Re: Silly things omnivores say (2)
On the subject of me having to buy new rock shoes as my old ones were suade prior to me becoming vegan..."But the cows dead, it doesn't care!". To which I couldnt help but reply with "Sometimes the cow is not dead, sometimes it is skinned alive". That shut him up.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
One of my colleagues today asked me if/when I had kids, I would bring them up to eat meat. Yeh, right!
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^hahahaha....
Did you ask him he would raise his vegan?!
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Actually, yes!! That's the first thing I said! "Are you bringing up your daughter to be vegan!?". I think he actually believes that not eating meat would be somehow harmful! I don't know how people can still think like that when there are so many studies suggesting the links between eating meat and cancer/heart disease and so on.
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Propaganda.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
I met this Canadian guy in France who was telling me how he used to keep cattle, and he told me this cute story about how he named two of the cows after cartoon characters, and how they knew their names, and would come when he called them, and how they liked being rubbed on the head.... I listened, genuinely interested, and nodded, and waited til he was finished, and then I said "and afterwards did you eat them?"
Both he and my flatmate who were there at the time just stared at me for a second, then broke into nervous laughter. I think it made him pretty uncomfortable but then he kind of stuttered and said "well yeah, eventually we sent 'em to slaughter. But it was really cool, when we wanted to upload them off the truck we just had to call their names and out they came, whereas everyone else had to move their animals out manually!" (or some such I can't remember his exact words, hearing them as I was through a blind rage.)
Oh yes, that is very cool that you just proved cattle are sweet, intelligent and trusting beings whom you sent off to die horribly so their ripped apart bodies can provide some family with obesity and corony heart failure, and these same noble, dead creatures can now provide an anecdote for you to try and impress girls with.
Sometimes I could honestly just sit in front of these people and burst into tears.
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There's an additional thing to be said about the 'naturalness' of killing and eating animals... some people claim that since we are capable of killing and eating certain animals, some of them even without tools/weapons, eating them should be seen as a natural thing to do as well.heat13
This, of course, doesn't make sense to a vegan - simply because we don't *want* to eat/kill them. When it comes to non-vegans, however, maybe it's worth reminding them that one of the strongest and potentially most lethal animals on the planet - the elephant - is totally capabable of killing humans and other animals without any help from tools or guns, but still choose to remain a plant eater, even after all these years of evolution.
In some countries with many elephants, like Kenya, humans are being killed by elephants (for various reasons I'll skip here), but even if its easy to trample a human to death, the elephant isn't interested in eating the humans they kill.
The same could be said about hippos and bufallos. Both are among the most dangerous animals on the planet, but they are also (mainly) plant eaters. Being capable of killing other animals (with or without tools) simply doesn't imply a reason to eat (or kill, for that matter) other animals.
Top 10 Herbivores You Probably Want To Avoid
I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
What a day!
Ive been called an 'elitist' today
Asked what do I eat?!
Called extreme for not wearing leather (ie. walking boots)
And, would it be that bad if I did have non-vegan cake?!
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
The non-vegans and vegetarians are usually very nice to me. The most I get is the odd joke about how my food probably tastes like grass (when I'm eating bean salad O_o) or I'm told that veggies don't really have anything good in them and beans don't have protein in them...by someone who used to be vegetarian and is really into health and fitness.
Oh well, could be worse. The people I care about are nothing but nice.
I actually got told by an omni friend of mine that she's never met a vegan she liked, except me. Apprently I'm very good at talking rather than lecturing. She feels educated rather than feeling she's had it shoved down her throat. I can understand that feeling, I've met vegans and vegetarians who come across a little too...militant in their views.
Though I can't really think of anyone like that here.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
I was asked (again!) last night what did I eat. I started on the usual beans, lentils etc etc and then thought to myself - hey my diet is probably more varied than most omnis - so the question should be 'what do omnis eat?"
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
my usual response to what do you eat is to point out my omni ex used to eat chips and beans thirteen meals a week where as i eat chips about once a fortnight and wouldnt have a tin of beans in the house.just because i choose not to eat certain foods doesnt neccesarily mean my diet is less varried than theres.if they are genuinley interested rather than knocking me through insecurity i offer to cook for them.i had seven omnis round for a curry on thursday and all theyve done is say how good it was and when can they come again.i am not saying they will all turn vegan within a fortnight but i have at least opened there minds to the fact that a meal can taste deliscious without containing a corpse.every sunday i bake cookies or fairy cakes with kids. my sons mates all pile round and demolish them.they again now no u dont have to have eggs and dairy to make great cookies.half of them have nagged there parents into buying swedish glace cos it taste better than the cow puss filled rubbish they used to buy.so loads of people who basically saw me as a freak and a fanatic who was starving himself have realised i eat at least as well as i do.the big excuse of id starve is taken away from them.as people ask why it bothers me so much the way animals are treated i can concentrate on how bad the facts are rather than that its unnecessary because i have already one that argument by example.i am not saying that i will create an army of vegan converts but i have at least made some people think about it and lots of people more tollerant.sorry about the size of this post i seem to be rambling
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
yes, yes I was very horrified to find out one type of the soymilk that my supermarket sell contain milk....I was like...well this isnt soy milk if it contain milk, why would they call this soy milk?!? and organic? how? such nonsense.
And the thing meateaters do and say is like, well they are healthy for you! and well you are losing weight because you don't eat meat! and well I just put a little meat into this dish, I didn't tell you because it's only a little meat....yep, my mom said that...I'm out of words to fight back to her...I thought she accept that I'm vegan but I guess not! What she mean by there's only a bit meat? And she argued if you don't want it you will see it and take it off before you put it into your mouth! Well, then what is the reason that I will eat with my family ever again then, if they so not going to respect my choice and treat it like somekind of joke, yes a bit meat is fine...= = it made me so mad that I lost my word and didn't fight.
Oh yea and my mother who worry about MY cooking skills because she thinks for potlucks everyone ONLY eat meat, no veggies please= =
And my boyfriend who stay in his way of eating and listen to me ranting about veganism...he wouldn't watch the videos, or read books, but listen to my ranting half heartedly. Then he is saying well he feel bad for animals but he think its not time for him to change yet. Well when is the time then? never?!? And he always eat meat! every single meal! yep, that's one thing I can't stand about him. Why not if he so believe in his faith, watch the factory farm videos? Watch a lot and see what he thinks after? No, he reject the idea and continue to eat meat!
Oh, and my bf thinks the veganism is a propaganda bad for you...I mean, why isnt meat eating propaganda then...= =so mad sometimes just to think about these.
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apparently my grandparents think that I have gone vegan for attention... it upsets me that they think thats why I'm doing it! not that I love animals, and dont want them to suffer, that I want to be healthy, and that I think it is impossibly unethical to eat a meat diet when people are dying for want of food and water... 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!
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
just had to have a lil rant
We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
Vivien I totally agree with you, everyone arounds me don't want to know the facts either! Sometimes I tell them, they seem to listen, but after a while they ask the question and I thought okay, I just told you a detailed answer a while ago...
PS: that's not ranting lol. mine was more like a rant, very long rofl.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
I actually had a full on argument with my Mum, Dad, & Godmother (all meat eaters) recently over the definitions of Vegan & Vegetarian!
Basically; we somehow got onto the subject & they were saying that they have friends that eat Fish & call themselves Vegetarian. :P When I said that they may call themselves Vegetarian, but by definition they're not-then the argument really kicked off.
They seem to think that anybody can call themselves Vegetarian/Vegan (even if they're not) & that the definition of the words are fluid. They also can't understand why it annoys some Vegetarians/Vegans (including me) when some people call themselves Vegetarian/Vegan when they're not.
They just don't take it seriously at all-but to me (& many others) this is not just a diet-it's a lifestyle & a part of my beliefs.
Sorry for the rant!
“We need to be the change we wish to see in the world”
– Mahatma Gandhi
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
I finally went vegan a couple of weeks ago, after many years of being vegetarian, and I've been getting a bit of stick about it at work. I've only told a few people but word gets round quick here so now I have people I haven't even mentioned it to coming up to me and saying, "So what's this about you going vegan?" and asking me the usual stupid questions like what can you eat. And then, as always happened whenever I mentioned being vegetarian, they started talking about how they couldn't do without lamb or whatever and what they had for tea the previous night.
Now, all of this is annoying, but not surprising. The reaction that really shocked me was from someone who doesn't eat meat. She does eat fish (pescatarian?) which she claims is for health reasons but tries not to use leather products, so I thought she would be somewhat understanding, especially since she is a very intelligent woman. But no...her immediate reaction to me going vegan was, "Don't do that silly!" and then telling me it was going too far and what was I going to eat, how could I live without cheese, milk and eggs. "Veg on its own is boring, you need something with it." I can have something with it, but that something doesn't have to be cheese! I swear sometimes people think 'vegetables' literally means brocolli, peas and carrots.
"Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers."
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
Congrats on your veganism, Eleanor!
Maybe you could make a vegan FAQ list, and when somebody asks stupid questions just mail it to them.
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
At a work event in a hotel (where, despite my requests, the stupid Holiday Inn caterers were unable to provide anything for me except a plate of boiled vegetables) from a colleague: "So are there any restaurants anywhere for ... for... your sort of people?". Couldn't even say the word vegan.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
A relative said to me while I was opening a packet of vegan burger patties 'gee it must be causing a lot of environmental damage; all that packaging for tofu etc.' FUCKING LOL!!!
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Thanks patientia!
I find it amusing that people think I'm going to get sick from being vegan. I've been vegetarian for 14 years! But of course, not eating piles of cheese on my pasta, huge bars of milk chocolate and cartons of Ben & Jerry's is going to make very ill indeed.
Your sort of people?! Jebus...what a stupid thing to say. There must be a word for those sort of people. Veganist? Vegaphobic? Moron?
"Hold the newsreader's nose squarely, waiter, or friendly milk will countermand my trousers."
Re: Things meat eaters say and do
ROFL! Your pointy ears must have been showing RR
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
This was actually quite funny. My aunt, uncle and cousin came over for the holiday and we were having pasta - totally vegan. My aunt asked whether we had any Parmesan and by chance, I had vegan Parmesan, so I gave it to her. My cousin looks at it and says: "This is mushroom!" She: "I don't care what it is as long as it's Parmesan!"
Another thing, less funny: I met two girls that I only know briefly while having lunch. The two greet me, ask me whether it's true that I'm a vegan. I say yes, they don't say anything. I consider the conversation finished. Then the two of them start talking amongst themselves and I couldn't help but overhear: "I've known someone who's a vegan and she wanted to have a child but had a miscarriage because her diet was so unhealthy." "Yeah, it's supposed to be really dangerous and I think it's mental to endanger the health of your child for something like that." ...
I was really angry back then.They didn't even really talk to me but it seemed like they were doing it to upset me. I didn't say anything in the end.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
I probably wouldn't have bothered to argue in the circs etiher Sooky - if they weren't in Switzerland I'd say they must have been getting their information from the tabloid newspapers but I'm not sure you have those?
Mushroom Parmesan? Glad it went down well anyway!
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
God made animals for us to use and eat....Was the most recent argument. I asked him if he would eat his dog, he said "yes if I was starving" he said.....I pointed out that he wasn't, so why is it ok to kill other animals when there was no need, I asked...End of argument with this one.
I generally don't get into many conversations about my diet..If the question appears and they truly want to know, I tell them and they find it's not much different than theirs, except for the exclusion of animal products....If their looking for an argument...I tell them I only eat nuts and berries. My sarcasm usually thwarts off any continual debate.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Wow, any argument that involves 'God' is usually obsolete since, I dunno, 50 years ago. I did have someone try to tell me that animals don't have souls and therefore don't feel pain (because the bible says humans were given souls). I just laugh at stuff like that and think 'yeah and you're the compassionate one whilst I'm the evil Atheist!'.
I was really amazed recently when one of my closer friends offered me some chocolate biscuits. When I gave her a look like 'are you kidding me?' she asked 'what do these have in them?' ahh, milk chocolate, as in milk. Milk is from cows....are you aware of that? Cows are animals..I've been a vegan for a while now remember...are you getting this? So stupid and insulting! What a great friend, right?
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
This thread is pretty cool (makes me feel better anyway). I got "you should take a blood test because of you diet" - from the guy who lives off coke zero and has a resting HR of over 90 bpm!!!
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
I love it when i get asked (which is not very often as I look perfectly healthy):
"Do you get enough Calcium/Iron/insert nutrient of choice?"
"Yes, of course, I take X, Y, Z that contains lots of it...." followed by "Do YOU get enough fibre?" and a cheeky grin...
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Things you can ask a meat-eater:
- do you get enough fibre
- do you get enough vitamin E
- do you get enough folate/folic acid
- do you get enough vitamin c
- do you get enough vitamin K
- do you get enough copper
- do you get enough carbs (brain needs at least 130g/day)
- do you get enough [phytonutrient of your choice]
- don't you get too much saturated fat
- don't you get too much cholesterol
- don't you get too much protein (because too much protein, especially of animal origin, raises IGF-I and shortens lifespan)
- don't you get too much methionine (aminoacid that shortens lifespan)
- don't you get too much leucine (another aminoacid that shortens lifespan)
- don't you get too much advanced glycosylation endproducts (because they promote degenerative diseases)
For fisheaters:
- don't you get too much long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (because DHA and EPA are more prone to lipoxidation, and since they are incorporated into mitochondrial membranes, that causes destruction of mitochondria)
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
^
Thanks Patientia... I quite like the fibre one because it reminds people of their toilet habits and normally makes them feel a bit awkward (which I quite enjoy)
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
When my grandmother found out I was vegan she asked "what, you don't eat chicken then?" i was like "well, obviously, chicken is an animal" and she said "what, not even a little bit?" i just burst out laughing really. yeah, i'm vegan, but i DO eat a little bit of chicken once in a while. come on, gran
i also once went to a party where i didn't know anyone apart from the person i came with and the folks there weren't exactly 'my type of people' - all meat-eaters, obsessed with getting rich and famous and powerful, violent and rude, and also not very smart. you know the type. and there was food like little sandwiches and pizza and stuff. i was a bit hungry so i asked people who were eating those what they were (especially the sandwiches - couldn't tell what was inside). and then i tried a little experiment. if people would say, for example, this was a ham and cheese sandwich and if i wanted one, i would say no, i'm vegan and they would get all weird and snotty about it, but when i said no, i'm intolerant to cholesterol they wouldn't be snotty at all and would just say 'oh ok' and move on. That was a funny, i think.
the most hurtful comment to me from meat-eaters is "well, you know you're not going to change anything, don't you?" to which i say that if everyone had attitude like theirs well then yeah, and we would be still living like our ancestors the cavemen (and women) because no one would even try to change anything. they usually shut up after this, but it still is very bad to hear that most people think that way.
"Let he among us without sin be the first to condemn..
Viva La Vie Boheme!!
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
oh and also how always funny it is when people try to persuade you that being vegan is wrong in a dialogue like this:
them: -but it is natural for people to eat meat, we are carnivores and always have been
you: -no it's not *followed by some arguments on how unnatural it is*
them: -oh yeah, but humans are separate from nature anyway and we're not animals
"Let he among us without sin be the first to condemn..
Viva La Vie Boheme!!
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
^ LOL!oh and also how always funny it is when people try to persuade you that being vegan is wrong in a dialogue like this:
them: -but it is natural for people to eat meat, we are carnivores and always have been
you: -no it's not *followed by some arguments on how unnatural it is*
them: -oh yeah, but humans are separate from nature anyway and we're not animals
"If God didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them of meat!"
Then I say the same for humans.
But, usually, if they say something about God, I answer: "You have the right to believe anything you want to believe, but you don't expect to use your religious beliefs as an argument and be taken seriously, do you?"
"If God didn't want us to eat meat, he wouldn't have created mustard!"
Well, I really don't know how to answer that one
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Yesterday I was told by one meateater: "I could never be a vegetarian because I like to cook, I like to mix various foods together... "
I told her that I wasn't particularly interested in food before I became a vegetarian. And since then I have been trying many new foods. But, she might already be using all those food items. I didn't know what to say, ethics is an issue, but obviously, her taste buds are more important to her.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
I like to cook and mix various foods together too. I guess I could never be a vegetarian.
Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Yeah I don't really understand that remark. Is she implying that you can't cook anything if you're vegan? She must be of the impression that all we eat is celery sticks while completely unaware of the fact many things already in the standard diet are in fact vegan. Why is it such a common school of thought that in order to make a meal a meal there needs to be a big hunk of meat on the plate? There are millions of vegetarians on the planet and most countries that aren't Western actually abide by the WHO's recommendation of 200g or less of red meat a week.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
I am incredibley sick of people asking me what I eat!!!!!!!! This week I have had like 4 people ask me!!!! I'm so mad about it! What am I meant to say back to them? List off of all the recipes I cook regularly?!?!? Tell them every single ingredient I use?!!??!?! Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
"Sausages, burgers, pizza, lasagne... the same as you, only without animal ingredients."
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Maybe politely say "you might be surprised about how many vegan foods YOU eat without even knowing it" (if you actually thought about what you're shoving into your trap every now and then). Pointing out that lots of Indian and Asian foods are vegan already (i.e.without asking for them to be vegan) usually helps me.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
My family have recently taken to quizing my with "what if..." situations to see if I would eat/use something non-vegan. I don't know why they bother. The situatins are never true "emergencies" more like "What if you were on holiday and you couldn't find anything to eat?". Seeing as I've never been to a country where there were no vegtables I think these converstions are pointless for both parties. I think they're just trying to be clever.
I discussed factory farming with my mum last week who claims she only eats "happy" meat which has "had a good life". This she claims makes it ok for her to eat meat. I know this is a lie and she doesn't check where her meat comes from (even if this was an acceptable justification) so when we went out to eat and she had lamb I waited untill she was done then asked her if she knew how the lamb had been raised and killed. She couldn't answer but she did say she had a vegitarien meal the night before. She thinks eating vegetarien a few times a week or vegan if I come over is the same thing as not hurting ay animals.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
@ trudyscrumptious. My favourite conundrum is: what do you do if someone tells you "If you don't eat this chicken I'm going to kill another chicken". It's purely philosophical (unless you have a really horrible family! haha) but interesting nonetheless.
To be totally honest, I would accept the justification of only eating 'happy animals' which in my mind is meat from a biodynamic farm that kills the animals on site (no transport or abattoir) and the farm had been visited in person to check how the animals live i.e. are they free to roam pastures, do they have trees for shelter etc. I accept that some people will always eat meat however I would prefer it if they eat meat produced in the above way as opposed to in feedlots etc.
I have to say good on your Mum for eating some vegetarian meals, some people refuse to do even that! Maybe she's still contributing to suffering sometimes but those few vegetarian meals make a huge difference.
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
I've tried this approach and I still get the "Err, what's in them?!?" or "How are they vegan?!?". Mostly I can handle it but I just hate their inability to actually think about it!!
@ MCMLXXXVI: I even had someone tell me that curries have meat in them. And I explained how in India a lot of food is vegetarian and religions, etc. And they said how they have never seen a vegetarian curry!!
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Then, you can really list everything you eat:
Vegetables, legumes, grains, fruits, seaweeds, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices...
If you list a few in each category, they'll probably stop you before you finish. I'd start with herbs and spices, i have around 50
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
OBVIOUSLY, he created mustard to go on Linda McCartney sausages!
"If God didn't want us to eat meat, he wouldn't have created mustard!"
Well, I really don't know how to answer that one
once in a while you can get shown the light
in the strangest of places if you look at it right
Re: Things meat eaters say (3)
Wow, thanks
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One of my favorite arguments used is "Yeah well look at that cheetah killing the antelope! That looks really painful and sad!"
Yeah, but that antelope wasn't LOCKED IN A CAGE its whole life and had the ability and resources to try to defend itself and escape. e_e
PRESS MY FLESH.
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One of my omni-friends said she loves that I am passionate about my beliefs. She also makes sure there is always soya milk and vegan friendly drinks at her house when I come over.
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I was actually called a vegetable in facebook. My classmates posted this pic of cartoon stereotypes. I don't think the term vegetable is a good way to address a person.
Carrot!
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"Veganism is an eating disorder." - a meateater on another forum
I reported the post, explained that veganism is not a disorder by WHO classification or by DSM-IV and it was deleted (it was offtopic, too).
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