Question for all the vegans out there?

Question

Most of the vegans that post on make claims that they are vegans because they can't stand to see harm coming to any animals.
1. Do you ever wash your bedding because when you do you are murdering thousands of bed bugs.
2. Do you ever walk across grass because you are probably killing many bugs and worms
3. If you caught head lice would you use medicated shampoo to get rid of them.
In theory your philosophy is great but how do you differentiate between what "aminals" you can kill and what animals you don't. Do you consider insects animals? If not you are just being hypocritical and drawing the line where it suits you. So if someone else draws the line at lets say mammals only and still eat fish and fowl who are you to comdemn. If they draw the line at humans and still eat beef its just a question of where the line is drawn.

response to smtrautman since he wont allow emails. Since when did insects become micro-organisms? And using "poison on your head to rid yourself of lice is not accidental is mass genocide. I don't consider myself high and mighty, it is the vegans that try to lecture to me about my choices that feel they are superior. I agree that the conditions that many animals are raised in and the way they are tortured and killed is appalling. Lobby all you want for the more humane treatment of animals, I'm 100% for it but don't lecture me about my choices. There is a verse from a famous book, think it may be the bible "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Answer 1

I'll answer this even though I am not a vegan.

1&3. I have no sympathy for parasites.

2. Most vegans would like to do everything within their power to prevent animals from suffering. Since we can't fly, it is impossible for humans to not walk on some bugs now and then.

This is Lillyian's blog. She has a good answer for you.
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-GXLd3H0hc6klMFe3HeGqSDn7SVlgijZ53gHnrrlGNoFgNut5

Answer 2

I don't think I'm superior to meat-eaters. I have made a lifestyle choice because I believe it to be the right thing to do and I agree with you, we should not judge others, we should all follow our own paths. I might inform of and encourage vaganism to others, but if they don't want to know, that's fine. I make my choices for the greater good, I'm not attatching myself to rigid rules, just being as good as I can be in the ways I think are right for me. Obviously I may step on ants or drown dustmites in the wash and, yes, I suppose if I got headlice I would probably do a mass genocide, although I would pity them :-) But I can avoid animal products as far as possible and this is what I choose to do - food, clothing, make-up, toilletries, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toilet cleaner, etc,etc and I believe, in a small way, I'm helping some animals by doing what I can. I'm not a militant vegan. Tonight I helped a friend deliver a buffet to a party. It contained meat, cheese etc. A lot of vegans would probably say I'm not a vegan for doing this terrible act of helping meat-eaters. But the way I see it is my friend made a buffet anyway and people at a party were expecting this buffet. If I turn away a friend who needs help that is not for the greater good, that's just being an a**hole and letting people think that vegans are nutcases. I don't feel superior, I just need to follow my beliefs and let others do what they feel to be right.

Answer 3

dude, at least vegans save MOST animals. humans can't stop the fact that they've completely taken over the world, but at some are trying to show that other species are here too. one can't really help accidentally stepping on a bug or something but i'm sure if people realized how many times a day they did, they'd be a bit more careful but no one should constantly be carrying around a microscope when the "big" picture is endangered and abused animals that are purposly being killed. at least the bugs are free. the cows, chickens, pigs, mink,foxes,etc. barely see the light of day. and apes,elephants, sharks, etc. are constantly being hunted.

Answer 4

::sigh::
I am not a vegan, in fact i'm not even vegetarian and live on a strictly 'nothing green' diet, but i guess even as a meat eater i wouldn't consider eating headlice. But hey - maybe the monkeys have the right idea!
As far as i can distinguish there are people who are vegan because they dont like to consume products derived from an animal in case it resulted in suffering of said animal. There are many arguements for and against, my beliefs are not to push any belief on anyone. There has to be a balance - if everyone ate meat then there would be massive amounts of unneccesary suffering, whereas if we were all vegans then many animals would simply die out as there would be no demand for them. Many of the animals we eat are selectively bred to give nicer/thicker/leaner meat and simply wouldn't exist if there wasnt a demand. (Remember the joyous childhood trips to the farm?!).
And in relation to your statement of where to draw the line - some people just feel comfortable eating fish and not meat, some people feel comfortable eating other people. It all comes down to culture, belief and everything that makes you the individual that you are.

Answer 5

Why can't vegetarians answer ?

Just in case they are allowed, i'll have a try at it:

No amount of bed-bug killing will justify the commercial animal rearing practices.

No vegan I know claims to be perfect, they are doing what they feel they can to avoid sponsoring animal exploitation.

I also don't know any vegan that condemns meat eaters.

Insects are animals, and i wouldn't kill one on purpose, but some will die during the natural cause of my life.

This is entirely different to deliberable rearing animals to kill and eat.

Its easy to quote extremes of any arguement and finds flaws in it, you can do it to any moral stance.

90% of people would probably sleep with Hilary Clinton for a billion dollars. Does that mean that 90% of people are prostitutes ?

extremes don't mean or prove anything. They generally mean there is no real argument so extremes have to be used.

Answer 6

Some people are vegan simply due to taste preferences or problems digesting meats. I'm close to being vegan and have been since early infancy. It began as a taste preference and avoidance of foods that made me feel ill when I consumed them. My parents fed me gruel (same as 3rd world infants) w/added vitamin & mineral supplements. Born w/primary lactose intolerance. It's interesting how many people tried to force me to drink milk and eat red meat to this day. A few times I tried it, same result as always, it makes me very ill, severe stomach pain, abdominal cramping. I would never force anyone to be vegan and never met anyone who does this. At 9 yrs I did find out about egg factories, however I never liked the taste, used egg factory cruelty as a rationalization to parents in order to not be forced to eat them. My son hates the taste of eggs as well, he is not vegan at all.

Answer 7

I'm not vegan, just vegetarian but i think it would be riiculous to expect people to do what your saying
Although i dont agree with whoever said humans are more important than animals. Who exactly said that we were more important than animals? You know we arent actually the most intelligent creature that exists, just because we have technology, a voice and we have the power to pretty much do whatever we want to others does not make us any less or more important than anything else x

Answer 8

And just what are YOU doing to protect animals? I know I'm an imperfect vegan because it's utterly impossible to be a perfect vegan in this world. But I reduce harm where I can. I may harm microscopic creatures when I wash my clothes and bedding, and I may step on a bug when I'm walking, and oh, animals may die when my food is harvested (but considering it takes as many as 17 pounds of grain to produce one pound of meat, omnivores kill even more). I can't do anything about that. I can, however, avoid causing suffering to cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, fish, bees, and some insects by not eating products that result from their exploitation. And I can avoid contributing to the exploitation of elephants, bears, lions, tigers, zebras, horses, etc., by not going to circuses or zoos.

We vegans do what we can to reduce animals suffering and avoid having products that result from animal exploitation in our lives. It's as simple as that.

Answer 9

Okay.. I"m going to give this one a shot, This is personally how I see it. I live by three principles

#1.. Humans ARE more important than any animal.. A human's life or health shoudl be #1, never secondary to an animal's life.

#2.. However.. a human's life and health is NOT dependent on killing cows, chickens, etc... It has been scientifically proven that we do not require meat, eggs, milk to be healthy

#3 We should be no crueler than we have to be.

Okay.. here's the deal.. Mice carry disease.. leave dropings everywhere.. unsanitary and dangerous to our health (if our dwellings are infested with mice) So in the interest of our health and safety, it might be neccessary to exterminate some mice.. sometimes.... because as I said.. our health and lives are above animals..

BUT.. I think it is our responsiblity to, when it is necessary, kill animals in the quickest and most humane way.. therefore I REFUSE to use glue-traps for mice, no matter what the situation. I actually think mice are cute and I have seen them on a glue trap, in agony screaming and dying... I pefer to use the most humane method of extermination possible, and refuse to use glue traps. Actually I have found that having 2 cats at my house prevents a mouse problem.. I've never seen mice or their evidence at my home.. neither do my cats ever catch any.. But their presence, and proper cleanliness on my part seem to discourage them from living in my home.

But do you see my point?? Sanitation is neccessary, so it is neccessary for us to wash our clothing (and bedding).. and be louse free.. We refrain from unneccessary cruelty, but we can not and do not find it neccessary to refrain from ever killing an insect, when our health or life is compromised..

If I was in the wilderness with a gun, and a bear was about to attack me or loved ones, I would shoot it. I would shoot to kill.. I wouldn't shoot its legs so that it couldn't move, and then pluck out it's eyeballs and torture it.. Neither would I go bear hunting for sport..

That is where I am coming from... to help you understand why your arguments are unfounded.

The killing of cows, chickens, etc.. for meat is unneccesary and unjustified.. Humans do not need meat, or even milk or eggs.. to live and be healthy.. So I chose not to eat those things (well.. I'm not completely dairy-free yet, but anyway..)

Answer 10

Where does one draw the line?
Well, since there are no rules, everyone draws the line a little differently for themselves.
Those in public positions of adhering to their principles, such as certain religious leaders etc., will have to draw their line very straight and narrow and always be consign of those quick to criticize the one who inadvertently steps on an ant etc.

So, it's all about setting high standards or the unattainable goal. Athletes trying to make it to gold in the Olympics are also criticized this way: oh, do you know how hard that is, do you know just how impossible that is, do you know how much competition there is, do you know the chances are very slim, do you... it just never ends. The fact that they are trying and perhaps come in 75th place in the end is of little concequence.

When someone is trying to live by the principle of not killing other living beings (usually referring to sentient beings -- but who's to say what creatures are or are not), why criticism them? Sure, most people will fail at this goal, but there will always be some that will actually make it to the top 10, and someone will always be there in first place. I think in this case, it's not about who wins in the end, but the self journey, the way of the mind. It's about positivity and a can-do attitude rather than "who cares about anything because we all die in the end" etc. ways of thinking.