10 Rebuttals Every Vegan Should Know

Being vegan has some truly positive effects. Veganism is clearly better for the animals, it is healthier for the environment, and it has proven to be amazing for the human body. With veganism sounding so marvelous, you would think that everyone would be vegan. However, there are people out there who are not aware of the details and think that vegans are lacking from this lifestyle.

Read more:

10 Rebuttals Every Vegan Should Know

The 3 Top Misconceptions about Veganism

I have been a vegan since 1983. And through those years, I have met many vegans and most of them are making erroneous statements about what it means to be vegan. I notice it's getting worse and worse as the years go by as the definition of veganism gets unethically watered down more and more...It's very disconcerting. These same "vegans" are also making things even more worse by teaching non-vegans incorrectly about what it means to be an animal rights activist.
So let me give you the facts if you have believed any of the following misconceptions:


#1. VEGANS MUST LOVE ANIMALS.

Nope. Even though most vegans do love animals, you don't have to love animals to be a vegan. I don't know of any person who honestly loves every single animal on this planet--and I don't think anyone does. I certainly don't! Liberating animals has got nothing to do with loving them. Animal liberation has everything to do with justice and freedom to allow sentient beings to live as they want in peace.


#2. VEGANISM MEANS BEING CRUELTY-FREE.

Nope..not exactly. Sure one must be cruelty-free to be vegan but that isn't the main reason to be vegan. Veganism is about being exploitation-free. There's a difference. One example is using service animals. Service animals, be they being used for a business or privately--even treated very well physically--are still animals being used; it is still exploitation and exploiting any being is unethical and not vegan. So just because animals are not being treated cruelly--in the sense that they are not being beaten, starved, or killed, the fact that they are being used in any way is exploiting them. Regarding keeping animals as companion animals, we only do this because humans unethically forced animals to be kept to serve or to be used as companions many generations ago, domesticating them to the point where they have lost most of their natural wild instinct to survive in nature. It's now pretty much a fait accompli where we have no choice but to keep them as "companions" otherwise they would die very quickly in the wild, at a great unjustly disadvantage.


#3. NOT EVERYONE BECOMES VEGAN OVERNIGHT, SO VEGANS MUST NOT TRY TO PERSUADE EVERYONE TO GO VEGAN IMMEDIATELY. EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN JOURNEY AND STILL CAN BE CALLED, OR CONSIDERED TO BE, VEGANS.

False and totally missing the point of being a vegan. We must teach people the truth and nothing but. They must know what being vegan means, and let them decide on their own whether they want to become vegan immediately or sometime later, but we never give them suggestions (different ways of still exploiting an animal in their journey) of how to get there--and as they go on their own journey, they are not vegans. That is their decision, and one they have to live with if they choose to be vegan later. They must know being vegan means one does not eat, drink, use, or wear ANY animal product item, nor is tested on animals.

No, there is no such thing as a perfect vegan but if one strives daily and honestly to remove as much animal products from their life as possible, this is what it means to be a vegan. I am constantly researching to find exploitative-free items to replace things in my house that is from an animal--or tested on animals. And with SO MANY vegan things around in this day and age--from expensive to free; from intentionally to unintentionally--vegan, there's no excuse to wait to be vegan.

It's devastatingly sad that many known vegans are teaching falsehoods like the above to non-vegans. Just speak the truth in love. Don't insult people by hiding the facts or saying things just to make them feel less guilty. If, for instance, they choose on their own to start with being vegetarian, just encourage them to become vegan from time-to-time and show by example the vegan life.

Be Your Own Animal Rights Group!

Instead of writing out a check and giving it to multi-million dollar groups like PETA or places where you really don't know how they are using your money when you give it to them, you can buy food, toys, and/or bedding and give them to your local animal shelters and while there if you can, spend some time with these animals by petting them and just showing them love as they are often times in shelters for so long they become anti-social thus harder to adopt. Try and help to keep them friendly and approachable. If someone is ill in the hospital and has a companion animal at home with no one to care for the animal, volunteer to take care of the companion animal, either by stopping by the house to care for them or taking the animal in until the person is released from the hospital (if you have that kind of trusting relationship with the person). Also, times are still tough for many people financially so if you know someone who is struggling to pay vet bills or struggling to feed their companion animals, you can help them pay for these needed things. 

I have always stated the best way to be an animal activist is by being your own animal rights group--instead of paying other animal people/groups to directly take care of animals (do you really know how they are using your money?), start doing it yourself, and in this way you know where your money is going and you are really a part of seeing it help the animals. 

Steve Best: The Politics of Total Liberation

Steve Best is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at El Paso, but he’s perhaps best known as an advocate for the liberation of the earth and all who live on it--humans as well as other animals.

Dr. Best has published 13 books and hundreds of articles and has been active nationally and internationally for more than 3 decades, challenging the conventional wisdom. He speaks about his new book, The Politics of Total Liberation: Revolution in the 21st Century. Audio podcast, Approx. 65 minutes.

Steve Best: The Politics of Total Liberation

India to Become First Cruelty-free Cosmetics Zone in South Asia

A historic victory for animals came as India bans the import of animal tested cosmetics. Coming just a few months after implementation of a national ban on cruel cosmetics testing in India's labs, the import ban now makes India the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South Asia and an example for other nations to follow.

The ban comes in the form of Rule 135-B that states, "Prohibition of import of cosmetics tested on animals. No cosmetic that has been tested on animals after the commencement of Drugs and Cosmetics (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2014 shall be imported into the country." The notification will come into effect on November 13, 2014 (30 days from the date of notification).

3 Tips On Avoiding Products Tested On Animals

Since 1963!

Santosh Krinsky, head of the international personal-care brand Beauty Without Cruelty, outlines three tips for those professionals who want to support cosmetics manufacturers with shared values:

3 Tips On Avoiding Products Tested On Animals

Jains and Veganism

"One should not injure, subjugate, enslave, torture, or kill any living being including animals, plants, or insects — Respect for all living beings is Non-Violence." – Ächäränga Sutra – Bhagawän Mahãvira

Read more about why

Jains are Vegans

Is Eating Animals A Personal Choice?

If you or anyone else you know has ever said, "I respect your choice to be vegan, so you should respect my choice to eat meat," watch this video. Eating animal products is not a choice to be equally respected as the choice to be vegan. You always hear how we each have the personal right to say what goes in our bodies, but what about when our right to choose comes at the violation of another’s rights and choices?

No Kill Activist Explains How We Can Save All Animals

No Kill Activist Explains How We Can 'Save Them All'

7 Sneaky Animal Ingredients to Watch Out For in Supplements

"Many ingredients in vitamins and supplements come from animals or involve animals during production. Be sure to read vitamin and supplements carefully, and always look under the ingredients list at the end of the nutrition label to see exactly what is in the supplement you’re buying. Unless you’re buying exclusively vegan vitamins (like the ones above), at the link below you’ll more than likely see one of the following animal ingredients in at least one of the supplements you’re taking."

7 Sneaky Animal Ingredients to Watch Out For in Supplements

Ethical Philanthropy

Religion is a broad term that should add some higher purpose to one’s life and keep you grounded. It is not just a set of rules and teachings that you must devote your life to; it’s what you take from any religion that’s important. All religions give the teachings of love, peace and unity. It should be something to believe in, and not just something to define our very actions and thoughts. The most important requirement is peace. Where there is peace there is abundance.

In religion, there is philanthropy--just being a good human being defines you everywhere. All that you need to work upon is being helpful to the needy at all times and every place. Being loving and caring towards all living beings--including animals--and to understand another person’s or animal's problem and realize the situations they are in and be considerate.

Philanthropy means caring for and helping others whenever and wherever possible, helping others at times when they need that help the most, forgetting our selfish interests at times when others need our help, and extending love (and sometimes tough-love) to each and every living being on Earth.

One does not need a hefty bank account to contribute towards philanthropic activities. Tipping wait staff fairly is also philanthropy. Lifting the heavy bag for an old woman, helping a disabled person to cross the road, helping your parents in chores, etc.,...Helping anyone who is in need is all philanthropic work.

As soon as we understand the importance of philanthropy in day-to-day life, the purpose for which we are on Earth is automatically fulfilled.

Whole Foods Selling Rabbit Flesh

A$$whole Foods Market has begun selling rabbit meat in select stores nationwide, and the move has animal advocates hopping mad. Mad enough, they say, that they'll be protesting at Whole Foods stores this weekend, handing out leaflets reminding consumers that rabbits are popular furry companions.

I think it's foolish to only protest the selling of rabbit flesh when there are other kinds of animal flesh sold at A$$whole Foods.

People should be just as outraged at selling any kind of animal flesh--not just rabbits. There is no difference in their lives; all animals are sentient beings who have the right to live, and also important, people do NOT need to eat animal flesh to be healthy...And not eating animal flesh is in the long run, good for the environment as well, plus we would be saving billions of lives every year, as well as our own lives.

Peace out.

Is Horseback Riding Animal Exploitation?

The simple answer: Yes it is. No leeway, ifs or buts.

To use any animal for our amusement is exploitation, and hence, not vegan. 

Would you enjoy carrying a person on your back at various speeds whenever the person felt like it? Would you like to be periodically locked up? Would you like to be "broken in" during the early stages? Most likely not.

And whether the horse is treated "fairly", "kindly", or "companionably" ("happy horse riding!") whilst being ridden is utterly irrelevant as he or she is still used. Period. That is, the defining characteristic of veganism is that animals should not be considered property, and therefore we respect their needs and wants that demand that we do not exploit them.

In a perfect world, horses would be free to pursue their own lives without human interference. Horses are herd animals, who naturally associate with large numbers of other horses, graze in meadows, trot great distances, play, and court. Domestication (like many other animals) has certainly not benefited them, as they've long been exploited as beasts of burden and are kept constantly constrained and only allowed to move about at the will of others.

Exploitation is not just about being cruel; exploitation also means using animals for any kind of work or enjoyment. 

For more information on horseback riding, check out this article:

Horseback riding: Is it vegan?

Is it Ethical for Museums to Collect Dead Animals?

"Museums collect dead animals. Sometimes the carcasses are collected for private scientific research, and sometimes the carcasses go through a process called taxidermy where they are put on display. But is it ethical for museums to collect dead bodies?"

Read more from this article here:  Is it Ethical for Museums to Collect Dead Animals?

Controversal Plan To Phase Out Earth's Predatory Species

Should animals be permitted to hunt and kill other animals? 

Some futurists believe that humans should intervene, and solve the "problem" of predator vs. prey once and for all. British philosopher, David Pearce wants to use radical ecoengineering to put an end to the carnage.

A world without predators certainly sounds extreme, and it is, but Pearce can't imagine a future in which animals continue to be trapped in the never-ending cycle of blind Darwinian processes. It's up to us, he argues, to put our brains, our technologies, and our sense of compassion to good use, and do something about it. It's part of his overarching Hedonistic Imperative, a far-sighted "abolitionist project" set with the goal of achieving nothing less than the elimination of all suffering on the planet. And by all suffering, he means all suffering.

Read more here:  The Radical Plan To Phase Out Earth's Predatory Species

Vegans Better for Environment than Meat-Eaters

Carnivores are twice as bad for the Earth as vegetarians, a new study out of Oxford University found.

Researchers found that meat-eaters have carbon footprints about twice as large as vegetarians do. They concluded that the more meat you eat, the more you're harming the planet.

The scientists estimated the greenhouse gases emitted from 130 foods, with each type of gas (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) getting a specific "weight." Those weights were then assigned a "food code" to show the link between emissions and foods.

High meat-eaters were found to have the biggest carbon footprint, followed by medium meat-eaters, low meat-eaters, pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans.

Meat-eaters have large carbon footprints because more energy is required to raise animals than plants. Plus, cows produce large amounts of methane--from burping and farting--which is a more powerful gas than carbon dioxide.

(Source: NY Daily News)

Singapore Film Promotes Animal Rights/Adoption

A Taiwanese documentary “Twelve Nights,” a film produced by bestselling author Giddens Ko, was screened in Singapore last week to raise awareness of animal rights in the city state.

The screening of the film focused on the fate of dogs in shelters was attended by over 1,000 people--many accompanied by their dogs--at the outdoor Marina Barrage Green Roof. Director Raye and Taiwanese actress Sonia Sui, a sponsor of the film, were also present at the event.

Raye hopes that by showing “Twelve Nights” in Singapore, she can promote the adoption of stray animals and discourage the abandonment of pets.

The charity screening in Singapore was sponsored by home appliances brand Beko.

“Twelve Nights” records the lives of stray dogs at an animal shelter in Changhua County's Yuanlin Township. The title refers to the number of days the dogs have to be adopted before euthanasia to make more space.

The documentary grossed over NT$60 million (US$2 million) at the Taiwan box office during its run from November last year through February. The proceeds of NT$20.91 million--after deducting taxes and the share paid to cinemas--have been given to animal protection groups, including Taipei-based Stray Cats TNR (Trap Neuter Return) Association.

(Source: The China Post)

Vegan Organic Gardening

For those who are preparing their garden plot for this season, or contemplating creating a garden for the first time, this is a terrific opportunity to explain what “natural” and “organic” truly mean.

Many new gardeners may be surprised to find that blood, bone meal and fish emulsion are all considered “natural” ways to fertilize organic gardens. These substances are obtained from slaughterhouse floors or mass fishing operations… and they reek of the industries which they support.

But there is another way to garden, without animal products (including manure). It is often called veganic, vegan-organic or stock-free gardening; there are a lot of different gardening styles under these labels, so you’ll have plenty of options to explore, for the benefit of our fellow animals, our health and the health of our planet.

Whether you are new to gardening or looking to transition your garden to a vegan organic plot; from how to set up your compost pile to an overview of veganic fertilizers, check out more on this subject at the link below:

(source: gentleworld.org)

What is Vegan Organic Gardening?

"I am 'all in.'  It is a singular devotion to moving forward with all you have with confidence knowing that you not only have the cards on your side, but in the case of this conscious lifestyle, the answer for so many of the challenges we face in the world today and what is absolutely necessary for justice for animals, for our personal health, well-being, and to preserve the precious resources of our planet.  This is what living a conscious, vegan lifestyle brings to this  world. It is my contention that in order to move this great movement forward, we are going to need to move beyond just a casual allegiance to eating a particular way.  Being vegan is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle that should have a profound impact on not only how we live, but also impact all living creatures and the planet that we all inhabit."

Read more of what Paul Graham has to say about veganism at this article:

BEING VEGAN – It’s Time to Go All In

Peace to All Beings: Veggie Soup for the Chicken's Soul

This award winning book, Peace to All Beings, is about working to protect the environment, to promote world peace, to end world hunger and human rights abuses, to liberate animals from suffering, and to raise planetary consciousness. They are all deeply interconnected, and none can go very far forward without the others. All find their common ground in the ethics of nonviolence, compassion, and reverence for all life. Peace to All Beings reveals the root cause behind the violence and war now being waged against the earth, the animals, and people.