The whole hating vegans thing

[Guest guest]

With all due respect Brad, you are the perfect example of why I, like

Graham, wouldn't want any part of your vegan community. I would not want

to be constantly questioned for not being vegan enough, for not making one

belief central to the core of my being, for having a different ethical and

metaphysical nature. There are a lot of areas where I strongly hold a

particular belief of right and wrong, but if I start condemning people who

do not share them *then* I'd end up alone.

 

You remind me of those gay people who condemn bisexuals because they aren't

gay enough (supposedly denying what they really are; not going all the way

in disassociating themselves for general society which has a very different

moral code). Your particular ethical stance, the way you consider love as

more rational than emotional, do not coincide with that of most people,

including other vegans, and so if you wish to offer a radical ontology then

you must accept that you must show that it is right, rather than condemn

and insult those who see things differently. Instead your comments are

more amusing than enlightening.

 

Going back to the original cause of this discussion, the question of loving

meat eaters. Yes it is difficult for two people who have opposing

fundamental beliefs to have a meaningful relationship, but it is love that

can make the difference. It happens all the time, people with different

political ideologies, those who disagree over abortion, come together and

put those difference aside because there is more to being a person than a

simple rigorous adherence to ethical rules, a simple dichotomy of friend

and foe. To condemn someone who does not act against their belief, but

simply fails to condemn another, shows a lack of empathy, of understanding,

and mostly sheer petulance. As Paula Abdul says 'opposites attract'.

 

As for being disdaining towards 'vegans', I have no qualms about that

because, unfortunately, I am constantly associated with them, their

attitudes and beliefs. People who count themselves in such a way claim to

stand for what is a vegan, seemingly without acceptance that everyone

(vegans and otherwise) is an individual who cannot be collectively

represented in such a way. I did not change from being myself to simply

being a constituent part of 'vegans' overnight. If you wish to say that I

should desire to only associate with other vegans, share the same

ideologies because of one shared ethical belief, one which may be held for

very different reasons, and to accuse me of hating vegans because I hold a

different opinion then I can only wonder why it is that you see what you

are (a being-in-itself) as more important than who you are (as

being-for-itself). As good as the end result may be, ethically I have as

much in common with someone who is a vegan only because they are scared of

BSE, or because of religious commandment, than I do with a meat

eater. Can I ask that you please stop trying to talk for

'vegans'? Accusing people of being a " vegan in meat eaters clothing " not

only make you look quite silly, but also makes the rest of us look stupid

when you do it in our name (that of 'vegans').

 

Incidentally, I cannot hate vegans, because there is no such thing, I can

only hate individuals who happen to be vegan.

 

Michael

 

(Looks like you won Rosanne, I finally had to jump in)