Dropping the word 'Vegan' or 'Vegetarian' into a conversation with certain groups is like a red rag to a bull. By certain groups I mean a large amount of the population. Also bulls in the real world don't seem to have a colour preference, however the metaphor is concrete at this point, we are stuck with it. The immediate reaction that can come from the mere notion of veganism is one of instant dismissal, disapproval and disgust; and this is generally considered a reasonable reaction to everyone else in the room. But why?
I'd like to point out this is not a situation where a group of friends are casually hanging out, tucking into a pork pie and minding their own business, when a militant vegan marches up to them and declares them all to be bloodthirsty monsters. If that were the case I could understand some hostility towards the subject matter. However, you see this abhorrent hatred to 'not eating animals and their bi-products' usually in groups of omnivores who have little to no contact with any self declared veggies/vegans. I'll also add that most pet owners eat meat. I'm not saying if you own a pet you must become vegan, but it seems odd to be offended by the very notion. By the way, the group's in which I have noticed these aggressive tendencies are often older, small town folk, but this is common everywhere, even in like-minded, progressive types. So why is this a road block of understanding for so many? What is it about the V word that instills such anger? Well I reckon like everything there's a bunch of reasons so let's just do the top 2.
1 - The normalisation of animals as food.
You don't have to look far. I remember my Home Economics class having a health food chart detailing all the bodies needs: fruit and veg, right above milk, cheese and a healthy looking, if somewhat boz-eyed cow. The image of animals being wild living creatures and being served on a plate is overlapped to an almost undividable degree. Families go visit a country farm, say 'look at those lovely calfs, aren't they cute? Cue up to give them a hug, then drive through Mcdonalds on the way home without a hint of reflection. It's everywhere. So if you don't know any better, choosing not to eat a large ‘necessary’ portion of our diet seems at the very least 'silly'
2 - The looming realisation.
This is the big one. It's getting harder to live in the information age and not be aware of certain insights into our consumerist lifestyles. Most people with an iphone know that child labour and unfair working conditions went into making it. Similarly I think most people know that the food industry isn't right. The difference being having a smart phone in the modern world is arguably a necessary tool. Eating animal produce however, is not. But to admit that would mean admitting to endorsing and revelling in unnecessary misery. The thought of being judged by others or ourselves is weighing. They have already had an argument about it in their brains, subconsciously, and it concluded with the pro-meat side of their brain going "la la la! I'm not listening!"
This makes them lash out because they know the conclusions they came too are rickety at best. Defense mode active. Just for a laugh let's rebuttal a few.
Expect to hear vague general statements like "We are supposed to, we have been eating meat for millennia."
I acknowledge the historical context and the needs of the poor, if it's between the life of a deer or your hungry family, by all means shoot the deer. This is hardly the world of the gourmet burger enthusiast though. I mean we also used to cut up deformed children and wear them as jewelry because we thought they held the secrets to immortality.
"It's natural, we need to eat meat"
I think things changed right around the time we got out of that cycle that every other animal is part of, namely the food chain. I'm not sure what you could say about the first world homosapien that is 'natural'. You can get everything your body needs without harming so much as a fly.
"It's tasty"
I'm so surprised that this is even an attempt at a justifiable reason, as if it's not the cry of a 4 year old who wants to keep going back for more sugary paracetamol.
The worst thing about this is not the unnecessary hate being thrown in the vegan communities direction or even the consumption of animal products. The worst thing is the embrace of ignorance, because that is what will ultimately be our downfall. So drink milk or don't, but at least peak through the curtain and be aware of what you are a part of. Because the fact you really don't want to acknowledge is this. Under capitalism, there is no consumption of animal products without mass suffering. Next time you hear someone talk negatively about the V word, look at them and ask yourself. Is this the opinion of someone who has thought a lot about the subject and calmly come to this conclusion? Or is this someone who is scared of change, scared of confronting the moral obligation of their actions and fighting back like a cornered animal?
Peas and love x