Animals, Schmanimals. Shouldn’t People Come First?

One of the most common objections to veganism is that we ought to be concerned with human suffering more than that of animals.  If you’re vegan, someone has probably asked you how you can care so much about animals while human beings are suffering from injustice and exploitation.  Shouldn’t people come first? This is a nuanced question, so I’ll expound on three different responses: Yes, No, and Irrelevant.  Here we go now, in reverse order.

1-Shouldn’t people come first? - Irrelevant.  You don’t have to choose one or the other.

Black Americans are disproportionately imprisoned, while being under-represented in colleges and in government.  Women do most of the world’s work, but earn significantly less money than men.  More than 10% of Americans are treated as second-class citizens because of whom they love.

Is it possible to be an advocate for racial equality, gay rights, and feminism simultaneously?  Of course it is.  You yourself are probably in favor of environmental protection and the spread of education.  Not only is it possible to push for animal rights and human rights at once, it’s rare to find a vegan who isn’t also an advocate for other causes.

It’s the Food Chain, Stupid! (A Letter to the New York Times)

Dear New York Times,

As a vegan, I’ve been called a “plant murderer” before; but nobody who makes this accusation actually believes her own moral argument.  Want proof?

Let’s assume plants feel pain.  Let’s assume they suffer even more than animals.  How then can we cause as little suffering as possible without starving to death: by eating plants, or by fattening up animals by feeding them plants until fully grown, then killing and eating the animals?  By some estimates, it requires anywhere from 6 to 16 times as many plants to produce a pound of meat than a pound of salad.  Yes, more grains died for your roast than for my toast.

So you’ll have to think a little harder than Natalie Angier to formulate an anti-vegan argument that holds water.  Or may I suggest giving up on the mental contortions and coming over to the light side?  We have cookies too, you know.

-Krystina

(I submitted this letter to the NYTimes, but it was not published.  Likely too much time had passed since the original printing of the article I to which I was responding, which I read online over a week after publication.)