Defining Veg*nism

When listening to people talk about veganism and vegetarianism, I tend to hear different definitions of those words.


Here is the definition of vegetarian from Dictionary.com:

veg·e·tar·i·an / - Show Spelled Pronunciation[vej-i-tair-ee-uhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc. –adjective
2.
of or pertaining to vegetarianism or vegetarians.
3.
devoted to or advocating this practice.
4.
consisting solely of vegetables: vegetarian vegetable soup



Considering the above definitions, why would someone eat chicken and fish and call themselves vegetarian? It doesn't make any sense why a person would still eat animals and call themselves a vegetarian. Really think about it. If being a vegetarian were about not eating certain animals, we would all be vegetarian. I've never eaten goats, squirrels, or opossums, but if I did, then omitted them from my diet while eating other animals, it wouldn't make me a vegetarian. It would just make me a person who doesn't eat those particular animals. It is still an omnivorous diet if you eat chickens and fishes.

Here is the definition of veganism according to the American Vegan Society:



VEGANS (pronounced VEE-guns) Live on products of the plant kingdom.
Veganism is compassion in action. It is a philosophy, diet, and lifestyle.
Veganism is an advanced way of living in accordance with Reverence for Life, recognizing the rights of all living creatures, and extending to them the compassion, kindness, and justice exemplified in the Golden Rule.
Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and all other foods of animal origin.
Veganism also excludes animal products such as leather, wool, fur, and silk in clothing, upholstery, etc. Vegans usually make efforts to avoid the less-than-obvious animal oils, secretions, etc., in many products such as soaps, cosmetics, toiletries, household goods and other common commodities.


As you can see from the above definition, veganism is more than a diet, which is why I always say that no one becomes a vegan for health reasons. I tend to find people who call themselves vegan yet eat honey and wear/buy leather, silk, and wool. I have no judgement about people who wear animal skins (I don't agree with it either), but I don't think that we should dilute the meaning of these words. In the end, it makes it difficult for those who truly live this lifestyle. Here is an example - I used to eat lunch at a restaurant next to my job. I looked on the menu beforehand and found a dish that looked like it would be vegetarian if you left out the meat and eggs. I used to order it, and it was marked "vegetarian". I found out later that they use fish sauce in all of their noodle dishes. There was no indication on their menu that fish was in the dish at all. I also told a friend who is allergic to consuming sea animals. She occasionally ate there, and could have had a terrible allergic reaction from eating their food. As you see, incorrectly defining words can be a big problem. I see a lot of non-dairy cheeses that contain casein, but casein is derived from dairy. I think the purpose of words and language is communication, and the purpose of communication is to develop understanding. How can there be true understanding with the misuse of words?

I realize that how one defines oneself as veg*an may partly be a cultural issue. I have been living in the United States all of my life and I have access to a variety of plant foods from places all over this country as well as other countries. If I lived in a place where there was very little plant life, and depended on fish or other animals as sources of food, vegetarianism and veganism might be strange to me. Some people have never heard of veganism and many depend heavily on using animals for food, clothing, and transportation.

As an African American, I see within my own culture a lot of dilution of the words vegetarian and vegan. It seems more acceptable for people to call themselves vegetarian but eat some animals. The few who call themselves vegan seldom believe in the philosophy behind veganism, and only adhere to the diet (except for honey). I don't really see many African Americans who are what I would consider true vegans. I would like to know why that is the case. Do we as a community feel we have too many problems to worry about the problems of animals? Is it that we have so many health problems due to dietary issues that it is more important to make changes for our health, and not look at how our habits impact others as well? Is it that we, like most people, are speciesist, and believe that regardless of whether or not we eat them, animals are put here for us to use as we please? Can we not make the connection between the practices used to enslave our ancestors and the practices used to enslave non-human animals?

I think regardless of our reasons for being a vegetarian or vegan, we are making a statement by making a choice that goes against what most of us were taught. Simply by not eating animals, we send a message to those who do. It is important to look at how we define ourselves and why we use certain terms to define ourselves. When I define myself as vegan, I am saying that I believe in the concept of ahimsa (non-harming). I am saying that animals have the right to live their lives naturally, and that I care about what I put in and on my body. I am saying that I don't eat or use anything that comes from an animal. Calling myself a vegetarian does not communicate the same ideas. If you say you are a vegetarian at most restaurants, they will give you a meal covered in cheese. Let's think about the words we use to describe ourselves and how those words are defined.