Is there a Difference between Cutting Off an Animal’s Head and Plucking a Fruit?
A Conversation between Two Vegans and a Carnist
I shared the screenshot of a tweet by @Rey_DelMal on my Facebook. The tweet reads:
"I ate animals for forty years. I wrote "mmm bacon's" to vegans. I said "God gave us animals to eat". I said "circle of life innit!" And you know what" I was wrong. Going vegan is the best thing I ever did. You can do it too. Anyone can change."
Then the following conversation ensued in the comment section.
Kunle: "Really?"
Gideon: "Kunle. Yes. Anyone can change!"
Kunle: "Gideon, you know of the value of vitamin B12 to the human body."
Gideon: "Kunle, I know of people like Dr. Jane Goodall and athletes with rigorous work and travel schedules and yet have been living well on plant-based diet for years."
Kunle: "Gideon, I am not saying that people by their own choice cannot adhere to a plant base diet. What I have an issue with is these people who preach the those who eat meat are cruel and some how wrong to do so."
Gideon: "Kunle. Yes, I think that advocacy generally should be about trying to make others understand one's point of view in the most kind manner. Many try to do this, but still we falter."
Wesley: "Kunle. Because it is cruel. You just don't see it...the terror these sentient creatures go through."
Kunle: "Wesley, commercial meat, all the meat consumed is not from commercial sources.No one should eat that meat. It is not healthy. They are fed diets that are not natural. These diets make them sick and they are then given loads of antibiotics. Not chicken and other live stock raised in very gentle manner. You don't care about ripping plants out of the ground to eat. Plants have feelings too. So I guess we should stop eating plants and animals."
Wesley: "Kunle, you see no difference in plucking off a cat's head than the head of a flower?"
Gideon: "Kunle, Actually plants are not sentient. But essentially, folks #GoVegan because animal agriculture is a chief contributor to global carbon emissions, showing compassion towards other sentient species defines and helps our capacity for compassion, and plant-based diet has been shown to be more healthy."
Kunle: "Wesley, to some plucking a flower from its stalk would be cruelty those who eat cats and dogs it is not. There are no absolutes in this world. I guess we should stop fishing. You think it is cruel then you don't do it. In the real world animals, (human beings are animal) source our nutrients from both the plant and animal kingdoms. Vitamin B12 is essential for human health you can only make the vitamin from eating meat and eggs. Nature created it this way, one kingdom lives off other kingdoms. There are orchids that eat insects. This is life. Do not attempt to tell people who eat flesh they are cruel and some how wrong."
Kunle: "Gideon, you are saying animal agriculture is bad for the planet. I agree. Those big commercial farm are bad, it is all about money. But in my space where I raise livestock.for my domestic needs, nothing is wrong with that."
Kunle: "Who says plants are not sentient? Western education? Okay. I have western education but I don't buy so much of what they teach. My source of knowledge is thousand of years old. Western education? What they can't understand they decry. I have friends and family who are vegan they just don't like meat so they have to buy expensive nutritional yeast to get their essential vitamin B12. "Plant base diets.have been shown to be more healthy" here go these absolute statements again."
Wesley: "Kunle. I asked you if you saw no difference between plucking a cat's head off and plucking a flower head off. No difference to crush the grass beneath your feet, or to crush a little kitten. Do you see the difference? I can only hope to God you do... I'm 82 and a vegetarian for 42 years. I have 3 gardens I manage and take care of to bring my vegetables to cancer patients. I do take vitamin B12 supplements at times from plant sources."
