Why do vegans refer to animals as 'innocent' whenever they talk about meat?

Ignorance

Vegans get off telling others what to do and act like cry babies when someone doesn't agree with them. They inject human emotions into everything

An aniaml is not innocent. That's a human only term. An animal is not capable of evil or good, it just is. It does what it's instincts tell it to do, not what emotion or thought does since they are not capable of reasoning.

What would a cow do with a gun? Its not self aware. Doesn't have the capacity to even understand what a gun is and doesn't have the capacity or ability to use one. It would just stand there until you shot it in the head and killed it instnetly

If they aren't getting money to kill the animals, they wouldn't be able to afford to keep slaughtering them. The whole point of the meat industry is to make money.

Animals are innocent beings, it's not like they have any say in what happens to them. We have choices in our lives, most animals don't. For me I have a problem with how the animals are produced and raised. Chickens basically live their lives in their own feces unless you buy organic free range chickens which you pay extra for. Cows are not allowed to roam or graze on grass for the most part. To me you really cannot mass produce meat without abusing the product you are trying to mass produce. I would rather eat veggies than a chicken that lived in it's own excrement for it's entire life. Or how about how they are processed? They are dipped in chemicals like arsenic and bleach, that must be good for the tummy right. I bet you love your arsenic and bleach to go with your chicken.

I'm not against eating meat, but what America supplies these days is far from what meat should be. There is nothing natural about it and I am not going to put it in my body. Nor am I going to contribute to the abuse of the animals before slaughter. I am actually a pescetarian, I only eat wild caught fish on occasion and oysters. Both of which are raised without the help of chemicals and lived in their natural environment.

Humans are damned animals, too. What's the difference? Aside from how much more intelligent we are. (obviously, that can't be used to justify killing animals anymore it could be used to justify killing and eating stupid people or the mentally handicapped)

I don't care if me, personally not eating meat won't stop animals from dying. I don't think that behavior is right, so I don't participate in it. The same reason you don't steal stuff, even though it could benefit you. (NOT stealing stuff from others won't stop people from stealing stuff from you) People generally don't steal stuff because they don't think it's right. I don't think eating meat is right, so I don't do it.

What I wish people would do is to stop killing so many animals for such stupid reasons. If you're going to do it, come up with a good enough reason to end another entire LIFE. Something a little better and less cynical than "i don't care if it dies, it tastes good."

I don't like using the word because "innocent" implies lack of malicious intent, but IMO animals have no concept of malice or kindness.

I think some vegans use the word "innocent" to mean that animals generally don't want to harm us, so we shouldn't harm them. Which for the most part, I believe is true, but I do think that there are flaws with the word.

The word does, kind of anthropomorphize animals, for the reason I gave, and I don't like that. Is a tick "innocent" when s/he sucks the blood out of a dog and causes the dog to itch? Is the dog innocent when he decides to rub his groin on a strangers' leg? No, both animals are just acting on instinct.

What people should say instead is that animals feel pain, and that they should not have a death-date predetermined by humans. I don't like to anthropomorphize animals, but some people do use that animals do share some human traits (pain, fear, suffering) to their advantage.

They are trying to force human emotions that mean nothing to a animal to guilt trip people, it's like posting cute pictures it's jsut a guilt trip used when they have no legs to stand on.

They also like to use "those animals haven't done anything to you" (see Ganesh answer)- as if people eat meat for vengeance, rather than nourishment.

Both phrases are essentially meaningless, and are used by veg*ns solely to inject emotion into their argument. Veg*ns frequently use emotional arguments in lieu of logical arguments.

Animals and children are not the "innocents" we think them to be...

But, it doesn't mean we should treat them poorly, they are living things.

Because animals are innocent. Here's the dictionary definition for you; "not responsible for or directly involved in an event yet suffering its consequences."

What a dumb question from a dumb person, probably still living at mummy's house, online porn, no girlfriend, deadend job, you're a loser

You're a damned animal. Does that give me a right to kill you? You're going to die anyway so I should just kill you now. See how that logic works?