Comment by Michael Brice on December 20, 2011 at 12:28pm

 

Hi Nikolai,

just joined the site recently, pleased to find a vegan/vegetarian presence.

Comment by Dogly on January 23, 2012 at 11:38am

Help! How can I keep my temper, and with calm reason discuss veganism with someone who says, "But plants are alive too", and then, "What about water?  Is it OK to drink water from a river?"  and "Maybe someday we will produce all our food from genetically from non-animal, non-plant,  sources!"  I admit I lost it.  I said, "We are talking about ending cruelty to those who we know feel pain.  You don't feel any sympathy, or empathy for carrots!  You never drank a cup of water, and wondered, "Is this the moral thing to do?"  He said,  "Well, I was just thinking."  I said, "Well, don't!  That's just stupid!"  

Now I'm the bully.  He kills my friends and relatives every day, pretends to feel pity for WATER, and now I'M now the bad guy!  Ignorance may be bliss, but dealing with it in others is torture!" 

Comment by VeganApess on February 18, 2012 at 6:42am

Hi dogly my husband and i have that same problem day in and day out but you just have to put it in perspective with your day to day life because at the end of the day you only have one life and you are doing all you can for the animals and yourself as well as the planet and do what you can when you can and when people start being unsympathetic with there bullshit and lets face it once they start with (plants and them living) you know they don't have a leg to stand on.That's when i would end the talk.I know it's hard but at the end of the day your time is best spent with like minded people.xx   

Comment by Pamela on February 18, 2012 at 11:32am

Yeah, I worry for my species when I actually have to explain to someone that carrots don't have a central nervous system and can't feel brain.  At that point I start wondering if people really ARE the smartest animals......

Comment by Des Bellamy on February 18, 2012 at 3:44pm

Yes, the trick is not to rise to the bait and get mad - that is what they hope for, as they realise they have no reason on their side. Best to stay reasonable if you can. There is a great book called "But you kill ants" by John Waddell which lists many of the arguments we hear as vegans and the reasoned responses. For example, to paraphrase the book, he asks do you really believe plants feel pain, as I don't? But if you do, and if you really care about minimising pain, then you should be aware that most plants are eaten by animals for feed, and it takes around 10 kg of plant food to make a kg of animal flesh. So the best way to minimise plant "pain" is to get your food from vegetables rather than animals.

I know how tempting it is to add the alternative, that they could commit suicide and thus benefit the human gene pool, but I recommend against it!

Comment by VeganApess on February 20, 2012 at 12:37am

Hi Pamela and Des

I would for sure say that a lot of our species are not smart and that can be seen and everyday life. I mean people believe in a god in the sky. Also eating amazing animals that they shouldn't and if they had a cow alive in front of them i bet 99% of them couldn't kill it.They are crazy.It's so hard not to get mad when they try and defend eating other animals.They can't. It makes me so mad and hope more become vegan.I simply can not be reasonable when it comes to people defending them selfs in regards to supporting eating meat. I think we need to become stronger as vegans and make meat eaters feel sick when they eat meat.Sorry i get so carried away when it comes to animal that can't help themselves.  I love talking to vegans.Thanks        

Comment by Pamela on February 20, 2012 at 6:37pm

LOL  I just noticed I wrote "can't feel brain" instead of "can't feel pain".  I have to stop drinking wine while posting....

Comment by VeganApess on February 22, 2012 at 5:01am

Hi Pamela i didn't even notice.......so funny how the eyes reads something so quick like that and not even notice... lol

Comment by Dogly on February 22, 2012 at 8:06am

The same friend who expressed his concern for water and carrots, today wanted to discuss the recent success with the development of cows' flesh from stem cells, 'raised' or 'produced' in the lab.  I ask my colleagues here to think about this inevitable process.  Consider the environmental, financial,  physical, etc. costs.  Think about the mind set which will develop when flesh is absolutely  an "it" not a "who".  Will 10 lbs. of vegetable based nutrients still be required to produce 1 lb. of meat?  What about the real cows who the science articles state are used to collect bone marrow '"in the field"?  The more I think about it, the more complexities I see.  How about you, my friends?

Comment by Pamela on April 7, 2012 at 8:11pm

I've attended a few vegan meet-up groups in my area.  *sigh*  Gullible new-agey kind of folk.  One woman was insiting homeopathy works...although she knows that none of the original chemical is still IN the "medicine". She got VERY angry at me for calling it a placebo effect.  Another was confused that her cold hadn't magically gone away after she took some oregano oil.  Another was a chiropractor handing out pamphlets for those ridiculous foot baths that drain your body of toxins.  When I argued with him that the solutions could, at best, remove toxins from the skin in your feet he said "You just don't understand how the human body works".  I just laughed and didn't bother to tell him about my educational background.  *sigh*  Even in a group of vegans I'm the freak.

 

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