You call one a pet the other is food
The only difference is your perception
what is speciesism
Cited from vegfestlondon 2020 https://www.vegfestlondon.com/blog/2019/4/29/what-is-speciesism
If you’ve never heard the term “speciesism” before, you’re not alone. It’s a term that often gets forgotten when society discusses forms of oppression. The most basic definition of speciesism is: Discrimination against other individuals based on which species they were born. A good way to understand discrimination based on species is by thinking about an individual’s species (i.e. human, dog, antelope, etc.) as being an identifying feature of the individual - the same way you would think of race, ability, age, class, etc as identifying characteristics. Discrimination based on race is called racism; discrimination by age is called ageism; and discrimination by species is called speciesism. The common element between all of these “isms” is that they are all forms of discrimination against a group of individuals for something that is out of their control.
Essentially, humans sometimes feel that because animals are different from us, we can treat/use them in whatever way we like because we see ourselves as the alleged ‘superior species.’ However, just because a dog is a dog, or a pig is a pig does not mean they do not want to live or that their suffering does not matter.
If you’re having a tough time wrapping your head around the concept, I again ask you to think of racism. Racism occurs when a particular feature - i.e. skin colour - is used as a means of establishing a hierarchy. People are placed on a figurative hierarchical ladder based on their skin colour - some people are at the top and other people are at the bottom. This means individuals can be oppressed/exploited based on the perceived value of an unchangeable physical feature. Similarly, in regards to speciesism, animals are exploited simply because they were born a different species.
An animal’s right and desire to live is disregarded and forgotten because they are not human, but not being human does not mean these individuals do not want to live their life. Just because these individuals are built differently than we are does not give us the right to objectify and exploit them.
Humans have found ways to turn animals into objects so that it is easier to use them for our own gain. Some examples are factory farming and horse racing. We need to reject parts of ideologies that allow for this objectification.
We need to see each animal as the individual they are, not as the object we have forced them to become!
I’m sure many of you have, or at least know, a dog or a cat or other animal. I am also sure that if I asked you if that animal has a personality, you would most definitely say yes.
Just like humans, they have needs, they have wants, and they want to live just as much as we do.
Essentially, humans sometimes feel that because animals are different from us, we can treat/use them in whatever way we like because we see ourselves as the alleged ‘superior species.’ However, just because a dog is a dog, or a pig is a pig does not mean they do not want to live or that their suffering does not matter.
If you’re having a tough time wrapping your head around the concept, I again ask you to think of racism. Racism occurs when a particular feature - i.e. skin colour - is used as a means of establishing a hierarchy. People are placed on a figurative hierarchical ladder based on their skin colour - some people are at the top and other people are at the bottom. This means individuals can be oppressed/exploited based on the perceived value of an unchangeable physical feature. Similarly, in regards to speciesism, animals are exploited simply because they were born a different species.
An animal’s right and desire to live is disregarded and forgotten because they are not human, but not being human does not mean these individuals do not want to live their life. Just because these individuals are built differently than we are does not give us the right to objectify and exploit them.
Humans have found ways to turn animals into objects so that it is easier to use them for our own gain. Some examples are factory farming and horse racing. We need to reject parts of ideologies that allow for this objectification.
We need to see each animal as the individual they are, not as the object we have forced them to become!
I’m sure many of you have, or at least know, a dog or a cat or other animal. I am also sure that if I asked you if that animal has a personality, you would most definitely say yes.
Just like humans, they have needs, they have wants, and they want to live just as much as we do.
Its easy when you know how
A lot of people dont know this but for a cow to give milk they have to be pregnant, yip they dont just MAKE milk they had to have given birth to a baby. Every year thousands of cows are forcibly raped then had their babies taken away within 24 hours so you can have milk in your coffee when there are around 8 other milk options to choose from - its bizarre that we even drink milk that is intended for another baby. The baby boys are killed as they are of no use to the industry ie they can not make money so they go dehydrated starving sad and scared to the slaughterhouse, that is their whole existence and the mothers get sent for milking until the milk runs out, usually around a year where they are rapped again and the whole process is repeated because humans like the taste of milk . A cow will usually live for around 25 years but their lives in torture is around 4-5 years and after they stop producing they are then sent to the slaughterhouse where they are terrified forced down a tiny dark defecated hall to their ultimate death The dairy industry is one of the cruelest there is. Yes this does happen in NZ, if you would like to see general NZ agricultural practices CLICK here and I hope this might make you think twice before buying milk/cheese/eggs/meat/fish and yes honey but be warned these images are hard to watch.
There is abundant information online for what you can eat or how to and below we have listed some people to follow some documentaries to watch and even a site where you can join and be mentored and helped to become vegan. Once you know it is so easy and you will feel amazing.
A lot of people dont know this but for a cow to give milk they have to be pregnant, yip they dont just MAKE milk they had to have given birth to a baby. Every year thousands of cows are forcibly raped then had their babies taken away within 24 hours so you can have milk in your coffee when there are around 8 other milk options to choose from - its bizarre that we even drink milk that is intended for another baby. The baby boys are killed as they are of no use to the industry ie they can not make money so they go dehydrated starving sad and scared to the slaughterhouse, that is their whole existence and the mothers get sent for milking until the milk runs out, usually around a year where they are rapped again and the whole process is repeated because humans like the taste of milk . A cow will usually live for around 25 years but their lives in torture is around 4-5 years and after they stop producing they are then sent to the slaughterhouse where they are terrified forced down a tiny dark defecated hall to their ultimate death The dairy industry is one of the cruelest there is. Yes this does happen in NZ, if you would like to see general NZ agricultural practices CLICK here and I hope this might make you think twice before buying milk/cheese/eggs/meat/fish and yes honey but be warned these images are hard to watch.
There is abundant information online for what you can eat or how to and below we have listed some people to follow some documentaries to watch and even a site where you can join and be mentored and helped to become vegan. Once you know it is so easy and you will feel amazing.
click here for a vegan calculator
This will show you how you save the world by not eating animals
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