Meatless Monday: The Green Light for Vegans to Impose Their Agenda
Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 11:11 AM 
If there is one thing I cannot stand, it would have to be faux activism. You know - the idea that one can change the world provided they do some feel good measure. For some, this faux activism materializes in a variety of ways.
Some Twitter users, for example, updated their avatars (in non-geek speak, this simply refers to their picture located next to every message) to have a greenish tinge to show their support for the citizens of Iran. While I support the plight of the people in Iran who, at best, are dealing with a dubious election - I do not feel changing the color of my profile picture will help them in the slightest. And you know, that is OK - no one is offended one way or the other. I choose to leave my photo as is, and others choose to tint theirs. That's fine. We're both in agreement that there was clearly something suspicious happening in Iran - and coloring or not coloring a photo really is a moot point. And yes, if it makes you feel better that you're showing support by coloring an image, I am not criticizing you or your decision. After all, an argument could be made that awareness of this problem on any level is the most important thing.
...but what happens when this faux activism goes too far? One of my biggest beefs arises when this faux activism begins to impact others. Often, there are organizations or individuals who insist on using "feel good" tactics to push along their agenda. That is to say, instead of acting in a meaningful and productive manner the decision is made to act symbolically instead. It is far easier, one could argue, to push along or impose a "feel good" measure in lieu of actually performing some kind of action.
As a carnivorous human being, I love to eat meat. I love hamburgers, steaks, pork chops, bacon, chicken...Basically anything that can make its way on top of my grill. And although I disagree with what I feel are completely crazed and ill-informed notions that hardcore Vegans believe, I can respectfully agree to disagree. In fact, one of the things I love is the freedom of choice-Vegans can enjoy food that suits their lifestyle, and I can enjoy food that fits my lifestyle.
But what happens if one side gets to impose its beliefs on the other? That is the idea behind Meatless Monday - an activism fad that has become the trendy bandwagon to hop on. The idea is that all meat products are removed from a menu for a given day - which as you may guess is Monday - to promote a healthier lifestyle and offer a silent protest on behalf of agenda-toting Vegans worldwide.
In theory, one could argue (either a Vegan or crazed hippy - take your pick) that this is a great step toward combating the evils of the meat industry, the abuse of animals in captivity, and is a better use of our resources. As a meat eater, I would argue that this is just another example of faux activism - and that any "savings" (which I will use this term loosely as the numbers provided are clearly subjective) really do not exist unless you live in a world where we consume Cows On Demand (COD).
Is removing meat as a menu option for a day going to make a difference? No. Is not consuming meat for a day going to save a cow from being turned into hamburger? No. Are we going to save money on feed and water for taking care of the animals destined for the meat packing plant? No - they will still need to be fed, to be taken care of, and ultimately trucked onward and upward to their final destination.
So then, what exactly is the point of Meatless Monday? Nothing, really - except to make a political peace offering to the extremists and let them impose their lifestyle and choices on others for a day. Great plan, really. Can you imagine what kind of Holy Hell would break loose if those who enjoy meat impose a must-have meat day? Why, that would be intolerant and imposing will on the minds of the free thinkers of the world! How rude and unacceptable is that??
Why wasn't an alternative solution considered? That is a great question - and unfortunately one that is unanswered by the supporters and/or imposers of Meatless Monday. After all, we could still offer choice and invite people to participate in this cause - no matter how superficial or ineffective it may be. But no, to share in this observance you must agree to impose beliefs on others. How wonderful is that?
One of the things that makes our existence as people - and as a nation - wonderful is that we are free to make choices as long as we accept the consequences of our actions. I would argue that the best freedoms we have are the freedom of speech and the freedom of choice. We are free to share our thoughts and ideas so that our message resonates within the listener. This freedom is important on any level of expression - including controversial and/or offensive topics. After all, one has the freedom to share their message as they deem necessary - knowing that someone else has that same freedom to debate their message and/or call them on inappropriate and incorrect information. And ultimately, at the end of the day we can peacefully agree to disagree and simply coexist in harmony.
To that end, I am calling out this faux activism for what it really is. Simply put, this has gone from "feel good" ideology to complete and utter extremist bullshit. Oh I am sorry - did that offend some of you? If so, the good news is it's just my opinion/feeling and I am happy to say that by this time tomorrow you will be over my remarks. But I digress. Because we live in a society where we can freely spend our dollars and support our beliefs, I do have some recourse. I am choosing to bring my meals instead of forcing myself to subscribe to this pure lunacy. This will help reduce my carbon footprint and contribute to sustainability because my wife has already used a car once to obtain our groceries. Also, I will not be financially supporting (no matter how meager my contribution is in the grand scheme) idiocy. It's a win-win for all involved.
Rob Brennan
Admittedly, I still think this is probably one of the dumbest ideas out there. However, the point has been made. There is a nice social part that the residencies bring about in the cafeteria, and it's not worth giving that up (except on Monday).
Reader Comments (1)
took the words right out of my mouth.
Right (write) on, brother!