Apart from the children issue, which IS a complex one, i never understood WHY u get so much dispproval from meat-eaters when u are vegetarian (i'm not vegan but i guess it's the same for them if not worse).
I don't know elsewhere, but here in France, it happens so many times that people look at u like u're a damn freak if u say u're a veggie. Then they try 2 prove u that u're wrong, that it's bad 4 ur health, that it's unethical 2 choose such a lifestyle cuz "man has been designed 2 eat meat", that it's absurd, that it won't change anything 4 animals who get eaten since there r so few of us, that it's just EVIL or shit like this !!!
& believe me i'm a non-militant vegetarian, i never talk about this tryin' 2 tell people that they should do like me, but lotsa people just can't help themselves 2 criticize & try 2 change my mind, as if not eating meat was doing something against THEM or the whole society. As long as i don't ask'em 2 become like me, why should they bother ?
Have u ever been in this kinda situation ? Is it different in other cultures (apart from Asia : there, nobody judges u about this) ? Have u other vegetarians/vegans ever faced such ractions & how do u explain it ?
& if u ain't a veggie, have u ever behaved like this in front of vegs, & why ?
I just can't get it... why does it shock people like this ?
[Edited 2/28/05 13:03pm]

I have nothing against vegetarians. I was one for 2 years myself. I just don't really agree with somebody deciding that their pets need to be vegetarian as well.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Same here, my cats eat meat, i can assure u. But apart from the children AND pets issues, i still don't c what the problem is 4 these people.

if u dont care what i eat why should i care what u eat.....as long as its legal

I don't have anything against them, but some of them come across as if they're on a mission like JW's.

cocofantasy said:

exactly, and vegans are even worse!

RipHer2Shreds said:

i didn't know that now i don't think that right. thats to overboard.
[Edited 2/28/05 13:26pm]

heybaby said:

I think I know who RH2S is talking about too.

RipHer2Shreds said:

true...i have several friends who are vegetarian and they all know i eat meat, and they have never pestered me about how it's bad to eat meat n'all. they totally respect me, just as i respect them (that, and their veggie cookin is awesome ). vegetarianism's a great idea, but organic stuff costs so much...i'm trying to balance more non-meat stuff in my diet (i don't eat very much meat anymore as it is, but when i was growin up i was in a pork chop/fried chicken environment)...some of the non-meat stuff out there is really good.

and yeah, i don't understand the idea of vegan cats/dogs, either. i go to urbananimal over on lyndale to get food n'stuff for my cat, and they have some cat food that's vegan.

my mom, my boyfriend, and my best friends all eat meat - not only do they seem not to hate me, but they claim to love me.

heck, when my sweetie and i go out to eat, our favorite places to go are the local vegan restaurant and the local indian restaurant. he still eats meat, and i don't really care that he does, and he doesn't make a big fuss over me being a veggie.

usually, when people start getting antagonistic about me being vegetarian, i deflect it instead of escalating the conversation. people can ask me about being a vegetarian if they want, but if they're going to try to "argue" something i've been doing for almost 20 years (and hasn't given me a reason to change), it's really not worth my time or effort.

irresistibleb1tch said:

i fall for it, too...and i'm trying more and more not to get involved in those discussion where i meet people who find out i'm a veggie and they try to "talk me out" of it...i like to be open about this part of my life, but i'm not obligated to always talk about it every time someone wants to spar with me, fer pete's sake.

I just love it:

Anxiety said:

i hear ya!

abierman said:

see, this kinda shit's just unnecessary and disrespectful. like i've never seen a damn steak before.

my sensitive fuckin' sensibilities are just soooo offended.

To each his own!

I can't see an issue being created just because one prefers meat, and the other doesn't.

I cant imagine giving a fuck whether someone is a vegetarian or not. There are a few in my extended family (freaks!) and I couldnt care less. We have barbeques and I cook their funny little non-meat sausages and burgers. Easy. Who could possibly worry about it?

If they dont drink, then that's a different story.




.
[Edited 2/28/05 15:09pm]

abierman said:

cocofantasy said:

I'm actually not talking about anybody in specific. I know very little about the veggie habits of Orgers.

charlottegelin said:

shaomi,

i guess these are the people to whom you should be asking your questions.

Yes, I LOVE meat. and I don't hate vegetables (or vegetarians) so there you have it! Happy?

When I was vegetarian, the people who were the most offended (and I do mean offended) were part of my family. They'd get nasty and taken aback when I wouldn't eat something they made."But this is good chicken. I made it myself." No amount of explanation get the point through that it wasn't that I thought they were bad cooks. In their eyes, I was judging their food.

On the topic of who is and who isn't nasty - there are ones on both sides. I've been criticized and yelled at for eating meat by a vegetarian, and in one particularly nasty incident in college, a couple people threw slices of bologna at somebody who was a vegetarian.

Stinky farts.

eat yer stakes, kiddies...i'll gladly take a big, fat falafel sammich anyday.

Anxiety said:

I will gladly eat this too. See, I have no problem!

Anxiety said:

charlottegelin said:

just don't eat the org, godzilla. people are still using it.

Anxiety said:

OK, I won't.

Anxiety said:

takes a big bite

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

i was gonna put a picture of sag paneer but all the pictures i could find looked like baby poop. it's my favorite food but it doesn't photograph well.