The Extremism Surrounding Veganism

By: Megan

    Veganism, not to be confused with plant-based, is "a philosophy and way of life which seeks to exclude -- as far as is possible and practicable -- all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment." (Definition of veganism). "As far as is possible and practicable," are the seven words that many vegans forget about and most non-vegans do not know about. Being vegan is not about being perfect. In reality, no one can be perfect, but we can try our best.

    As a vegan, there have been many times that I have felt like I was not good enough. I was not doing enough. It is hard to know that you are doing your absolute best, but it is still not enough. There are still animals being tortured every second of the day, but "I'm doing the best I can." There are times when I feel like I do not deserve this life. By only chance, I was born into the world free. I am not forced into a cage for the rest of my life only to be gawked at and mocked. I am not abused into swimming around in a circle for hours so that children can be entertained. I can go anywhere I want and can do almost anything I want, but animals cannot do the same. Being vegan is hard to process in and of itself, but there are non-vegans who make it even harder.

     For some reason, a popular non-vegan argument that somehow justifies their actions is "but roads aren't vegan." "But vaccines aren't vegan." "But most medicines aren't vegan." Somehow explaining why I am not vegan enough gives others justification for why they aren't vegan. Thinking vegans have to be perfect in order to claim the title is an extreme and toxic idea. It is not practical to abstain from everything such as medicine and vaccines, but we can strive for a better way of production. It is not possible to exclude everyday things such as cars and roads. We live in a modern world and unfortunately, a lot of technology uses animals or animal by-products. However, it is not extreme to want a better avenue of making these products. 

"Dreaming of a world where doing the right thing isn't viewed as extreme and eating animals is." Unknown.

Sources used:

“Definition of Veganism.” The Vegan Society, www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism.