Submitted by An Animal-Friendly Life

All beings have an interest in continued existence. “Being” is, in fact, a noun meaning “existence”. To be is to exist. So, by definition, a being has an interest in continued being, or existence. Otherwise, that which we are describing is not a being at all.

Is there anyone reading this that believes animals are not beings? I would hope not. It is clear that animals are nonhuman beings, and it is clear that, being such, they have an inherent interest in continued existence. There are many who illogically claim otherwise, including a shocking number of pro-animal advocates.

It is important for us to recognize this basic interest that animals possess, like us humans, as it creates an obligation for us never to deprive them of continued existence unless we come into genuine conflict with them and our only means of continued existence is to deprive another being of continued existence (e.g., we are attacked with lethal force, etc.). This duty requires us to be vegan–to avoid harming animals and to avoid consuming animal-derived products, as they are not necessary for our own continued existence.

I’m continually amazed at the number of animal advocates who are not only not vegan, but who look at my veganism and completely miss the logical consistency, finding me extreme. I realize that our culture has thousands of years of cultural bias against animals stuffed into our brains, but if we are to continue to evolve, we really ought to get off our asses and stop regarding animals as things. Like us, they are beings.

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