There are some animal advocates who say that to maintain that veganism is the moral baseline is objectionable because it is “judgmental, ” or constitutes a judgment that veganism is morally preferable to vegetarianism and a condemnation that vegetarians (or other consumers of animal products) are “bad” people. Yes to the first part; no to the second. There is no coherent distinction between flesh and other animal products. They are all the same and we cannot justify consuming any of them. To say that you do not eat flesh but that you eat dairy or eggs or whatever, or that you don’t wear fur but you wear leather or wool, is like saying that you eat the meat from spotted cows but not from brown cows; it makers no sense whatsoever. The supposed “line” between meat and everything else is just a fantasy—an arbitrary distinction that is made to enable some exploitation to be segmented off and regarded as “better” or as morally acceptable. This is not a condemnation of vegetarians who are not vegans; it is, however, a plea to those people to recognize their actions do not conform with a moral principle that they claim to accept and that all animal products are the result of imposing suffering and death on sentient beings. It is not a matter of judging individuals; it is, however, a matter of judging practices and institutions. And that is a necessary component of ethical living.Gary L. Francione
About This Quote
In this quote, Gandhi speaks about how one must judge a practice or institution based on whether or not it conforms with a moral principle. In his case, he is referring to the practice of eating meat without regard to the suffering that was necessary to produce it. He says that one must judge a practice or institution based on whether or not it conforms with a moral principle. He also mentions that the line is arbitrary and that it is about exploiting animals to produce our food. To him, this meant that if we were going to eat meat, we should only eat meat from animals who did not experience pain or suffering in their lives.
Some Similar Quotes
- When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable.
- I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because...
- I think you still love me, but we can’t escape the fact that I’m not enough for you. I knew this was going to happen. So I’m not blaming you for falling in love with another woman. I’m not angry, either. I should be, but...
- A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other... Maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever
- For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.
More Quotes By Gary L. Francione
- I want to be in a relationship where you telling me you love me is just a ceremonious validation of what you already show me.
- When in a relationship, a real man doesn't make his woman jealous of others, he makes others jealous of his woman.
- I will not try to convince you to love me, to respect me, to commit to me. I deserve better than that; I AM BETTER THAN THAT...Goodbye.
- Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.
- I find the best way to love someone is not to change them, but instead, help them reveal the greatest version of themselves.