^ I worked in Central London for years and I actually worked alongside a few vegans so I don't know why it didn't click with me sooner. The vegans I met were okay though and not like that at all but they didn't clue me in to why they were vegan. I wish they had.
Should Vegans HATE Non-Vegans?
- Thread starter Bite Size Vegan
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OP
OP
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I continue to find it interesting that some vegans (and vegetarians) conveniently forget that they weren't always among the select few and spent a good portion of their lives as part of the despised group.
ledboots
Peace
This.
And IRL one of my mottos is Just Be Nice. I had that bumper sticker on my car until some guy flipped me off and yelled, Be nice and drive faster. Lol.
I was an omni for decades and when our young son became vegetarian, I said to my husband, "Oh no, I know he's going to be a vegan within a year." Yup. And I and husband, too.
Son educated us--I was clueless about dairy and egg cruelties. When I was growing up, a big egg farm was nearby, and there were big metal buildings with no windows. I always wondered where they kept the chickens--I thought the warehouses were for storing the eggs..
And I thought cows had to be milked, I did not know about the death of baby roosters or the separation of cow and calf. I knew about veal and never ate that even as an omni.
Anyway, I give people a break and a vegan cookie for the most part.
If a vegetarian goes vegetarian shortly into adulthood and is more critical of adults who choose to eat meat it makes sense. It's not exactly easy for some young people to change if their family is omnivore. Some try to look at the world from a chicken's perspective and judge humans accordingly. It's not very pretty.
RascalsMom
Forum Legend
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Went vegetarian at 14 & vegan at 18. Hardly a big part of my adult life. However, I always remember that wasn't always vegan and always wish I switched sooner.
Much different than someone eating meat or dairy/eggs as an adult.
OP
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very very true- that's why i emphasized that point in the video...emphatically emphasized...hehe
Diana
Vegan Police Officer
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Well, I don't think everybody would respond well to aggressive tactics. Some people don't have sufficient self-esteem or confidence to cope with hit-in-the-face stuff. Or it could just be inappropriate in the context.
I don't always tell people they're being damn hypocrites. Sometimes I put on my kid gloves (faux kid of course !!!) and try and accompany them on their path with love and kindness and a bunch of artificial flowers (I hate cut flowers. Why the heck would anyone want to cut a beautiful flower from a plant and watch it wilt and die in a bloody vase!).
All depends on who, why, how and where.
I don't always tell people they're being damn hypocrites. Sometimes I put on my kid gloves (faux kid of course !!!) and try and accompany them on their path with love and kindness and a bunch of artificial flowers (I hate cut flowers. Why the heck would anyone want to cut a beautiful flower from a plant and watch it wilt and die in a bloody vase!).
All depends on who, why, how and where.
I am not sure whether this is the point.
Most people in Western (or eastern) societies get raised as omnis from infancy and do not have much to say about that.
Some, however, do make the connection and eschew animal products because at some point they arrive at the realization that consuming animal products is wrong - AND they decide to act upon that moral imperative.
That, IMO, sets them quite apart from the "majority" that - at a certain age- well understands where animal products (at least meat, fur and leather) come from and that their production is an injustice to animals, but do not find enough fault with that to change their habits.
Best regards,
Andy
I am just catching up with threads. I remember you from VB and I thought you were an older woman so you must have caused a lot of harm during your life before you were vegan too. Now I look back on my life I hated that I was a vegetarian until I was 30 but we were like that so other people can be reached with the right information and guidance. Bah. I don't know. I'm trying to be optimistic about humanity.
ETA I was going to buy some artificial flowers a few years ago and all the ones I found were made from silk so therefore not vegan. I remember reading about silk and the boiling of silkworms when I first was vegan and I was so shocked as I was completely unaware that there was cruelty involved in making silk. I think a lot of people are just ignorant rather than deliberately cruel.
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I am catching up on threads as well, Moll.
I don't like the word "hate." There is enough of that in the world without my contributing to it.
That said, I would be alone if I decided to distance myself from non-vegans...like from my entire family, whom I love to pieces, though I won't deny that I'm unhappy that there are no other vegans in my immediate circle of family and friends. It saddens me greatly that they haven't made the connection yet, though I won't give up...ever.
I don't like the word "hate." There is enough of that in the world without my contributing to it.
That said, I would be alone if I decided to distance myself from non-vegans...like from my entire family, whom I love to pieces, though I won't deny that I'm unhappy that there are no other vegans in my immediate circle of family and friends. It saddens me greatly that they haven't made the connection yet, though I won't give up...ever.
Diana
Vegan Police Officer
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Yes, I caused a lot of harm when I was an omni, when I was oblivious or in denial or a bit of both. The oblivion disappeared thanks to the internet where one no longer has an excuse for not knowing things. And the denial disappeared when in all honesty someone called me a f...ing hypocrite and I saw myself in the mirror.
I still cause a lot of harm. Damn, I have a smartphone with all the horrors that accompany its making. And I have a car which pollutes. And the other day I bought something made in China most likely in appalling working conditions. And when my late cat was living with me, he ate "meat" and fish, contributing therefore to increasing the benefits of the meat industry and contributing to the slaughter of non-human animals. I could go on and on an on. We all could.
(As to the artificial flowers, yes, one must be careful as many are made of silk which is obviously not vegan).
This post may give the impression that I'm on the defensive. This is not the case. As you may have guessed, I'm not bothered about people speaking their minds.
Self hatred never help anyone....
Animals don’t need convincing that they don’t want to be eaten , its people that need encouragement and guidance to become veg'n .
As Calliegirl said , superiority , arrogance, elitist and condescending attitudes will never help anyone .
Animals don’t need convincing that they don’t want to be eaten , its people that need encouragement and guidance to become veg'n .
As Calliegirl said , superiority , arrogance, elitist and condescending attitudes will never help anyone .
I feel that being an angry vegan makes non-vegans dislike us as people and less likely to transition let alone listen to us...??
There's undoubtedly some truth to that, but on the other hand, is not some level of anger an appropriate reaction to many of the issues that vegans are particularly concerned about?
Val
Forum Legend
Aha, anger reveals itself as a defensive reaction to the truth and as an attempt to justify their lifestyle they're not going to change.
I understand the anger and agree in some cases but I guess I was just trying to say that vegans get such a bad rep in the media and it would be used as another reason to dislike vegans or for a non-vegan to transition.
Val
Forum Legend
In addition to what you've said, i have to admit (unfortunately) that i haven't met any adequate (russian) vegans IRL yet,- all people that i've met, were preachy, arrogant and/or freaky (most of them even tempted to accuse me in being not devoted enough. I mean, wtf?) That's why i avoid local vegan meetups and festivals. Maybe i haven't met "right" local vegans yet? The problem is that a lot of ideas are being destorted over here, i don't know why, which creates an unhealthy athmosphere.
Brian W
Conscientious Christian
This is precisely my view. Whatever life changes we make, we should always remember where we came from before we judge others.
