Veganism, Vegetarianism, and Everything in Between

One of the greatest sources of inauthenticity in our modern American society (and western society for that matter) is our consumption of animals and animal products. We espouse our love for animals, as manifested through nearly 94 million American households that contain some sort of pet (that discussion is a whole can of worms in itself, with nearly 10 million animals dying from neglect or abuse each year in the United States) in 2025. We also know that humans are not singular in their capacity to feel pain, grief, loss, and sadness. Yet we consume slaughtered animals and animal products on a daily basis and are complicit to an industry that has little to no interest in the wellbeing of animals in general. We claim to care about animals, so why do we contribute so much to their suffering? There is so much cognitive dissonance between the American diet and conscience, and that begs the question: why live with so much hypocrisy?

We have a human capacity to make a more perfect society where killing animals is completely unnecessary, and why can’t we manifest this? It quite literally makes absolutely no sense to me beyond the preservation of important dietary traditions. However, I argue that a truly self respecting society should look beyond antiquated tradition when morality requires it.

When something is the cultural norm, it is easier to acquiesce rather than fight against the tide. But this is hardly believable with something as personal and individualistic as diet. You would think that more adults would be able to make more morally-aligned decisions in an area that is almost solely dictated by their individual actions and beliefs. Sure, most likely your friends and family will find you to be a pain in the ass to go out to a restaurant with, but nothing is stopping you from cooking and bringing your own meal to a restaurant.

What is the most moral relationship between animals and humans? I argue the most moral relationship between animals and humans is one that minimizes the human hand in animal suffering, and our consumption of animals and animal products must end in order for us to achieve this. Whatever else nature has in course is not for us to dictate as right or wrong.