Will the #IAmCecil Campaign Help or Hurt the Vegan Movement?

In the aftermath of beloved lion Cecil’s death at the hands of a big-game killer, animal lovers have taken to social media in outrage.

Vegan groups are trying to harness the outrage for the vegan movement, using the hashtag #IAmCecil to show photos of pigs and other livestock.

The goal of the comparison is clear, but is it effective?

Killing an endangered (or threatened) animal for sport is not the same as eating a non-threatened species for dinner, as critics will likely point out.  But it’s not entirely different, either. Both cause the suffering and death of innocent sentient beings, for the pleasure of humans.

Notice I said for pleasure.  I consider eating meat to be something humans do for pleasure, because I understand that eating meat is not only unnecessary for health and survival, but detrimental to our health.  Exposure to Forks Over Knives and The China Study led me to become certified in plant-based nutrition through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.  I understand how unhealthy meat is for our bodies, so to me, the only reason to eat meat would be for pleasure.  That makes me more sympathetic to the I Am Cecil comparison of livestock to big game hunting.

But showing these images to someone who feeds their family a traditional roast for dinner is likely to put omnivores on the immediate defensive.  They’re feeding their children, and they may believe that meat is a healthy and necessary way to do that.  Without an understanding of the health and environmental consequences of eating meat, it will be hard for any non-vegan to hear the #IAmCecil message.

I worry that comparing someone who feeds their children meat with someone who kills lions for sport will alienate people.  It is wonderful that people feel sadness and outrage at Cecil’s death.  Is trying to make them feel hypocritical really helpful, or will it just push them away?

I would love to find a way to help people see the connection between Cecil’s death and the unnecessary suffering of other animals.

I’m just not sure comparing omnivores to big game hunters is the way to do it.

Thoughts?