This week I am going to be focusing in on one of the main arguments vegans use in favor of their lifestyle, animal rights. Those who cite animal rights as a reason for choosing to be vegan say that they consider it cruel and unethical to eat other sentient beings. This idea of seeing animals as equal beings has been referred to as ontological veganism, a concept which asserts that eating animals should be held to the same taboo as eating humans.
It is hard to argue that animals who are raised as livestock do not suffer because regardless of how they are raised they are killed, something that results in pain. If you google “treatment of animals in factory farms” there are endless photos and videos of animals crammed into small cages and crying out distress. Watching these videos it is easy to see the stress and fear these animals are experiencing, I chose to not include any footage in this article as they are distressing to watch and I cation you to watch them only if you feel you can handle it. The reason this footage exists is because of the many animal advocates have who gone into factory farms and secretly filmed in order to bring attention to their goal of ending the suffering of farm animals.
Despite these findings however not eating meat does not mean you are avoiding all cruelty. My research found other outlets explaining that the farming of all products results in some form of cruelty, this including the fruits, vegetables and grains eaten by vegans. The animal harmed in the production of vegan food are those animals who did, or do, live on the farm land. Not only have many creatures been displaced, those who still frequent the fields are often killed by farmers or by the machinery used during harvest. Animal suffering is not the only issue that arises as if machinery is not used during harvest people are. The people work on these farms are migrant workers who work hours with little in the way of breaks and/or benefits. They are exploited in the name of producing a cheap product that is *technically* cruelty free.
At the end of the day it is impossible to live a truly cruelty free life unless you grow and harvest your own food and know exactly how it ends up on your plate. There is no right answer on what way of living is the most ethical so people make the choice that is right for them.
Where I got my Information
- I Lost an Argument with a Vegan. Here’s what I Learned by Chris Newman
- Go Vegan because of Mass Exploitation of Animals, not because Eating them is Wrong by Heather Alberro
- Veganism and Animal Rights: How Your Diet Affects the Lives of Animals
- A Response to Meat = Murder and the Ethics of Farming By Chris Newman
