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Wednesday, August 02, 2006
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On Veganism
The average person hates vegans.
I pretty much think this goes without saying. I constantly hear about the health risks associated with it from my family (who always wonder why I can't "just eat real food," nevermind that I'd hardly consider a slab of meat loaded with hormones to be edible), and I used to constantly get shit from (now former) friends for not ordering anything when we'd go out to eat.
So why all the hostility?
Personally, I think a lot of people are threatened by the concept of veganism. Otherwise, why say anything? If people aren't afraid of it, why don't they just accept it and keep their mouths shut? If people aren't afraid of it, why is it whenever I offer most of the people I know something to eat, they just kind of grimace and say something like "is it vegan?" or worse, tell me "I'll eat something vegan if you'll eat a hamburger" (as if, somehow, fruits and vegetables are incompatible with an omnivorous diet in the same way that meat is with a vegan diet - last I checked, you're not going to get violently ill if you eat a fucking carrot)?
I think that eating meat has become somewhat synonymous with "manhood," and I think that this is where most of the hostility comes from. I've found that the people who give me the most shit are the ones who are (over)compensating for the most shit.
And you know what? It's not going to change my mind. I know the health risks. I know that humans are supposedly naturally omnivorous. And nothing anyone can say will change my mind. I've been vegan for nine months now, and I've never been healthier or happier in my life.
So here's my challenge to all willing to accept it: go two weeks without eating any meat. If you think you can do it, let me know! And be sure to let me know how it goes for you!
posted by Soup at 1:47 AM 
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