Veganism: the title vs the philosophy?

[My name]

Hey, first time posting ! I'll explain my situation a bit so the subject's clearer. I live in a meat-eating family, that wouldn't abandon this habit to save their lives. I decided to stop knowingly eating animal products a month ago. My parents have been, surprisingly, understanding and supportive and I absolutely can't complain about my situation. The thing is, I don't have the control over what they buy, so they sometimes make mistakes and buy things that seemingly don't contain animal byproducts, but do. As the reason for my new diet is mostly environmental(I am also not indifferent to animal cruelty), I feel like wasting that food would be against the spirit of that said diet, and that as a "vegan" the part I should stay away from is buying (encouraging) the animal production industry and that, once it's done, I have no more power. So, basically, I eat following a "vegan" diet, but struggling with waste. That's where the title comes into play, I found myself thinking: can I call myself Vegan? I follow the philosophy and diet, but once a week or two weeks, I make a mistake or don't want to create any evitable waste or trash so I'm constrained to eat animal byproduct? And I realised that the word was taking too much place, that the ethical reasoning was dimmed down by the appeal of the "trendy title". So I wondered if any of you ever looked at it the same way and what you consider "veganism": a really strict diet, or a philosophy and a will to change things?

 

[winston10]

I don't know how old you are or if you contribute to the household, but if the products you want cost significantly more than the ones they are buying and you don't have a way to pay the difference theres not much to do about it. Otherwise, I'd ask them to return the products or they can use them and specify what it is you really want them to buy. Many grocery stores will take back unopened merchandise even without a receipt. I wouldn't consume them using the rationalization that the damage is done so it doesn't matter. This is very similar to the rationalization of many that one person becoming a vegan isn't going to change anything so it doesn't matter.

 

[My name]

Like I said, I am not complaining nor blaming anybody for anything. Like I said in the original post, they don't buy stuff that don't fit my diet purposefully, they are just uninformed, wich is okay. They are learning as I am and it's perfect as it is. I feel like my point has been diluted here: it's not that it's bought so it doesn't matter, the point is, I read of multiple vegans throwing stuff in the trash because they realise too late it's not vegan and, to me, it doesn't quite solve the problem. The thing is that I felt like some vegans seemed like they had their eyes so close to the title, that when it came to remembering why they are and to make ethical choices, they didn't react well, that's why I posted in the first place .

 

[winston10]

I threw frozen meat in the trash when I decided to make the change. I'm just sharing with you my opinion, do what feels right for yourself. I think you want to know under these circumstances of sometimes eating meals with animal byproducts if you can consider yourself a "vegan" and in my book the answer is no. However, it's just a label.

 

[My name]

Absolutely, that is just a title. But could you help me to understand why you think it is better getting rid of and trashing animal products than eating them and never do again? The way is see your trashing of frozen meat is as an emancipation from meat, as a ritual-like thing which I don't think is necessarily wrong, but do not think it's mandatory either. I'd like to have a better understanding of why you see things the way you do.

 

[winston10]

It was meat nobody else in the house ate but me and once I decided to go vegan the decision was made that day. When I decided to quit tobacco in 1998 I never touched it again as well. I don't see anything wrong with being "mostly vegan" or being "mostly a non-smoker", it's just not how I approached either of these choices. Being someone who rarely eats meat beats someone who eats it daily in my book, so do what feels right. What feels right to me is not taking any part in the horrific atrocities commited against animals. I no longer share in that collective guilt, and it is freeing.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I don't like waste and it make sense to eat it rather than throw it away in my opinion as a general rule. It depends what we are talking about though, but don't throw something away because you inadvertently used one non vegan ingredient. Just don't buy that ingredient again. For things you already have in the house it's fine to eat them rather than throw them away, if that's what you want.

However, while I don't see an ethical problem with this, the term vegan implies someone pretty strict, for example many vegans would think that someone eating occassionally cheese once a week, or a honey flavoured breakfast cereal, is not vegan. Such a person would not call themselves vegan. If it is very occassional consumption of a small amount of animal product by mistake you can still call yourself vegan.

Feel free to tell us about some specific examples if you want to and I'll tell you what I think.

 

[My name]

Look, like I said, it is occasional in the sens that it's been a few weeks since I consumed anything animal byproducts. I never do it if there's a way out. In fact, I still have to pay respect to my parents who make such huge compromises, that go out of their way to give me the chance to not eat animal products, but that sometimes, occasionally make mistakes. I do not regularly consume animal byproducts, I do it in last resort when it's my only option, because it really is the only option except not eating. Maybe it won't happen ever again, which would make me happy,maybe in two weeks, maybe in 6 months where the will buy something with animal mono/di glycerine or whatever and I feel like it would be unfair to not eat what my parents bought thinking they were doing something good, I try to teach them what to look for and they're very receptive, but they're human, they make mistakes, and I can only be grateful for their time and effort, so that's pretty much it!