(Posted August 19, 2015) I get dozens of emails daily from all around the world. For the most part, they are positive and simply want more information about living the vegan lifestyle. Sometimes I get challenged by uninformed people who have no idea what they’re talking about. I know all of you deal with this, too! So I wanted to share a recent Q&A because my answer might help you deal with similarly uninformed folks.
Q: It’s great that you love animals, but do you hate all humans? Some vegans want to kill handicapped people to save animals. Isn't this speciesist?
A: The term speciesism was created to explain the discrimination that humans exhibit towards animals. So the victimizer CANNOT be a victim. For instance, pedophiles cannot claim their rights are being violated and that society is discriminating against them because they choose to rape children. Nazis could not have screamed discrimination when the Allied Forces killed them and stopped them from killing Jews, Gypsies, blacks, etc. Malcom X once said: “You cannot be anti slavery and pro slavemaster.” Animals are the victims/slaves. Humans are the victimizers, the slavemasters. I am on the side of the victims ONLY.
Yes, as a misanthrope, I hate our species. We are a scourge to the world and that ain’t my opinion. We bring NOTHING positive to the table. Our extinction benefits the animals, the air, the water, the forests, the land, the ENTIRE earth. If ants or bees became extinct, the whole ecosystem would collapse. That is how important ants and bees are to the world. But being a misanthrope doesn't mean one walks around spitting on kids, tripping old people at the grocery and spraying a crowd of moviegoers with an Uzi. I hate the human race because we attack, dominate and destroy everything in our path. Individually, it varies who I can tolerate. But I have many vegan and non vegan friends and acquaintances, and we get along great. And believe it or not, I listen to music and love SRV, Judas Priest, ACDC, Queen, Eminem, Jo Dee Messina, Bill Withers, Waylon Jennings, Darius Rucker and The Allman Brothers. I laugh a lot especially when seeing/hearing George Carlin, Larry David, Chris Rock, Seth Rogen, Bill Burr, Jimmy Fallon and the Comedy Central Roasts. I admire many of history’s most effective activists even if they weren't vegan (X, Mandela, Parks, etc.). And the reason I only buy FAIR TRADE clothing as of 2013 is because I am NOT a dickhead. Condemning human rights hypocrites and pointing out how "oppressed" humans are full of shit since they oppress animals, and actually SUPPORTING human oppression, are completely different things.
As for your handicapped comment, vegans do NOT want to murder handicapped people to save animals. You have severely misconstrued what Peter Singer said. I am not a fan of his work because he supports animal WELFARE instead of pure liberation but he was explaining the “VALUE” of animal life v. severely handicapped/mentally retarded humans. He made this comparison because humans endlessly devalue every animal’s life, and constantly trump up the value of every human life. So, philosophically speaking (Singer is a philosopher), he explained that there is NO comparison when it comes animals v. severely handicapped/mentally retarded humans because the latter rarely, if ever, can appreciate the world nor understand simple concepts like right v. wrong nor live on their own. Meanwhile, ALL animals are the opposite. But that really isn’t the issue when discussing animal liberation. Cows and pigs and chickens and turkeys and fish do NOT deserve to be commodified and turned into sandwiches and shoes. The females do not deserve to be raped (artificially impregnated), and have their babies stolen from them after birth so they, too, can be enslaved, raped and murdered. Animals should NOT have special buildings constructed strategically across this planet where they will be brought to against their will and chopped up into 100 pieces. Veganism is about ethics. Animal liberation is about extending the freedoms of life and liberty and bodily integrity that ALL humans DEMAND! Why must a small group of people CONSTANTLY have to explain to the masses why enslaving and murdering innocent beings is wrong? This is so trite. Replace animals with blacks and everyone screams bloody murder. Replace animals with women and everyone screams bloody murder. Replace animals with severely handicapped/mentally retarded humans and everyone screams bloody murder. Replace animals with Jews and Palestinians and everyone screams bloody murder. Shit, replace cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and fish with dogs, cats, horses and Cecil The Lion, and everyone screams bloody murder. Yet, all of a sudden when the victims ARE cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and fish, everyone becomes a fucking idiot and can no longer reason/think clearly? SPECIESISM!
