I respect your choice, do you respect mine?

TofuRobot

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A friend of mine shared this on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...9Zj-jXayfpzcNhW1oRaiThh05nNP4Trbk1WruJEsgiQAc

I have never heard of the author, or the original page this was shared from (though I may start!), but this is the most eloquently-put answer to how I feel about this topic of being expected to respect the choices of non-vegans:

"I am often told 'I respect your right to be vegan.' and asked, 'Do you respect my right not to be?', and I find it interesting that I am being asked this. Real respect for my veganism would mean YOUR veganism.

I'm not asking for or seeking anyone's respect for being vegan. I don't need it. What I hope and work for is that non human animals be afforded respect for their right to their own bodies and what belongs to them including their lives. Respect would mean that veganism is imperative, and exploitation as far as it is possible is ended.

When humans have choice (I acknowledge that everyone does not.), and they choose flesh, eggs, or non human milk and all other forms of avoidable animal exploitation, I can not respect those choices since there is no biological need for any of it in human diets or lives.

When there is choice, it is willful harm, and I cannot and will not respect willful harm to those who must endure that harm."
- by Linda Rapp Nelson
 
Although I agree with the text I will never express myself in such a way.

Everyone that knows me knows that I am vegan but I will not be and will also never be the judgemental vegan. Blatantly expressing others are plainly wrong in their lifelong habits (even though I personally disagree with them wholeheartedly) isn't ever going to make any difference and will only be welcomed by agression and pointless debates that end in "... but meat is so tasty". It is ony though education and through informing the masses that there are alternatives that are better, aren't expensive and aren't difficult that we can make a difference.

Karma teaches us that if you portray your message positively, you will get positivity in return. A message drenched in negativity however will only harvest a negative response and an unwanted outcome.
 
Although I agree with the text I will never express myself in such a way.

Honestly it sounds pretty mild to me.

If someone asked if you respected their right to be non-vegan, how would you respond?

I guess it would depend a lot on the situation...how/how well you knew the person, whether the conversation was already taking a confrontational turn etc...but I wouldn't be able to respond to that question without emphasizing the right of animals to not be mistreated and killed over the "right" of people to have a flavor in their mouth.
 
Honestly it sounds pretty mild to me.

If someone asked if you respected their right to be non-vegan, how would you respond?

I guess it would depend a lot on the situation...how/how well you knew the person, whether the conversation was already taking a confrontational turn etc...but I wouldn't be able to respond to that question without emphasizing the right of animals to not be mistreated and killed over the "right" of people to have a flavor in their mouth.
My response would be something like, "You're asking me if I respect your choice to take the life of a living, sentient being who doesn't need nor wish to die. I am always going to have difficultly with that."
 
I respect that you as a free, thinking, adult human have the right to choose. That doesn't mean I respect the choice you made or have to pretend that I agree with post-modern nonsense that all choices are equal, because they're not. Yours happens to hurt animals, other people and the entire planet. That you believe your choice to eat animals only hurts yourself is factually incorrect and cannot be compared to crimes against self like substance abuse or prostitution, a mistake surprisingly common in present day Western countries.

Something like that.
 
Although I agree with the text I will never express myself in such a way.

Everyone that knows me knows that I am vegan but I will not be and will also never be the judgemental vegan. Blatantly expressing others are plainly wrong in their lifelong habits (even though I personally disagree with them wholeheartedly) isn't ever going to make any difference and will only be welcomed by agression and pointless debates that end in "... but meat is so tasty". It is ony though education and through informing the masses that there are alternatives that are better, aren't expensive and aren't difficult that we can make a difference.

Karma teaches us that if you portray your message positively, you will get positivity in return. A message drenched in negativity however will only harvest a negative response and an unwanted outcome.

Right. That's why China has totally stopped bullying Tibetan monks.

What you're engaging in is called magical thinking and it can easily be disproven by a world civics class.
 
I agree that you should portray the message in a positive way and not be overly judgmental. The problem is that the "I don't judge" vegan sometimes is a quiet vegan who enables meat eating by their silence. So, the just "I'll casually eat my lettuce and people will eventually pick up on it" doesn't work for me. I think you should speak up, but just do so in the right manner, at the right time, not excessively frequently, and so on.

I'm not criticizing the quiet vegan though. They are often inspiring and beautiful souls, and also I am guilty of being too quiet and enabling at times as well so couldn't criticize anyway. But the reality is that in my opinion this is done to avoid awkwardness, not because it's in truth equally as effective, and I think we should acknowledge that.
 
'I respect your right to be vegan.' and asked, 'Do you respect my right not to be?',

________________


I think the key to this argument is this:

Everyone should be able to live their life however they like, as long as it doesn't cause others to suffer.
 
The question here was....how to deal with...what to say to those who say to a vegan .."respect my choice" to not be vegan and/or usually said regarding eating animals situations.

I respect you as a person with a right to live...but i do not respect your choice to take that choice away from others.

A "choice" about what one eats if taking a life is not the same as a "choice" about what car or holiday to have.


People often use this phrase...."respect my choice" to eat animals (using the word "meat" to avoid connection that the word "animals" makes)

Why ? should I respect a rapist or murderer for their "choice" to kill a human anymore than i should "respect the choice" of someone who chooses to kill non human animals ?

Your argument...is what i should say to those using that expression...your argument means we should respect rapists and murderers of people for just exercising their "choice" to kill and harm others.

I actually find this urge and wish to "avoid judgemental" attitude by avoiding negative words that might "upset" someone is something we all do naturally...we say even oh i don't mind....if someone says well i am going to order some "meat" meal....so we actually "encourage" them and give them what they seek....moral pat on the head by being so "compliant" and giving them a "feel good" factor.

There comes a point when we have to face up to that fact imho

Would we do the same if someone said..."i want to eat a human kid...tender as the young flesh must be" ?

Well ?

I am myself aware how easy it is for people to utter that sentence..."respect my choice" and me just say nothing or say of course your choice it is legal so carry on or words to that effect.

It is not good enough. Call a spade a spade. Does not have to be a YELL....but to avoid calling murder murder not a "choice" one can respect is not helping the animals.

Having personally ended up conned or just forced into a situation where i have had to sit at a table where people are eating corpses of dead animals or the milk of their raped mothers and killed babies....i am fed up with this ... and without wanting to "cause scenes" by walking off....as i did once only.....i am decided to be more "aware" of the potential conflict and make my views known before forced to endure this again.

Meaning ? i will state....clearly....without yelling....that if we go for a snack or meal....i will not sit at the same table as death in my face....so please can we all choose vegan or just not go to such an event together.

This is needed in advance of course....once at the pub or restaurant it is too late to kick off about this.....so that is a lesson i have learned as i say from experience.

I will not....sit again....as i have done in the past....at a table with dead animal products in my face. At the next table is not as in my face as at my table is my reasoning.

However it needs saying before one gets to the table of course lol

I do not like conflict anymore than most people...but i have principles and it turns my stomac and offends me to sit with dead animals in my face with people expressing pleasure at their taste. Sure people do not "make the connection" immediately....i sure did not so i do not blame people for that....but unless i set an example clearly and refuse to participate....and say why....i am encouraging it.
 
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