Talking about it...

If you were a 1% vegan, would you talk to everyone you met? What if you were a 5% vegetarian? Would you talk to anyone? What information do you give to anyone you have talked to? “Yes, I love my food” – or “animals shouldn’t be slaughtered”?

This blog is from me, not a vegan, not even a vegetarian, but so far I have met a real annoying veganist which has not yet turned me off meat. At least, meat containing pork, chicken and fish, and anything else with eggs, milk, yoghurt, and inserted into bread and – dare I say it?? – cakes. Yes, I know I didn’t mention beef or lamb – I don’t really enjoy anything that most chefs believe only need a “blue” grilling, so I’ve mostly stopped eating them.

Let’s look at the history, and see just where we all fit. According to Wiki, humans are historical omnivorous, and they have “hunted and killed animals for meat since prehistoric times”. Vegans, also from Wiki, apparently weren’t first recorded until Dr William Lambe in 1806. The word “vegan” was not recorded until 1944, by Donald Watson.

Veganism is growing, it seems. In 2010 a poll in Australia said 5% of Australians were vegetarian, but only 1% were vegans. If you’ve ever met a vegan they might just tell you that they are against animals being killed for meat. In the USA, however, many vegans just simply eat what they like – and can afford. They have turned away from meat and products. Even Ellen DeGeneres is a vegan, but I haven’t, so far, heard her yelling about any-animal slaughter. SMH’s photo in their article said that DeGeneres and her partner Portia Rossi “didn't feel ethically comfortable eating meat.” This is their own feeling, and good on them. I am grateful to DeGeneres for not yelling at anyone she speaks to about why meat is not good.

If every vegan just acted as good as DeGeneres I think I would thank them all.

Pictures of meat consumption throughout the world take space in Wiki and should be seen by any vegan who believes that meat shouldn’t be eaten. According to the pics, in the high stable level there are higher poultry in Canada, USA, Australia and NZ, and higher pigmeat in Europe and Japan. In the developing world (emerging economies) there are higher poultry in Brazil, South Africa, Russia and India, and higher pigmeat in China. How would vegans deal with all these meat consumptive countries?

I have my own thoughts, which, it seems, I can’t even bring out in front of a vegan, so here they are, in my own blog, which can be read by anyone who wants to.

• RSPCA has a very good informative article on how slaughterhouses should happen. Very good, I believe, that they accept that animal slaughter for meat still exists in this country.  
• CSIRO have produced a book for the slaughter establishments, which means good procedure. If the establishment follows this, the animals will not be in pain.  
•  The Social Responsible Agricultural Project in USA says “Animals raised for food should not be forced to live their lives in deplorable conditions and die cruel deaths.” I agree with this. This project does not completely argue against slaughter, but does argue against pain.

I do not believe in huge slaughterhouses. I do not believe in cramped cages. I do not believe in profit over the best meat. What I DO believe in are the decent conditions for any animal at a farm which provides meat, milk, eggs, or any food made from part of them. And count the fish on these as well.

Vegan has been online since – it seems – 2002, but the website is very hard to get into or get around. A different vegan website is given on this site, but won’t even open on my PC. I’m sure there are probably many other vegan websites, but I won’t go out looking.

I found a picture on Flickr which was a pic of vegan-meat-stuff called “Vegan with Vengeance”. This is what, ultimately, annoys the heck out of me – and, like I said, I am NOT vegan. 

Why do vegans argue, rather than just talk?

Why do vegans protest, rather than just talk?

Any why, why, would a vegan kick out someone they had told – earlier – was one of their friends? MY right is to return a comment to theirs. I fully intend to continue to do this.

Steak, anyone??