Being a vegan is hard. Not really because we have to give up foods we once loved, but for deeper and much more meaningful reasons. We understand the absolute sad state of the world especially as a result of animal treatment and consumption. We know that something needs to be done, we know exactly what needs to be done, but we also know that it is unlikely that most people will do it. We feel for the animals and for the planet which everyone relies upon. People seem to act as if they care too, but it is usually not enough to convince them to make a change. We can’t force anyone to change. All we can do is try to educate, sit back, and watch the madness continue. That is a very difficult place to be in emotionally.
All I want is for people to wake up and understand the effects of what they are doing. People need to stop being selfish and start to really care about other sentient beings, the planet, and their own health. It’s easy to shrug these things off and just keep doing what we are used to, especially when we can’t see the immediate consequences, but that’s no excuse. I can’t tell you how hard it has been to watch my friends and family continue to consume meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal ingredients. Knowing the implications, it is very challenging to tolerate. Every time I witness this I just wish I could get on my soap box, have an extreme education session right in the moment, and then watch it sink in as they commit to making the change. If only life worked that way…
So far, I haven’t really met anyone personally who has been malicious towards veganism, but there are many false assumptions and mockeries of it. Some people seem to think that we have some sort of hidden agenda and that we are trying to convert as many people as possible in order to benefit ourselves. Honestly, I don’t see how you could rationally come to that conclusion, as vegans in general are not a business, do not ask for money, and gain virtually nothing from any conversions. Yes, it would be amazing to have vegan friends, but that’s not my main motivation, only a plus. We are motivated by the cause, just like charities and walks for breast cancer; we do it because we CARE about the world.
Some people think that vegans are stupid, miseducated, or foolish for taking on such an “extreme” diet choice. This is ironic because veganism, (when done right!) is the absolute healthiest diet choice there is. It can greatly lower cholesterol, prevent or cure cancer, prevent heart diseases, greatly reduce body fat, and much more. What’s extreme is the number of doctor visits the average American has in their lifetime, and not to mention the cost of all of them. Various surgeries, transplants, chemo, liposuction, and the like are absolutely ridiculous to put yourself through. I don’t see why you would rather go through those kinds of procedures, and fork out all that money, just so you can keep making yourself sick with your poor diet. As for the deficiency arguments against veganism, honestly there is no excuse to be deficient in anything as a vegan. People tend to refer to studies that show many vegans being deficient in certain nutrients, which may be accurate. However, just because some vegans are doing it wrong, doesn’t mean we all are, and it certainly doesn’t mean it can’t be done right. The only exceptions would be in the case of say, Eskimos for example. Eskimos need to consume high amounts of animal fat just to stay warm in the cold climate. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe humans just aren’t meant to live in such environments?! I’m not sure exactly why they stay, but it would certainly benefit them to migrate.
There are many animals that are exploited by humans. The most obvious are the ones that are enslaved, tortured, and killed to be used as food. However this is not the only issue. There are also the issues of animal ingredients in other products, (such as clothing) as well as animal experimentation. Some less recognized issues include zoos, aquariums, circuses, and even some practices involving “pet” animals. Humans tend to treat animals either as property, commodity, entertainment, clothing, or food when they should really be treated as friends and equals. There’s no reason they should not be just as important as other human beings. We all have needs, we all feel pain, and we all want to live. There is a term that describes this issue overall: speciesism. It’s just like racism or sexism, except worse. It’s a prejudiced point of view that stems from a belief that humans are somehow superior to (i.e. more deserving than) all other species. It doesn’t matter where this idea comes from, because it is the responsibility of everyone to end it. It is irrelevant how intelligent an individual is, or what their skills are. We need to realize that every being on this planet deserves a long, loving, happy life.
I can’t help but feel like many people will ignore this either because they don’t want to hear about it or just don’t feel like reading this much. The hardest part of all this for me personally is that even with how hard I try to educate people, and not even force them, they still seem not to care. It makes me feel as if I’m not making as big of an impact with this as I could or would like to. I know that it can take time for people to come to terms with things like this and decide to do anything about it, but time is running out. My patience is irrelevant, because the damage is still being done either way. I just wish I could do more to stop it… but I can’t.
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