Welcome to Small Bite Sound Bites, a midweek segment of food for thought podcast where I,

your host, Colleen Patrick-Gudrow, share short, succinct, thoughtful responses to typical

questions, myths, and misconceptions related to plant-based eating, veganism, and animal

protection.

You can support this podcast today by going to joyfulvegan.com slash donate.

A very common response to vegetarians' vegans even if they're not advocating for veganism

or vegetarianism is eating meat is a personal choice.

In other words, step off vegan vegetarian person eating meat is a personal choice.

Here's why I have a problem with that justification.

It implies that there's no victim and that our desires or preferences take precedence

over anything or anyone else.

And yet, as a society, we collectively decide that certain behaviors and personal preferences

are wrong when they cause injury or harm to someone else.

Your right to throw your fist ends at my nose, right?

It's like a parent accused of child abuse who says, this is nobody else's business,

how they treat their child, they can do whatever they like in their own home.

It's personal.

It's my own personal choice.

The law once protected such people and practices, but no longer child abuse is illegal and punishable.

Even your own child in your own home, it's illegal and it's punishable by law.

Same with dogs and cats.

You can't claim personal choice if you want to abuse your dog or your cat in your own

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