[Vegan Joe]

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/9/13/125151/338

 

[GhostUser]

Can you please start putting descriptions or copying/pasting the beginning sentences of the articles you post?

 

[Sevenseas]

What an ******* - he teaches his kids not to get "too attached" to "pets". Yep, better not care too much about them. He probably buys them from the breeder too.

And then he complains about veganism being hierarchical while defending a strict human/non-human hierarchy (as is evident from his whining about the word 'murder').

What his article does succeed in clearly communicating, though, is that environmentalism doesn't have to have **** to do with caring about other living beings. But that's nothing new to me.

 

[Skylark]

I would never dream of not caring for my pets just because they don't live as long as I do. It's easy to take for granted what is not limited. Certainly, it's good to prepare your children for the reality that their companion animals will not be around for forever.

He's right about some vegans placing themselves on a heirarchy against other vegetarians and vegans.

He's sort of got a point about environmentalism being less directly connected to animal welfare and rights than veganism. When you recycle, it's not as obvious that you're helping an animal than when you refrain from eating animal products. A person can do environmentally-friendly things for AR/AW reasons, but you can also do it anthrocentrically. Veganism AFAIK tends to be less about the preservation of the earth for humans, but I suppose you could do it to preserve your place in some heirarchy.

 

[jeezycreezy]

The reason he doesn't like AR activists using the word "murder" is the very reason they do use it. Stalemate.

Cheers!

TJ

 

[froggythefrog]

The article starts from the unwritten premise that animal life is not as important as human life. That's why he's arguing that such a gruesome word should only be reserved for gruesome acts. It's not that we've become desensitized to the meaning of the word. It's that we (referring to humans, not necessarily vegans and AR advocates) are not sensitized to the killing of other species. Obviously, since most of us reading this article do not accept his premise, we're not going to see the issue from his perspective.

 

[troub]

Quote:

I have always taught my daughters not to get too attached to their pets because these pets are going to die -- all of them. They don't have human life spans.

This just in - I will now teach my children not to get attached to humans because they are going to die - all of them. They don't have tortoise life spans. Because we all know, only things that live >200 years are worth caring about. durrrrr

 

[troub]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylark

Veganism AFAIK tends to be less about the preservation of the earth for humans, but I suppose you could do it to preserve your place in some heirarchy.

Except that going vegan does more for the environment then most "environmentalists" do while still eating animal flesh.

Recycle all you want, I don't consider anyone an 'environmentalist' that supports the burning of rainforest for cattle-feed soybean farming, chemical and waste runoff into local water supplys, etc etc.

 

[eggplant]

Quote:

Originally Posted by troub

This just in - I will now teach my children not to get attached to humans because they are going to die - all of them. They don't have tortoise life spans. Because we all know, only things that live >200 years are worth caring about. durrrrr

I know! It's like, "don't get attached to Grandma, she'll die in a few years anyway."

 

[Fyvel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by eggplant

I know! It's like, "don't get attached to Grandma, she'll die in a few years anyway."

Sorry. I probably shouldn't have laughed at that. But it's funny all the same.