Are Oysters Vegan?

Posted by: mshurricane on: April 9, 2010

• In: Food
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A friend of mine suggested I read this article, asking me what I thought about eating oysters, being a vegan. I suggest, vegan or not, you read the article if you have five minutes to kill. The following is what I wrote in response.

So the vegan author, Christopher Cox, eats oysters because their farming has a low impact on their environment, they have no feelings, and they eat plankton. Looking beyond his oyster eating, I think he makes a good point about veganism when he said, “Eating ethically is not a purity pissing contest.” That it shouldn’t be about having an expansive roster of shit you can’t eat, trying to top other hardcore vegans, but rather you should do it because you believe it’s right. He thinks there’s no harm in oysters, and then there are some people who don’t like the idea of kombucha or yeast or honey. I think the word vegan has very many ways of being defined.

I try to be a good vegan, but some people may criticize me because my ten year old house-loafers are made of leather. Hell, I’m not throwing away those fucking loafers for at least another ten years. They’re very well made and I don’t want to trash them just to replace them with something new, and I feel fine about that justification. But then just yesterday I bought a pair of fake-leather boots and I feel guilty wearing them because they look so real. No, a cow didn’t suffer to lie beneath my feet, but it looks like one did and I wear these in public, therefore shouldn’t I be representing veganism in all facets? I feel almost like a traitor taking on the disguise of the enemy. I digress…

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE everyone to stop eating meat, but I would also love for there to be no more hunger, or AIDS, or childhood obesity, or rape, or natural disaster or juggalos. Truth is, there’s a lot of fucked up shit going down in this world. You need to pick your battles. Just do SOMETHING that makes a difference, something that you’re passionate about. Contribute to this fucking earth and don’t just act as a selfish parasite. That’s all I ask.

My point? Let the dude eat his fucking oysters, he’s doing enough as it is.

Tags: Vegan