Quality versus the ‘v’ word

Meat is symbolic of rich living (despite the fact that most people in the West can afford to buy it). This is the problem - meat, rich animal foods, even luxury leather shoes, seem to be regarded as ‘quality goods’. They are attractive to our ‘trained’ tastebuds and expensive enough to be associated with good living. They appeal to those who “appreciate the good things in life”. In contrast vegans seem to make people feel guilty for wanting them, consequently people dislike vegans and the sort of foods they recommend.
As a part of the ‘vast majority’ most people do what most others do. If they think about it at all they have lots of reasons why they wouldn’t take up veganism. So I thought I should list the main reasons why people do NOT go vegan, and then weigh the list against a non-violent plan for our future. The one excludes the other.
So, what stops us becoming vegan? Perhaps things we associate with pleasure, but which we also link to our need for safety and social acceptance. People may realise what they eat, wear, use and do are poor substitutes for something better, but they can’t face losing what they know. The risk is too great. Whilst vegans have taken the plunge in many ways, by the food and clothing they buy, they may be healthier and more aware of animals but still far from leading a truly non-violent life. But once vegan there’s a chance we can open up the possibilities of non-violence and start to interest others in considering what non-violence means. The enthusiastic meat eater can’t possibly take non-violence seriously.
Because most people are so deeply involved with the animal trade, the biggest hurdle they have is getting daily food habits and speciesist attitudes towards animals changed. So it’s important to look at the reasoning behind why we remain speciesist and what stops us becoming vegan? In tomorrow’s blog I’ll make a long list of those things we like to do at the expense of animals, which give us reasons for keeping the ‘v’ word out of our vocabulary.