Any criticism is an excuse. Its a choice to live without, and many people are not lucky enough to know what we vegans know, to make that choice. Its so easy to go vegan that I laugh when people get all defensive.
Heh--all those comments are things that people of color get from white folks angry about being called on their white privilege, too. How multi-purpose!
Indeed, the same tactics are used to squelch valid arguments. Other tactics include the strawvegan (attacking some mythical vegan creature, not the actual vegan they're talking to) and an over-emphasis on consistency. They'll say stuff like, "well, you use medicines and those were tested on animals, so you're not really vegan and therefore it's OK to eat meat." It's a nonsequitor for starters, but more importantly, we all draw our lines somewhere and we can't change the past.
Other vegans, will, however sometimes make these same criticisms. When they do, I try to pay attention. Some of what they say is valid. But when omnis criticize, I ignore. I've heard it all before, too many times.
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Any criticism is an excuse. Its a choice to live without, and many people are not lucky enough to know what we vegans know, to make that choice. Its so easy to go vegan that I laugh when people get all defensive.
Heh--all those comments are things that people of color get from white folks angry about being called on their white privilege, too. How multi-purpose!
johanna,
That's a good point.
Indeed, the same tactics are used to squelch valid arguments. Other tactics include the strawvegan (attacking some mythical vegan creature, not the actual vegan they're talking to) and an over-emphasis on consistency. They'll say stuff like, "well, you use medicines and those were tested on animals, so you're not really vegan and therefore it's OK to eat meat." It's a nonsequitor for starters, but more importantly, we all draw our lines somewhere and we can't change the past.
Other vegans, will, however sometimes make these same criticisms. When they do, I try to pay attention. Some of what they say is valid. But when omnis criticize, I ignore. I've heard it all before, too many times.
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