A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE MEMORY OF DONALD WATSON (1910-2005), WHO FOUNDED THE VEGAN SOCIETY IN 1944 The Vegan Society has recently decided to explicitly disavow the idea of veganism as a moral imperative. In this essay, CEO Jasmin de Boo explains why: goo.gl/tDRIq2 According to CEO de Boo: Research shows that young people dont want to be talked at or made to feel guilty about issues, instead they want the freedom to choose for themselves, to come to their own conclusions and reach that moment of realisation. But creative, nonviolent vegan advocacy is not about talking at anyone or making anyone feel guilty. On the contrary. It is about helping people in a constructive and caring way to put into practice an idea that most people already have: that animals matter morally and that we have moral obligations that we owe directly to them. Its about recognizing that our moral concern about animals should be applied throughout our lives, and not just in sporadic moments when it feels good or fits in with some superficial concept of lifestyle. CEO de Boo sets up a false choice between making people feel guilty or promoting a most flexible version of flexible veganism. Those are not the only choices, unless, of course, one wants to defend marketing a flexitarian approach, which is what the new Vegan Society has clearly opted to do. Imagine where the civil rights movement would be if we had decided that market research showed that people did not like being made to feel guilty about racism so, instead, we promoted a treat a person of color nicely when you feel like it campaign. CEO de Boo explicitly adopts the language of the happy exploitation movement, claiming that many people won’t go vegan overnight. Well that’s no surprise, particularly given that none of the large animal charities--and now The Vegan Society--do not promote veganism as a moral imperative that grows out of a consistent moral commitment to justice and nonviolence, which, by the way, is explicitly what Donald Watson promoted. But the issue is not whether anyone does anything overnight. The issue is whether The Vegan Society should promote a clear moral message that veganism—whether achieved overnight or not—is the only rational response to the idea that most people already accept: that animals matter morally. The Vegan Society says that it will not promote that idea, instead opting for a celebration of non-veganism. CEO de Boo writes: Everyone is now free to embrace veganism, not only those who are already vegan, but those who are thinking about it and want to start bringing more plant-based dishes into their diet, or replace their leather shoes with vegan versions. That is an even looser version of flexible veganism than something like vegan before 6, which, although nonsensical, promotes not consuming animals for at least a part of the day. The Vegan Society under CEO de Boo has joined the other corporate charities that have abandoned the idea that there are meaningful moral principles that we are obligated to respect. But what these corporate charities do not seem to understand is that you dont effect a shift in moral paradigms by rejecting the idea that moral principles matter. In 1944, Donald Watson wrote: We can see quite plainly that our present civilisation is built on the exploitation of animals, just as past civilisations were built on the exploitation of slaves, and we believe the spiritual destiny of man is such that in time he will view with abhorrence the idea that men once fed on the products of animals bodies….A common criticism is that the time in not yet ripe for our reform. Can time ever be ripe for any reform unless it is ripened by human determination? Did Wilberforce wait for the ripening of time before he commenced his fight against slavery? In 2014, CEO de Boo writes: We are not here to tell people what to do or how to live. We are giving people the choice and the chance to join us. We are here to support anyone moving towards a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle. Its not all-or-nothing. Its about starting a conversation, or planting a seed. Seventy years separate Watson from CEO de Boo. The word progress does not come to mind. The Vegan Society has just joined the happy exploitation flexitarian movement. Please: a moment of silence for the memory of Donald Watson.
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 11:54:51 +0000
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