by Aran M

Created on: August 03, 2009   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

As a vegan myself, I know how many questions people have about veganism, mainly because I've been asked most of them! Some people still don't even know what a vegan is and others just wonder why I would make such a lifestyle choice.

So let's start with the basics, what is a vegan? A vegan is someone who avoids as far as is practically possible all animal products including meat, milk and eggs but also non-food items such as leather and fur for ethical reasons. People that don't eat animal products for other reasons, e.g. health are referred to as eating a plant-based diet or being on a 'vegan diet' rather than as vegans.

For simplicity's sake for this article I am going to stick to understanding the former group. So we are talking about people that avoid all animal products because they care about non-human animals. But why do us vegans choose not to eat any animal products? Why not just be vegetarians avoiding only meat for example?

Well there are two points to address here firstly animals are killed in the milk and egg industry as well as the meat industry and secondly most vegans object to the use of animals as tools for human beings. Let me explain.

First off the killing of animals in the milk and egg industry. In the milk industry cows are artificially inseminated to keep milk flowing. The resulting calf if male is no good for milk production so he will be shot or used for veal. When the cow's milk production drops, they too are killed. In the egg industry male chicks who obviously can't lay eggs are gassed to death or thrown into high-speed grinders. Hens are also killed as there egg production drops, this is true regardless whether they come from so-called 'free-range' farms or not.

The above is the reason I first went vegan, but over time I have also come to understand the second point, animals are not ours to use. Animals are not ours to use? What do I mean by this? Whenever animals are kept for human benefit they are mistreated, why? Because they are considered property and not thinking feeling beings. I have come to the conclusion that animals are more than tools for our benefit they are beings with their own lives that are important to them. Essentially when I apply the 'do unto others' principle, I find I would not want to be kept in this way.

Animals are individuals that have feelings and the fact we have the power to control them does not mean we should. We are beings that can make ethical choices and taking from another just for our taste buds violates our own ethical principles. Might doesn't make right.

That's the real bare bones basics of veganism and I'm glad I got you thinking. But I know you have a lot more questions. How do I know this? Well I've had enough discussions on this topic to know you are unlikely to be satisfied with this basic explanation, so feel free to get back to me with all your questions - I'll do my best to answer them.

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