Staring at Chasms or Building Bridges? Vegans, Plant-Based and Beyond Preaching.
View this post on Hive: Staring at Chasms or Building Bridges? Vegans, Plant-Based and Beyond Preaching.
View this post on Hive: Staring at Chasms or Building Bridges? Vegans, Plant-Based and Beyond Preaching.
Everything you described in the first part of your post is exactly why I avoided this question. After participating in some vegan groups on FB, I now cringe every time I hear the word “vegan” and I hate even calling myself a vegan and prefer to use the term “whole food plant based” instead because it does avoid the majority of the drama because then it only relates to the food and not the lifestyle.
Those who are not “vegan” seem to equate the term to radicalism, while not all vegans are, and choose it for a variety of reasons. As the term or definition states “as far as is possible”.
Your post on rice, organic rice and its bugs, is an example that in most cases, nothing will truly be vegan as along the way, some form of life will be taken, it is as simple as even if a crate of goods was truly organic, picked by hand, ethically and sustainably, there is the potential that crate could be moved and placed on a surface where a spider was trapped underneath and killed, or the pickers footsteps trampled a living organism. Yes, I know a far fetched answer, but you get my point.
The latter part of your post, in a nutshell my takeaway, acceptance, compassion, inclusion, tolerance and consideration are what I derive from it. To live the best lives we can doing as little harm as possible in as many ways as possible. Most of all, living in love with the earth and each other.
Thank you for a wonderful explanation.
Thanks for a considered, thought-full response, @thistle-rock. Inclusion, tolerance and consideration are the beginning points for any and all community and relationship. Teaching great cooking would help everyone, a LOT. Personally found SO MUCH great input from both the @ecotrain and @naturalmedicine communities on steemit! Hugs to you from Thailand. x
Too bloody right, and utterly perfectly and clearly put forth. When I cook with love, I don't think 'Hmm, I'm cooking a vegan ethical meal' (unless it's for steemit and hashtag haha) - I think I'm cooking with love, for love and sustenance and all the good things. That's simple enough - my meals don't need to be political. I don't think 'ooh, thanks Mum for the lovely vego meal you cooked up', I help her serve and wash up and enjoy every morsel with my family. And when you visit, I'll enjoy a meal with you, my Dutch Australian Thai global clever gorgeous human being you xxxx Across the seas, as always, @riverflows xx
Love that you didn't answer this question, but still addressed it wonderfully! :D
I agree with alot of your bullet points and also about how the term vegan is used. When I was still eating eggs but no other animal products I didn't know what to call myself, I didn't say I was vegan and I also associated vegans with alot of junk food. its before I learnt about plant based as a term and when I found out about this term i felt relieved.
I really respect insects and plants it's incredible they are fast regenirators and they multiply quickly. If you chop a banana tree you will get 10 more for example or when you pluck basil. Id prefer if all veg was environmentally friendly organic food but its not always 💯
I think most vegans accept small creatures will get killed in the process of harvesting vegtables and is not exactly comparable to meat mass production in their minds.
Jains take it quite a few step further than vegans and they are the real deal!
I hear so much of what you are saying and for sure a lot of people misuse the word vegan. I totally agree also that we need no more reasons to segregate us any further. But I do believe that we need to us our voice to raise awareness and to actually be a voice for those animals that are being manipulated and mistreated the world over. So much shit happens in the world today and remaining silent only feeds it. For sure I do not like to be preached to, no one does. But how so many animals are raised and slaughtered for the meat industry really needs to stop, I believe I have a responsibility to do what I can to try and bring awareness to that. Living by example is one way for sure. Isolating people is not productive though, we really need to meet people where they are at, but we also need to face up to how we choose to live our lives. Here's to more and more people eating consciously xxxx
I was thinking the same thing -
That makes more sense to me and just think of what a difference that could make with all that misdirected energy!
Love that idea of speaking more with positive action instead of heated words!
Glad I read this for it inspires me to help be the change!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!