Why do people get so worked up over "animal rights"?

Question

It's fine if people want to be vegetarian or vegan, but why try to push it onto others?

Answer 1

If you look at the posts written by Sophie H, phattmatt, Maggie M, and Jo, I think you'll see why some vegans get a bad rap. Now I am fully prepared to get thumbs down from all of these people and maybe others, and, they are welcome to bring it on, but hear this: I have absolutely nothing against vegetarians/animal rights activists. If you want to be veg, by all means be one. Everybody has a right to live according to their own beliefs, including people whose beliefs are different from yours. Some people believe it's wrong for them to contribute to the death of living things, and, therefore choose to be veg. So be it, that's fine for them, but some people feel differently, and that's fine too. I see posts on here all the time from vegans who complain about people not understanding their choice and constantly questioning it, and I can understand why. They've made their choice because it's what they believe is right for them, and people who are not veg feel the same way. I believe the majority of vegetarians are not out to convert the world and most people who eat meat, while they may not understand veganism, don't have a problem with people being vegetarian. They do, however, have a problem with vegetarians looking down upon them and being judgmental of them just because their beliefs differ. Like I said, I don't think most vegetarians are this way, but some of the posts on here do come across in that fashion. Some people are so fanatical about their own beliefs, they think their way has to be the only right way and that everybody should believe what they do. But just because you don't agree with someone's beliefs, doesn't make them wrong, nor it does it make you wrong, it just means you have different points of view. Diversity in beliefs is what makes the world the place it is. If everyone on earth thought the exact same way all the time, the world wouldn't be the interesting or productive place it is. So I'm not downing vegetarians or animal activists. They have every right to live the way they want and not face flack for it, and omnivores like me have the same right. It's like different religious faiths: to each his own. Accept you have your beliefs and other people have theirs. Live and let live.

Answer 2

i don't push it on to anyone.  in fact, more often meat eaters are pushing their diet and lifestyle on me.  why not just let me eat how i want to eat?  if you ask me why i'd be happy to tell you why... most meat eaters dont' seem to even know how their meat got to their plate... but if you ask me and i tell you and you don't like it that's not my fault....

Answer 3

Well,that's a bit like asking "why do people get worked up over human rights?".

Who decided that animals were lesser mortals than humans?.

We are all equal,animals,yes,in case you missed that class we are all animals.

I have never met a veggie or vegan who tried to push their views on others,and ive been a veggie over 40 years.

Sadly the same cant be said of meat eaters who are always trying to get a rise from us who think as animals as equals and could no more eat them than eat our kids or parents.

Funny it never ceases to amaze me how many meat eaters come in to the vegan/veggie page to ask the same boring questions,maybe too much meat clogs the brain as well as the arteries.lol.  

Answer 4

It can be very frustrating for some people, who are so passionatly wrapped up in their beleifs while there are so many people oblivious and uncaring about them. Ofcourse their going to try and convince and persuade others too see their point of view, understand their believes and be proactive about creating the change they would like to see. Everyone does it, not only people concerned for animals.  

Answer 5

A few people can't stand the fact that other people have different beliefs and will not rest until everyone come around to their way of thinking.  It's the same as the minority of religious people trying to convert heathens.

Answer 6

Alot of the time people aren't trying to push it onto others

I think you will find us vegans and vegetarians are the ones

that have people often try to force thier beleives onto us.

But you see often we get "oh why do that? its stupid" and

c**p like that, there's a diffrence between standing up for

what you beleive and pushing what you beleive onto somone

Anyway people don't usually know the diffrence between

defending yourself and forcing it on others.

Answer 7

Those people you refer to are either children who think they have found the holy grail or just with child like minds. They think they are the pioneers with what they have learned (mostly from a youtube or peta video) and want to "share" their  "discovery". But you will see a lot of sensible adults with whom you can have worthwile discussion.

Answer 8

i love meat and can see where your coming from. i don't appreciate when people criticize people for eating meat. the answerer above said its like eating or cat or dog. hello what would we eat if there wasn't yummy steak, hamburgers and hot dogs. some people just overreact to the fact your eating a animal. my gosh then what do they think about fish eating other fish or vultures eating dead stuff on the road!!! its life live it and love MEAT.    

Answer 9

i don't try to push it onto other people

i defend myself when people attack my beliefs but i would never tell someone they have to be vegetarian/vegan.

Answer 10

I don't push my opinions on others, tbh I don't give a rats *** what you or anyone else believe in or are against. A few little people who have no regard for animals are of no importance.

I will do everything in my power to stop animal cruelty and, whether you like it or not, animal cruelty is a crime so it's actually the law that's forcing this on you.

Answer 11

because of people like you  

Answer 12

because no one should be eating animals, they're living creatures just likes us. would you eat another human?

just because they're different animals, it doesn't make it okay to eat them.

would you eat your dog or cat?

don't think so.

Answer 13

we want to share our cruelty free lifestyle, it is the right way. why would anyone want to eat an innocent creature?

Answer 14

I don't try to push it on others, but I do see why others do.  It is very frustrating, at least for me, to know that there are BILLIONS of animals severly suffering every single day so people can eat them.  And it really breaks my heart that there are so many people out there who just don't give a d**n.  Almost everybody I know is like that, and if they do care well "the meat just tastes too good" so they don't want to know what is happening to the animals so they can feel ok about eating them.  People have actually said that to me.

Answer 15

Imagine saying to someone, “If you don’t want to beat your child, that’s fine. But, don’t tell me not to beat mine.” The very nature of reform movements is to tell others what to do -- don’t use humans as slaves, don’t sexually harass women, etc. -- and all movements initially encounter opposition from people who want to continue to take part in the criticized behavior.

As long as billions of animals are suffering and being slaughtered (often while fully conscious), I will do my best to promote vegetarianism and veganism. I don't push it on people who are clearly not interested, but I do hand out leaflets and put up flyers to spread the word about factory farming.