By JACOB LOPEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
Jacob Lopez
I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across a post on Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness. It’s a group I joined nearly a year ago when I first decided to try a vegan diet as part of my nutrition and fitness plan. So far, it’s gone well. I enjoy my high-protein plant-based diet, and I don’t knowingly use products derived from animals. Of course nobody is 100 percent vegan. If you ride a bike or drive a car, your tires contain animal fat.
Here’s the problem with the community, and much of the vegan population in general: there is a loud, outspoken group within it that consists of elitists with holier than thou attitudes who want to push — no, force feed — their agenda on others. Anyone who, in their eyes, thinks otherwise is an animal-slaughtering idiot who will die of health-related complications due to their consumption of animal products.
Being vegan shouldn’t be about wanting to be part of some exclusive club or wanting a special title or designation. It’s about doing what you feel is right.
Another issue is human tendency for personal bias. I’ve read arguments for why avoiding animal products is good, and I’ve read arguments for why it’s bad. All it’s taught me is that nobody will ever agree. People most often tend to cherry pick and use only the data or reports that reinforce their beliefs. Still, I haven’t seen the science to sway me one way or the other.
Sadly, these sorts of problems exist everywhere. Those militant vegan zealots aren’t any different from the ones who push their religious beliefs, or any beliefs for that matter, on everyone else. It’s counterproductive.
It’s almost terrifying when a mindset like kindness to animals becomes cultish and borders on being some sort of religious movement with the followers wishing death on other human beings because they choose to eat eggs for breakfast.
Groups like the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) have somehow managed to turn a positive thing — like the wellbeing of all living creatures — into a terrorist group that seems to put animal lives above human life. So much for placing any sort of value on life, hypocrites.
Sure, I’ve ended up writing another long-winded column about something that bothered me today, but I hope you, as the reader, take it at more than face value.
It’s fine to care about something. It’s awesome to be passionate about something. Just don’t make it your agenda to destroy everyone else because they don’t agree with you. Try to educate and let those others decide for themselves.
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Thanks for the link! I’ll definitely check it out!
Speaking of food and at the risk of sounding like a zealot…
Some of the scariest movies are unfortunately based in reality.
GMO OMG
How do GMOs affect our children, the health of our planet, and our freedom of choice?
http://www.gmofilm.com/
Food, Inc.
For most Americans, the ideal meal is fast, cheap, and tasty. Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/food-inc/
Seeds of Death
The reason why they have 170 million acres of genetically engineered corn, soybeans, cotton, canola oil and sugar beets in the United States is because it doesn’t have to be labeled. The first genetically modified animal, the salmon, may soon be approved for human consumption and there has not been sufficient animal health testing, human health testing, or environmental impact testing of these new transgenic fish.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/seeds-death/
Please watch the film Earthlings (you can find it online by searching for Earthlings Movie). The people who are speaking for and, yes, fighting for, the voiceless animals should be applauded and not criticized. You call it a ‘personal choice’ that humans get to make about eating and otherwise using animal-dervied products. But the animals who are enslaved, tortured and killed by the billions have no choice. Yes, my language is strong but if you think it is unwarranted, first please watch the film I mentioned. Then decide for yourself.
I never mentioned it being a personal choice. I said people have personal bias about what they believe. Which is entirely true. (People will often slant their belief to what suits them) My real point in this whole thing is that when we criticize someone for the foods they eat, it only serves to push them away. If you bring it up in a way that doesn’t seem too imposing or pushy, they are often more willing to listen. It’s all about the approach.
Anyway, thanks for the recommendation. I’ll have to check it out. The only thing I really ask is that if you are ever at that point when you want to have this sort of discussion with someone, that you do your best to keep it cool and just let them know why you see things as such. Try to hear them too (even if the thoughts disgust you) because in the end, you will have at least gotten some point across.
Thanks for reading, Vee.
Come on dude. How can you look at factory farming and honestly believe that there are benefits to man or animal in that dept? Veganism is based on compassion and sustainability. And for the most part we only “preach” when interogated by omnivours. Bottom line: no sentient life exists to be a commodity. Unless you believe in slavery.
“How can you look at factory farming and honestly believe that there are benefits to man or animal in that dept?”
I never said that. Anywhere. The closest thing to that I said is that there are conflicting reports (there always will be). My main point was that pushing it on others ultimately makes them dislike the idea simply out of spite. I feel that it’s best to educate rather than chastise those people.
Either way, thank you for reading and I appreciate you commenting.
You raise some fair points. I would also add that there are meat zealots out there, but they are never criticized. Those are the ones trying to force you and me to eat their lard-based cookies, cholesterol-laden Thanksgiving turkey, etc. Oddly, nobody complains about these zealots and I wonder why the vegans constantly get banged over the head when the zealotry clearly goes both ways.
This is true. I’ve heard plenty of bacon comments in my day. Actually, a good friend pointed me to a nice article that talks about that end of the spectrum. If you haven’t read it, I recommend you check it out: http://veganchowhound.com/rants/people-hate-vegans-freud-could-explain-why/
Thanks for reading. 🙂