Is Vegnism "Extreme"?: Excerpt from Eat LIke you Care by Gary Francione and Anna Charlton

I've experienced all sorts of reactions to both my vegetarianism and, more recently, my veganism. Most of them thoughtful and reposed. Some of them supportive. Others defensive or dismissive. A few filled with vitriol and anger. Expressing viewpoints in opposition to the dominant view is always considered "extreme." Have I been on a soap box about animals lately? Yes, I most certainly have. I am willing to stand by my conviction. But let's think about what "extreme" really looks like:

• What is extreme is eating decomposing flesh, milk produced for the young of another species, and the unfertilized eggs of birds. 

• What is extreme is that we regard some animals as members of our family while, at the same time, we stick forks into the corpses of other animals. 

• What is extreme is thinking that it is morally acceptable to inflict suffering and death on other sentient creatures simply because we enjoy the taste of animal products. 

• What is extreme is that we say that we recognize that “unnecessary” suffering and death cannot be morally justified and then we proceed to engage in exploitation on a daily basis that is completely unnecessary. 

• What is extreme is that we excoriate people like Michael Vick while we continue to eat animal products. What is extreme is pretending to embrace peace while we make violence, suffering, torture and death a daily part of our lives. 

• What is extreme is that we say we care about animals and we believe that they are members of the moral community , but we sponsor, support , encourage and promote “happy” meat/ dairy labeling schemes. 

• What is extreme is not eating flesh but continuing to consume dairy when there is absolutely no rational distinction between meat and dairy (or other animal products). There is as much suffering and death in dairy, eggs, etc., as there is in meat. 

• What is extreme is that we are consuming a diet that is causing disease and resulting in ecological disaster. 

• What is extreme is that we encourage our children to love animals at the same time that we teach them those whom they love can also be those whom they harm. 

• We teach our children that loving others is consistent with hurting them. That is truly extreme— and very sad. 

• What is extreme is the fantasy that we will ever find our moral compass with respect to animals as long as they are on our tables. 

• What is extreme is that we say we care about animals but we continue to eat animals and animal products.
 

Which is the more rational view after all?

Francione, Gary; Charlton, Anna (2013-06-24). Eat Like You Care: An Examination of the Morality of Eating Animals (Kindle Locations 1555-1565). Exempla Press. Kindle Edition.