In a country in which 60 percent of people are obese, choosing sticks and berries over breasts and thighs may not be bad idea.
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In a country in which 60 percent of people are obese, choosing sticks and berries over breasts and thighs may not be bad idea.
UMP Post
What a great article! Nice to see something written from a well balanced point of view for once. I also liked how it pointed out that vegans are also concerned about the environment and human rights as well as animal rights.
I think most of us initially go vegan for the sake of the animals, but I've yet to meet a vegan who hasn't also cared about equal rights, rainforests, 3rd world hunger etc - it was nice to see that addressed for once. :)
I don't really have much comment; I just want to say that I enjoyed reading that article.
Thanks Roxy, very uplifting article. :)
Thanks Roxy. :) It explained very well what veganism really is. Too many have the impression that veganism is about animal issues ONLY and somehow exclude intrest in human rights. They're interconnected, of course. :)
The link doesn't work from here. Can it be pasted into a post in this thread, or is it copyrighted?
The link didn't work for me either, though I'd like to read the article. :)
The link was working. It was a good article. Cheers Rox Roo
Bugger. It looks like the whole site is playing up. I'll keep an eye on it and let you know when it's working again. Sorry guys.
Here it is:
Quote:
Certainly vegetarianism has gone mainstream. In the United States, 19,000 people make the switch to a meat-free diet every week and now more than 12 million people are vegetarians. But veganism?
Although many view vegans as a crazed sect out to change the world into lettuce-eaters, they are in fact not a recruiting cult – they are simply using one of the most elemental aspects of their life, their diet, to promote compassion and equality. But can someone really fight such a cause by simply eating with a conscience?
Let’s clarify the term “vegan.” A vegan refers to someone who chooses to lead a lifestyle as cruelty-free as possible by eliminating all use of animal products, animal by-products and animal-tested items. This includes meat, eggs, dairy, fur, leather and most corporate brands (many kill thousands of animals each year in animal testing for such basic products as hand soap and mascara).
Although the values of veganism run strong throughout those who dedicate themselves, the initial motivations include a range of sources. Many are influenced by friends, family members, celebrities and even romantic interests.
One University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee vegan, Cassandra Flecshig, remembers getting an autograph from Goldfinger’s lead singer John Feldmann on a copy of a “Why Vegan?” pamphlet. “After reading the horrific details of what goes on in factory farms, I knew I could never support that kind of misery,” Flecshig said.
Feldmann isn’t a veg-loner in the world of celebs. Alanis Morissette, Pamela Anderson, Russell Crowe, Bill Maher, Dr. Dre and Woody Harrelson have all decided there shall be no misery on their menus.
Similarly, Kenosha vegan newbie Dale Brown gave it a whirl after taking on a 30-day challenge with his new vegetarian girlfriend. “I was eating meat all the time. If you would have told me a year ago I’d be eating tofu fajitas and soy ice cream, I would have laughed hysterically in your face,” Brown said.
The concern for animal welfare is the top reason people choose veganism, and more specifically why they continue to endure their choice even in a larger society that often lacks sympathy and resources. Vegans take very seriously the value that all sentient beings deserve equal consideration, just as all races and genders. They believe that it is “species-ism” to use animals for food, entertainment, fashion, experimentation or exploitation.
What many believe is the largest breeder of veganism in recent years is factory farming. In the name of “efficiency,” factory-farmed animals are taken from their mothers at very early ages, forced to grow (or produce eggs or milk) at unnatural rates, kept in over-crowded conditions and fed huge amounts of antibiotics, growth hormones and unnatural diets. Meat also contains accumulations of pesticides and other chemicals up to 14 times more concentrated than those in plant foods.
Slaughterhouse practices are far from humane; many animals are hung upside down, boiled, skinned, disemboweled, dismembered and slaughtered while fully conscious. Individuals mark these practices as eye-opening motivations violently shoving them into a vegan lifestyle. Others reflect such circumstances in relation to companion animals they love so dear and vow never to eat any type of critter every again, even if that “critter” isn’t a cuddly puppy or kitten.
Yet other vegans have headed down the route to tofu-ville with more philosophical inspirations. Gemma Guenther said, “Originally I went vegan for spiritual reasons. Animals have souls. If you look into the eyes of another creature, you'll see what I mean.”
Guenther holds this common vegan mantra that all living things are connected. It is reflective of the Golden Rule which says that every action touches the world around us, close or far, immediate in its effect or distant in time. These beliefs have long resonated through time back to such great ancient philosophers as da Vinci, Pythagoras (think Pythagoran Theorem) and Gandhi.
Another Milwaukee vegan, J.P. Bagdonas, was roused by such compassionate ideals. “I realized the individuals I most admire in history were vegan,” Bagdonas said. A raw foodist, Bagdonas specifically notes admiration for Pythagoras who believed in animals rights, equal civil rights (for men, women, and all races) and even trained Olympic champions such as the famous Milo.
On similar philosophies, many vegans are both environmentalists and humanitarians. They believe that it is reckless to lead lives destroying the planet by tearing down rainforest to make grazing room for cattle. For instance, in 1996, U.S. factory farms produced 1.4 billion tons of animal waste — 130 times more than humans produced. And when one thinks of what can be done to fight world hunger, vegans don’t think McDonald’s has perfected this type of efficiency: The beef in just one Big Mac is the same amount needed in wheat to make five loaves of bread.
In a country in which 60 percent of the population is obese, numerous vegans cite health concerns as their drive toward choosing sticks and berries over breasts and thighs, since vegans are far less likely to be overweight than meat-eaters. Also, the American Dietetic Association states, "It is much easier to lose weight on a plant-centered diet than on a meat-centered diet. Many (vegetarians) lose several pounds without trying and without going hungry." Researchers attribute this to the fact that animal products contain much more fat than plant-based foods — animal flesh, after all, is designed to store calories, making it one of the worst things that a dieter can eat.
Veganism excludes no sentient being — animal or human — from its commitment to compassionate, gentle benevolence. Vegans show tender regard for the suffering of animals, but to treat humans with callous contempt is a disheartening contradiction of vegan principles. So next time you encounter a vegan do not be shy or defensive. So what if they prefer tempeh Reubens and don’t believe pigs have “spare” ribs?
– Jill Brogley
Wow, what a very pleasant change from what us vegans usually get dealt in the media! What kind of mag/paper was this in?
Milwaukee University of Wisconsin Post (The UWM Post)
Cheers for that, i've passed it on to a few people.
Thanks SeaSiren :D