Please list all of the reasons why you are a vegan

[Barry]

For me it started out for health reasons. I was listening to the band Earth Crisis and they talked about the health benefits of the Straight Edge Vegan lifestyle. Then I started reading about how animals were being horribly mistreated and tortured...I stopped hunting and realized animals have feelings and rights too. Now compassion keeps me from ever straying again from being straight edge vegan.

Whats your story?

Snap! Earth Crisis made me curious about veganism as well. Karl is pretty articulate in his lyrics about the horrors of the whole animal industry, and although I'm sure I would have become vegan anyway they definitely provided me with some guidance all those years ago. I actually got an earth crisis tattoo not long after to commemorate the huge impact they made on my life. I even like 'Slither'!

[Panzer]

I have the cross wrenches tattoo , and slither is my favorite E.C. cd lol.

[Panzer]

Mainly for my health and for the animals. But theres other reasons too.

[Huddy]

My main reason is for the animals- I cant stand the thought of them suffering. Then second is the environment.

[DiaShel]

Because it's sexy.

[lvhockhart]

I would definitely say the animals are the primary reason. All of the others (very good, very valid reasons) are just positive byproducts of this choice for me.

Leah

[fallingup]

I've been vegetarian for 40 years and vegan for a couple. It always seemed to me to be the only possible way for me to live my life. It is the only moral and ethical way for me to live. I sometimes think that it would be so much easier to live in this world if my conscience would let me exist with blinders on. Just can't do it!

[earthsista]

all of the above :)

[Tallulah]

For the animals, for me, and for the environment.

"One thing we know:
Our God is the same.
This earth is precious to Him...
This we know:
Man belongs to the earth.
The earth does not belong to man:
Man belongs to the earth.
This we know:
All things are connected
Like the blood which unites one family.
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth
Befalls the sons of the earth.
Man did not weave the web of life.
He is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web,
He does to himself.

[vintagenarcissa]

I do care very much about the animals and the environment. But I've become vegan mostly for my health. I was living a very unhealthy lifestyle and I needed a serious change. This is the first time that I have felt in control of my eating and my body.

[LuVegan15]

Vegan for the animals first, then the environment, and then everything else follows after.

[behindblueeyes]

Strictly ethics for me. Don't care much for the health, politics, whatever else.. Even though I probably should.

[tin_can]

No. 1: ethics re. animals. I am on board with protecting the environment also, but that's not what I think of as one of my reasons for being vegan.

[glovesforfoxes]

Ethics. Justice. & environmental concerns.

[Mollfie]

The animals. I don't want something to suffer so it can be my dinner/clothing/accessories/etc. That just doesn't make sense.

Everything else is a bonus.

[VeganLu]

Vegan because of THE ANIMALS. No other reason. Even if plant-based protein is not as good as meat protein (most likely not true, just propaganda), I still will be vegan for the rest of my life.

[leedsveg]

This is not to anybody in particular but if veganism is all about compassion (for animals both human and non-human) then all the 7 reasons noted are probably valid. If we're 'fighting an information battle' to convert omnis to veganism, why on earth should we restrict ourselves to using only 1 or 2 'weapons' from our 'armoury'?

(Sorry for the military terminology but I was brought up in the Salvation Army where such metaphors were used!)

lv:)

[VeganLu]

I notice that non-vegan people are open to a vegan diet when they learn of all the "health benefits" they would get from such a diet. I have a book called "Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating". I am sure lots of you have either heard of the book or have read it. Anyway, Erik Marcus, the author, I believe was brilliant in using the first half of the book to show all of the health benefits of eating a complete vegan diet, and than in the next half of the book he wallops the reader with the gory details of how food animals suffer horrendously to put food on the plate. This was my very first animal rights book and I think I chose a good one. I recommend it highly. I was already vegan when I read the book, but boy did I enjoy it (well not the second part, but you know what I mean).

[Von Starrdust]

Mainly for the animals. but also for my health now.

[VeganLu]

Hi Leedsveg:

Yes, all seven reasons apply to one becoming vegan, but I would venture to guess that most complete vegans are ethical vegans because they give up so much, not only in what they eat and do not eat, what they wear and do not wear, where they go and do not go for entertainment, what they use and do not use as far as personal and household products that test on animals or use animal products, how they rescue abused animals, if they are able to, on a moments notice, how they report animal abuse when they witness such abuse, who they listen to or not listen to on talk radio programs, and so much more. I was happy to find 2 people, one of which is on this forum, who feels that in 50 years, people will stop eating meat. I won't be around to see it, but there are times when I feel so fustrated and think that it will never happen because this world is all about money. For instance, why does each state have to have a zoo, and not only one zoo but many zoos in that one state. Zoos claim they are good for the animals because it educates people about animals that most people would never see in person. But these animals are taken from their natural environment, or they are raised for zoos. Most of the animals are living in a climate that is the complete opposite of the climate that they need and were originally from. It makes me sad to think that so many children are brought to zoos all over the world and enjoy seeing animals in a cage and not caring that they will be in that cage for the rest of their lives. I was taken to a zoo as a child too and did not give a thought about the animals' suffering. As an adult, I never went to a zoo again. Zoos are money making operations, and the suffering animals are making the money for people. Yet, people made a big thing over Michael Vick, the football quarterback that was caught running a dog fighting pit right at his home, and killing the dogs in such horrendous ways. Whether or not Michael Vick has been shown the way about animals, or if he just is faking it, what bothers me is that those very same people who thought that Vick was a monster, don't give a care about all the other LEGAL animal abuse activities that are going on, like rodeos, bull fighting, traveling petting zoos, horse drawn carriages in big cities, etc. I feel so sad when I go out in public and look at thousands of people caring about people, but not giving a rats ass about the suffering animals. Please don't get me wrong and think that I am being self-serving. I am just giving the reasons why I think that most vegans are ethical vegans.

On a lighter note, the below link is something to feel good about. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc&NR=1&feature=fvwp

[erynne936]

for the animals + for my health

it's a win-win! :)

[leedsveg]

Hi VeganLu

For the writer Joanne Stepaniak, veganism is much more than being nice to animals (and not using them for food or clothing).

As she says in 'Being Vegan'(pages 5+6)

'.... being vegan entail simply what a person does or doesn't eat - it comprises who a person is'

'People who are vegan attempt to imbue every aspect of their lives with an ethic of compassion.' [my emphasis]

'In the final analysis, despite our diversity, there is only one type of vegan - a person who is committed to and practises reverence and respect for all life. [my emphasis]

'Because vegan principles honor all living beings, our fellow humans must be equally respected and embraced, even though sometimes this can be one of the most difficult aspects of vegan practice.' [my emphasis]

I agree with what she says.

lv:thumbsup:

[VeganLu]

Hi Leedsveg:

I agree with Joanne also about "our fellow humans must be equally respected and embraced", but as she says, it is very hard sometimes to practice that respect. It gives us vegans a good image to tolerate most humans even though inside lots of them make me feel real bad. I like people for many reasons not relating to animals too, and human animals are capable of such goodness, yet they are also capable of such evil. Humans are so complex, it is amazing. But I love animals more, and, I love ethical vegans, so I do love lots of humans. :)

[VeganLu]

Another reason why I think the largest group of complete vegans are ethical vegans is - why else would anybody give up eating pizza for the rest of their lives? Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.

[MariaTrekker]

Animals deserve to live.