V-EGANISM's Official Mission Statement

I needed to create a detailed, official, mission statement for V-EGANISM. This following statement will also be located at the top of this web blog permanently.

There are animal welfare vegans and animal abolition vegans. V-EGANISM is neither. Just as there are positive things and negative things about conservatives and liberals, there are positive things and negative things about welfarists and abolitionists. V-EGANISM avoids all 4 "political parties", and remains as an independent in thoughts and actions, only choosing what is right and just for animals, humans, and the environment. V-EGANISM however does have a mission statement which is how the founder of veganism, Donald Watson, originally coined the word's definition. It was a perfect definition then and it still is a perfect definition now! So the following paragraph is V-EGANISM's official Mission Statement--and nothing more, nothing less, we are simply called, "Vegans", with no additives:

"V-EGANISM educates people and helps people and animals regarding the political and social justice cause, Veganism, which is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude--as far as is possible and practicable--all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, cosmetics, household products, entertainment, services or any other purposes; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals, and the environment."

How I Define Veganism First and Foremost

When I say I'm vegan, I'm now defining it in the most serious of terms, to get it through people's heads it's not just some fad. So I define vegan as (which it is) a political, social justice movement. This definition, in my opinion, makes it sound a lot more powerful, and places it where it deserves, alongside other issues like, pro-life/pro-choice, human rights, GLBTQ rights, etc. which are also political, social justice movements. Then if I talk further with the person, I go into detail what veganism is all about.

People never say they are, for instance, pro-life, for human rights, etc., because of ethical reasons. Why should animal rights activists?

Saying words like "ethical", "philosophical", (or "plant-based", which is a term I have never used) just doesn't hold power like saying "political" and "social justice"; there seems to be more respect when those two words are stated. This is from my own personal experience when I speak to people.

So I tell people I'm vegan for political, social justice reasons.

Pro-Life (like Pro-Animal) is Being Liberal

For many years, I have considered myself an Independent, politically speaking. But there are times when doing my market research work where that answer isn't quite good enough so they ask, well, which side do I lean toward--Conservative or Liberal? And I still could not answer.

The main reason why I have not made up my mind is because of two huge issues that are most important to me in this world: The life of an animal and the life of an unborn human.

Politically (and unfortunately), these two issues commonly fall this way: If one is a vegan/animal rights person then they are liberal. If one is pro-life then they are conservative. Hence my dilemma. But after really thinking about it, I have decided that they are both on the same side. They both are about fighting for the lives of living beings. So now, which side are they both on? The conservative side or the liberal side?

I believe they are both on the liberal side, as liberals are more likely (generally speaking, as a whole) accepting of anyone and everyone, regardless of who they are, than conservatives; so this makes sense to include as liberal thinking: animal rights and human rights--including the unborn rights. It makes sense to me that it would be liberal to be pro-life.

I believe every innocent being has the right to live, survive, thrive, be free and given a chance to pursue their own happiness, regardless of age, nationality, race, creed, ethnicity, species, born and unborn.

Next time this question comes up to me, I'll say I'm Independent, but I lean more toward being liberal.