Challenging Social Norms

Social norms. Sometimes they can be good, sometimes not so good.  For this discussion I want to break society down into two components which I will call "society" and "government".  The government is suppose to represent the majority views of a society but, as history has taught us, it doesn't always.  This is assuming that a society's majority views are the basis for a government's laws and regulations.  For Christians and for America's particular government, Judaeo-Christian values should be seen as the basis of government, but as this is changing (or has mostly changed) and because these values themselves can be influenced by a society's views, I am going to assume that the majority view as the usual standard. 

There is a deep problem with accepting a society's majority opinion as the basis for a government and its laws and regulations that should be fairly obvious.  Sometimes a majority view, or the moral set of values held by the majority, is simply wrong.  This was the case, to name two examples, with Nazi Germany during WWII and the Africa-American slave industry in the United States (as well as France, Britain and other countries).  These two examples are different only in that one mostly operated from the top down, from the government to society and the other bottom up, from the society to the government.  This is a simplistic view, I admit, and maybe not entirely accurate, but I think it is accurate enough for this discussion.

 Judaeo-Christian values bring its own set of problems to the table is that both of these examples were upheld or justified using the Judeo-Christian Bible, demonstrating that even a supposed outside, non-biased source such as "God said" can be heavily influenced or commandeered by society and the government, mostly (or entirely) because what God said must be interpreted by the vary society and government it is suppose to be the basis for.  This is true of any such source, religious or otherwise.

The fact is, whatever we base our society's values on will result in a messy, sometimes unpredictable and difficult process that will take continual reevaluation by its participants for the duration of its history.  Sometimes outside sources will destroy a society (i.e., a country) or sometimes a societie's own choices in what it values as moral absolutes will result in its eventual downfall.  I'll let true historians and anthropologists battle that one out.  Suffice it to say, what a society values most will have actual, serious and sometimes dire consequences.

This is why it is important for a constant reevaluation. But it is also why it is important for those in a society or its government to initiate change when a moral value or ethic is seen to be "off".  Regardless of how we come to our values, we can all admit there are some that are not subjective nor should be left to the opinions of society or the government.  Values that are inalienable, sometimes called "rights".  A few of those might be: The right to happiness, a right to be free and a right to life. Few people would serious challenge these rights and would consider these good moral values.  The question comes in when we begin to discuss how they are granted.  For example, should a criminal have the right to personal freedom?  What about conscription during a time of war?  Should a murderer be forced to forfeit his right to life?  What about abortion and (again) war?  I can't answer these questions directly, but these are were a society and/or government will need to find answers that it values.  And these questions are where most members of a society find the need to reevaluate and question. 

Just because a whole or majority of a society does or believes something does not make it right, as I've already mentioned.  This goes for the government as well.  Where would our society in America be if no one challenged the correctness of things like slavery and a woman's right to vote?  It was excepted by the majority (both in society and government) that both were right morally and ethically.  But thanks to individuals who challenged these views and helped others to see the need to change them, slavery was abolished and the suffrage movement won the day.  Most people do not realize that at one time conscription during time of war was mandatory for everyone.  That is, conscientious objection was illegal.  If you refused to fight you would go to prison or possibly forfeit your life. But thanks to the efforts of some, mostly religious, groups this changed. 

What this all means is that although a society and its government hold a majority view, regardless of how fast or the reasons why it is held, it must be open to challenge and change.  Some views, such as those we consider inalienable rights, will never change (and for good reasons).  But how we apply those rights and to whom they will and how they will be applied, sometimes must change.  And it is the responsibility of the society and/or the government to do this.  For a society to simply follow the majority view or the government or the government to refuse its responsibilities to do what is right and acquiesces to a mob is a perfect way to doom a society to some of its worst propensities.  Society needs people who will initiate change and a government that will both listen and, when needed, change for the good. 

Such is the case with animal rights.  A majority view, tradition, the government, social mores, morals and ethics have left animals to be consider property, tools and commodities. But is this right?  Is this majority and governmental view right?  This is the battle that is going on right now.  And the next big step for our own society hinges upon the outcome.  My personal view is that animals have just as much right to some, if not all, those things we call inalienable as they can be applied to animals and their capacity (i.e., society may consider the right to vote as inalienable, but an animal cannot vote, so there is no reason to apply this right not animals).  As such I and a minority number of people in our society and those around the world, have reevaluated our society's stance on the matter and have taken it upon ourselves to challenge, in anyway possible, the current majority view.  And as the government is clearly on the side of the majority view, we are also forced to challenge and, as the need arise, stand against our government.   My hope is that just as other big challenges to the pervading views resulted in widespread acceptance of another view, so too the fight for the rights of animals and an understanding of their sentience will also result in widespread change.  The important thing is that we challenge the social norms and, if we think these challenges important, stick to our guns no matter how long the fight drags on.  History has shown us that change, big change, is possible.

Dominion

I just experienced the most brutal and heartbreaking two hours of my life.  I just finished watching the tour-de-force horror show that is called the meat industry by the folks at Dominion Movement.  It is a well put together documentary done with heart and compassion yet unflinching in its portrayal of the industry.  I don't normally cry, but by the end I was a wreck.

Honestly, I had put off watching this documentary for the past few weeks because I knew it was going to be difficult.  I hate to see animals suffer and this film showed that by the truck loads (literally).  So much pain, so much suffering, so much sadness. How can we live with ourselves? How can we live and not do anything?  We have the choice, they do not.  That is what makes me glad to be human, even when I despair. We can do something about this.  We can help bring the suffering to an end.

Information overload

It is too easy to look at all of the death and destruction we see on factory farms and become overwhelmed.  The suffering and death is to such a degree that it boggles the mind.  It is too easy, in those moments, to want to give up. Just be a vegan and shut up, hide inside yourself and hope no one notices.

So powerful is this propensity towards all or nothing that detractors will use it as part of their arsenal against the truth.  They will point out all of the death or they will attempt to swing the discussion over to all of the starving children, the homeless, the slave labor, the sex trade, etc., in an effort to stop the discussion on animal suffering.

Now don't get me wrong.  Not everyone knows they are doing this.  Some (Many, I hope) are truly concerned about those other things. But it is a problem nonetheless.  There are a few things to keep in mind when you find yourself in this situation, either self-imposed or imposed by others.

1. You cannot save everyone. You might as well face that fact now. Could you imagine if the resistance in Nazi Germany saw all of the Jews being murder in the death camps and said, "I cannot save them all, so I might as well not do anything. I'll just send them my thoughts and prayers"?

2. You can only do what you can do.  You are one person with limited resources, limited time and limited capacity.  In short, no matter how strong you are, you are weak.  You must focus on what you can do, not on what you cannot do.

3. Start here and take one step at a time. Right now, right this moment, decide you are going to do something and take that first step. Watch a video, commit to going vegetarian (if you haven't already), write you thought in your journal.  Start. These may look like small and even useless steps, but they are not. They are the beginning.

4. Have a mission.  This goes with number 2 and 3. Sit down and write out what you want to do. This is your mission. Many people have no clear idea. "I want to save animals" is good, but it is too broad and too vague. An example might be: "I want to save animals by going vegan and participating in some marches/protests". Then write down steps you can take to get there. Don't be afraid to change that mission later on. This is just a first step. Stretch yourself a bit. Just don't set goals you know you will never reach.  There is a balance and you will probably need to learn what that is by trial and error.

5. Remember. When people bring up the list of other terrible things going on in the world, remind yourself of your mission. That is what you can do and that is what you will do. It is o.k. to acknowledge those other things. It is even good to be concerned about them. But your mission comes first. [As an aside, you might want to ask that person what it is he or she is doing about those terrible things they just listed. My guess is that it will be nothing.  If they are doing something, encourage them. You know what it feels like to want to change the world and to be doing something about it. Share stories of success and failure. Even share your fears. Start a conversation. You never know where it might lead.]

These are just a few things you can do.  I am not saying you cannot do other things or have other missions. What I am saying is that you need to focus. If you spread yourself out too thinly you will just be setting yourself up for burning out, discouragement and ultimately failure.  Too many people have started well and got so completely overwhelmed that they just walked away. Don't let this be you.

I want to believe

I want to believe
I want to believe people are good.
I want to believe people are loving and kind.
I want to believe if they saw the hell they would scream.
I want to believe if people saw the suffering they would get mad.
I want to believe if they saw the terror in their eyes they would cry.
I want to believe they would stand up and yell, "No more, you bastards!"
I want to believe they would not want to be a part of the machine.
I want to believe if they saw the gore they would get sick.
I want to believe people are loving and kind.
I want to believe people are good.
I want to believe.

No, I won't shut up!

People want me to let them eat in peace.I am disinclined to afford them that luxury as long as what they eat is the product ofthe abuse, torture and misery of others.

I was a vegetarian for two years and have been a vegan for seven. I have never been afraid to tell people I am vegan.  However, I have been afraid to say anything when people have made jokes about veganism or the animals I wish to protect. Some of the humor was benign. "Oh, I've got dinner ready for you. I just mowed the lawn" (Which I do find funny). To the less benign, "PETA stands for People Eating Tasty Animals" (Which I do NOT find funny).

In the past I kept silent.

Why do we keep silent?  Why did I keep silent?  Here are some reasons.  All of which were apropos to me:

The Militant Vegan

Either we do this to ourselves or others do it for us.  In the end I blame society.  My friends and acquaintances would talk about the militant, on a high horse, in-your-face vegan. The one they never met but were hoping I wouldn't become.  The media doesn't help. Quite often any mention of a "vegan" will be negative and involve someone who is about as socially appealing as wearing a nazi uniform to the mall.   As a result, we keep quiet because we don't want to fall into this stereotype. 

The fact is, this sort of stereotyping is done to keep people quite.  Sometimes it is intentional, such as what would come from the meat, dairy and egg industry.  Sometimes it is unintentional, like what would come from family and (true) friends.  But most of the time this is a defense mechanism.  It is a way for people to stop you from making them feel bad.  If they can create a distasteful enough stereotype then perhaps you will want to stay as far away from it as possible.  You will act in a way that keeps them feeling safe and comfortable.  It is psychological manipulation. Period.

Don't listen to it! You know who you are.  If you feel like maybe you look like the stereotype, then get out a piece of paper and write down the ways you are. I think you will find that you really aren't like it at all.  Sure, you are forceful. A lot is at stake.  Sure, you are committed.  Why should anyone listen to you if you are not?  But you are also loving.  You love the animals you want to save and you love the people whom you want to save from what they are doing to the animals (Even if you get mad as hell at what they are doing).  In the end, you care.  After all, isn't that what veganism really means?

One of the crowd

Sometimes we laugh along with the jokes or ignore the meat-centric comments because we don't want to lose friends or alienate family. Being a part of the tribe is an important survival trait that is built into everyone.  Don't be ashamed of it.  Rather, control it.  Standing up for what we believe in, especially if it is against friends and family, can be really difficult.  For some of us, it will be the most difficult thing we have ever done.  But we can do it.  Millions of others have done it and so can we.

If you find you don't care at all what people think or feel, you may have lost what it means to be vegan (and human).  We cannot allow ourselves to trade apathy, hate, carelessness and aggression towards one group, for that of another. Believe it or not both humans and animals are the victims here.  I know it doesn't always seem like it and there are some humans who are not victims but truly violent, hateful, careless beings.  But all in all, I believe most humans have been brainwashed by society to do what they do and it is our job to reverse that conditioning.  That is going to take some risk on our part by standing up for what we believe, even if it loses our friends and family.

Overload

Let's face it.  There is a lot of killing going on today.  World wide there are approximately 3,000 animals killed every second.  That knowledge can (and should) bring anyone down.  Sometimes we are taken so low that we wonder, "What's the use in saying anything?", and so we just keep quiet.

The truth is, we are in this for the long haul.  The world we want to see is never going to happen in our generation.  In a "I can have it now" society, this can be a very big pill to swallow.  But swallow it we must.  We are doing this for future generations of nonhumans and humans as well as the few, the very few, animals we can save right now.  We are going to need patience and a certain amount of tunnel vision.

In most contexts "tunnel vision" is a bad thing.  But when it comes to changing the world, it is an asset.  We need to focus on what we can change in our sphere of influence.  For some that means doing undercover work on a factory farm.  For others it means showing up for protests and marches. For some this means writing about the subject.  But it doesn't stop there.  Some of the most important changes are going to happen on a very personal level.  The mom that raises her children vegan.  The dad who takes a stand for animals even though all of his friends are animal-eaters.  The co-worker who puts together a vegan lunch to feed all of his or her coworkers.  The vegan friend who sits down with a non-vegan friend to watch Earthlings together.  All of these things are making a difference.

To boil things down to the simplest of elements, you going vegan started world change.  You became a part of something much, much bigger than you.  You are saving animals right now! So stop worrying about the rest of the world and focus a bit closer to home.  Make change where you have the power to make change.


Stale knowledge

When I first became vegetarian I had a vague idea why I was doing it.  Then I watched some videos about the farm industry and became vegan.  But then, over the years, that knowledge began to fade.  It became stale.  It was just a faded, vague picture of something sitting in the back of my mind.  So stale was this knowledge that I went back to being a vegetarian for about a year.  But then I watched some more videos and was appalled afresh.  I renewed my commitment to being a vegan and this time dropped any pretense for why I was doing it.  This time it was purely for ethical reasons.

As anyone in any profession can tell you, knowledge becomes stale and fades over time. A doctor cannot expect to remain a good doctor if she doesn't constantly renew her knowledge of her field.  A computer programmer will find himself quickly obsolete if he doesn't keep up with the latest technological advances in his field. And you cannot expect to remain fired up indefinitely if you don't add fuel to that fire on occasion.   Maybe this means watching or rewatching videos on the horrors of factory farming.  Maybe this involves reading articles about the vegan movement or news about the farming industry.  Maybe this means reading or rereading a book about animals and animal welfare.  Whatever helps you get fired up, do it.  Don't let the fires die.  Lives depend on it.

Conclusion

Those are just a few things that came to mind.  I am sure you have experienced others.  But whatever might be holding you back from speaking your mind, figure out how to climb over, around or through it and say what needs saying and do what needs doing.  Maybe people will get mad.  Maybe you will lose friends.  But your conscience will be clear.  Just remember: whatever you do, do it with love.  Love for the animals, love for people, love for yourself.

But where do you get your protein?

 

When I say that I am a vegan the person asking invariably gets a worried look on his or her face and asks, "But where do you get your protein?" To this I typically respond with two questions: How much protein does one need? How much protein are you  getting? When I ask these questions all I get is the gentle sound of crickets in the background. The fact is most people have NO CLUE how much protein they need or are getting on a daily basis.

For some odd reason an urban legend got started somewhere that says one can only get protein from meat.  Or at least sufficient amounts of it for survival. Of course that is not true.  Plenty of vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes have protein. In fact, it is very difficult to NOT get enough protein if you are eating enough good food.  Sure, if all you eat is iceberg lettuce you will be in trouble.  But most don't go on that diet.

How much protein do I get?  Well, here is a typical day for me:

Breakfast
2 cups of Life cereal: 8g
1 cup of almond milk: 1g

Lunch:
1 Zucchini 2.4g
1 carrot 1g
1/4 cups nuts 8g

Supper:
3 cups of spaghetti: 24g
1 Slice homemade white bread: 3g

Total 47.6g

Now some of you who are in the know will start jumping up and down screaming, "But you need at least 56g of protein to stay healthy, according to the RDA!"  (You know this because you just googled it).

Well, to ease your mind, here are a few things to consider:

1. I am mostly sedentary.  Hey, I'm a programmer.  What did you expect?

2. When I was super active, I drank vegan protein drinks and ate quite a bit more.  Which put me way over the RDA. When I need more protein, I eat more protein. All from plants.

3. The RDA for protein was, in part, determined using data provided by companies funded by the meat, egg and dairy industry. So I have serious questions about the numbers for the RDA for protein.

4. The number is an "average" and a recommendation. Some will need more and others less.  As it stands, I do good on that amount of protein. Get to know your body.

5. I've been a vegan for over nine years and still alive and healthy. That counts for something. Sometimes the obvious facts are the right facts.

6. Finally, many athletes are vegan, including MMA fighters and competitive weight lifters.  They've figured out the protein thing.

I would argue that the average America is actually getting too much protein in their diet. If you aren't a body builder or long distance runner, then eating bacon and egs for breakfast, chicken sandwich and yogurt for lunch and a stake for supper is probably WAY to much protein for you. And yes, too much protein can hurt you. Here is what a pre-vegan meal looked like for me:

Breakfast:
2 eggs: 12g
4 slices of bacon: 12g
1 slice of toast: 3g

Lunch:
Chicken sandwich: 24g
Yogurt (Greek): 27g

Supper:
1 Stake: 62g
1 potato: 7g
Maybe a salad (Leaving that off, but it DOES have protein)

Total 147g

Do you really need THAT much protein? If you are very active, then yes, maybe. But if you are the typical American, no. 

The problem is, when people ask me about my protein, underlying the question is the assumption that vegans should be getting the same amount of protein as a carnist. And even though most people don't know what that amount is, they  assume it should be the same.  But that simply isn't true.  Vegans have been around for thousands of years, even before protein shakes and cliff bars, and if it were a serious threat to health we would have known it by now. The simple fact is, meat is not necessary to your health.  In fact, plenty of data is emerging that indicates the complete opposite may be true. It may be doing more harm than good.

So, don't worry about my protein intake. I'm doing just fine.  But you may want to take a look at yours.

[Note: The silverback gorilla, pictured above, is vegan. I dare you to ask him where he gets his protein. :) ]

Not alone

Whenever I get into a "discussion" about my veganism, I find myself constantly caught in one particular trap.  It is a fallacy that most of us fall into and one that opponents of vegetarian and vegan diets are particularly good at pulling off. That is the "You are alone" fallacy.  What does it look like?  Take this argument, which represents almost every single discussion I've gotten into about my diet:

Them: "Why do you even bother being a vegan?"

Me: "Because it helps prevent suffering"

Them: "You are not really making a difference.  Do you think the industry actually cares if you abstain from meat? The suffering will go on no matter what you do. ", etc, etc, etc.

Do you see what is going on here?  They are saying that you, yourself, cannot possibly make a difference and so you might as well give up.  If you (and I've done it more times than I can count) continue on with this line of reasoning you will be in trouble.

Let me first say that I do believe one person can make a difference.  Even if it would take a lifetime of veganism to save a handful of chickens and a couple of cows and pigs, it will have been worth it.  So for me, if I were the only vegan on the entire planet, I would gladly continue on as I am.  Whether anyone else thinks it is doing any good is irrelevant to me.  But, that really isn't the point.  The problem with the line of reasoning in the above discussion is that it is completely wrong.

The fact is, you are not alone.  According to a 2016 Harris poll, nine million Americans eat a vegetarian or vegan diet (About one million vegans).  And that number is on the rise.  That is just in America.  Avoiding meat eating is huge in other industrialized nations as well.  Just read the wiki page on the subject and check out the references.

Does this mean the end of cruelty to animals?  I am afraid not.  Even with these numbers the meat industry is still a juggernaut of unprecedented means and influence at its disposal. Too many people are still addicted to meat.  Too many people are under the delusion that eating meat is essential to their survival or health. And too many people are still unaware (or simply don't care) of the immense suffering that goes on every hour of every day at farms and slaughterhouses around the globe.

But even in the face of such terribly great odds, you are still making a difference.  At the end of the day, each and every animal you save makes a big difference to that animal. And, I believe, contributes directly to the betterment of society, our environment and ultimately to our consciences.

So keep on keeping on.  You aren't alone. You are doing a great good!  And the next time someone says "you", you correct them and say, "You mean 'us'".