Animals don’t need compassion

They need this...

While I was watching Mic the Vegan’s latest video about a recent addition to the ex-vegan YouTube sphere, one moment leapt out at me.

It was the ex-vegan’s response to this question (from an old interview when she was vegan)

Interviewer: If you could describe “veganism” in one word, what would it be?
Ex-Vegan: Compassion.

On the surface, that seems like an acceptable response. Obviously, going vegan means extending compassion to animals.

And there’s nothing wrong with compassion; we certainly need more of it in the world.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she had the idea of veganism completely wrong.

And it’s not just her.

Vegans constantly encourage others to make compassionate choices at the dinner table.

From wearing shirts that say “be kind to all kinds” and saying we went vegan because “we love animals,” we’re sending people the wrong message.

We’re turning a fundamental justice issue into a personal virtue, like holding the door for strangers or volunteering at a soup kitchen.

We’re taking something that animals inherently deserve (the right to bodily autonomy) and framing it as something their oppressors choose to grant them out of the kindness of their hearts.

Here's the thing: I don't avoid animal products because I'm especially compassionate.

I don’t avoid them because I love animals.

I avoid them because I refuse to participate in an unjust system. A system that mutilates, tortures, and confines billions of emotionally complex individuals every year.

Vegans always say that animal rights is a social justice issue. But if we're serious about that, we need to use language that reflects it.

Can you imagine if other movements used appeals to compassion?

If women, instead of asking for equality, asked men to grant them the right to vote because it’s the nice thing to do?

If someone told you they don't own slaves because they're "compassionate," you'd probably be pretty disturbed. If someone said they didn’t hire children because they love kids, you’d think they were confused.

Not owning slaves and forcing children to work isn't about being nice - it's about recognizing that exploitation is fundamentally wrong.

The same goes for animals.

When we frame veganism as compassionate, we're implicitly accepting the meat industry's favorite narrative: that using animals is normal, and vegans are just especially sensitive souls who choose to abstain.

We're making it sound optional, like a positive lifestyle choice.

"Oh, you're vegan? That's so sweet and compassionate of you. I could never be that good."

But justice isn't optional.

Justice isn't about being good, nice, or compassionate.

It’s about recognizing that what humans do to animals is morally wrong, and taking a stand against it.

Animals are not here for us to practice compassion. They’re emotionally complex individuals who deserve the right to live free from human harm.

Let’s stop asking people to be nice, and start demanding justice.

What I’m Reading: Pedaling Resistance: Sympathy, Subversion, and Vegan Cycling (Food and Foodways) by Carol Adams and Michael Wise

Why is there so much overlap between vegans and cyclists? What do they have in common? This collection of essays explores the idea that both veganism and cycling are rejections of our dominant culture, which is designed for motorists and meat eaters.

People love to hate vegans and they love to hate cyclists. As a vegan cyclist (mostly due to a hatred of driving than love of biking), I understand why. We make people question their lifestyle, and we make them feel judged.

We inconvenience people, too. From our friend who doesn’t want to find a restaurant with vegan options to the SUV stuck behind us on the street; it seems like we take up more space than meat eaters and drivers, even though we don’t.

Cycling used to be reserved for those in peak physical condition, but with the advent of ebikes, now anyone can opt out of car culture. If more people biked and less people drove, the world would certainly be a better place.

If you’re a vegan cyclist or a fan of Carol Adams, definitely give this a read!

Until next time,

Natalie