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Vegan vs. Vegetarian. A silent war?

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Leila9 QLD • Posts: 49

1 24 Aug 2012

Hey!!

I just wanted to vent a little bit on something that I have noticed.
Background: I have been vegan for 1 year and 6 months.

Lately I have noticed that vegetarians seem to not like me being vegan. Does anyone else get this sometimes? I get the feeling that they see me as "extreme" and "don't make sense"

I had someone (a friend) say to me the other day,
"I eat eggs because no animal had to die to give me eggs and it's a natural thing that a chicken has to do, if I didn't eat eggs, the chickens are still going to lay them anyway"
(by the way, she is talking about store bought eggs)

Now, I need to reply to this comment here, because I couldn't say anything to her face. I would have gotten kind of emotional about it and did not want to start a fight and wanted to respect her opinion. Therefore,...

Ok. Firstly, it's a good point. Yes the chicken WILL indeed still lay eggs. BUT!!! If humans did not eat eggs, there would be NO BARN CHICKENS living in horrible conditions, living in constant pain just to meet the demand of the egg eating public!!

Secondly, I MUST address 'no animal died' this is very very false!! many battery hens die. Yes, they die!! The living condition is so bad, that some chickens get trampled on and die! They are in constant pain, some say that is worse than death, and last of all, the male chickens die because they do not lay eggs, so they do not serve as much of a purpose as the female chickens.

I was very surprised when my friend said this statement, as I thought she would have surely known all this information as she has been a vegetarian for years!
I'm not annoyed that she didn't know these facts, I'm annoyed that she seemed to say it in a way that "being a vegan is silly"

Is there a silent war going on between vegans and vegetarians that I don't know about?
I LOVE vegetarians, they believe the same things I believe (usually) and they love animals and are all for helping animals, which is great!! I have no issues with vegetarians, UNTIL they contradict themselves and view me as "extreme"

+ 2

Andrew10 VIC • Posts: 3

2 24 Aug 2012

I'm only a vegetarian though want to go vegan (i have to take my time and do it right coz it is a huge change) but even as a vego I get the people saying that "it's natural to eat meat".

As you say it's not the fact that it's unnatural (chickens lay eggs, animals eat other animals etc) but the production and the journey of getting the food to the huge amount of people is anything but natural. If we were all hunter gatherers and every animal we ate lived a free and painless life until the last second then I would most likely eat meat but it doesn't.

In terms of the attitude between vegans and vegetarians I think it is more the specific person that will give you that "you're an extremist" tone. If they are open to new ideas and information they will see why dairy is just as painful to animals as meat.

+ 2

Fish VIC • Posts: 149

3 24 Aug 2012

Personally I think its more the word 'vegan'. It been hammered into our heads that being a vegan is bad, we will get sickly and pale and die. But when I think about I eating no animal products ever again I'm all in for it. I do not wish to be a vegan, I wish to consume no animal products. It's a fear of name not the act.
Also it's unknown scary and different. I have always known about vegetarians, but I didn't learn of vegans until I became a vegetarian.
I'm all in for vegans, in fact I wish to be one. I'm underage unfortunately and my mother has the above mentioned veiw of vegans. It doesnt help either that my Nanna knows a Vegan who just like that and always sick. But I'm working on it. I'm trying to get rid of dairy in my diet first.

ONE DAY I WILL SUCCEED

+ 1

Casper.s2 SA • Posts: 1640

4 24 Aug 2012

.... no. LOL ... Wait why are people Vegetarian anyway, but not Vegan? Because they like Milk or don't believe animals deserve a decent quality of life?

Or they don't believe in the corporate factory reality? But the pretty farm inked onto the plastic?

Maybe they search out Organic Dairy products? I don't know. I still think Organic farms should be supported, even if they use animal derivatives which are equally as organic. Otherwise we have no use for all of these domesticated animals.

What is nature to us if it is unethical to use the fallen tree/log as a shelter and eat the moth grubs if having no plant foods avail?

I mean maybe those 'extreme people' actually don't want humans to exist or be apart of nature, or co-exist, just as every natural life form is supported and supports another.

Maybe they just want to be bitter about being alive and prompt the end subversively.
*yawn

Sounds like drama to me, not a generalized 'Vegan vs Vegetarian thing' maybe your friends are just annoying.

z1 VIC • Posts: 535

5 25 Aug 2012

To get eggs you must kill all the males. then when the females are not in their prime laying period (around 2-3 years old) they are slaughtered. And here's the sick part. The males have it good. The females live a life of constant discomfort and misery.

Animals we eat need only to grow fat and then be slaughtered. Animals we use for milk/eggs are required to live a painful miserable slave life and then be slaughtered. Which is worse?

So in my opinion (and many others) animals would be better off if you gave up milk and eggs and continuing to eat meat.

having said that, most vegetarians here eat very little dairy/eggs. I suspect some are afraid to call themselves vegan because the vegan police are very protective of the term and like to pretend to be better than everyone else.

(i just thought of two good t-shirt designs for AA
*front* "Vegetarians SUCK!!" *back* "I'm A Vegan"
or
*front* "Vegans SUCK!!" *back* "I'm A Vegetarian"

Casper.s2 SA • Posts: 1640

6 25 Aug 2012

OR! Don't put a label on it... then.. you can wear it front to back.

Also... my point was, it is all well and good to hate the life style of supporting and being supported by domestic animal life.

But if you have nothing to replace it with but processed crap, poison (eco-toxic) and plastic.
Or high energy processes to remove traces of nutrient from animal decay...

then fark. You'd rather leech the earth of life, by having it killed off by pollution of mass industry, than eat some organic cheese. Or backyard chicken eggs.

There needs to be ideas, not fickle debate.

Fish VIC • Posts: 149

7 25 Aug 2012

Casper.s2 said:

.... no. LOL ... Wait why are people Vegetarian anyway, but not Vegan? Because they like Milk or don't believe animals deserve a decent quality of life

I'm not vegan because my mum won't let me as of yet. I'm trying to ease it in. I'm sure that many other people have the same probelms. But if you were to eat eggs that your fairly-treated chickens have laid, I see no probelms with that.
But animal (not meat, i dont it eat!) and junk foods always give me an icky feeling afterwards. Sure they taste good at the time, but I always this feeling with them. You know the junk food feeling you get after too much junk food? With everythingelse though I feel very refreshed and full.

Kelsey1 MsDrago United States • Posts: 818

8 25 Aug 2012

Well, most vegetarians WANT to go vegan.

Spacepeanut QLD • Posts: 120

9 25 Aug 2012

Andrew10 said:

I'm only a vegetarian

There's no 'only' about it. Being vegetarian is still a massive thing, regardless. Own it! happy

+ 2

LouLou96 VIC • Posts: 13

10 25 Aug 2012

Well I'm really happy just being vegetarian, but I think being vegan is a great thing !
I just think everyone needs to respects others opinions and descisions, because changing your diet that much whether its vegan or vegetarianism is a big deal!!

+ 3

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