Why Are Vegans So Damn Angry?

So today I was scrolling through my Twitter feed and spotted a thread by @C_Anderson1998 titled Why Are Vegans So Angry? And it really inspired me to touch on the subject even more. Non-vegans are constantly wondering why we're so angry all the time - they seem to think being vegan is just fad diet that we're trying to push onto everyone else. What they don't realise is that there's more to it than that - it's also about animals, the planet and even humans! And it's a serious matter.

Before I get into this blog post I just wanted to add a trigger warning. I will add no graphic videos or photos but some words I use may be triggering so please do take caution when reading this. 

The vast majority of people who decide to go vegan do it out of guilt. The guilt that they are bringing harm to another living being. But the non-vegans don't truly know what happens at a factory farm.

Factory farming


What is a factory farm?
It's a large-scale industrial operation that houses thousands of animals that are then made into "food" - such as chickens, turkeys, cows, and pigs. They get treated with antibiotics to prevent disease and maximise their growth and food output.

Most factory-farmed pigs and chickens have no access to the outdoors and have never had the beautiful honour of seeing daylight, kept in small cages and have no room to move around or lie down comfortably. Beef and dairy cows do spend time outside, however, they are confined to feedlots with no access to grass, which is what they are supposed to be eating.

The farmers wait for no one. The animals are fed antibiotics to grow faster and to keep them alive in these unsanitary conditions. A study showed that factory farms' widespread use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that threaten human health. Nice(!) Most animals on factory farms have been genetically manipulated to grow larger or to produce more milk and eggs than they're supposed to. Some chickens grow so ridiculously large that their legs cannot support their bodies, and they end up suffering from starvation and/or dehydration when they can't walk to reach their food and water.

Once they've been overworked so much that their bodies are worn out and can no longer produce milk/eggs, they're then put into crowded trucks and transported miles with no food and water - only to be slaughtered. At the slaughterhouse, those who survived the transport (yes, many of them die on the way) will have their throats slit while they're still conscious. Even then, some still remain conscious when they are put into scalding-hot water of the hair-removal tanks (how's that for humane?).

Fur 


Fur farms are another issue to be touched upon. Wearing animal products usually gets vegans angrier than animals that are killed for food. There's honestly no excuse for wearing an animal's fur. It belongs to them.

85% of the fur industry's skins come from animals on fur factory farms. They are often disgusting, filthy places where animals are usually kept in wire cages until they are killed for their beautiful fur. Like on factory farms where animals are raised for foods and to cut costs, fur farmers pack animals into unbelievably small cages, preventing them from walking properly or doing anything that is natural to them, like running, swimming, making nests, and finding mates.

Many animals go insane in these conditions, resulting in them to self-mutilate, biting at their skin, tail, and feet; frantically turning; and even eating their cagemates.

According to numerous investigations, animals in fur farms have eye infections, sores on their feet, missing limbs and festering, untreated open wounds (some are SO deep that their brains are visible), babies kept in cages with their dead mothers rotting away, and animals exhibiting neurotic behaviour. The method used to kill the animals include vaginal or anal electrocution, gassing and poisoning.

In 2000, fur farming was banned in the UK but still happens across Europe. Even if you buy fur in the UK, it doesn't necessarily mean the animal wasn't brought up on a fur farm in another country.

The fur industry in China is what makes me the sickest. There are no penalties for abusing animals for fur, and the victims include dogs and cats, some of whom may be abducted family companions. Do you love dogs and cats? Don't buy fur because there's no way of telling exactly who's skin you're wearing.

Also, be warned, a lot of supply chains are getting away with selling real fur but labelling it as faux.

Leather

Most people think leather is made from cows and is just a byproduct of the meat industry - but that's not the case. It's also made from pigs, goats, and sheep; exotic animals such as alligators, ostriches, and kangaroos; and even cats and dogs (like fur), who are slaughtered for their skin and meat in China, which exports their skins around the world, so don't think you're off the hook because you bought your leather from somewhere other than China. Leather is normally not labelled, so it's hard for you to know what animal it comes from. 

Shocking fact: According to a PETA investigation in India, they found that the workers break cows' tails and rub chilli peppers and tobacco in into their eyes in order to force them to get up and walk even after they've collapsed from exhaustion on the way to the slaughterhouse. 

Leather is also really bad for the environment, as it is one of the reasons for all the environmental destruction caused by the meat industry as well as the pollution caused by the toxins used in tanning.  

Think of it this way, with every leather item you buy, you are sentencing an animal to a lifetime of suffering and death. There are SO many vegan leather items out there that are no more expensive than real leather, there's no excuse! 

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I hope this has opened your mind as to why vegans are so angry and sometimes pushy. We don't do it to be annoying, we do it because we're frustrated and the frustration builds up. With this post I have only just scratched the surface, there are so many other disgusting things that happen to animals every day. If you're interested in finding out more, I recommend watching these documentaries:
  • Cowspiracy
  • Forks Over Knives
  • Vegucated 
  • What the Health
  • Food, Inc. 
  • Earthlings
  • Okja 
Some are even on Netflix, so they're very easy to find! 

May peace always be with you and your neighbour. 

Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions for future blog posts. I am also happy to answer any questions about veganism you may have.
💓 Phoebe xoxo 


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