I don’t particularly like being around animals. I don’t like petting them, hugging them, talking to them, hanging out on farms, or keeping pets. Sometimes it’s fun to play outside with friendly dogs, sure, but I’m much more comfortable fiddling with books, machinery, and technology. I’m also a vegan. Some people find this to be odd, so I ask: “Does this make me less vegan?” Certainly not!

Liking animals isn’t the only reason not to exploit them. I don’t necessarily like all of my coworkers, but that doesn’t mean they deserve to be kidnapped, enslaved, or murdered. We, as human beings, have the luxury of logical thought and moral decision. As such, it is out duty to use our gifts to defend all life, not just life that is convenient to defend. We have an obligation to protect the world from ourselves; this obligation drives the need to completely check out of the foul situation we presently find ourselves in. Similarly, approaching veganism as a healthy “lifestyle” may save animal lives, but it doesn’t correctly address the mindset that allows the system of exploitation to function. The veganism we partake in is a wholly different beast from what Oprah and her staff experimented with.

Our veganism is a serious, sober, and clear moral stance. It’s not a mere preference, hobby, green experiment, or fad diet. Rather, it’s a line in the sand that separates us from a culture that markets and monetizes atrocities on par with institutionalized rape and genocide. Billing it as anything less dilutes its urgency. For civilized beings, veganism is not a choice - it’s the only choice.