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Ethics of Veg*nism and Homelessness and/or Poverty

1K views 17 replies 15 participants last post by  Deis 
#1 ·
The majority of people in developed countries do not need to eat meat, they just prefer to. What about the impoverished or homeless who might subsist only on handouts or welfare? What if a hungry man is given a hamburger. Ought he to eat it or should he wait to find something veg*n?
 
#2 ·
Eat it, especially if he would only give it away anyway.

I think that veg*anism is a choice that people should only make if it is healthy for them to do so. I've been in a developing country where I certainly wouldn't have even suggested people didn't eat animal products, considering they could barley find enough to eat anyway - let alone have enough variety in their diet without animal products to be healthy.

In an ideal world, no one would be unable to find enough food, and everyone would choose to be vegan. In this world, I think it's foolish to worry about the few people unable to (or would struggle to) live healthily on a veg*an diet, when there are so many who can and choose not to.
 
#3 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Identity_thief View Post

Eat it, especially if he would only give it away anyway.

I think that veg*anism is a choice that people should only make if it is healthy for them to do so. I've been in a developing country where I certainly wouldn't have even suggested people didn't eat animal products, considering they could barley find enough to eat anyway - let alone have enough variety in their diet without animal products to be healthy.

In an ideal world, no one would be unable to find enough food, and everyone would choose to be vegan. In this world, I think it's wrong to disaprove of/try to "convert" some of the few people unable to exist healthily on a veg*an diet eating animal products - especially when so many could and do not.
This.
 
#5 ·
Carol Adams has a discussion of the food served in homeless shelters in her book, Living Among the Meat Eaters. Her husband runs such a shelter. They serve meat there, and accept donations of meat. She and her husband (reluctantly) accept this. It's just necessary in our society, where 97 percent of the population eats meat.

The only thing I would suggest is that if you want to feed the homeless vegetarian meals, you might want to contribute to or join groups like Food, Not Bombs.
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Identity_thief View Post

I think that veg*anism is a choice that people should only make if it is healthy for them to do so.
I would narrowly define that more along the lines of "survival without nutritional or caloric deficiencies."

It is very common to find first world, above-subsistence-level omnis who like to claim that it's not "healthy" for them to be veg*n. In fact, that's probably the #1 defense for their practices. These are people who have every reasonable food choice on the planet available to them.
 
#11 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by veganwife72 View Post

What if a hungry man is given a hamburger. Ought he to eat it or should he wait to find something veg*n?
In this situation, the homeless man can hardly be said to have a free choice, thus his ethical burden to make the right choice is nil. (However, in the case of the person or corporation or government that is giving the hamburger, they likely have much more power to make free choices and to consider the ethical implications of their choices. They are the party that carries the moral culpability in this sitaution.)

We are only responsible for the choices we can make, not the actions we take when we have no choice.

Edit to add:
What's most important is to decide what's right for YOU to do or not do. So unless you're writing your Philosophy dissertation or you want to make a career writing books on vegan theory, don't worry too much about whether one ethical philosophy suits all people. Worry about what's right for you. For many people, veganism is the most ethical choice because it allows them to be honest with themselves about their moral intuition regarding animals: it's wrong to cause unecessary suffering and death. Veganism allows people to act in a way that demonstrates their concern for animals, the environment, and human health.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Questlove Gets Meal Request From Vegetarian Homeless Person

[...]

Questlove, musician with The Roots, Tweeted about his recent experience attempting to appease a homeless man who asked for a bite to eat.

Um Homeless w/ dietary preferences? dude outside starbucks asked for $, I got him coffee & sandwich. He says Im vegetarian."

Hey, just because youre short on change doesnt mean youre short on principle or taste, right? Whos says hard times means eating food hard on your body, animals and earth?

[...]
The Complete Article
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by River View Post

Whenever I see Homeless, I always give them veggies instead of money. The truly hungry people take it, the druggies say no, they just want money.
A homeless man asked me for money downtown once and he was claiming he hadn't eaten for days. There was a Whole Foods and various other restaurants right next to us so I asked him to take his pick and I'd buy him plenty. He kept refusing and wanted money instead. When I insisted that I buy him whatever he wanted, he got angry and walked away. I felt very bad at first but I think maybe he wanted the money for something other than food.
Otherwise, I don't see why he'd turn down a free meal if he truly hadn't eaten for days. It's a shame.
 
#14 ·
Quote:
I think maybe he wanted the money for something other than food.
Years ago my brother would panhandle, asking for money for food. He'd actually buy cigarettes.

(I should add that he eventually got his life together, a GED, BA, and last year a Phd [in neuroscience], and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois)
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave in MPLS View Post

Years ago my brother would panhandle, asking for money for food. He'd actually buy cigarettes.

(I should add that he eventually got his life together, a GED, BA, and last year a Phd [in neuroscience], and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois)
WOW, that is incredible. From down and out to basically sitting on top of the world. Proof that if one wishes to improve his life, he can.
He needs to write a book.
 
#18 ·
I've always said that I'm very privileged to live in a time and place where we don't need to eat animal products. I can't say what I'd do if I were not rich/privileged enough to make this decision, so I can't judge other people for what they do in those circumstances.

Incidentally, the same point goes for prostitution, which is also something I've wondered about doing if I were that poor/starving.
 
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