Confessions of an Ex-Vegan, Pt. 2

A few days ago, I picked up a pamphlet entitled "Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating", propaganda distributed by Vegan Outreach. I figured I would read through it and pick it apart, thereby picking apart my own old dogmas. Surprisingly, there wasn't that much for me to fuss about. It wasn't sensationally profiling the horrors of factory farming like many other vegan rags and it actually promoted checking the "holier-than-thou" vegan standard at the door in order to share information with others without sparking so much defensiveness in them. The pamphlet mostly focused on how to maintain a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet whist acknowledging the individual needs of people based on their unique make-up, age, etc. While it was still adamantly proselytizing the benefits and superiority of veganism, it was more fair and balanced than a lot of other vegan info out there.

It must be noted that "Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating" is not without flaw. Throughout the pamphlet, the health benefits of veganism are touted using citations from a number of studies. I'm sure these studies are as reputable as any other study on human health, which from my perspective should be approached with a "healthy" dose of scrutiny and caution. The subject of human health is a many layered and mysterious one indeed. After years of studying "alternative" health, I have found that often times "health", "healthy", and "healing" are a matter of perspective. For instance, a number of vegan protein-sources are suggested in the pamphlet, most of which are highly-processed, plastic encased, non-organic, wheat and soy-based foods. Now, perhaps I'm biased since I discovered my gluten and soy sensitivities, but I wouldn't consider TVP, seitan, and other "meat analogues" to be healthy or for that matter, "cruelty-free". Certainly, on occasion, these would prove relatively innocuous for non-allergic folks, but as a replacement for flesh foods? Considering how often most people consume meat, that's a lot of vital wheat gluten mucking up your gut and that's more than enough plastic added to the landfill! Now, I'm not saying eating a bunch of meat everyday is any better. What I'm saying is, the answer is not so simple.

I whole-heartedly support an end to the genocide and torture of animals worldwide. I also whole-heartedly support the move towards a conscious and compassionate lifestyle that works in balance with ecosystems and honors the lives of plants, animals, minerals, and microbes alike. In someways the vegan argument doesn't go far enough, often coming from a place of fear set in righteousness, it lacks a necessary self-consciousness. Factory farms are only one piece of a far larger problem with not only our food system, but our "civilized" lifestyles in general. If one wants to live in a way that supports vitality on this planet, as I do, then one must be willing to scrutinize all aspects of daily life. What we eat is definitely a part of this, as is whether or not we drive a car, how much water we use, where we buy our clothes, and what we use to clean our sinks. A person can be vegan and still have a major "negative" environmental impact on the planet. Shoes made out of synthetic material are not by virtue of being leather-free and thus "cruelty-free", more environmentally-friendly. Soy and corn are great examples of plant crops, subsidized by the government for a variety of uses, that are having major environmental impacts on river ecosystems and other environments (see "Spilling the Beans on Soy" by Heidi Sopinka). Yes, much of this crop is used as feed for livestock, but it's also used for a variety of other industries.

There's no doubt that meat production uses an obscene amount of resources and is rife with political controversy. I personally encourage others (and myself) to cut down on their meat consumption, to boycott animal testing, and to consume less and locally, among other things. It's important for us to see the big picture and realize that we can find a balance between being compassionate towards our fellow beings and towards ourselves. For some of us, using animal products is a matter of survival, but in the process of survival, do we have to inflict unnecessary suffering upon those creatures that feed us and keep us warm? I don't think so. Somewhere there's a balance where we can honor the lives of the plants, the animals, the waters, and the sun-rays that feed and nurture our bodies. At the very least we can invoke gratitude in the name of All Our Relations, or Aho, Mitakuye Oyasin (in the original Lakota) when ever we are at the dinner table or donning our favorite leather boots. And then we can take that sentiment and turn it into actions in our daily lives that support the liberation of all of Mother Earth's beloved creations.

Here are a few links that I found interesting:

The Conscious Carnivore: The Ethics of Eating Meat

The Eco-conscious Carnivore

For Meat-Eating Authors, a More Tender Approach - www.washingtonpost.com