The Vegetarian / Vegan Issue

I felt like writing something for it is currently bothering me a lot that people are called names for being a Vegetarian/Vegan or supporting animal rights. Well, as I am a Vegetarian going Vegan I always keep getting to the point of where people ask me: Why?

Is my choice of diet really that much of a big deal? Sometimes I just need to keep myself from asking:
Why aren't you? Which would sure be considered rude by many meat eaters while asking a Vegetarian is perfectly fine, because it's still "unusual". Do you ask a homosexual person why they are gay? Do you ask someone who despises tomatoes why they hate them? I think it's pretty weird, to be honest.
The funny thing is: When I tell them why, they start attacking me with always the same statements which I am soooooooooooo tired of.

- Plants don't want to be eaten either!
... This is my most hated one. My answers? ...
1) Plants do not have a nervous system. They can't feel pain. 
2) They regrow, animals don't.
3) We mainly eat the fruits, not the plants themselves.
4) You eat them, too! Me: Same food as you minus meat/fish.
5) We NEED to eat them.

- God told us it's ok to eat meat.
... I've had long discussions about this matter already. Recently
a very calm and nice one with a Christian girl. It was honestly a pleasant conversation!
I hugely admire people who have faith in their God. 
As long as they don't harm anyone or tell me I'm a sinner.
I might have done a lot of things wrong, but I know I'm a good
person who couldn't hurt a fly. How can a loving God be against
that? Against Vegetarianism? Maybe the bible says it's fine to eat
meat - if you believe in it I won't judge you for it. You can't force
others to believe in it though.

- Do you eat fish? What do you eat? I have no idea what to make for you!
I don't eat meat or fish - that's it. Occasionally I have my meat replacements. Otherwise I eat just like anyone else. Soy is a great substitute for milk which I am still discovering, because its taste is very different from the milk we know.  

- So you think you're better than us?
Erm ... no? I used to eat many hamburgers for I grew up in a family that isn't Vegetarian. I've loved the taste. So how can I think I'm any better than anyone? I constantly feel inferior to others. Now I'm grossed out by meat, but that doesn't mean I started hating my entire family.

- So you don't care about other people then?
Once again - what has my choice of diet to do with how I feel about other people?

- We need to eat meat! / We've always eaten meat!
No, we don't. Not in the wealthier countries, but please do your own research.
I myself have taken months to figure out a healthy diet. Just because we've always
done something doesn't make it right. 

There are so much more statements which I don't feel like listing here. I really honestly appreciate a person saying "I like meat too much" instead of giving me those replies. Admitting that takes courage.
It's a fact that we don't need to eat meat anymore. Saying anything else is pointless.

What I also hate is when me sharing a post on facebook like "Vegetarian and Proud" causes a war with meat eaters. Why does that offend them? I'm not offended by them sharing a photo saying "I love tasty hamburgers". It's their opinion. So what? If I agree I give it a like, if I disagree I ignore it. Also: I've never posted anything like "Stupid meat eaters, they don't care about animals"  (I'd find that a very ignorant thing to say) - Interestingly enough most things that are posted in relation to Vegetarianism by meat eaters include an offense. I quote: "Vegetarians are too stupid to hunt" (this one is funny - who still hunts their own food?), "Real Men Eat Meat" (who's to say Vegetarians/Vegans aren't real men?) ... that's still the harmless ones. A magazine for Heavy Metal / Rock / Gothic clothing only offers many "funny" T-Shirts against Vegetarianism, there's not a single one pro-Vegetarian one. I do like listening to some Heavy Metal bands. Am I too ridiculous for this type of music in the public eye? Why is my taste of music or sexuality also associated with my diet?

All in all: I'm a Vegetarian, because I've done a lot of research regarding nutrition and it was my decision to not hurt other living beings for my own pleasure. When I share posts to inform you why it's good to switch to a Vegetarian diet I don't mean to be rude or arrogant. I mean to be helpful. In the end you decide what you eat - whatever your reasons might be. I won't ask you for them and I won't hate you for what you eat.

And to all those bashing Asian countries like South Korea for eating dogs (and as I need to confirm: not all of them do) - eating pork is no better. Every animal can feel pain, some even fear death - think about their future. It's funny how a few animal rights supporters keep running to those countries first instead of trying to change something in their own. Seriously ... the industrial ways animals are killed in Western places are cruel as well.

Sorry for my rant and please don't feel offended, regardless of your nutrition and choice of lifestyle.



 

Story to be published =)

I just got good news from a publishing house. My story will be published =)

Mein deutscher Blog ist da! ^^

Noch in Bearbeitung!  

Aber trotzdem: liebe deutschsprachige Freunde, 

bitte folgen und teilen! =) Danke! ^^


Das Goldene Herz (DEUTSCHER BLOG)