Home / Weak arguments / Objection in disguise
"Comparing it to slavery pushes people away."
They look like concern for strategy or for the animals, but become a ready excuse to change nothing.
Why it is weak
It can look like a strategic concern. The test is simple: if it were shown that the comparison is more effective at improving the situation of animals, would you start supporting it? If the answer is no, the objection was always moral, just dressed up as tactics.
There's nothing wrong with having a moral objection to a tactic. The problem is disguising it, because that prevents the real disagreement from being discussed.
Concern about offense deserves to be taken seriously, but it has to be applied consistently. Being compared to a nonhuman animal is only offensive to someone who already assumes animals are worth less.
How to say it better
Say what your real objection is. If it's moral, defend it as moral. If it's strategic, show the evidence.