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September 17, 2008
Vegan Outreach exists to prevent as much cruelty
to animals as possible. Because of this, we don’t
seek to glorify veganism, make vegans proud, or build
up a vegan club. Rather, we focus on honest, effective
outreach to new people on behalf of the animals, because
non-vegans are the only people who can prevent more
suffering.
This outreach doesn’t take place in a vegan
world, where we control the message and are able to
put our spin on everything. The people we need to
reach live in a meat-eating world where the system
is set up to defend and promote the status quo. We
may not like this, but complaining that the deck is
stacked against us doesn’t do the animals any
good – we must do our best to create as much
change as possible, given the world as it is.
Two weeks ago, Vegan Outreach ran a link in our enewsletter:
“Better to know: Two-Egg
Diet Cracks Cholesterol Issue.” In the study,
two groups were put on a reduced-calorie diet, with
one group consuming 2 eggs a day and the other consuming
no eggs. The study concluded eggs had no effect on
cholesterol levels.
Of course, vegans might try to point to the reduced-calorie
diet (which both groups were on), but the vegan
spin is irrelevant. All that matters is what
the non-vegan public hears and believes. They won’t
think, “Oh, this vegan says a restricted-calorie
diet is a confounding factor, so I won't eat eggs,”
but rather, “Eggs are not unhealthy! Of course
a vegan is going to try to spin it.”
For reasons discussed
elsewhere, Vegan Outreach opposes lies, exaggerations,
and selectively choosing “facts.” We published
the link to the egg study because it is important
for advocates to know what the non-vegans –
our target audience – hear and believe. Not
so we can try to counter with our own “statistics”
– whenever vegans try to engage in a “he-said
/ she-said” debate with non-vegans, the
animals will inevitably lose. (Furthermore, as
more people speak up for the animals, there will be
increasing backlash like this
– all the more reason to get your B12
and work for optimal
health!)
We need to know what is being said so we can avoid
getting into debates that distract from the real issue.
If we are concerned with more than self-justification
and vegan glorification, and instead seek to be as
effective as possible for the animals, we must always
advocate the indisputable
bottom line:
- Buying meat, eggs,
and dairy causes unnecessary suffering.
- We can each choose not to cause this suffering.
-Matt Ball
See also: Got
Health? including postscripts.
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