Dispelling righteous veganism

I wrote a letter to the Minnesota Daily in response to an opinion you can link to from that page, and it looks like the editors went with another opinion piece by a University of Minnesota student -- Compassionate Action for Animals' Benjamin Acaso -- that rebuts it quite handily and keeps the vegan dialogue going on campus:

The argument that boycotting products from factory farms should be left up to the discretion of the given individual is misleading.

Is beating a dog for fun a personal choice?

What about buying products as a result of forced child labor?

Clearly such issues affect more than just the individual consumer, obliging us to at least consider the interests of the other parties involved.

He makes an excellent point that is probably the most important consideration for animal rights that is given short shrift elsewhere. And I was much amused by his next tack:

If Stalpes’ column made it to one of his teachers’ desks, he almost certainly would be reprimanded for his clear plagiarism. Indeed, his entire first paragraph was lifted almost word-for-word from a song “Beef and Broccoli” by political rapper Immortal Technique.

Ironically, I was able to ask Immortal Technique about his thoughts on factory farming at a concert he performed at Macalester College in St. Paul.

His response: Factory farming is a detestable form of exploitation.

Bravo! Well done. I would not be surprised if Mr. Acaso is one of the University of Minnesota's brightest students. He is clearly one of the most compassionate.

Categories: factory farming | veganism | animal cruelty | plagiarism