"In-your-face Vegetarians" (My first rant!)

General Ludd · January 15, 2003, 23:13

I've always heard people complainging about "in-your-face vegetarians" who force their views on other people. But, in all my life, I have not met a single vegetarian who has tried to force their views on me. Since becoming a vegeterian. (about 4-6 months now, I think it's been) I have noticed that it's quite the opposite. Every time you mention you are a vegetarian, someone's going to come up with a smart-ass remark or give you odd looks.

A perfect example are the vegetarian recipe threads that have been posted here on apolyton, there's always more "duuur, eat a steak" posts then there are with actual ideas.

I used to wonder why there where those ridiculous meat-substitutes like veggieburgers, or tofurky. Since becoming a vegetarian, I've learned that it's so non-vegetarians can feel comfortable eating with you.

This, of course, does not apply to everyone - only the close minded and ignorant.

Dis · January 15, 2003, 23:15

eat pork chops

seriously though what are your reasons of being a vegetarian?

Kramerman · January 15, 2003, 23:16

mmm... steak...

Imran Siddiqui · January 15, 2003, 23:18

You've never met a single vegetarian that tried to force their views on you? Which part of the country are you from? I've met plenty of people that tell me how cruel it is to eat animals (then again North East college campuses have many PETA members).

Nubclear · January 15, 2003, 23:20

Quote:

But, in all my life, I have not met a single vegetarian who has tried to force their views

SAYS THE ONE WHO BANS MEAT!!!

Tuberski · January 15, 2003, 23:20

More importantly, why would a vegetarian force their views ON avegetarian?

ACK!

Dis · January 15, 2003, 23:32

I admit I have never had a vegetarian force their views on me. But of course I don't hang out with vegetarians

. There might not be any vegetarians in my city. My city is a city where we indulge in the earthly delights. And some of those delights are women and meat, not necessarily in that order.

Spiffor · January 15, 2003, 23:40

I have plenty vegetarians in my class. Only one of them was slightly pushy (she sometimes talked about it when we were eating together) but stopped shortly.
Often, vegetarians talk about it only when I ask why they became vegetarians. But again, I know many German girls, and vegetarianism is somehow the norm among them

Boris Godunov · January 15, 2003, 23:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
You've never met a single vegetarian that tried to force their views on you? Which part of the country are you from? I've met plenty of people that tell me how cruel it is to eat animals (then again North East college campuses have many PETA members).

I never have, and neither has anyone I know. Your experiences aren't universal, ya know.

I'm mostly vegetarian (the only meat I eat is fish), and I get crap all the time like Osweld points out. My mom thinks it's a personal thing against her just to make her meal planning difficult...

General Ludd · January 15, 2003, 23:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
seriously though what are your reasons of being a vegetarian?

Both ethical and poltical.

The conditions in factory farms are immensely inhumane, and aside from being torturous to the animals the conditions are also a breeding ground for diseases in meat. Factory farms are what has turn un-cooked meat into a biohazard.

Factory farms also cause an immense amount of pollution, the animal waste produced from cattle greatly excedes the amount produced by humans (and I do mean greatly - I have read estimates that are as much as 130 times the amount of humans for the USA) this all goes into the enviroment untreated, and has been known to kill off all the aquatic life in places which it is dumped.

The anti-biotics and growth hormones that are used so that the animals can live in such atracious conditions bring around "super germs" that are resistent to drugs. These drugs are also in animal waste and run-off, and contaminate the enviroment and possibly even our drinking water.

Meat farming is immensely inefficient. 40 percent of the total world's grain harvest goes to feeding cattle, but a single hamburger is equal to ten loaves of bread, and the grazing land needed for free-range animals can bring more yield with crops. Much of the grain used to feed the cattle are imported from places where people are too poor to afford food, and are starving to death. It is estimated that if everyone adopted a vegetarian diet, our current food production would be enough to sustain a population of 10 billion people.

Worker's conditions are almost as bad as the animal's. Workers in slaughter houses have some of the most dangerous jobs in the world, succumb to all sorts of injuries. Many of them (in the USA, atleast) are illegal immigrants that are loured to the job with foreign advertisements and can be easily exploited.

It's also quite healthy. (especially when weighted against the disease-filled meats)

Tuberski · January 15, 2003, 23:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

I never have, and neither has anyone I know. Your experiences aren't universal, ya know.

I'm mostly vegetarian (the only meat I eat is fish), and I get crap all the time like Osweld points out. My mom thinks it's a personal thing against her just to make her meal planning difficult...

I can't believe you are so rotten to your mother. Aren't all gay men former "mama's boys"?

ACK!

Boris Godunov · January 15, 2003, 23:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberski

I can't believe you are so rotten to your mother. Aren't all gay men former "mama's boys"?

ACK!

I could fill pages and pages with the nuances of my relationship with my mother. I will spare you.

DinoDoc · January 15, 2003, 23:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld
But, in all my life, I have not met a single vegetarian who has tried to force their views on me.

Never met any PETA members, have you?

Tuberski · January 15, 2003, 23:55

I'm glad you understand me, Boris. And thanks for not sharing them, I don't understand nuances, I live in Texas.

ACK!

Spiffor · January 15, 2003, 23:57

I have yet to find a Vegetarian who says "eating meat is cruel". The closest I've seen (and it's a sound argument) is "the way we raise cattle is uselessly cruel". Maybe PETA members are a caste of stupid veggies ?

Boris Godunov · January 15, 2003, 23:58

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Never met any PETA members, have you?

Honestly, I haven't. But since when did PETA members represent the views of vegetarians? They don't represent vegetarians any more than the Klan represents Southern Christian...conserva...tives...

Oh wait...think I'd better find a better analogy...

DinoDoc · January 15, 2003, 23:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Spiffor
Maybe PETA members are a caste of stupid veggies ?

That goes without saying.

General Ludd · January 15, 2003, 23:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

I never have, and neither has anyone I know. Your experiences aren't universal, ya know.

I'm mostly vegetarian (the only meat I eat is fish), and I get crap all the time like Osweld points out. My mom thinks it's a personal thing against her just to make her meal planning difficult...

My family is pretty understanding. My sister used to be vegetarian, so they've gotten a chance to get used to it before. (thank god I wasn't the first!) Still, everyone used to say the same thing as your mom. And my grandparent's on my fathers side still treat it like some sort of disease, and practically quarantine my food, making sure they don't eat any of my vegetarian meals. (They where so considerate of it that they bought veggieburgers from M&M meat shop when I went to visit them

tasted like they where made of cardboard - probably where )

DinoDoc · January 16, 2003, 00:02

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
But since when did PETA members represent the views of vegetarians?

I had no idea that reading comprehension was so poor north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Boris Godunov · January 16, 2003, 00:06

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I had no idea that reading comprehension was so poor north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

I may have been slow parsing out the syl-lab-les, but I think I got it ok.

Dis · January 16, 2003, 00:12

PETA would never set foot in my city

So no, I have never met one. I was also in the military as well. You just aren't likely to meet vegetarians in the military or PETA members.

DinoDoc · January 16, 2003, 00:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
I may have been slow parsing out the syl-lab-les, but I think I got it ok.

I find that to be highly doubtful given that I said anything about PETA being representative of vegetarians.

Kramerman · January 16, 2003, 00:32

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberski
I'm glad you understand me, Boris. And thanks for not sharing them, I don't understand nuances, I live in Texas.

ACK!

hehe... true, its funny cause its true... *cough* Bush *cough*

Boris Godunov · January 16, 2003, 00:52

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc

I find that to be highly doubtful given that I said anything about PETA being representative of vegetarians.

I'm thinking this should be about your composition skills, not my comprehension skills.

loinburger · January 16, 2003, 01:03

I've met plenty of in-your-face vegetarians, especially back in high school! Every time I got a Big Beef from Portillo's, and then went to the local Whole Foods market, I'd always get these veg-heads giving me the smarmiest remarks about me being a "carnovore" or some such nonsense. "Sir, would you mind not dripping beef juice on the vegetables?" "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to charge you for all of the fruit that you've licked." "For God's sake, put some pants on!" What a bunch of jerks!

The Mad Monk · January 16, 2003, 01:10

Quote:

Much of the grain used to feed the cattle are imported from places where people are too poor to afford food, and are starving to death.

We're...importing grain?

VJ · January 16, 2003, 02:08

I don't eat any meat when making my own food, but mostly from economic
and selfish reasons, so I'm a flexible wannabe-veggie...

Quote:

The anti-biotics and growth hormones that are used so that the animals can live in such atracious conditions bring around "super germs" that are resistent to drugs. These drugs are also in animal waste and run-off, and contaminate the enviroment and possibly even our drinking water.

These hormones are not allowed in EU. IIRC, it was a big mess with US few years back.

alva · January 16, 2003, 02:39

Still is AFAIK....

I just got tired of meat, I will still eat it, but less and lass. I saw too much waste working in a kitchen. Meat has become to cheap too IMHO.

Combat Ingrid · January 16, 2003, 03:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Osweld
I've always heard people complainging about "in-your-face vegetarians" who force their views on other people. But, in all my life, I have not met a single vegetarian who has tried to force their views on me. Since becoming a vegeterian. (about 4-6 months now, I think it's been) I have noticed that it's quite the opposite. Every time you mention you are a vegetarian, someone's going to come up with a smart-ass remark or give you odd looks.

It seems like you don't even need to mention it. Whenever you are at a dinner and someone finds out you had the vegetarian meal, you will soon be under heavy fire and have to defend why you don't eat meat...

Yes, I know. We veggies are evil plant eaters, but as long as it's legal you can't stop us!

MRT144 · January 16, 2003, 03:30

i tried to be a vegetarian after a mass consumption of meat incident( i ate 5lbs of meat at in and out burger). it lasted about 6 months until i had a chicken burrito...

i still refrain from eating red meat though if given the option