Thoughts on veganism?

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Replies

  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    k8blujay2 wrote: »
    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    Is this a concern where you live? I don't know anyone who's ever been bitten by a snake (and I'm assuming you meant "anti-venom").

    Come visit me in nevada

    Also it IS called Antivenin

    And Texas...

    FTR: My husband has been bitten by a rattlesnake...

    So then the rattlesnake wasn't vegan?
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    k8blujay2 wrote: »
    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    Is this a concern where you live? I don't know anyone who's ever been bitten by a snake (and I'm assuming you meant "anti-venom").

    Come visit me in nevada

    Also it IS called Antivenin

    And Texas...

    FTR: My husband has been bitten by a rattlesnake...

    So then the rattlesnake wasn't vegan?

    Apparently not... the *kitten*... We both worked in camps that had them... thankfully, I have never come in contact with them in my years as a camper or as staff... but they were out there... we were required to carry a shovel with us anytime we took a group of kids with us... to try and kill it.

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  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    hmm...most poisonous snake bites around my neck of the woods are from copperheads nesting under things. Rattlesnakes usually give you a warning. I've personally observed moccasins being the most aggressive of the poisonous snakes I've observed personally.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    k8blujay2 wrote: »
    k8blujay2 wrote: »
    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    Is this a concern where you live? I don't know anyone who's ever been bitten by a snake (and I'm assuming you meant "anti-venom").

    Come visit me in nevada

    Also it IS called Antivenin

    And Texas...

    FTR: My husband has been bitten by a rattlesnake...

    So then the rattlesnake wasn't vegan?

    Apparently not... the *kitten*... We both worked in camps that had them... thankfully, I have never come in contact with them in my years as a camper or as staff... but they were out there... we were required to carry a shovel with us anytime we took a group of kids with us... to try and kill it.

    You tried to kill something with a face :(

    If it trys to kill me first I'm going to try and kill it before it succeeds at killing me... thankfully I haven't had to kill anything more than a black widow that tries to kill me..
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  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,646 Member
    Merc:

    big rattlesnakes are the only ones around here big enough to be worth cleaning...
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    80b89927fdcc01fbee10e7666205e28d1a84c01112747b680bb717698adc3c8f.jpg
  • clewpage
    clewpage Posts: 44 Member
    Wow, lots of talk about snakes...I'm lost.
    Back to the original question.
    If you want to be vegan, for whatever reasons you choose, then go right ahead, your diet does not affect me in my life.
    The problem lies in the "militant vegan" attitude that is so rampant these days. That vegan is the ONLY way to be, and anyone NOT vegan is a horrible wretched person.
    I enjoy meat. I eat steak, I eat chicken, I eat fish.
    I try to buy free-range chicken and organic veggies when I can, but lets be honest, that stuff aint cheap, and last time I checked, I don't have a money tree in my back yard.

    I also shoot and eat my own wild animals like deer, turkey, dove, duck, quail.
    Hunting, (it doesnt get any more free range than hunting, killing, and preparing your own meat), and having my own garden (I control the conditions), enables me to eat a healthful and balanced diet without going broke.
    I'm also a firm believer in conservation. In order for the herd to thrive, there has to be sufficient food to support it. By hunting and killing mature animals and keeping the overall population numbers in check, it allows the herd to maintain a steady level of existence.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    80b89927fdcc01fbee10e7666205e28d1a84c01112747b680bb717698adc3c8f.jpg

    Great words to live by... as are many of Mal's words. ;)
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    I don't have problems with anybody who's a vegan. They want to live that way, it's cool. Me, I can't because I'd go balls-to-the-wall and not have any animal related products and there is too much stuff I enjoy that is animal related.
  • fatboyliz
    fatboyliz Posts: 515 Member
    I find more people talk against being vegan than in favour of it? But perhaps I have been lucky in that I have never met a militant vegan, only people telling me I am an 'omnivore'.

    Also in the UK snakes aren't a huuuge problem, so more here if concerned about antivenom/antivenin/snakestuff.

    Also...this is horrid, but dairy does harm animals. Cows have baby, baby killed (veel), but their milk keeps getting taken, then pregnant again and the cycle repeats. At least, that is how it works at my local farms.

    - I am actually not a vegan; I am not even vegetarian as I eat chicken sometimes. Just found this an interesting discussion. And hate people telling to eat something because it is in my 'nature' - regardless of what diet they are pushing, I eat what I liiiike.
  • jillybeansalad
    jillybeansalad Posts: 239 Member
    edited October 2014
    "To each their own." I'm vegetarian (9 years). I'm not against eating meat, I'm just concerned with factory farming and it's much easier to just cut it out.

    I try not to support the large milk production facilities too, since I've seen how those dairies are run in the southwest when I lived in New Mexico (numerous cows in a small confined area). Not all dairies are run like that, my aunt owns one with land that they roam.

    I never bring up my beliefs unless asked, nor do I ever try to change someone else's eating habits. My husband still eats meat on occasion, idgaf.

    I also feed my dogs and cats meat-based diets because they don't care where it comes from. I also get really good quality food, none of the supermarket stuff.

    I think veganism is great if that's your goal. I do think it's easier to follow if it's for ethical reasons, not many "going on a diet" vegans last long... but I always hope that they find the long-term diet that's right for them. Humans can be perfectly healthy with or without veganism. You just might have to pay attention to micro nutrients more.
  • markrichtsspraytan
    markrichtsspraytan Posts: 89 Member
    edited October 2014
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    I am guessing it's because a lot of people do it because they think it's healthier, or that they can lose faster with it, and things of that nature rather than for ethical reasons which is really the only reason to be a veg
    Studies have also shown that plants feel pain.

    I would understand not agreeing ethically with the treatment some animals go through before they are killed.

    Please show me this study where plants feel pain. They don't have nerves. I'm a plant pathologist, the closest thing you'll get to a plant doctor, and have never heard of such a thing.
  • jillybeansalad
    jillybeansalad Posts: 239 Member
    edited October 2014
    Probably getting confused with plant perception/adaptation?

    (I am so not an expert, which is probably obvious.)
  • FayeandBo
    FayeandBo Posts: 46
    edited October 2014
    I think it really depends on someone's body, and how they deal with being vegan ( what food they eat, how they cook, etc) since everyone's body is different and requires a different amount of meat. I am a raw vegan and since going raw have had a LOT more energy, feel better, skins clearing, and am losing weight really fast. And yeah going vegan isn't a weight loss plan necessary because nuts/seeds are high calorie and fat, one of the reasons I'm on myfitnesspal (to make sure I don't exceed too many calories with nuts)

    I definitely don't have any loss of respect for people who eat meat (my boyfriend is a big meat eater), the only thing that does bother me is when people don't buy free range/ethical meat. Then it's just helping the system abuse animals.
  • Just for the record as well, going vegetarian cuts your carbon foot print in half.
  • caesar164
    caesar164 Posts: 312 Member
    I love to eat meat and animal products; but it does sadden me how animals are treated ... Inhumane forms of slaughter, and horrible conditions.. But it still will not convert me to a vegetarian, let alone a vegan...
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I understand the ethical considerations of vegetarians and vegans. What I do not understand is how the same people do not consider the conditions in which we grow produce. I watched corporate farm owners bus in young and old immigrants to work the fields in Central California. Long hours, low pay, no benefits. Where is the ethics in that?
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    FayeandBo wrote: »
    Just for the record as well, going vegetarian cuts your carbon foot print in half.

    You mean, "has the potential to cut your footprint in half."

    Some of the most amazing desserts I've ever had were raw vegan from this vegan cafe in SF. Dear god.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    Not a vegan, and no interest in becoming one. I like my meat and dairy too much.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    pinktoesjb wrote: »
    I went vegan for a little while for a blog experiment, to be honest I didn't care for it and I felt quite listless and unwell a lot of the time and slept a lot more than usual! I didn't keep it up for a month though.

    I think each to their own, sadly there are too many militant vegans trying to shame everyone else into doing it!


    ^THIS. I can respect vegans and vegetarians and their dietary choices, but not if they can't respect me and mine.
  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    F4nt4p4nts wrote: »
    Veganism is an interesting thing...

    And do you use "fake meat" products, e.g. Tofu burgers, with little grill lines? Tofu sausages (looks like a white poo, with grill lines). I only know one vegan, and he uses so many products that replicate meat (even tofu bacon which is painted to look like streaky bacon) that it is actually disrespectful to tofu.

    I brought this up on Facebook once. The post wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but one of my vegan "friends" got VERY angry about it. We're not friends any more. LOL

  • fatcity66
    fatcity66 Posts: 1,544 Member
    clewpage wrote: »
    Wow, lots of talk about snakes...I'm lost.
    Back to the original question.
    If you want to be vegan, for whatever reasons you choose, then go right ahead, your diet does not affect me in my life.
    The problem lies in the "militant vegan" attitude that is so rampant these days. That vegan is the ONLY way to be, and anyone NOT vegan is a horrible wretched person.
    I enjoy meat. I eat steak, I eat chicken, I eat fish.
    I try to buy free-range chicken and organic veggies when I can, but lets be honest, that stuff aint cheap, and last time I checked, I don't have a money tree in my back yard.

    I also shoot and eat my own wild animals like deer, turkey, dove, duck, quail.
    Hunting, (it doesnt get any more free range than hunting, killing, and preparing your own meat), and having my own garden (I control the conditions), enables me to eat a healthful and balanced diet without going broke.
    I'm also a firm believer in conservation. In order for the herd to thrive, there has to be sufficient food to support it. By hunting and killing mature animals and keeping the overall population numbers in check, it allows the herd to maintain a steady level of existence.

    You, I like.
  • thelazydandelion
    thelazydandelion Posts: 58 Member
    I thought about posting last night but decided against it but today I thought what the hell, with so many opinions flying about I thought I may as well throw mine into the hat.

    It's going to be a long one so brace yourself.

    I was a omnivore for for 27 years and enjoyed the plethora of meat and and dairy produce, then in early 2013 I became "vegetarian", I only lasted half the year and ended it all with a McDonalds and went back to my meat eating ways but the whole time I felt bad about it. Then I went veggie again at the beginning of this year but it was a half hearted attempt because I had severe depression at the time so didn't care about anything. Roll forward to now and I've been 100% vegetarian for nearly 2 months and vegan for nearly 1.

    The reason I chose to do this was because I couldn't justify eating meat when I had so much love for animals and I am super super sensitive to things like nature programmes where you see animals hunting and dying etc.... So I'm like wtf, I get upset about nature yet I'm fine with things being slaughtered by someone else for me.

    So simply put, I like animals more than I like eating them.

    I'm hesitant to say I'm vegan as I am only doing a month experiment and am likely to reintroduce some dairy into my diet but not a lot because I haven't missed things like cheese as much as I thought I would. I think it's so hard for most because eating all the cheese etc has become a routine you learn from birth so change is difficult. Going down this route has changed me considerably, I felt a lot of guilt eating meat so that isn't there anymore and I also feel like I've gained more control because dairy and meat used to rule my diet.

    However I have no problems with people who consume these things unless they attack me or pigeon hole me with extreme vegans. I accept that not everyone is going to become a vegan as some people have no choice but I don't 100% agree with the argument focusing around privilege. Yes I am privileged in the fact I get to choose but I think that because we are able to choose, why not eat less meat etc. I think it's more of a privilege to eat meat that you don't have to hunt and kill or if you do, you have weapons which enable you to do so.

    I do try to encourage people in my family to think outside the box when it comes to what they eat and look at the ingredients but I think that's good to do whatever you eat. I think it's in our interests to take more control of what we eat when we can.

    So yeah, I'm not better than anyone else, I'm just doing what I believe is the right thing for me to do.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    Rage_Phish wrote: »
    Most vegans dont know wtf veganism is. Thats my thoughts.

    this makes me assume you associate with many dumb people

    Nope, sorry, I dont have any vegan friends.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    fatcity66 wrote: »
    clewpage wrote: »
    Wow, lots of talk about snakes...I'm lost.
    Back to the original question.
    If you want to be vegan, for whatever reasons you choose, then go right ahead, your diet does not affect me in my life.
    The problem lies in the "militant vegan" attitude that is so rampant these days. That vegan is the ONLY way to be, and anyone NOT vegan is a horrible wretched person.
    I enjoy meat. I eat steak, I eat chicken, I eat fish.
    I try to buy free-range chicken and organic veggies when I can, but lets be honest, that stuff aint cheap, and last time I checked, I don't have a money tree in my back yard.

    I also shoot and eat my own wild animals like deer, turkey, dove, duck, quail.
    Hunting, (it doesnt get any more free range than hunting, killing, and preparing your own meat), and having my own garden (I control the conditions), enables me to eat a healthful and balanced diet without going broke.
    I'm also a firm believer in conservation. In order for the herd to thrive, there has to be sufficient food to support it. By hunting and killing mature animals and keeping the overall population numbers in check, it allows the herd to maintain a steady level of existence.

    You, I like.

    Yeah, @clewpage has their head on right.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    PS - I'm having a vegan breakfast today, as long as yeast is ok.

    It's interesting, I feel like a tourist, I should take a picture.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I think it is great if someone is passionate about it, has good reasons to pursue it, and is able to reach their macro/micro nutrient goals while following the lifestyle. I personally have no negative feelings towards it, since it's just another way people can decide to eat.
  • ajravanos
    ajravanos Posts: 40 Member
    ethically, i think it's incredible.
    health wise, consult your doctor.

    i was a vegetarian for 6 years & did so without asking my doctor about it. i'd get sick all the time, easily bruised, high fatigue, etc. i was younger, stubborn, lived far away & by myself, & never went to the doctor. many years later, when i came home to visit my mother, she made a doctors appointment for me. turns out i was/am highly anemic & because i didn't eat the way i was supposed to, i ended causing some on-going health problems for myself.
    some people just need meat; regardless of how high in protein some veggies/beans/grains are. i made sure to eat high protein food all the time, but it didn't get the job done for me, apparently.

    i still don't eat red meat or pork, & i hate the fact that i do eat chicken & fish, however, since i don't have much choice in the matter, i am very picky about where i buy meat from (because of ethical reasons). just because something says organic & free-range, by no means does that mean that the animals were treated better.

    i go to a local farm that raises & treats their animals humanely & allow them to live out a happy life on huge land where they are free to roam around & not be packed so tightly together with a million other animals (& are also free of antibiotics, growth hormones, & medications once they have passed). before buying from this place, my farmer even let me come stay with the family for a weekend & help out on the farm to see how the animals are raised & understand the process of how everything works.

    though i wish i was able to not eat meat at all (because i don't eat anything dairy is produced from, i also dont eat dairy, if that means anything), going to a humane farm & getting know my farmer & ensure that nothing unethical happens to the animals does put my mind at ease as much as it can.

    also, if this is something that interests anyone, i found my farm through eatwild.com