Things meat eaters say and do

[veggievore]

I get the following a lot, usually from large "meathead" sports loving men (I'm a big guy 6'3 240 lbs, former athlete, so I know a lot of those types)

Common ones:

What DO you eat?

I could never be vegetarian, I couldn't live without ..... (bacon, steak, cheeseburgers, etc)

So do you eat fish, cause you can eat fish right?

I can't believe you condone the slaughtering of innocent broccoli, you murderer!!! (that one made me laugh)

[emzy1985]

^ That's pretty funny, but only because it didn't happen to me :p It just amuses me when an omni says something that they think you'll be happy about and... not so much.

My dad gave up meat except fish for a couple of years and then gave up fish later and now he's a vegetarian. I doubt he'd ever be vegan, but it's still in the right direction.

I thought that about my dad too. Now he's been vegan for two years! :D

[Charley333]

its annoying people seem to see veganism as so 'exteme' and unusual, i have found it very easy and enjoyable! I find it so frustrating when people just dont want to know the facts!

I know! I spoke to my vegetarian friend about going vegan and he asked why I'd do that when I hadn't even tried vegetarianism, as if woah, veganism's a bit too out there for me! I also have found the change really easy and enjoyable... Meat eaters just seem to be stuck in the same, "I couldn't live without [insert chosen cruelty product here]", the sad thing is, a lot of vegetarians seem to think that too! I've also been told by people that they admire my choice... I don't think veganism is something to be admired, to me, when you know the facts about what you're eating, it's the only way to go... I think that's why I have found veganism an easy choice.

[Charley333]

Yeah. I don't think some people realize how offensive some things are :( I've completely gotten sick of eating with omnis. I figure if they can't stomach a soup and pasta for supper knowing how I feel about the situation, then they're not worth eating with. Can't wait for the family Christmas... That'll be aggravating

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that one either... I'm expecting a few cracks about not joining in with everyone else. My aim is just to make some awesome tasting vegan food that I can eat and share with others, and hope everyone else can focus on the togetherness aspect of the day rather than picking on something that could potentially cause arguments...

[earthling]

Hi, I'm just wondering how people cope when meat eaters start making jokes about the suffering/death of the animals they eat, or at least, when they seem completely unmoved by the reality of farming and slaughter.

My friend's wife butchered a pig recently (as her birthday present - how messed up is that) and posted the pictures of the dismembered body (including the head) on Facebook. It was really horrible, and I was very upset by it. I expected some people to say, hang on, that's a bit much etc, but people in the comments were actually laughing about it. I don't understand how anyone, even a meat eater, could react that way.

Another friend on Facebook posted a jokey comment about how fish counts as vegetarian (yawn) and cue a jovial discussion among comments about how pigs don't have souls and cows don't know the meaning of life, so they all 'count' as vegetarian ha ha ha.

Like many vegans I'm used to discomfort and defensiveness from omnis, but I take this as evidence that at the very least, they know deep down that something is wrong with what they're doing. What I can't understand is when people simply don't care about the animals' plight, and even find it funny. I find it disturbing. Has anyone else had this type of reaction, and if so how do you deal with it? I find it really upsetting and just frankly baffling.

[DavidT]

Earthling

That sounds distressing. Unfortunately so many meat eaters refuse to confront what we see as cruelty and don't they almost always make a joke of it? Of course making a joke of something is simply a defence; as you rightly point out, deep down they know there's a conflict but they're too thoughtless - and possibly in fear of ridicule from peers - to examine that conflict.

Like you, I can find it puzzling and can only put it down to immaturity. That's what I like to think anyway!

Meat is soulless and it is treated as a commodity, in shops and on tv, so putting a face on the cruelty triggers something down there, I think, that they have to defend themselves against. In other words, they're not 'unmoved' as you put it - they can't deal with being moved is more like it.

I dunno, just rambling I suppose but I thoroughly sympathise with your sadness and disgust at the pig episode.

All creatures, in my estimation, have and deserve a dignity. Maybe that's something people can't understand.

David

[Hemlock]

and hope everyone else can focus on the togetherness aspect of the day rather than picking on something that could potentially cause arguments...

LOL, you're talking about Christmas here mate! Arguments and falling out is de rigeur. I go ino hiding every year from mid December onwards. Can't remember the last time we met up with family around this time. I prefer to see everyone during the year when they are all behaving normally.

[Hemlock]

I think we should all start playing omni bingo, first one to get a full house wins....

http://www.animalcrackers.org.uk/forumimages/omni%20bingo.jpg

xx

Seriously I am going to print this out and have it framed for my kitchen - so hilariously true :D

[Festered]

I just got asked this

Where are vegans -- who live a lifestyle only made really possible it seems by petrochemicals -- going to get their synthetically made clothes from? Given that plastics, polymers and the growth of cotton/linen/flax/hemp relies on petrochemical fertilisers, or manure from animals or compost from humans vegetable peelings...

Not to mention hard to get from plants vit B12, "the only reliable unfortified [bioavailable] sources" of which, say the veggie society, "are [red] meat, [milk from your village bufalo/goat/sheep/cow and eggs]."

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/b12.html#diet

While the Amino Acid L-Glycine's best source appears to be chicken stock.

Perhaps the savings on not buying necessarily expensive organically free range reared beef and Eggs (B12 and Bio-available Iron) and Chicken (Glycine) is soaked up again by having to buy expensive scientifically tested bioavailable sources, (such as http://www.xtend-life.com/About/Clinical_Studies.aspx ) or eating large amounts of organic plant sources.

I responded :The B12 things is our fault and can be remedied. Not all none-animal fibres are synthetic or rely on damaging fertilizers. All in all it's a better option.We adapted for the stupid amount of animals bred for over-production of food and other uses, we can do this process again.

Any tips on anything else I could say (on fb this was)

[earthling]

A few points, maybe...

1. Vegans aren't the only people who wear synthetic fibres, or use plastic!
2. It's perfectly possible to buy organic cotton and other plant-based fibres, and many outlets sell clothes made from these (eg www.peopletree.co.uk). Or buy second hand clothes - no new petrochemicals used.
3. Of course it isn't possible to know whether manure has been used in the production of organic cotton, however it still causes less suffering than fibres made from animals. A life completely free from products affecting animals isn't possible in our current society, but that doesn't mean that we don't try our best to reduce suffering where we can.
4. B12 is made by bacteria which live in animals. Vegan B12 supplements contain the vitamin made directly from the bacteria. 'Farming' bacteria for B12 is no different from farming vegetables.
5. A plant diet can easily supply all necessary amino acids, and iron too.

A final point... it's disingenous to frame the argument in terms of 'your diet/clothing isn't natural' (seems this is what the person is doing) because right now, in the Western world, NONE of our lifestyles are 'natural'. I had to laugh at the bit "vegans live a lifestyle only made really possible it seems by petrochemicals"... does this person drive a car? Do they fly? Do they have anything made from plastic in their homes? Do they use cosmetics? Do they buy their totally natural meat in a shrink-wrapped styrofoam tray? At the very least they are typing on a computer connected to the internet... (computer made mostly of plastic, electricity supplying it made mostly from fossil fuels, chair they are sitting on very likely containing synthetic fabrics). It's quite typical of omnis to trot out the 'unnatural' argument against vegans, as though they were Ray Mears or something. Do me a favour - we all live in a modern world. Vegans are no more reliant on petrochemicals than anyone else!

[Charley333]

LOL, you're talking about Christmas here mate! Arguments and falling out is de rigeur. I go ino hiding every year from mid December onwards. Can't remember the last time we met up with family around this time. I prefer to see everyone during the year when they are all behaving normally.


Of course *slaps head* doh! I forget that it can sometimes be like an Eastenders Special - "get outta mah pub!!!"

[Festered]

Eew. My friend on facebook is talking about how she's been dead creative and made home-made pore strips, from gelatine :mad:
How gross to put on your face?!

[Manderin]

Eeew, gross! I can't believe people would actually put a boiled bone/flesh mixture on their skin as a beauty treatment!

[Hemlock]

When I was nursing in the 80's we used to put all the placentas from the delivery rooms into a large chest freezer and they would be bought by pharmaceutical companies for beauty products. Even my own placenta went there as I had my son around then in the same hospital.
Still, rather human placenta than animal product!!!

[Charley333]

Don't some mothers eat the placenta fried? :eek: I can't imagine it personally... but then I also can't imagine putting animal fat on my face - thinking about it though, who knows what was in the face creams I used to use? :confused:

[DavidT]

they would be bought by pharmaceutical companies for beauty products

Ahem. See here: http://www.eatliver.com/i.php?n=6188

Sorry about the website address. :o:p

[Tigerlily]

Eew. My friend on facebook is talking about how she's been dead creative and made home-made pore strips, from gelatine :mad:
How gross to put on your face?!

It's gelatin and MILK. I saw the Youtube video, nearly vomited.

[lastx]

Re: Things meat eaters say (3)

Eeew, gross! I can't believe people would actually put a boiled bone/flesh mixture on their skin as a beauty treatment!

A lot of cosmetics contain some gross animal by-products. Bone marrow is an ingredient in most perfumes. It is used to "fix" the scent.

[felix_amborosa]

Upon stating that the vegetarian/vegan options on a maylasian restaurant menu were limited, one of the people I was dining with burst out saying "oh you're not vegetarian are you?" when I replied "well, I'm vegan actually" she states "that's even worse, you people give me the shits, I wish you would all come to senses and meat for fucks sake".........Ignorant or what!!

[MCMLXXXVI]

Upon stating that the vegetarian/vegan options on a maylasian restaurant menu were limited, one of the people I was dining with burst out saying "oh you're not vegetarian are you?" when I replied "well, I'm vegan actually" she states "that's even worse, you people give me the shits, I wish you would all come to senses and meat for fucks sake".........Ignorant or what!!

That's a really horrible thing to say, you poor thing. You could have just pointed out that unlike them, you have an ounce of compassion. Seriously, as if it's appropriate to say something so insulting to someone's face while out at dinner! Just awful.


I was at an engagement party the other week and a buffet lunch was being served. An old man who was overweight and basically the epitome of bogan Aussie kept saying things while I was serving myself lunch, such as "oh come on love you can't just have salad! Get some meat into you, you're so skinny." etc. I laughed it off and then he asked "you're not a vegetarian are you?" I divulged that I was actually a vegan and then he just went on about how I was so skinny. Actually I'm the perfect weight for my height and in a country where more than 50% of the population is overweight, I'm pretty damn proud to be 'skinny'!

[Bearshark]

Upon stating that the vegetarian/vegan options on a maylasian restaurant menu were limited, one of the people I was dining with burst out saying "oh you're not vegetarian are you?" when I replied "well, I'm vegan actually" she states "that's even worse, you people give me the shits, I wish you would all come to senses and meat for fucks sake".........Ignorant or what!!

I hate this attitude that people have about not eating meat. It drives me nuts!! Almost everyday I get someone trying to persuade me to eat meat/some other animal product and I really wish people wouldn't take it as their personal mission to "re-educate" us, it infuriates me that us vegans get hassled for doing the compassionate thing... :mad:
It's ridiculous that omnis push their diet on us and it's perfectly normal in their eyes, but then when we do it to them, we often get interpreted as trying to force our ideals or opinions, or we get told that it's "their choice" to eat meat and to stop being so rude. It's OUR choice not to eat animal products, so unless you've got something constructive to say, SHUT UP!!

Sorry :o angry Bearshark!! I just can't stand reading these sorts of things, they make me a bit cross :eek:

[Hemlock]

That is just the height of bad manners in a social situation. I would just have walked out and made sure I only dined with people whose knuckles don't scrape the floor in future.

[Hemlock]

Ahem. See here: http://www.eatliver.com/i.php?n=6188

Sorry about the website address. :o:p

I want my placenta back, in fact I want to be paid for it now *fume*.

[Back-Space]

We're watching the local news and they're talking about vegetarian and vegan diets :D It's so nice for my family to hear these facts from someone other than just me :) They brought up the China Study, and are talking about the health benefits of a plant based diet. Nothing ethical, but I guess people are more likely to listen to the health benefits...

[Mollfie]

My boyfriend was explaining (agian) to his mum why I'm vegan, to which replied "But they're BRED for it"...my boyfriend said he just stopped the conversation there because it annoyed him too much DX

However on a lighter note his sister ate some of our vegan sausages and said they were delicious and tasted better than real sausages lol, his mum wasn't happy about that.