[aus-vegan]

Breeders: *Breeds animals to be docile and lose survival instincts*

Breeders: Well we have to keep them, they can't survive in the wild!

Farmers: *Takes away or kills the calves who would have been drinking cow's milk*

Farmers: Look! Cows need to be milked or they'll be in pain!

Hunters: *Culls predators who would have kept deer numbers down*

Hunters: See? We have to kill deer to control the population!

[acti-veg]

I want to be vegan & I mostly am but Im addicted to milk and dont know how to get myself off of that I've drank it constantly my whole life and I'm 17 and go through 6 gallons a week and go through withdrawal like symptoms without it, what can I do?

This is the same position almost every vegan was in before they went vegan, so you’re not alone. It is likely that what you’re actually craving is high calories, fatty foods which are high in sugar, but you can get plant milks that are like that. Just slowly ease into it, bring your milk consumption down over time, and replace some of those gallons with almond, cashew or soy milk, they have comparable textures, and with a nut milk like cashew or almond you’re getting healthy fats to replace the fats in dairy milk. Over a few weeks you’ll be able to get your milk consumption down to the point where you can easily give it up. Your body has no need for the breast-milk of another species, it will adapt, I promise you that. 

[working-class-vegan]

Milk protein actually breaks down into casomorphin when digested, which is an opioid (i.e. has similar effects to things like heroin, morphine, etc.). So you very likely are addicted to milk, especially if you’re going through 6 gallons a week.

Also, despite what the dairy industry has been telling us, recent research shows that it can actually be harmful for bone health instead of beneficial as previously thought. Consuming that much milk could be very damaging to your health.

[aus-vegan]

I'm interested, do you have any sources that show that casein is broken down into casomorphin in digestion in amounts that would bind opioid receptors? Or have you just heard vegans on tumblr saying it? All of the research I've been able to find says that it either isn't broken down, or that it is in tiny amounts that are nowhere near the EC50 for opiod receptors. I'm interested if you have something that says otherwise??

[aus-vegan]

There's no rational argument against veganism

If you write a list of the pros and cons to eating animals, you’ll find that pretty much the only thing you’ll have in the pros column is taste. In the cons column you’ll find a long list of ethical, environmental and health reasons to avoid animal products. But people ignore all of these facts in favour if the one measly pro: taste.

Highly irrational.

[myragewillendworlds]

Except for that little fact that human beings are omnivorous.

But let’s just simply forget about human nature and force unnatural eating habits onto everyone. That’s “rational.”

[hawkeyedflame]

Holy shit, if I gave enough of a shit at this particular moment I would absolutely obliterate you with facts to prove that you’re ignorant as fuck. Like, for example, the fact that our bodies are built to be omnivorous. We have a medium-length digestive tract (carnivores have short tracts while herbivores have long ones) and no rumination capability–contrary to past belief, the appendix is not a vestigial organ housing bacteria for rumination, but rather an organ still in use designed to repopulate our gut flora when illness wipes it out; we posses forward-facing eyes, unlike herbivores, whose eyes are on either side of the head to expand range of vision and aid in their ability to sense and escape predators; while our mouth produces amylase designed to break down sugars, our stomach produces hydrochloric acid to break down meat and our pancreas secretes enzymes equipped to digest a wide variety of food materials; our jaws chew in an up-and-down fashion like those of carnivores rather than the rotary motion of herbivores, but we have molars designed to chew tough plant matter, indicating that our mouths are capable of handling many types of food. I could go on and on about why our bodies are provably designed to be omnivorous and why it’s a healthier way to live, even without informing you that we have evidence dating back over 2.5 million years indicating that early hominids were omnivores.

But I’m not in the mood. Maybe another time.

[aus-vegan]

Oh no I’ve been OBLITERATED with facts that aren’t relevant from some smug douche who thinks because he took a first year bio course he knows everything about everything.

Everyone knows we’re omnivores. You didn’t need to trouble yourself by copying down ‘Evolution for dummies’ into your post. So what? Omnivores can easily and healthily survive on plants only. Exhibit A: the fact that i’m alive and healthy. As are thousands of other vegans. It’s a moral question not a scientific one. We can survive on plants so it’s more ethical to not kill anything when we don’t need to.

Ps most studies now show that higher animal protein intake is correlated with all cause and cause specific mortality so is meat lyf really a healthier way to live you little scientist?

[hawkeyedflame]

“Took a first year bio course.” My buddy my pal I am less than a year away from a biology degree. What’s your degree? “He” I’m a girl, good try. “Exhibit A” I’d love to see your blood tests. I’d also like to see what supplements you take. I’m willing to bet that your B-12 is low, and/or that you have to take supplements for it. I’d also wager that your Vitamin D3 is not doing so hot, since, you know, saturated fat is a crucial component of D3 synthesis. Oh and your iron! I almost forgot. How’s your iron? What about your triglycerides? EPA/DHA?

The drivel from your last paragraph is categorically false. The common misconception that animal products are causative factors in diseases such as heart disease stems from an unscientific study with a small sample size, disregarded contradictory data, and no control group.

Also, I said I WOULD obliterate you. As in, in the future. What I wrote out above was just physiological information that proves humans are designed to be omnivores. And since your brains are apparently atrophied from your vegan diet, I guess I should point out that form follows function and our bodies are designed to be omnivorous; therefore we require an omnivorous diet. Evolution does away with unnecessary traits. If we didn’t need to eat animal products, we wouldn’t produce hydrochloric acid in our stomachs. It would be a waste of important energy. Yet for millions, actual millions, of years, our bodies have produced HCl in the stomach for the sole purpose of beginning the digestive process for animal products. In fact, the theory goes that eating fish is the reason why our brains began to grow in the first place.

And you think that, in your single lifetime, you can thrive on ignoring everything your body demands? How fucking arrogant are you?

P.S. I actually am a scientist. I work in a microbiology lab. Know thine enemy. I have an about page for a reason.

[aus-vegan]

Having half a biology degree and being an RA in a micro lab doesn’t make you a scientist you nerd hahahha. I have a whole biology degree and would never call myself a scientist because that would be embarrassing af.

Iron, B12, D3, lipids and sugars are all within normal range thanks for asking!

I’m a post grad medical student and you lecturing me on medical science is really lame. It’s not ‘categorically false’, look at this months issue of JAMA internal medicine you loser, higher animal protein was associated with all cause mortality in a robust study and there’s plenty of others to back it up in the references that are good, well designed studies. You’re behind the times, it’s not even controversial in medical and dietetic circles that high meat consumption is bad for you. Everyone knows that? Yes, unplanned vegan diets can lead to deficiency but it is absolutely possible to have a completely balanced diet from plants only. Again, exhibit A; Me. I haven’t eaten an animal product for 3 years and as I said all bloods are fine.

Again, I agree we’re omnivorous you don’t need to keep reeling off evolutionary facts. I know. I also know that it’s possible to be completely healthy on only plants, it’s also possible to be sick as fuck from eating animals.

So with that in mind, ITS AN ETHICAL QUESTION, not a scientific one. Making your 0.75xundergrad biology degree irrelevant here.

Ps meat eaters can get B12, iron, and D3 deficiency too but you don’t go around asking everyone what their levels are. Just like I don’t ask you and your meaty buddies about your off the charts LDL.

[aus-vegan]

There's no rational argument against veganism

If you write a list of the pros and cons to eating animals, you’ll find that pretty much the only thing you’ll have in the pros column is taste. In the cons column you’ll find a long list of ethical, environmental and health reasons to avoid animal products. But people ignore all of these facts in favour if the one measly pro: taste.

Highly irrational.

[myragewillendworlds]

Except for that little fact that human beings are omnivorous.

But let’s just simply forget about human nature and force unnatural eating habits onto everyone. That’s “rational.”

[hawkeyedflame]

Holy shit, if I gave enough of a shit at this particular moment I would absolutely obliterate you with facts to prove that you’re ignorant as fuck. Like, for example, the fact that our bodies are built to be omnivorous. We have a medium-length digestive tract (carnivores have short tracts while herbivores have long ones) and no rumination capability–contrary to past belief, the appendix is not a vestigial organ housing bacteria for rumination, but rather an organ still in use designed to repopulate our gut flora when illness wipes it out; we posses forward-facing eyes, unlike herbivores, whose eyes are on either side of the head to expand range of vision and aid in their ability to sense and escape predators; while our mouth produces amylase designed to break down sugars, our stomach produces hydrochloric acid to break down meat and our pancreas secretes enzymes equipped to digest a wide variety of food materials; our jaws chew in an up-and-down fashion like those of carnivores rather than the rotary motion of herbivores, but we have molars designed to chew tough plant matter, indicating that our mouths are capable of handling many types of food. I could go on and on about why our bodies are provably designed to be omnivorous and why it’s a healthier way to live, even without informing you that we have evidence dating back over 2.5 million years indicating that early hominids were omnivores.

But I’m not in the mood. Maybe another time.

[aus-vegan]

Oh no I've been OBLITERATED with facts that aren't relevant from some smug douche who thinks because he took a first year bio course he knows everything about everything.

Everyone knows we're omnivores. You didn't need to trouble yourself by copying down 'Evolution for dummies' into your post. So what? Omnivores can easily and healthily survive on plants only. Exhibit A: the fact that i'm alive and healthy. As are thousands of other vegans. It's a moral question not a scientific one. We can survive on plants so it's more ethical to not kill anything when we don't need to.

Ps most studies now show that higher animal protein intake is correlated with all cause and cause specific mortality so is meat lyf really a healthier way to live you little scientist?

[your-virgin]

If you think your taste buds are so incredibly important that their pleasure outweighs the entire life and suffering of an innocent being I don’t even know how you can get offended when people question your morals.

[acti-veg]

Meat eaters who say veganism is expensive and simultaneously claim that they only buy organic, free range, locally sourced, pasture raised meat from farmers’ markets…

[acti-veg]

Even the “kindest” of farmers, the rare few who still run family farms, who genuinely do form bonds with the animals they rear, are committing an act of unconscionable cruelty. It doesn’t matter how “nicely” a farmer treats an animal, because at some point that animal is going to suffer the most vile betrayal imaginable. At some point; the human who they believe to be their friend is going to profit from their murder and dismemberment. They will pat them on the head, say their goodbyes and then load them onto a truck to the very same slaughterhouses that all those factory farmed animals end up in. They will knowingly send a young, healthy, sentient being, who they have bonded with, raised and named, to their death. All for money. And these people are the reason you think it’s ok to eat meat?

[xthegirlwithkaleidoscopeyesx]

The whole ‘White vegans’ thing really makes me lose my shit. It makes it seem like the vegan POC don’t have a voice at all, like we’re unthinkingly following some white person fad. Do you know how racist that makes you sound? Being compassionate and caring about animals is not a white person thing. Kindly fuck off with your pathetic methods of trying to discredit veganism.

[pinkcheesegreenghost-deactivate]

We exist!

[veganexplanations-blog]

Carnists completely ignore the people of color that are vegan or accuse them of being “tokens” and then say that veganism is racist?!?! If you are ignoring or actively silencing the voices of black and brown people then YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND ACTUALLY LISTEN TO PEOPLE.

[aus-vegan]

Vegan: Well, if you think it's wrong to harm animals, why don't you stop harming animals by not eating them?

Carnist: Good point...let's change the subject.

[working-class-vegan]

I really don’t get why people say that a vegan diet has to be “properly planned” to be healthy. I literally just eat whatever I want. The only sort of thought I put into it is trying to have as much variety as possible, but that’s true of any diet. People use this idea as a way to reject veganism all the time, saying that it’s just too time consuming, too many extra steps to think so meticulously about what they eat to ensure proper nutrition, as if non-vegans never have issues with nutrient deficiency. 

[aus-vegan]

You do need to think about it though, you're being too dismissive of an important point. We need to purposefully incorporate some micronutrients that are low or non existent in plant food. Vegans have lower B12, Calcium, and iron than non-vegans on average. Also, maybe you don't have a problem with these, everyone is different and can have genetic differences that make them better or worse at absorbing nutrients so maybe you can just 'eat whatever you want' and not get sick but some people can't. I have had both B12 and Calcium deficiency since being vegan and have to actively incorporate these into my diet. Obviously meat eaters also get deficiencies but what sort of argument is that? Because they're sick we should be sick too? People use this as an excuse to dismiss veganism but I've also seen heaps of people who reckon they got sick from being vegan which means they probably weren't eating properly and now they kill animals again. Why not just be realistic and say it does require some extra effort and planning but it's pretty minimal and 100% worth it if you care about animals.

[jodiebarefootvegan]

[vegan-because-fuck-you-deactiva]

Everyone wants to talk about how bad sexist vegans (and PETA) are but when some asshole belittles a woman’s choice to no longer support the the cruelty of non human animals and literally makes it about his filthy dick, asking if she can still suck it and swallow his cum, you all go quiet???

Why is there hundreds of posts with thousands of notes on the former but basically none on the latter? Why is misogyny suddenly okay when it’s directed at vegans?

[soycrates]

“But LOL can vegans even swallow? Come on I’m not being sexist, I’m legitimately curious. I’m not being rude just answer my question about veganism: LOLOL will you eat my meat tho?”

[aus-vegan]

Tru

[veganeyebrows]

First rule of vegan club: never talk about vegan club because a non vegan will over hear and make twelve bad jokes about spotting the vegan, inform your currently living body that you will die without animal protein, question you about the sentience of lettuce and place you on an imaginary island that apparently has no edible vegetation whatsoever despite the animals roaming around.

[aus-vegan]

1. Eating bacon doesn't mean you support any kind of cruelty. Believe it or not, but some people are producing it themeselves and I they have more information about the animals death than you. 2. No one gives two shits about your love for pigs either

You're obviously very smart and know a lot about this topic, good comebacks man. No one 'produces bacon themselves' it's made out of dead pigs, meaning you have to fucking kill pigs to get it. I don't need to know anything about their death other than they died to make you a disgusting snack.You obviously do give two shits because you bothered to come here to write me a boring message that doesn't make any sense. Piss off ass hat the world doesn't revolve around you and your carcass food.

[aus-vegan]

You're going a little too far by implying that if you're not vegan, you're a villain. People are allowed to enjoy meat, you don't need to try and force your life styles on other people. You enjoy your grass, and we'll enjoy our healthy proteins.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I got this exact same message from some fuck face who thinks they've really got me by using this bullshit difference of opinion angle. Take your tired, tragic, illogical arguments and tell someone who cares because you're 'allowed' to do whatever you want, but i'm allowed to tell you that your 'lifestyle' is one in which you are the villain. You pay for animals to be imprisoned, tortured and murdered. If you want to defend that with nonsensical jokes about grass (which is ironically composed of protein, showing your embarrassing lack of knowledge of what protein even is) then go right ahead but I will never, ever, ever respect your disgusting practices.

[vegan-because-fuck-you-deactiva]

i think you're super cool but i mean dude people are allowed to have their own opinions on how and what they eat. i respect you for being vegan please try to respect me/others for NOT being vegan

I need to take a megaphone to the closest mountain top so I can scream this from the skies, in hope that this argument finally dies.

Difference in opinion DOES NOT warrant mutual respect. 

Your opinion defends everything that I stand against. 

Your opinion encourages the continuance of an institutionalized oppression that has an annual body count of 150 billion strong.

Your opinion takes the lives of loving, feeling, thinking sentient beings and reduces them to fucking nothing. Then you strip them of their victimhood by insisting this is just about what you put in your mouth.

Your opinion silences the screams of suffering bellowed out by those affected by it. So confident that nothing you are doing is wrong that you have the audacity to come to me and try to silence my words on behalf of them?

If you want some reassurance that you are allowed to have your opinion then go bask in the glow of the billions of others that share it with you and the society that encourages it. Don’t invade the place I come to hide and demand respect. Because you sure as fuck aren’t going to get any reassurance or respect from me because there is absolutely fucking NOTHING about your opinion worthy of respect.

[tarothound]

I just want to lock a bunch of vegans in a room with myself and scream “THIS IS A FUNERAL MOTHERFUCKERS!” as I eat an entire bucket of KFC in front of them.

[wiisaakodewinini]

Now, I remembered that this post existed via some weird, indirect cognitive chain of thought and I wanted to point out a couple things on it because this post is from over three years ago on my old blog (which has gone through a myriad of transformations), and let me be clear: I am the person in the original post.

I actually can’t believe this is me for one, I can’t believe I was this thoughtless and awful as a person and that I said something so violent and hateful towards the undeserving. 

I’m happily Vegan now, educated and thriving in the lifestyle.

I would probably start a fight with this iteration of myself, like seriously I’d deck myself if I could, because this me would deserve it.

This person was unbelievably uneducated, and had a very limited realm of experience and understanding into the subject, and I’m honestly not surprised I had this mentality back then because I basically fucking lived off ground beef and potatoes at this point. 

This person often felt very insecure when exposed to “Vegan Opinions”. In fact the reason I made this post was because someone had posted something informational and it made me upset because it challenged my ethics and contrasted them against something as personal as my diet, so the only logical reaction would to say something disgustingly offensive and malicious as a response - A mentality I absolutely have no empathy for anymore and deplore today and am subject to/argue against on a weekly basis. Past me even tagged this as “#vegan” and “#social justice” like what kind of an ASSHOLE??? 

I think most importantly though, this exemplifies hope for the cause; to know that I was able to come from an embarrassing, ignorant, and violent stance against the issue to being an active supporter of animal rights and choosing not to consume animal products in the name of animal welfare and unity is exceptionally comforting to me (even though acknowledging I had the capacity for this is unsettling). So while I may not be a typical case, and obviously not everyone like this is going to mature, educate and enlighten themselves enough to hold themselves accountable and make the difference, I certainly don’t think I’m the first to have this experience, and I absolutely believe I won’t be the last. I’m proud to be an example of how repeated exposure, education, and gained empathy toward the issue, as well as the efforts of those in the community can make meaningful changes for 1 person that affect hundreds of thousands of lives.

I’m going to tag @necessaryveganism because I think they’re a great resource and may be interested in sharing this!

[necessaryveganism]

This is awesome!

[aus-vegan]

This is so good i love it