I have a question for all vegans out there. Do you or would you work somewhere where they sold animal products? Or even work anywhere where meat was sold?
I work at a place called Clean Water Action, I'm a canvasser in training. We're the guys who work to pass laws against Bush's crusade on contaminating water and screwing up the environment. Edit: But, no, I wouldn't work at a place where meat is sold, and yes, I *might* work at a place where animal products are sold, but I'd try not to.
not as simple as that. I'm veggie. I wrote about agriculure, including cow-calf operations. Am I "furthering the cause of agribusiness?" (No, I was always on the BSE/evill corporate scum bought the elevator type stories) BUT my newspaper took ads from meat lockers, grocery stores that sold LOTS of meat. Where does one draw a line?
Unfortunatly it can be way too limiting to only work at non-animal or meat selling places. Of course it would be a preferance but if you need a job, you need a job! I have worked in supermarkets, cafe's etc where it does kinda annoy me that there's meat and stuff but I had not much choice in the matter! I have tried to get work at health food and vegetarian type places but they never need anyone and theres only a few places around that I know of..
its hard to find a job that i DO believe in or feel im really doing something positive or useful with my time. like i could have got a job bagging shit at a grocery store, but fuck that. the 2 things i have found so far worth looking into are garden centers and a farmers market which both said they will need some help at some point in the summer, and i dont really see those as jobs perse, just helping people out doing cool things. i would probably never work at some place i have a strong belief against, right now i am mowing lawns with a gasless mower and making a load of cash doing it too,way more than minimum wage, working at my own leisure and guidance, and getting a ton of excercise. not cramped up in some overly-air conditioned bad vibed institution(aka a grocery store) i dont really believe in, creating extreme amounts of perfectly reusable un-recycable plastic waste to make the overly manufactured processed gunk and all the dead animals these 'normal' people shove down their throats 'easier to carry'
I really need a job atm and it seems that working in places that sell animal products are my only choice. But i feel that if i do work in a place like that then i'm being a bad vegan and being a bit of a hypocrit (sp?).
How do you think you'll get by in life if you follow that sort of thinking? Seriously, it's virtually impossible to have a decent job without (in some way) contributing to killing animals. Hell, every time you pay taxes you're contributing to the killing of people. Being vegan is enough - trying never to be involved in anything that touches on meat is just absurd self-righteousness, and it'll really hold you back in the world. Capitalism entails so many connections between different businesses that you can never really escape from any part of it - it all inter-relates.
I think your best bet is to just take whatever job you can get for now.. and maybe have a goal in your life that your future career/whatever you end up doing will not be against your beliefs in anyway. I dont think its being a hypocrit, if anything you can encourage the people who you are working with to think more like you do.
I don't work in a field that involves any animal products as I'm a secretary I'm LUCKY I work where I do, because it IS hard to find a job [when you're my age anyway] that doesn't involve animal products. Most jobs out there for young adults who haven't yet earned any sort of degree [other than a high school diploma that is] are working in the food business, which I think is gross. I wouldn't ever be able to work around food, even if all of it was vegan. I would never work around food, but I suppose some other animal products I would... For example, I'd take a cashier job at say a clothing store... but I might be handling leather goods and such... Like drumminmama said, where do you draw the line
It's hard as hell to live by extreme principles. But it can be done; it just takes a lot of spunk. And the reward is well worth the effort. After years, I found my dream income (which is too complicated to explain here, so I won't bore you!) I didn't stumble on it all at once; like everything, it was an evolution. So sure, I think it's ok to work at a grocery store to put yourself thru college or something, as long as you always keep searching for more ideal opportunities. It helps to remind yourself every day "This is hypocritical but it's only temporary. I can do better than this." [/end motivational speech]
Right now, Im unemployed. However, last job I had was a movie theater, and the next job will probably be a movie theater.... Of course, I'd be an usher as opposed to cook. -
I am a restoration carpenter who deals with historic preservationists and architects that deal with preserving our historical past. in most cases we work with traditional materials and I do not think I am exposed to to many products made with animial by products. but I do know what ever goes down my throat better be organic and vegetarian. haha
this is a little different but i know this woman who is now vegan and totally against fur, experimentation, circuses and the like but before all of this she worked in a terrible Labortatory that did horrific testing on animals for 14 YEARS!!! she now says that if she had met her husband after her "epiphany"(w/e u wanna call it) she definitely wouldnt be married to him right now cuz he is an ignorant meat eater, doesnt wanna know what goes on bcuz he prefers ignorance over compassion
