Why do people say you're a hypocrite if you're animal rights but not vegan?

Question

Why do people say you're a hypocrite if you're animal rights but not vegan?

Answer 1

Ninety percent of animals exploited in the U.S. are used in the food industry.  I'd like to think that among the rights animals should have is the right not to have pieces of them cut off without anesthetic, not to be crammed into smaller spaces, and not be killed for the sake of someone's tastebuds!  Especially since we don't need meat at all to be healthy.

Answer 2

Because they are jerks and think that just because they don't eat meat or any animal by-products that makes them better than the rest of us. Sorry, but this world would be waaay too overpopulated with animals if no one ate them.  

Answer 3

Because of decadence

Answer 4

Well, because you are.  If you believe that animals have rights as sentient beings, then you would not support enslaving them in inhumane, uncomfortable and downright cruel conditions in order to drink their milk or eat their eggs.  The dairy cow is abused far more than the beef cow.  And every dairy cow that doesn't die of disease or exhaustion or infection dies in a slaughter house and becomes beef.

I guess "hypocrite" is a little strong.  I would say that an animal rights activist who isn't a vegan is not committed all the way.  It's a process.  Most AR people make their way gradually to veganism.  I did.

I discovered that cheese is NOT vegetarian and that changed everything.

Answer 5

Well some people say that, but I am not sure what people do.

Yes, it can come across as if you are a hypocrite because it seems a little wrong for an animal rights activist to eat animals, but not all of them are. Some are just really sheltered and don't know what goes on in those slaughter houses.

People say this because they think that since you are an animal rights' activist, that you should be concerned about animal welfare, which they do, but I guess that don't enough.

=)

Answer 6

Because they have a different idea of what it means to support animal rights. To them, the idea is, "How can you say you support animal rights if you contribute to their exploitation?"

Answer 7

Because animal rights involves the right not to be imprisoned, the right not to be exploited, the right not to be tortured, the right not to be forced into reproduction, the right not to be slaughtered and the right not to be eaten.

If you're doing all of these things by eating meat and animal byproducts, exactly which "animal rights" do you believe in?

Answer 8

Idiocy

Answer 9

Hmm... I'm not sure :/ If vegans are telling you this, they probably are trying to tell you that the dairy and egg industy can be cruel. If meat eaters are tell you this, then they are probably trying to make fun of you or something like that. Idk...

Answer 10

because, to many and most vegans, it's like saying, 'i love animals!' and then eating your quarter pounder. sure, consuming other animal products isn't eating flesh, but an animal rights activist would stand up for animals being treated cruelly for milk and eggs

Answer 11

How can you be for animal rights and not be at least a vegetarian? It is hypocritical! But as human beings, we tend to hone in on particular issues instead of seeing the broad picture.

I do get puzzled about vegans who claim that it is impossible for dairy cows and chicken not to be mistreated, even if it's an organic farm. I would think that a small farm is not gonna have crowded conditions, compared to a factory farm. Can any vegans clue me in?

Answer 12

'Starry eyed' -please think before you make such unfounded statements.  How would the world become overpopulated with animals if people didn't eat them?  Do you think farm animals just 'naturally' reproduce in the numbers we maintain?

Sorry, it doesn't work like that.  We breed them, if we stop eating them, we will breed fewer of them.

Answer 13

People fail to understand that embracing any form of vegetarianism means to make an EFFORT to avoid supporting SOME cruelty / animal usage. Being pro-AR while not being a vegetarian is NOT hypocrisy. Putting forth NO effort is hypocrisy.