Rejecting Fatalism: Social Justice Movements Change The World

Some people say that animal exploitation can never end, because speciesism is simply too vast and too ingrained to ever change. I don’t subscribe to fatalism. After all, if we all did then no injustice would ever be challenged and nothing would ever change. Nobody is claiming that the world will “go vegan overnight”, but a shift in consciousness is gradually happening. 

The 2012 Olympics marks the first ever games where the teams of all participating countries include women. This is huge. In some cultures around the world, women are still regarded as second class citizens or lower beings. Things to be used by men as they see fit. They are dominated and owned like property (just as animals still are in our culture). All manner of injustice occurs. Women there do not have the same rights as men and are the victims of extreme violence. They are subject to rape, torture, mutilation, beatings and murder-a lot of which is perfectly legal. It is so vast, so extreme, such an ingrained attitude, that the situation seems hopeless...But we know things can change. Human consciousness evolves. 

Not so long ago in human history, women had to endure such discrimination the world over. Discrimination that was culturally and socially acceptable and legal. When cultural norms are challenged, change can and does happen. Not over night, but I’m sure we’d all be in agreement that no matter how long it takes, equality it is worth fighting for.

We are lucky to live in a place where women are seen as members of the moral community and have legal status as persons. The situation isn’t perfect by any means. There is still much work to be done for women’s rights. Women still battle for equality and for an end to discrimination on the basis of gender. We still don’t receive equal pay, we must still fight for the legal rights to make decisions where our own bodies and reproduction are concerned, we must still fight violence and rape, we are still under represented in politics and positions of power, and we are still poorer and don’t have equal possession of property and wealth as our male counterparts do. However, it is safe to say that the women’s rights movement has come a long, long way and achieved a great deal.

In this country we have the right to vote; rape and marital rape is now illegal; abortion is now legal; domestic violence is now illegal; we now have equal access to education, healthcare, legal aid; we now have access to and the freedom to use contraception; we can now support ourselves financially; we now have the freedom to enter into relationships with whom we choose and terminate said relationships if we choose; we are no longer a possession of our father’s, to be sold, traded or given away to another man against our will, to become his property to use. In short, we have legal rights that protect our interests and oppose inequality and discrimination. One day not so long ago, we could not have made statements like this. Even our grandmothers could not have said all of the same things.

It has taken time, hard work, but things have changed and continue to do so. Humans are waking up and seeing through all forms of discrimination that are often the result of social conditioning over many generations. Social justice movements start out very small, but the moral truth of the issue stands strong, attitudes evolve and cultural shift occurs. It then spreads over time. The development in the Olympic Games is a demonstration of this. Despite overwhelming odds, great progress has been made. How different things were just 100 years ago...

So too is it possible for such strides to be made in the animal rights movement. Veganism is a moral stance that recognises non-human animals as members of the moral community. It is a rejection of discrimination, exploitation and violence. Non-human animals are sentient beings, individuals with personalities, emotions and the capacity to suffer (just like us-for we, don’t forget, are animals too). They have interests in not being used, abused and killed. Yet we use, torture and kill them in their billions because of discrimination. We see them as “lesser” than ourselves, based on the arbitrary factor of being of another species.

Much like as a species we have used, tortured and killed women, children and other races in their millions for centuries-again based on the discrimination that they are somehow different to the empowered group-and therefore not worthy of moral consideration. But humans have come a long way. Society has evolved. We see the violence, suffering and death caused by unjust discrimination and domination. We challenge it and we bring about change. We grow. 

As we recognise women, children, other races and other oppressed groups as being worthy of moral consideration, it is time now to include other animals in the moral community. For, whatever our arbitrary differences, we are all sentient beings. We all seek and deserve to be protected from harm and injustice. If we are to act consistently with the moral stance we already hold about the injustice of violence and exploitation inflicted upon others, then recognising non-human animals as moral persons is the necessary step.  It can happen, it will happen, it is happening. So, fear not that the mountain seems too great to climb. It begins with just one step.

If you are actively participating in the exploitation and oppression of non-human sentient beings and have the freedom to behave differently, then that first step is to go vegan. If you believe rape, torture, exploitation and murder are wrong, then everyone who can suffer as a result of such acts deserves your moral consideration, no matter their gender, race, age, sexuality, handicap, or species. Let’s bring about change. Let’s make the world a better place for everyone in it.

On behalf of all the victims who are helpless to change their circumstances, Thank you.