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I recently was called a “cruel person” by a now ex-friend for not immediately switching my diet to veganism. Throughout the conversation, this individual would not listen to my reasoning such as being anemic, financially unable, and constrained by time. Not listening to any reply I sent, they said there is no “grey area” to not eating veganism. In my opinion, demanding someone to change their entire diet on someone else’s morals and ideals is classist.
In the scholarly article Introduction to Social Class and Classism in Counseling Psychology, William M. Liu explains, “Classism is a form of social exclusion and rejection and it affects different levels of a person’s life. Some of the effects are visible. For instance, at the macro and societal levels, classism is cause and consequence of economic inequality and serves to concretize the caste-like social class groups.” This inequality between the classes leads to different behaviors in them, and more likely the lower class will turn to junk food to be able to survive.
Junk food and low-cost foods are not the best for any individual, but many times it’s the only option due to their inexpensive nature. There is very little room in a low-income family’s home to introduce all vegan meals. Peta. org states, “Consider your health: Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables may cost more than some junk foods, but isn’t your health worth the extra couple of bucks?” The switch costs more if you plan to live off of more than pasta and beans, and more time in researching how to put ingredients together and how to cook them.
Research has to go into vegan diet that many don’t understand. There are big debates within the community itself about ethically sourced vegetables. Imported fruit and vegetables from airplanes or long-distance trucking releases a lot of carbon dioxide emissions affecting climate change. Food production on the meat side and fruit/vegetable side is flawed if not hyperlocal, assuming you have butchers/farmers close by.
Like environmental racism, a lot of food choices depend on what is in your area. Many low-income families eat at fast food outlets because they are the closest and most inexpensive. Traveling farther away to get better ingredients can be a challenge for those who don’t own a car and take public transportation. Assuming everyone can drive out of town to get organic food is ableist.
Not all vegans are classist, only the ones who force it on you and flaunt it. If we replaced the idea of veganism with a religious ideology and tried to force others, it would be easy to see how intolerant it is to other’s beliefs. I’m not saying don’t be vegan, I’m saying choose what is best for your physiology and keep a balanced diet either way. Being anemic, the best way to get iron is through red meat, and for health reasons it would take a very large (and costly) number of vegetables to sustain my iron levels.
The shaming of those who eat meat by sending images of animal abuse creates a false moral hierarchy that doesn’t help their cause. If all they are doing is trying to convert their friends and family, that isn’t the utmost they can do for the vegan cause. There are other options to aid in the fight like sharing low-cost recipes and donating to food banks.
