“There’s a referendum on abortion happening in Ireland this week.
In the Save the 8th (Pro-Life) literature there’s a very strong emphasis on ‘the Right to Life’. Pro-Choice arguments about women’s rights, bodily autonomy etc are countered with the contention that every abortion constitutes ‘the taking of a life’. This is obviously an emotive statement, and not incorrect. And it’s often used to trump all other arguments: life is a precious gift and needs to be fought for at all costs.
With this in mind, I’ve been asking Pro-Life campaigners their opinions on vegetarianism and veganism. What I assumed was that since they’re campaigning vigorously to save lives, this fervour would logically extend to the lives of animals (who unlike unborn foetuses, are conscious and experience pain and terror before being killed).”
