Why I am a Vegan

[Diana]

At what point does it become acceptable to consume or destroy second-density beings? Do the vegans here slap mosquitoes? If you pulled a tick from your groin, would you set it back on a leaf and wish it well? Do you believe it's wrong to consume basic sea creatures like mussels, or even anchovies?

I've gone basically vegan now, but if an organism lies sufficiently close to the bottom of the food chain, or is harmful parasite, then I see no problem with sending it back to its group-soul.

For my part, I'm interested in causing the least harm to all life.

Even parasites are part of the ecosystem. I don't happen to like the way things are set up here, but it is what it is. I would, for example, in the case of a tick, first take any preventative measures to avoid contact, and then, yes, I would try to extract it and let it live. 

I don't kill anything, aside from the plant food I must eat to survive. Even in that, I try to make choices that cause the least harm.

I have been vegetarian for a very long time, and vegan for quite some time. Mosquitoes hardly ever bite me—almost never—even when others are getting bitten. I have always attributed that to the fact of not being a meat-eater, but I don't really know. Even so, I would not kill them. What good does it do anyway? Another will come along. Either go inside, stay away from water sources, use an insect repellant in the form of an essential oil, or research some way to keep them away—that's what I would do. If an insect lands on me that I don't want on me, I strongly blow them off rather than brush them off—there's less chance of getting bitten or harming the insect.

A scorpion once woke me because of a sting while I was sleeping. I saw it on my shoulder and jumped out of bed. I took it safely outside. Why kill it? There is no malice in the scorpion. It doesn't deserve death because it stung me when it felt threatened.

I have a mouse and squirrel issue at my house as well. The weather has cooled down, so I will be lighting the attic full-time with halogens—that will keep away the squirrels living there because they like the dark. As for mice that get in the house, I too transport them outside with a Havahart trap. If you have cats in the house, that will keep the mice out. It's also important to shore up any places where they get in if possible. 

My point is to look for ways of dealing with, living amicably with, and sharing the planet with all living things. Humans simply are not more important than other life forms. And I see no point in drawing a line between those beings worthy of having their lives spared, and those not. There is definitely a different emotional response to killing a puppy and killing a mosquito, for a variety of reasons. But how reliable is that? Put your hand on your heart, center your mind, and ask the question: Should I kill this living thing?