

Does it mean that we should do away with religion? Not at all. Faith is wonderful, and everyone should be free to believe in whatever higher power they believe in -- provided it causes no harm. A collaborative process can exist among religious circles too -- in fact, this would be nothing new: religious scholars and alchemists would travel for weeks to share their discoveries, enhance their learning and accommodate new findings. If our default position is one of respect, acceptance and collaboration, there can be an end to religious conflict.

 

We can do all of this, right now, completely successfully. Not only are we more than capable of achieving such an enlightened state, but if we don't, we will engineer our own extinction, and take the entire world with us.

Is this Utopia achievable? Yes. Are we ready to do it? Not even a little -- but the first step toward it is veganism; I truly believe that. We must put an end to oppression in all forms, realize the damage we've done, and fix it - I truly believe in and hope for us. But as long as we remain fixated on greed, domination and excess, we will be stuck here like the savages we have become. 

I would see a better future for us. Would you?

- JL

 

On Non-Violence

"We must embrace nonviolence as a basic normative principle–a principle that we see as reflecting a moral truth–and as the foundational moral principle from which all our moral positions flow."

 

- Prof. Gary Francione

I believe in abolitionism. We should not commodify animals or exploit them for any purpose that only benefits our wants or preferences. I also believe that any species that values its life enough to want to continue living, should be afforded the right not to be treated as property. 

 

However, I believe that there are some areas where there is necessary use of animals, such as vaccine development. Medical research is an area in which I think that animal use is very beneficial, though I would certainly advocate for alternative methods that didn't involve animal use. 

 

I don't mean the science that goes into developing commercial products like shampoo or lipstick -- I'm talking about vaccines and treatments for things like cancer, Parkinson's,  or Alzheimer's. If there is a way we can overcome these things so that billions of lives can be saved (present and future), then I believe that is a rational argument for animal testing, provided a more effective method is unavailable. There is a definite difference between testing a vaccine on an animal to make sure it is effective and safe to use, and making sure there are no carcinogens in your perfume before you use it to smell good.

 

I believe that until you have checked with a veterinarian, putting your animal companions on a vegan diet to serve your own moral comfort is irresponsible and potentially dangerous for the animals, not to mention a suppression of their instinctive drives. Your veterinarian can tell you what the best dietary options are for your animals so they can live long, healthy lives without your moral influence.

 

The "Abolitionist Approach", as codified by Prof. Gary Francione, is one that leaves no room for misunderstanding or exception. He is certainly not the only vegan voice, but in abolitionist circles, he is certainly the loudest. I believe in his fundamental assertions: that animals have the right to not be treated as property; that there is a "moral schizophrenia" that suggests it is okay to eat one type of animal while cuddling another; and that nonviolence and education are the best tools with which to spread information about veganism.

 

The issues I have are with Francione's interpretations of "nonviolent" and "education". He is very judgemental, uses condescending language with people who may have questions or alternative points of view, and accuses people of ignorance and incompetence when they don't agree with him immediately. I would definitely classify his behaviour as offensive, if not violent in tone.

 

As for his style of 'education', since he believes that his viewpoint is an absolute moral truth, he expects that everyone sit down with his body of work and understand it before saying anything more, rather than using that body of work as a text to assume that not everyone is at the same level of expertise as he is. He is disrespectful and rude to people -- something I can't support.

 

He frequently posts shocking incidents and articles of animal abuse and cruelty, but since he makes no moral distinction between outright animal torture/murder and eating steak, he reminds his readers that expressing outrage at such things is wrong, because it is no different than what non-vegans do every day. Perhaps so, but then why post it at all? He knows what kind of reactions he will get from people: shock, revulsion, anger -- only to flay them for reacting that way. This is attention-seeking egotism. 

 

Add to that the fact that Francione is against vaccinations of any sort (since they sometimes use animal products to create, and test on animals), and I can see that we have very different ideas of how to go about this whole veganism thing.

 

Don't get me wrong: I definitely believe in abolitionism, and Prof. Francione is a strong, necessary part of putting an end to animal abuse and fighting for animal rights. But abolitionism predates his "Abolitionist Approach", and I think there's a better way to share and educate people on animal rights and veganism as a moral baseline. I call myself a "compassionate vegan", because it describes both my reasoning for becoming vegan, ad my approach to sharing things and educating people. There is no reason to be arrogant or condescending about a value system that should be a source of inclusion, peace and joy.

 

Prof. Francione's work is a great resource for learning about how far the animal rights movement has evolved over the years, but the animal rights movement doesn't belong to him, and he's not the only resource available. There are many other resources to learn about the benefits of veganism and the importance of animal rights that don't come with the fear of being alienated by others.

 

Nonviolence is kindness, patience and compassion --and if being abolitionist requires that we regard our sentience as having equal moral value, then humans are as deserving of those things as animals are.

I'd rather approach it that way. 

 

--JL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Thoughts

    My decision to go vegan was primarily based on compassion for sentient life. I was traveling with my daughter to go to shopping, when we passed a meat-packing plant. I've passed this particular facility many times without incident, but for some reason, the thought of all the animals that have had their lives abruptly ended within those walls filled me with such emotion and revulsion that I swore off animal consumption, and eventually all animal use. I am a firm believer that we can, and therefore should, live a life that inflicts the least amount of harm to others, and that since all sentient life is of equal moral value, animals of all kinds deserve at least as much compassion and respect as we give each other.

Since adopting this compassionate approach to daily life, I find myself more patient and attentive to my animals and my children, more confident, and just happier overall. 

    Having done a lot of reading, as well as watching documentaries like Forks Over Knives, it's also clear that adopting a whole food, plant-based diet can and does have a positive, disease-fighting effect on my health. I am losing weight, I feel healthier and have more energy, and the chronic pain I experience daily has become a little easier to manage. Eventually I want to cease any and all prescription medications for pain, as well as weaning myself from the antidepressants I've been taking for the past 2+ years. 

I firmly believe that I can improve my health dramatically, extend my life and purify myself this way. This is the best choice for me, and in fact, I believe it's the best choice for everyone -- but while I am a practitioner and advocate of animal rights, I am only willing to learn and educate. My wife and her parents are vegetarians, and have their own reasons for not going vegan, which I can accept and respect. My sister in law is a veterinarian, a farmer and an animal lover, but eats meat (which I also choose to accept). It's difficult, having been born and raised in Canada's 'beef country', to talk about this without confusing and alienating people, but I think it's possible to coexist with people of different beliefs and practices without conflict -- in fact, it should be built into veganism too: the idea that as much as I think we have earned our way out of the right to be equal to animals just by virtue of how much damage we've done, true compassion should be unconditional and universal. 

I wouldn't call myself an "activist", though. There are several abolitionist vegan voices out there that do wonderful work, but I am not always a voice among them. Gary L. Francione is by far the most visible entity in that arena, and his writings are very important (even though that group's approach tends to be more hard-edged and less patient with new people). If you want to learn about veganism as a moral imperative, that is the simplest and best place to start. 

I'm proud of the decision to go vegan, and I hope I can set a positive, peaceful example for others to make that decision, too.  

- J.