In todays' world can any person call themselves "Vegan" and be accurate?

Question

Considering the definition of vegan:

"Veganism is a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom, and includes a reverence for life."

Is this possible in 2007?

Please just answer the question. None of the predictable condescension.

krister "until he/she's blue and they face"

More krister gibberish.

redshirt----you did not answer my question. This isn't a forum for you to voice your opinions. If you wish to answer a question, you answer the question. If you do not wish to answer the question, you don't post anything. You are not obligated to answer any questions at all.

reshirt---it isn't that I don't like veganism. I find it to be a noble cause albeit unattainable. I abhor condescension though. I abhor hypocrisy. I endeavor to expose hypocrisy in those who condescend.

I asked a simple question. If you cannot/will not answer my questions, then please move on to another question.

red---use Shaz as an example.......question asked/question answered.

peach----It's my fault. I'm angering some of them. I've posted only facts though so they are angry at the messenger because they don't want to hear the message.

tart---this answers my question "Well, it's impossible to be a "perfect vegan.""......the rest is the condescension that spawns and fuels questions like these.

mary----did you grow those veges yourself so you know they weren't fertilized with fertilizer from animal rendering plants?

do you know if those vegetables were pollinated by captive swarms of bees or not?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollination_management

do you drive a vehicle, even a bicycle? They use products from the "rendering" of animals too.

http://www.api4animals.org/articles?p=378&more=1

Again, I'm not against veganism. I'm just making a point that there is no such thing as a vegan. The people that refer to themselves as vegans are just a more militant vegetarian, but far from being a vegan. In 2007, being a vegan isn't possible.

Answer 1

I agree with Justin W. Those that most closely would fit that definition most certainly would be found in other cultures. I've met them.

They would find the fanatics on the V&V forum laughable. Their veganism is an integral part of their spirituality and that is something that is quite foreign here on V&V. I'm sure the crazies on here would think more beans or something like that give one "spirituality".

On the other hand, I think even the true vegans of other cultures would find it difficult to transplant their lifestyle into our techno-culture. There just is no way that even the "vegan approved" is indeed "vegan".

Answer 2

A single person can choose to act in any manner they choose. They can make choices about how they live on the planet. Also I think it is important to not see animals as victims all the time. There are many things in a natural life that can seem very cruel from a human perspective but from the eyes of the animals may be the entire purpose for living. Please be clear here as I stated a NATURAL life. The one each animal is born and designed to live.
However I think any vegan can make a choice to be a consumer of products that support the beliefs they hold. Also they can to informed and support programs that promote the ideas at the center of a vegan heart.
Live free!

Answer 3

Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan

.......

In todays word it would be nearly impossible to 'not use or consume animal products of any kind.' In just looking around my office I see, water (brought from the ground by a drilling rig that disturbed the earth, the microscopic animals and it's layers to get the water) that is in a plastic container that was made with machines that were of metal/plastics/etc that came from the earth. Then there is the blouse I have on, made of cotton and polyester, (what about all the bugs in the cotton?) harvested cotton with machines, etc. and my slacks of cotton, same issue. Then there are the shoes of leather YIKES! The paper I make lists on came from trees harvested and hauled by machines to companies to make the paper (all involving animals of some sort or another). Need I say more? It would be extremely difficult if not impossible, I think, to be a totally true vegan.

Answer 4

He's talking about her attitude back in the sixties and early seventies when she was raising him. I grew up in the same time era and recognize those feelings as not being uncommon among many, if not most whites, including my own mother. My mother was not an overt racist--she just didn't understand a culture that she did not have much contact with. We've come a long way in the last 40 years and it's difficult for many of this generation to understand the social mores that existed in their parents and grandparents days. I understand what he was trying to say.

Answer 5

It would be very difficult. To raise food, you have to destroy an already thriving habitat to make room for crops. Then you have to limit insects and pests. Also, a lot of fertilizers come from animal products. Indirectly, the plants are needing the exploitation of an animal. You could depend on chemical fertilizers but the pollution from those are going to kill animals.

This might be possible to pull off for an individual person. That person could tend crops in an area after carefully relocating any indigenious animals and then carefully working to prevent insects and pests from being attracted to the food. Then, the person would have to find a no kill method to deal with these animals. Finally, the person could try to find alternate ferlizing methods.

This would be impossible for a large group of people to depend upon though. It would be too labor intensive and cost effective. Unless we are willing to instigate slave labor, we will need to find cost effective solutions. To feed millions (or billions) of people, animals have to be harmed. There is no way around it. Just imagine where to find enough fertilizer to get those crops to grow. The only sources would depend on raising large amounts of animals such as cows.

Answer 6

per dictionary vegan is defined as "A vegetarian who eats plant products only, especially one who uses no products derived from animals, as fur or leather."

Now in this day and age I would say it is not really possible to life by the letter of the definition. Too many things are made from animals without our even knowing like glue, plastic, rubber, salad dressing, pasta, maple syrup, refined sugar, fruit juices, paint, wallpaper, ceramic tiles, laundry detergent+fabric softener are just a few that require animal products to be made.

Good reasons to go vegan would be
1)that the factory farming of animals is a leading factor in methane production which is a big factor in greenhouse gases (methane is much more a problem then CO2 or CFCs)
2) transfer of energy is less efficient from meat than plants..meaning all the food used to feed one cow could feed multiple people
3) Factory farming crams animals into small spaces to increase profit and efficiency which can lead to more issues with disease.

those are 3 off top of my head without going too deep...but I do eat meat..it is tasty..I have no problem with people that go vegan or vegetarian.

Just one last blurb..if you are gonna tell me meat is murder and that is only reason then that makes me sad...because plants are alive too and you basically said it is ok to cut, tear, kill and eat stuff that cannot even try to run away and cannot express pain in a way you are familiar with

Answer 7

The logic behind veganism is to limit as much as possible the exploitation and cruelty to animals. There are some aspects that cannot be avoided today.

Answer 8

I think it must be VERY VERY hard. It also depends on your theories. Can a vegan own a pet? Some say yes some say no. Can you wear anything that was ever tested on animals? What about animal testing in the medical feild.
I just think it is so hard to avoid animal by-products and avoid exploiting animals. Think shoes, bags, any premade food. It's not easy. I do think that it is possible though as long as you want to die young because of lack of medical attention.

Answer 9

Yes, but I doubt anyone who is a true vegan actually worries about labels or titles such as "vegan". There would probably be a better chance of finding one of these people outside the u.s.

Answer 10

Well, it's impossible to be a "perfect vegan." But I avoid products of animal exploitation as much as possible--what do you do?

As for plants, it takes between three and sixteen pounds of plant foods to produce a pound of animal food. So meat eaters kill EVEN MORE plants than us veg*ans and even more of the animals who are unfortunately killed during harvesting.