--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat…" description: "\"“Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat eating from a context of acceptance; this does not invalidate its mission. One thing must be acknowledged about..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/carol-j-adams-33397_acts-of-violence_granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-ea_1188962.png" --- # Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat eating from a… ![“Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat eating from a context of acceptance; this does not invalidate its mission. One thing must be acknowledged about vegetarian naming as exemplified in the above examples: these are true words. The dissonance they produce is not due to their being false, but to…” quote by Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/carol-j-adams-33397_acts-of-violence_granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-ea_1188962.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/carol-j-adams-33397_acts-of-violence_granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-ea_1188962.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/carol-j-adams-33397_acts-of-violence_granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-ea_1188962.png) > ““Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat eating from a context of acceptance; this does not invalidate its mission. One thing must be acknowledged about vegetarian naming as exemplified in the above examples: these are true words. The dissonance they produce is not due to their being false, but to their being too accurate. These words do not adhere to our common discourse which presumes the edibility of animals. Just as feminists proclaimed that 'rape is violence, not sex,' vegetarians wish to name the violence of meat eating. Both groups challenge commonly used terms. Mary Daly calls the phrase 'forcible rape' a reversal by redundancy because it implies that all rapes are not forcible. This example highlights the role of language in masking violence, in this case an adjective deflects attention from the violence inherent in the meaning of the noun. The adjective confers a certain benignity on the word 'rape.' Similarly, the phrase 'humane slaughter' confers a certain benignity on the term 'slaughter.' Daly would call this the process of 'simple inversion': 'the usage of terms and phrases to label...activities as the opposite of what they really are.' The use of adjectives in the phrases 'humane slaughter' and 'forcible rape' promotes a conceptual misfocusing that relativizes these acts of violence. Additionally, as we ponder how the end is achieved, 'forcibly,' 'humanely,' our attention is continously framed so that the absent referents--women, animals--do not appear. Just as all rapes are forcible, all slaughter of animals for food is inhumane regardless of what it is called.”” [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Language can mask violence by attaching benign adjectives to harmful acts, misleading perception and reducing accountability. **In simple terms:** Words can hide true violence. Key Takeaway Question the language you use for harmful acts. Themes language violence perception ethics Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analytical ethical When to use this quote - Animal rights activism - feminist discourse - media analysis - policy debate Key Concepts Semantic framing conceptual inversion ethical awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape your view of violence? - What alternatives can reveal true harm? A Different Perspective Changing language alone may not change underlying practices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acts of violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acts-of-violence/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Forcible Rape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forcible-rape-3521095/) [Forcible Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forcible-slaughter-3521097/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Slaughter Forcible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaughter-forcible-3521094/) [True words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-words/) [Vegetarian Naming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vegetarian-naming-3521093/) [Violence Meat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence-meat-3521096/) ## Related quotes > [It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place as if you meant to spend your life there, never omitting an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-a-good-and-safe-rule-to-sojourn-in-every-place-as-if-you-meant/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [You select the person to love true because not all the words of I love you are seriously from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/you-select-the-person-to-love-true-because-not-all-the-words-of-i/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [“And I knew it was true, that my words were made of stones, that they would last and I would climb them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-davis/and-i-knew-it-was-true-that-my-words-were-made-of-stones-that-they/) [Amanda Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-davis/) > [True words are not always pretty.. pretty words are not always true...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-words-are-not-always-pretty-pretty-words-are-not-always-true/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Writing is like praying, because you stop all other activities, descend into silence, and listen patiently to the depths of your soul, waiting for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-prejean/writing-is-like-praying-because-you-stop-all-other-activities-descend/) [Helen Prejean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-prejean/) > [“What’s clear to us is that Jesus is on the road to the cross.  From here on in, things don’t get easier for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-s-clear-to-us-is-that-jesus-is-on-the-road-to-the-cross-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is power in words. There are words that bid us laugh and make us weep. Words to begin with and words to end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-kristoff/there-is-power-in-words-there-are-words-that-bid-us-laugh-and-make-us/) [Jay Kristoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-kristoff/) > [Sweet words are not always true. True words are not always sweet. But no matter what words can say, Actions will always tell the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/sweet-words-are-not-always-true-true-words-are-not-always-sweet-but/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [“What makes a writer successful is not money or fame (though both are nice) ... it's that in being true to her or himself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miyoko-hikiji/what-makes-a-writer-successful-is-not-money-or-fame-though-both-are/) [Miyoko Hikiji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miyoko-hikiji/) > [Worthless words to those who leave, but still very true words. To those who go ... have a blessed life ... you will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashok-jadhavar/worthless-words-to-those-who-leave-but-still-very-true-words-to-those/) [Ashok Jadhavar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashok-jadhavar/) > [“True words aren't eloquent; eloquent words aren't true. Wise men don't need to prove their point; men who need to prove their point aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/true-words-aren-t-eloquent-eloquent-words-aren-t-true-wise-men-don-t/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [“You might think that's selfish of me - and maybe it is - but I am a trained psychologist. No matter how depressed someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-d-barant/you-might-think-that-s-selfish-of-me-and-maybe-it-is-but-i-am-a/) [D.D. Barant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-d-barant/) > [“To search for the truth is to seek the true words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/to-search-for-the-truth-is-to-seek-the-true-words/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [There's many a true word spoken in jest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/there-s-many-a-true-word-spoken-in-jest/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [My dad taught me true words you have to use in every relationship. Yes, baby.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/star-jones/my-dad-taught-me-true-words-you-have-to-use-in-every-relationship-yes/) [Star Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/star-jones/) ## More by Carol J. Adams > [“Speak to meat eaters the way you would speak to a wild animal: softly and without any sudden movements.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/speak-to-meat-eaters-the-way-you-would-speak-to-a-wild-animal-softly/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [While self-interest arising from the enjoyment of meat eating is obviously one reason for its entrenchment, and inertia another, a process of language usage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/while-self-interest-arising-from-the-enjoyment-of-meat-eating-is/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [“If the body becomes a special focus for women's struggle for freedom then what is ingested is a logical initial locus for announcing one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/if-the-body-becomes-a-special-focus-for-women-s-struggle-for-freedom/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [Until a vegan or vegetarian enters the room, people don't see themselves as meat-eaters. They are merely 'eaters', and it is we vegans who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/until-a-vegan-or-vegetarian-enters-the-room-people-don-t-see/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [We live in a culture that has institutionalized the oppression of animals on at least two levels: in formal structures such as slaughterhouses, meat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/we-live-in-a-culture-that-has-institutionalized-the-oppression-of/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [“Many efforts on behalf of animals will qualitatively improve humans' living conditions as well, which is likely to be the case.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/many-efforts-on-behalf-of-animals-will-qualitatively-improve-humans/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [“The situation is established not only to provoke defensiveness but to sidetrack the reformer into answering the wrong questions… In this, the pattern of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/the-situation-is-established-not-only-to-provoke-defensiveness-but-to/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [“I think that in terms of emotion, that our culture allows men to be angry. The animal rights movement gives men a legitimate reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/i-think-that-in-terms-of-emotion-that-our-culture-allows-men-to-be/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [What parents said they valued most were discussions with teachers and heads, and what they wanted was more descriptive information in their children's school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/what-parents-said-they-valued-most-were-discussions-with-teachers-and/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [“In accepting as two primary texts, Singer's Animal Liberation and Regan's The Case for Animal Rights--texts that valorize rationality--the animal defense movement reiterates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/in-accepting-as-two-primary-texts-singer-s-animal-liberation-and/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [Everywhere animals are in chains, but we image them as free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/everywhere-animals-are-in-chains-but-we-image-them-as-free/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [“We believe that feminism is a transformative philosophy that embraces the amelioration of life on earth for all life-forms, for all natural entities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/we-believe-that-feminism-is-a-transformative-philosophy-that-embraces/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [“In a situation where flesh is consumed, vegetarians inevitably call attention to themselves. They have made something absent on their plates; perhaps a verbal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/in-a-situation-where-flesh-is-consumed-vegetarians-inevitably-call/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) > [Vegetarianism is an act of the imagination. It reflects an ability to imagine alternatives to the texts of meat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/vegetarianism-is-an-act-of-the-imagination-it-reflects-an-ability-to/) [Carol J. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) [Explore all 15 Carol J. Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/) ## More Acts of violence quotes > [There was a man named Robert Dear who in court said he was a warrior for the babies, whose ex-wife talked about his Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/there-was-a-man-named-robert-dear-who-in-court-said-he-was-a-warrior/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [“By the time they're out of preschool, most children have already seen thousands of acts of violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-k-vaughan/by-the-time-they-re-out-of-preschool-most-children-have-already-seen/) [Brian K. Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-k-vaughan/) > [We would never ask any other faith community to stand up and condemn acts of violence committed by people within their groups. The fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sarsour/we-would-never-ask-any-other-faith-community-to-stand-up-and-condemn/) [Linda Sarsour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sarsour/) > [I learned that victims come in all image - some raped, some witnessing an act of violence, some losing loved ones. I learned that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/i-learned-that-victims-come-in-all-image-some-raped-some-witnessing/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [I want people around the world to hear me. To all those who would do us harm, no act of terror will go unpunished.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-people-around-the-world-to-hear-me-to-all-those-who-would-do/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [How do we deal with not just the acts of violence, but the extremist ideology that lies behind them? Because though the numbers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/how-do-we-deal-with-not-just-the-acts-of-violence-but-the-extremist/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [Muslim leaders around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/muslim-leaders-around-the-globe-have-to-continue-working-with-us-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The introduction of numbers as coordinates by reference to the particular division scheme of the open one-dimensional continuum is an act of violence whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-weyl/the-introduction-of-numbers-as-coordinates-by-reference-to-the/) [Hermann Weyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-weyl/) > [“He wished he understood where they come from: all the terrorists, religious revolutionists and hate-criminals. Did terrorizing entire communities of people help them sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thisuri-wanniarachchi/he-wished-he-understood-where-they-come-from-all-the-terrorists/) [Thisuri Wanniarachchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thisuri-wanniarachchi/) > [By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game 1 of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-rushin/by-the-age-of-18-the-average-american-has-witnessed-200-000-acts-of/) [Steve Rushin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-rushin/) > [Of course I tensed up when he touched me. To be with him was to hurt him-inevitably. And that's what I'd felt as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/of-course-i-tensed-up-when-he-touched-me-to-be-with-him-was-to-hurt/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [We have agreed with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to cease all acts of violence against the Israelis and against the Palestinians wherever they are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-abbas/we-have-agreed-with-prime-minister-ariel-sharon-to-cease-all-acts-of/) [Mahmoud Abbas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-abbas/) > [I feel like acts of violence against women are detestable, and they need to be dealt with, and they are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-priestley/i-feel-like-acts-of-violence-against-women-are-detestable-and-they/) [Jason Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-priestley/) > [Another bigger problem is the fact that these incidents of police violence continue to occur because far too often the officers on the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakeem-jeffries/another-bigger-problem-is-the-fact-that-these-incidents-of-police/) [Hakeem Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakeem-jeffries/) > [During the summer of 2009, the debate on health care reform was emotional and intense. At its best, it represented the free exchange of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chellie-pingree/during-the-summer-of-2009-the-debate-on-health-care-reform-was/) [Chellie Pingree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chellie-pingree/) [Browse all 133 Acts of violence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acts-of-violence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat eating from a context of acceptance; this does not invalidate its mission. One thing must be acknowledged about vegetarian naming as exemplified in the above examples: these are true words. The dissonance they produce is not due to their being false, but to their being too accurate. These words do not adhere to our common discourse which presumes the edibility of animals. Just as feminists proclaimed that 'rape is violence, not sex,' vegetarians wish to name the violence of meat eating. Both groups challenge commonly used terms. Mary Daly calls the phrase 'forcible rape' a reversal by redundancy because it implies that all rapes are not forcible. This example highlights the role of language in masking violence, in this case an adjective deflects attention from the violence inherent in the meaning of the noun. The adjective confers a certain benignity on the word 'rape.' Similarly, the phrase 'humane slaughter' confers a certain benignity on the term 'slaughter.' Daly would call this the process of 'simple inversion': 'the usage of terms and phrases to label...activities as the opposite of what they really are.' The use of adjectives in the phrases 'humane slaughter' and 'forcible rape' promotes a conceptual misfocusing that relativizes these acts of violence. Additionally, as we ponder how the end is achieved, 'forcibly,' 'humanely,' our attention is continously framed so that the absent referents--women, animals--do not appear. Just as all rapes are forcible, all slaughter of animals for food is inhumane regardless of what it is called.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carol J. Adams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-eating-from-a-context-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acts of violence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-eating-from-a-context-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/carol-j-adams-33397_acts-of-violence_granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-ea_1188962.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/carol-j-adams-33397_acts-of-violence_granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-ea_1188962.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60c/carol-j-adams-33397_acts-of-violence_granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-ea_1188962.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat eating from a context of acceptance; this does not invalidate its…” — Carol J. Adams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carol J. Adams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-j-adams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Granted, vegetarian naming wrests meat eating...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-eating-from-a-context-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-j-adams/granted-vegetarian-naming-wrests-meat-eating-from-a-context-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```