I understand the idea of not contributing to animal cruelty, but there are a few items I am on the fence about as far as veganism is concerned. I've already aired the first, the second is honey. What harm is caused to bees through stealing their honey? Is it truly stealing, or is it more of a trade-off/symbiotic arrangement? Another non vegan-approved item that I am 'ehh' on is unfertilized eggs, for the same reasons as the honey. The birds needn't be harmed to harvest eggs already laid. Let me say here I have zero chicken or bee keeping experience. I'm an extra average layman consumer tossing around ideas.
Riddle me this: is drinking the flower's nectar or sipping the salty brine akin to taking products from the bees and chickens bodies? Is consent the key difference distinguishing the acceptance of oral sex/shunning of honey and eggs in the eyes of the vegan community?
To be honest I don't think about veganism too deeply anymore because I think they are a type of extremist-- lol. I think the idea is that as far as the honey goes commercial extraction means that the honey the bees have worked to produce for their winter ration store from the nectar they collect is being replaced with a sugar water solution. With less nutrition means weakened emune systems. Some worry about colony collapse disorder and the crisis with the bees is part result of our agriculture/horticulture.
I think some vegans would argue if we could of just stayed out of anothers species business we could of avoided the problem kinda deal.
What would a cannibal say to oral sex, I wonder? Disturbing way to interpret the phrase eating out.