Cut The Crap – Zine Contribution by Amy

This is a copy of Amy’s contribution to the second issue of our zine. Thank you, Amy! ❤

(Transcript below)

Transcript:

Ginny Messina, the vegan dietician, made a brilliant point in a recent Facebook post about the World Health Organisation report on the link between red meat and cancer:

“It is very likely that this will increase animal suffering since it will drive people to eat more meat from chickens–animals who suffer more and in far greater numbers.”

Turkeys and fish will also be victimised by red meat’s bad publicity. I saw so many vegans sharing articles about the WHO report, without any mention of the suffering that the animals go through.

As advocates of animal liberation, we need to cut the crap and just communicate the point we’re trying to make. Stop trying to convince people to go vegan for their health. They’ll go back to their carnist ways as soon as they see contradictory evidence, or as soon as their health fails due to their poorly-researched diet. That’s if they even go vegan at all – like Ginny says, they’re more likely to just swap out cows and pigs for chickens and fish instead.

The environmental argument is stronger, but it still misses the point we’re trying to make: animals should have rights. They should not be tortured and killed for our pleasure. I feel that the environmental argument is a last-resort, only to be used for unapologetic speciesists who laugh at the idea of animals having rights.

We need to stop using the health argument. If we’re trying to campaign for a completely vegan diet, then the evidence just isn’t on our side.