"Let the one who is free of sin cast the first stone" seems appropriate to interject into this discussion. Purity tests are destructive and hypocritical.
An achievable ethical goal is to mitigate harm to the environment and to animals, as sentient beings, in our daily food and purchasing choices. The personal health benefits are a bonus.
Vegan advocates need to frame the ethical issues simply. Personal change is a long process. A simple ethical goal has to become first a reminder at the point of choice, and then a motivator to do more as one's understanding of the harm carnism causes deepens.
I think lively discussions and debates about "plant-based" and "vegan" are, overall, healthy. They show that these concepts have profound meaning and implications. They also show that veganism, as a movement that is gathering steam, is finding its footing.
I see carnism as a type of inequality and social injustice that intersects with others. All forms of inequality are mutually reinforcing and must therefore be addressed simultaneously to prevent one form of inequality from reinforcing another. For example, tackling the gender pay gap alone (i.e., without including other dimensions such as race, socio-economic status, and immigration status), reinforces inequalities among women. A similar argument can be made for facets of veganism that address intersecting issues.
And yet, I think that a one-size-fits-all approach is unrealistic. Yes, information about those intersecting issues must be made available, but each person who comes to veganism does so in their own unique way. For me, it started with eschewing the patriarchal religious jingoism, sexism, and racism that I grew up with. It then expanded to environmentalism, then to health and a plant-based diet, and finally to animal ethics. This transpired over the course of some 30 years.
Certain tenets of veganism are ancient, although recasting them in today's world of over 8 billion people requires new thinking. We are in unfamiliar territory. Can we show each other (and ourselves) enough grace as we feel our way through together?
"Let the one who is free of sin cast the first stone" seems appropriate to interject into this discussion. Purity tests are destructive and hypocritical.
An achievable ethical goal is to mitigate harm to the environment and to animals, as sentient beings, in our daily food and purchasing choices. The personal health benefits are a bonus.
Vegan advocates need to frame the ethical issues simply. Personal change is a long process. A simple ethical goal has to become first a reminder at the point of choice, and then a motivator to do more as one's understanding of the harm carnism causes deepens.
Cultural change follows the same arc.
I think lively discussions and debates about "plant-based" and "vegan" are, overall, healthy. They show that these concepts have profound meaning and implications. They also show that veganism, as a movement that is gathering steam, is finding its footing.
I see carnism as a type of inequality and social injustice that intersects with others. All forms of inequality are mutually reinforcing and must therefore be addressed simultaneously to prevent one form of inequality from reinforcing another. For example, tackling the gender pay gap alone (i.e., without including other dimensions such as race, socio-economic status, and immigration status), reinforces inequalities among women. A similar argument can be made for facets of veganism that address intersecting issues.
And yet, I think that a one-size-fits-all approach is unrealistic. Yes, information about those intersecting issues must be made available, but each person who comes to veganism does so in their own unique way. For me, it started with eschewing the patriarchal religious jingoism, sexism, and racism that I grew up with. It then expanded to environmentalism, then to health and a plant-based diet, and finally to animal ethics. This transpired over the course of some 30 years.
Certain tenets of veganism are ancient, although recasting them in today's world of over 8 billion people requires new thinking. We are in unfamiliar territory. Can we show each other (and ourselves) enough grace as we feel our way through together?
Interesting.
The challenge faced by people in the vegan movement is that of transcending our race without betraying it.