Oysters And Vegans?

In his article, Consider the Oyster, Christopher Cox makes an argument that Vegan's should and could eat oysters while still adhering to the moral code that prompted them to become vegan initially. This is because oysters can be grown sustainably, and in a way that is arguably pain free from growth to harvest.

Eating ethically is not a purity pissing contest, and the more vegans or vegetarians pretend that it is, the more their diets start to resemble mere fashion—and thus risk being dismissed as such. Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

Lucky for me I tried oysters once when I was 6 or 7 and almost vomited - Ive always hated all forms of seafood - so Ive never been tempted or felt deprived to ban oysters from my plate.

I found his argument supremely intriguing. How important is the "vegan" title and why must people be so quick to ostracize those who don't wear it as others see fit? Personally I do occasionally find myself taking pride in the title itself, worrying if something I do or eat will make me a hypocrite and undeserving of my pride. And I do find myself getting annoyed with people who "claim" to be vegan but make gross exceptions (yes turkey on Thanksgiving counts as an exception), like somehow that is what gives us a bad name. (I am much better about this now).

I have a theory that, personally, most of my attachment to the title stems from my desire to be taken seriously. As someone who is legitimate, committed, and not on some whimsical flight of fancy.  And it is easier to simply stay out of the grey zone when trying to eat ethically, and by doing so,  avoid the inevitable doubt and subsequent guilt that comes with my eating something questionable. I'd rather avoid the slippery slope all together than try to navigate it in a burst of over-confidence.

Additionally, I do often feel left out because of my difference in eating beliefs (I can not tell you how many staff bonding trips to In and Out have left me feeling anything but bonded) and therfore I cling to the notion of a vegan community where I am "accepted." But, as any sane vegan can tell you, feeling accepted in a vegan community is actually kinda difficult.

More and more often, as I watch the growth of hate all around us, I find myself thinking people can only be secure in their beliefs by proving to themselves that they are better at it than others - this is true for life philosophies or religions. There is this inherent social need to make an institution out of beliefs, to ground it in black and white rules, to emphasize exclusion rather than inclusion, to reduce everything into a mantra, to wield beliefs like a tool, and transform them into a platform for self aggrandizement. We use our religions and our philosophies to bring meaning into our lives and to give us a sense of importance.

Be it veganism or Buddhism or Catholicism, or whatever-ism, I truly feel we need to strive to let go of this need for group approval to achieve self-satisfaction. We need to be comfortable to let our belief structure sit undefined, to keep it individual. Moral codes and ethics are more about how you probe your mind, how you find peace within yourself, what your mode of thinking is and how you are able to extend your personal brand of goodness to others. Living a just/moral/ethical/spiritual life requires hard thinking, not the absence of it. Or rather - there is no short cut, no cliff notes, no list you can check off to assure yourself a gold star.

I really encourage both meat eaters and veggies to read this article and use it as a jumping point to analyze our own eating choices and white drives them.