DISQUS

BoP · 9 months ago

" I don’t know why they think beef is the only meat that counts."


Because people are confused, that's why. Some people will call themselves vegetarians even though they eat fish, or have a single exception to the meatless rule. I think part of the confusion comes from the cultural/ historical/ linguistic distinctions that's been made to various kinds of animal flesh. Catholics, for instance, eat fish on Fridays when they can't eat meat, and in Spanish, the word "carne" means both beef and meat. The best way to explain what "meatless" means is to shout "NO DEAD ANIMALS!" But that gets a bit obnoxious.



Also, for some reason people are hung up about protein. Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero have a great suggestion in Veganomicon: Next time somebody asks you how you're getting enough protein, ask back which amino acids they're worried about. Most likely they'll have no clue.

BoP · 9 months ago

" I don’t know why they think beef is the only meat that counts."


Because people are confused, that's why. Have you not heard of people who call themselves vegetarians even though they eat fish or have a single exception to the meatless rule? I think part of the confusion comes from the cultural/ historical/ linguistic distinctions that's been made to various kinds of animal flesh. Catholics, for instance, eat fish on Fridays when they can't eat meat, and in Spanish, the word "carne" means both beef and meat. Probably the best way to explain what going meatless means is to shout "NO DEAD ANIMALS!" But that gets a bit obnoxious.



And, for some reason people are just hung up about protein. The authors of Veganomicon have a great suggestion: Next time somebody asks you how you're getting enough protein, ask back which amino acids they're worried about. Most likely they'll have no clue.

KaNtWheYt2012 · 9 months ago

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veggievixen · 9 months ago

thank god i'm not the only one...


people ask me to justify my vegetarianism ALL the time. and saying "for my health" and "for the animal's welfare" isn't enough for most people. i've only been vegetarian for a year, so i think people are suspicious as to why i switched over. i'm going to start asking people to justify their diets, and why they DO eat meat.

A_and_N · 9 months ago

Hilarious post....especially with the witty responses. I mean 'hilarious' in a good way here :) I also face such questions, although not very frequently. I guess the most important thing is to respect people's lifestyle and choices. Friendly bantering is alright but someone shouldnt look at anyone else as 'different' just because that person chose to be a vegetarian. I've never had meat in my life, I dont miss it one bit and I'm not planning to have any :)


As far as our ancestors are concerned, they also traveled on bullock carts, wooden boats on seas and didnt have computers. Like you said, its called evolving by exploring new things and progressing as a whole. And to me, it starts with respect and mutual understanding :)

DAVID · 9 months ago

Similar to the birthright question referenced above is one I frequently get: "Isn't it within the nature of man to eat meat?" (And sometimes phrased exactly like that - as if he or she just read Rousseau before coming to the party.)


My response: "If you want to return to nature, then go and hunt your own game . . . with your bare hands."

Hanlie · 9 months ago

I'm fortunate that my family is starting to veer towards eating meat only once a week now... This is after I gave them all copies of The China Study!

sunshine · 9 months ago

Love it! At least you're family asks questions. I generally get comments - You're not getting enough protein. You're shouldn't run and not eat meat. Etc. They mean well, but... :)

BoP · 9 months ago

See, what did I say?

koala · 9 months ago

The single most annoying question I get is "When will You quit with this vegetarianism and start eating normal again?" or "You STILL don't eat meat?"
It's been 12 years now and they still think it's some teenage phase.

Lisa · 9 months ago

My family is pretty split on their acceptance of my vegetarianism. My mom went from "what are you doing?" to, "um... maybe there is some merit in it" when she realized I lost 20lbs after I became a vegetarian. She didn't eat much meat to begin with, but now even less.
My dad's side of the family continues to ask "you eat fish, right?" even after 2 years of hearing the same response - no dad, no animals. I had to reiterate that to my grandmother yesterday, who so delightfully responded "but fish aren't animals". Huh?

Tuco · 8 months ago

Great post... love the "how do you get enough ___" (insert nutrient) line!
And yeah... that argument about "what will happen to all the cows if we stop eating them!?!" is ludicrous.



I kind of did something similar on my blog a while back:

http://tucovegs.blogspot.com/2008/02/you-dont-eat-meat-or-dairy.html



Take care!

sky · 6 months ago

Nice comebacks. Anyway, it's always healthy to treat well-meaning non-vegetarians with humor and still get your message across because let's face it, you are the minority, but it doesn't mean anything except in quantity. I find the term "proper food" hilarious. It can only come from our folks.