As a vegan, I naturally have a tendency to get het up about animal welfare. What can I say; I love animals.
Over the years (prior to going vegan) I had donated to dog shelters and other animal charities, continually cursed the cosmetics industry for animal testing, detested zoos for their unethical imprisonment of animals, and shed tears watching news reports like that of the annual Taiji dolphin slaughter.
I always felt like I really cared. And I did. But I was a fully-fledged hypocrite.
Why?
Because I was still chomping down on a chicken breast for dinner, still making a protein shake after the gym, still eating a burger n’ chips out with the lads, and still wolfing down eggs at breakfast like they were going out of fashion.
Yea, Peter, you sure gave a crap about animal welfare, munching down all that suffering.
But after a series of karmic events, which I’ll leave for another post, I stopped turning a blind eye. I actually began to watch those sickening videos that vegans share on Facebook; you know, videos that show live chicks being put in a blender, tails and teeth being pulled off piglets without anaesthetic, calves having their bodies slit open…that sort of thing.
Oh my, if only slaughterhouses had windows. Of course, there’s a reason they don’t.
I began to do my own investigation in to so-called “ethical” meat and dairy, and guess what? It turns out there’s no such thing.
So, I was forced to look in the mirror and ask myself, do you really love animals? Furthermore, are you against slavery, torture and murder?
I bowed my head in shame, and never looked back.
So naturally you’d be forgiven for thinking that I was someone who wanted to stay as far away from meat as possible, someone that wouldn’t eat in a restaurant that served meat, someone who would boycott any environment where meat was sold or served.
But you’d be wrong. Some vegans do, but I’m firmly against such a boycott. And here’s why…
Because it’s exactly this act of hiding from the truth that stopped me going vegan years before I did. Sugarcoating the torture of some animals while pretending to care about others had become a terrible habit: I would stroke my dog and then eat some chicken, convincing myself that the happy looking chicken on the label with the word “organic” next to it made it somehow okay.
But this wasn’t entirely my fault. We’re raised to be specist through strategic marketing, to value the lives of some species over others. Don’t eat dogs and cats, they’re cute, but pigs and cows, they're stupid, you can eat them. And just look at the adverts. The animals are happy, right? They love being a human food source.
But what this marketing machine hides from us is the slavery, the torture and the murder.
The reality is that supermarkets deal in murder, and restaurants serve murder. Don’t allow yourself to sugarcoat this reality in any way.
Labeling this cruel industry correctly is a big part of not hiding away from the truth. Farmed meat and dairy products are derived from an act of enslavement, torture and murder. Over150 billion animals a year meet their fate this way. So why not call it what it is?
When you face the reality of the slaughterhouse, when you can watch the murder and process of how your meat is made in the flesh (pardon the pun), and when you can bring yourself to admit the truth that there is absolutely no difference in murdering a human and murdering a cow, then you are one step closer to stopping the trail of hypocrisy.
And it’s for this reason that, as long as there’s a vegan option, even if just a jacket potato with carrots on the side, I will continue to eat at restaurants that serve meat. I want to show others that I’m vegan and proud. I want to make the point that the more vegan food on the menu, the more I’ll keep coming back. And hey, who knows, maybe the owner will see that ‘vegan’ is a big niche and end up opening a vegan restaurant.
Spread the Word!
I can’t have an impact on others who are in the same mental place I was before I went vegan by only talking with vegans, eating at vegan restaurants and buying from vegan stores. I need to be in the thick of it, where people will ask that crucial question, “Why don’t you eat meat?”
If I truly love animals like I love humans, then I’ll defend them in the same way. I won’t hide away eating vegan meals in my room. I will roll up in my local burger joint and order the vegan burger in my VeganMotivation.com t-shirt (coming soon).
I’m then going to tell the manager that my vegan friends would eat here too if they had more vegan options. I’m then going to make friends with the staff and, when they ask why I’m vegan, I’m going to explain and hopefully inspire them to try it too.
It’s not hypocritical to be a vegan and eat at a restaurant that serves meat, or to shop where meat is sold. It’s hypocritical not to go to these places and stand up for what you know is right; to represent the animals and spread the necessary love and positivity needed to create a more compassionate world.
Like it or not, we are a movement, a progressive one at that; one that is leading the good fight towards a world with less torture and murder, one where all sentient beings can enjoy their earth-given right to life. We must get out there and show others what we stand for.
I’m not saying you should go into McDonald’s and start preaching or handing out leaflets with slaughterhouse pictures while people are eating, I’m simply saying that you shouldn’t withdraw from society, label everyone a bad person and avoid places where meat is served or sold.
Change will never happen if you don’t stand tall in the places where you are challenged by adversity.
The reality is that the vast majority of meat eaters I encounter are in exactly the same denial I was before going vegan.
They can’t watch the videos, they can’t listen to the descriptions of animals being mistreated – they can’t face the truth. Moreover, 90% of them avoid eating animal organs such as tongue, liver or kidney, why? Because those parts provoke real-life images of a real animal in their minds…
…Doesn’t this tell you something? If eating meat comes so naturally to world, why do we have to sugarcoat its consumption?
Why, when we eat meat, do we have to distance ourselves from the animal, the life, the being? I don’t see a lion turning his nose up at the brain of a zebra, complaining that he’d rather have some breast. So it’s important that we are present to discuss such issues and raise these points.
To create change, you have to be seen and heard. You’re not supporting animal suffering by avoiding eating at non-vegan restaurants or shopping at non-vegan store. In fact, trying to do that is likely to make you very frustrated and disappointed because it’s very difficult to maintain consistency. How are you going to find a vegan gas station that doesn’t stock milk chocolate bars or sell ham sandwiches?
It’s impossible to avoid the meat-eating world, and we won’t change restaurants, stores or the big corporations who supply them by hiding away.
Think about it like this: if you influence one restaurant to start selling a vegan option, that’s a huge win. If you repeatedly ask for a particular vegan product in your local grocery store and they end up stocking it, that’s an important step towards a vegan world.
So if someone accuses you of being a hypocrite for eating in a meat-serving restaurant, or for buying your tofu from a store that sells meat, flip them the V sign. V for “vegan”, that is.
I know this posting is 4 years old now, but it is just as relevant today.
I was looking at the food stand options at a local festival, and noticed a lot of places served V or Ve options.
I also noticed that there was not a single place that had V or Ve that did not also state H (for halal).
None of the places were V or Ve only. they all sold meat products.
I was thinking this is bad and that a vegan only food stand should be available, but after reading your article, I am thinking that maybe it is better for me not open a vegan stand myself, but to use the V & Ve options more at food places that also sell meat, so they i can be seen to be ordering vegan food, and be given the opportunity to comment on vegan food whilst there.
As you say, if we hide in the corner chomping on our vege burgers, no one will be the wiser.
If we stand proud and ask for a vegan burger at the burger stand, then we can maybe influence others.
Advertising food at halal complaint is a whole different tin of worms, I’m not opening here.
My little blog on this and more: http:// plantbasedman.blogspot. com/
Jul 15, 2019 at 1:20 pm
You said you donated to dog shelters? Yeah you just bought them more euthanizations!
We cook our vegan food on the same top a medium rare steak was cooked on. So think about next time you go to restaurants that don’t have vegan options and ask for them.
I’m a third year chef and I honor everyone’s dietary needs, but vegan is not a dietary need it’s a dietary choice. So beware coming to my restaurant or in fact any restaurant. #stayathomevegans
Nov 21, 2017 at 4:14 pm
Yes, “had” being the operative word.
Being vegan is indeed a choice; it is not a diet per se. But a large percentage of vegans eat a plant based diet and try to avoid processed foods high in salt, oil and processed sugars. Eating a plant-based diet is a choice, as is eating a meat-based diet. Science has proven beyond doubt that humans are primarily plant eaters, with the ability to eat cooked meat – so not truly omnivorous. Science has also proven that a plant-based diet is the healthiest diet and the one the body thrives on the most. It is capable of reversing heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and preventing some of the most serious cancers.
So what’s your problem? Why are you so anti those who don’t eat meat?
As a chef, surely you’d encourage people to eat foods that don’t cause harm to the body, rather than foods loaded with saturated fat and processed sugars? Surely you don’t want people to get heart disease and diabetes? Surely you’d rather they didn’t eat carcinogens?
Chill out. Not harming animals and staying really healthy in the process is a positive thing mate, not a negative thing.
Nov 21, 2017 at 4:29 pm
If I heard someone in my restaurant trying to bring my livelihood to an end, I would kindly ask them to leave. Vegan restaurants would never have non-vegan options. Nor would they tolerate you convincing their staff and guests that meat eating is the way to go.
Jan 17, 2020 at 3:03 am
great post, thanks for your thoughts
May 25, 2017 at 11:15 pm
Thanks for reading 🙂
May 26, 2017 at 8:28 am
I’m still of two minds about this. On the one hand, we should do our best to make Vegan business ownership profitable by patronizing those places of business whenever we can, but I agree that vegan advocacy doesn’t happen at vegan restaurants, it happens at Steak&Shake and Texas Roadhouse. Those are where the people are who haven’t had to think about it yet.
Jan 31, 2017 at 8:08 pm
I know what you mean but veganism is already seen by wider society as a separatist movement, so the worst thing we can do is consolidate that view by creating a parallel vegan society that operates on the fringes.
What we need to do is promote reform by showing society that eating a plant-based diet is progressive: it benefits your health, the environment and brings about a greater harmony between humans and the rest of nature – something that has been sadly lost amidst our greed.
Jan 31, 2017 at 9:25 pm
Just wait, our advocacy is going to do itself when the global population nears its peak. Animal flesh will be so expensive, only the wealthiest and most horrid people will still buy it, and veganism is already an upper-middle class diet (or a peasants’ diet, depending on where you live, lol)
Jan 31, 2017 at 9:34 pm
I totally agree with this! Companies take notice of dollars spent per food item and/or menu item, not just the total profit. A substantial impact can be made by going to restaurants that serve meat and purchasing vegan meal options! I plan on posting my views on this topic from a more economic standpoint this week.
Check out my blog: wepigout .com – Launching 9/5/2016
I would love to provide a link to your article with my additional links!
Sep 04, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Defacing private property is a crime! The person that sprayed “Go Vegan” on the MacDonalds sign should have been arrested for vandalism!!
Are you proud of that photo of the MacDonalds sign? If you are, you are one sick person! You guys are not unlike Nazis, KKK members, and militant Islam!!
“Bad-Ass Vegan”?? What is that? Are you in for some violence? You people are sick, really sick!!
I’m a law-abiding vegetarian. And yes I eat eggs!
Aug 24, 2016 at 7:54 pm
Careful, you may offend someone
Oct 01, 2017 at 12:51 pm
I love your article! I was a vegetarian for 20 years (after like u growing up to love animals and yet eating meat…one day I saw a documentary about how a cow’s testicles were electrocuted to make her stand up so she could be transported in the meat truck and how lambs are hung upside down and have their ears cut first whilst they are still alive in the slaughter house. That was enough to turn a vegetarian) but all these years I had this fantasy in my head that the cows from my organic milk lead a happy life on a farm and that the chickens from my free range farm eggs have a great life…..until recently I discovered how the baby male chicks are sent to the shredder….and I saw how dairy cows are impregnated over and over again only to be separated from their calf. How they howl in despair for days and how their calf is raised for veal. Sickening and disgusting. That was enough for me to turn vegan. And so far I have made 2 great decisions in my life. 1 was to become a vegetarian and the other to become a vegan. The only regret I have is how many animals I have eaten in the first 16 years of my life and how many dairy and egg products I consumed until recently 🙁
Your article is great and just like other vegans inspired me I hope and know your article will inspire others too! Love and V
😉
Miss Chainsaw
Oct 07, 2015 at 11:02 pm
Wow, your story really does mirror mine. I went through various stages too, the last one like you of convincing myself that organic milk and eggs was a reality/possibility. Only when I forced myself to watch the video evidence and read the truth and not shy away to protect my bubble, was I able to stop making the excuses and make the final step to doing the right thing; going vegan. Thank you for sharing your words. Glad you liked the article. Peace & love.
Oct 08, 2015 at 6:31 am
I have already inspired 5 people to become vegetarian and one of my vegetarian friends is considering veganism. It is wonderful we can inspire others by our actions. I agree with you about eating out. I used to be almost apologetic for being vegetarian can u believe it?! I didn’t want to seem ‘difficult’. However now i say with so much pride that I am a vegan and i happily explain what it means and why im a vegan. So far the restaurants have bee great. TGI Fridays cooked a new batch of their fajita vegetables just for me with oil(as the regular batch is cooked with butter)
One thing I did notice is how some vegan products use palm oil (vegan margarine spread) which is terrible as it is detrimental to our rainforrest and the orangutan population. I hope more products will become ethical and more people will become aware. Keep up the great blogs!
Oct 09, 2015 at 5:01 pm
I totally agree with you Peter! And I’ve just had this exact same discussion with some other vegans. I love going to vegan cafes and restaurants, of course, because it’s easier for me as a consumer not to have to worry or think about the food, but I make a point of going to non vegan places now and asking for vegan and talking about vegan. Every single time I do it gives me the chance to educate someone new and to talk about it – helping to spread understanding of this vital lifestyle. And the results are amazing – people are genuinely interested a lot of the time and it can lead to some fantastic conversations. I know then that I’m making even more of a difference and it’s a subtle yet effective form of activism.
I personally feel an ethical obligation to do this – and indeed an imperative, because of the lives being lost every second of every day – and it’s a situation that I can help to alleviate through these simple daily actions.
I think it’s easy for vegans to also form a kind of clique – for many it’s become like a special secret ‘club’. But you’re right, we need to be brave and venture out and speak out and if we ourselves were once non-vegan then we can reflect on why and have empathy with others, but just show them the way and what we now know.
Thank you for writing this – you’ve stated it so clearly and calmly that I shall share it often when I need to make this point with others.
Chantal @vegsoup4thesoul @veganlifeassoc
Jun 21, 2015 at 11:18 am
Thanks Chantal. You hit the nail on the head when you said “a subtle yet effective from of activism”. We’ve just come back from a few days out of town with no vegan-friendly restaurants. Everyone we encountered, from other families to staff at the restaurants, were interested to talk about veganism and asked us so many questions about nutrition. The way forward is to positively engage and keep the conversation alive. Sure, you will always encounter the odd person who just wants to mock and argue, but on the whole people admire the love we have for animals and the planet and are interested in being a part of that.
Jun 23, 2015 at 5:56 am
First of all, it would be kind of hard to only do business with
vegan establishments, because there just aren’t that many, although the more we
support them the more there will be. But on the flip side, I like your
idea of going to non vegan restaurants and asking for vegan on-trays.
Most restaurants worth their salt pay attention to their customer requests, and
speaking up may encourage more vegan options in traditional stores and
restaurants.
Feb 12, 2015 at 3:01 am
Vote with your money! I eat at any restaurant that will cater to my dietary needs. I believe economics is one of the greatest motivators around, so I’ll do anything I can to help businesses that serve vegan meals. Speaking of which, WOW I miss the options in Singapore!
Feb 09, 2015 at 7:48 pm
It’s so true. The more we support the restaurants that serve vegan the more they’ll be inclined to offer more options, and the less people buy meat and dairy products the more the industry will struggle to profit.
Feb 10, 2015 at 8:13 am
Thanks Jenny. Even though you’re not a vegan your curiosity is certainly a step in the right direction. No doubt you’ll soon see that you can still eat delicious, nutritious food without eating meat.
Feb 08, 2015 at 10:00 pm
It’s so true that getting out there and involving yourself in restaurants and stores will make your presence known in a way it can’t be if you just stick to places with other vegans. I’m personally not a vegan, but I admire the passion you have for the welfare of animals.
Feb 07, 2015 at 3:04 pm
Thanks Jenny. Even though you’re not a vegan your curiosity is certainly a step in the right direction. No doubt you’ll soon see that you can still eat delicious, nutritious food without eating meat.
Feb 08, 2015 at 10:02 pm