The Smug Vegan re: Mercy for Plants

Anonymous Flame Baiter (Internet_Dude) wrote:

Why do vegans feel so smug about killing poor defenseless plants that have no mouth to scream? They suffer, too!

Sigh. The topic of mercy for plants comes up repeatedly... of course it is just flame bait but I will bite.

1. Since plants have no brains, no families, no faces, and no emotions, I believe it's safe to assume they aren't suffering.
2. Furthermore, many plants give freely of their fruits & vegetables without needing to be killed.
3. Those plants that do need to be killed for harvest were about to die anyways (it's called "winter" and these plants are called "annuals")
4. Harvesting vegetables and grains kills bugs. So sorry, this is a practical reality. Buy organic to reduce the impact on insect species, and see #5.
5. Finally, if you truly do believe in mercy for plants; then you should still be vegan or vegetarian, because livestock eat far more plants than humans do.

There is no mystical "circle of life". Killing and suffering are not necessary or unavoidable, and manure is not needed to make great compost. Animal agriculture is simply not necessary. You can't end animal suffering through "moderation"; you can only end it through animal welfare reform, enforcement, and ultimately boycotting animal products!

So, to answer your question, Anonymous Flame Baiter, we vegans are smug because not only are we right ;) but there is also no burden of suffering from choosing to "kill" and eat plants.