Best way to explain that Animals really do suffer?

[Hog]

Is there a best way to tell people that animals really do suffer?

I hear some fairly crazy stuff. Here are some examples:
01. Just buy level 5 Whole Foods beef.
02. Of course they give farm animals anesthesia before they chop off their testicles.
03. Didn't you hear about how Temple Grandin transformed slaughterhouses into a highway to heaven?
04. Those videos are isolated examples.
05. Didn't you hear about how small farms are humane. You are so out of touch with the new reality.
06. We feed and take care of the animals for their entire lives. It is a small price to pay for an easy life. They do not have the stresses of a wild animal.
07. Animal abuse reduces profit margins.
08. Eat organic free-range chickens with access to outside.
09. Slaughterhouses are highly regulated.
10. It is an ugly necessity to get a complete protein.
11. Vegans are so out of touch with reality.

 

[Lou]

Is there a best way to tell people that animals really do suffer?

I hear some fairly crazy stuff. Here are some examples:
01. Just buy level 5 Whole Foods beef.
02. Of course they give farm animals anesthesia before they chop off their testicles.
03. Didn't you hear about how Temple Grandin transformed slaughterhouses into a highway to heaven?
04. Those videos are isolated examples.
05. Didn't you hear about how small farms are humane. You are so out of touch with the new reality.
06. We feed and take care of the animals for their entire lives. It is a small price to pay for an easy life. They do not have the stresses of a wild animal.
07. Animal abuse reduces profit margins.
08. Eat organic free-range chickens with access to outside.
09. Slaughterhouses are highly regulated.
10. It is an ugly necessity to get a complete protein.
11. Vegans are so out of touch with reality.

You must be spending a lot of time on Facebook or something. I've heard maybe 3 of those things.

If its on FaceBook you hear those things - just ignore it. There is no convincing those people.

If its actually someone you know and care about you could try having a discussion about it.

IMHO most Carnists don't even care about that stuff. they just want to eat hamburgers regardless.
Something like those statements come out of the mouths of vegan-haters. And I doubt there is anything you can say that will change their minds.

One good resource when I have run into people who are vegan curious but have some misconceptions is this one:

Eating Animals: Addressing Our Most Common Justifications

This in-depth article addresses the most common justifications people give for eating animals even when we have an abundance of plant-based alternatives.

freefromharm.org

 

[Tom L.]

@Hog I think I've probably heard all of those statements in one form or another. (mostly before I reached the tender age of... I dunno... 14? ) Ironically, I think hearing nonsense like that did a better job of converting me to vegetarianism than PeTA would have, had they been around then.

I might be wrong- but I think those who say or believe such things only do that because they give animal-treatment issues absolutely NO serious consideration. I don't think they would tolerate such sloppy non-reasoning with regard to anything they cared about. Then again, I might be mistaken about that too...

 

[Lou]

I might be wrong- but I think those who say or believe such things only do that because they give animal-treatment issues absolutely NO serious consideration. I don't think they would tolerate such sloppy non-reasoning with regard to anything they cared about. Then again, I might be mistaken about that too...

I don't know, they could be just ignorant and may be open to a discussion. But I think its more likely they are malicious and looking for an argument.

 

[Danielle]

The mass amount of meat that gets produced every day should be proof enough.