On the Defense

A few classes ago, we discussed how people become defensive when they find out that a friend or someone that they know is vegetarian or vegan. I have realized how true it is, and in the past few weeks I have been more and more aware of it with friends and the public alike.

Last Friday, I went to a concert and afterwards my friends and I went to Dicks in Queen Anne. Dicks is not known for being too vegan-friendly, but french fries fried in vegetable oil and ketchup are sold there, so I did not complain about going there. After ordering our meals and bringing them to a table, we sat down near two men around our age bashing vegetarians. Immediately, my hearing sense picked up and I avidly listened in to why vegetarians were so "stupid." The main reason why, according to these "enlightenend" men, was that vegetarians were always sick due to the fact that they were vegetarian. I was compelled to reach into the conversation and ask them about all those vegetarians out there who suffer from diabetes, obesity, clogged arteries, heart problems, etc. But I kept my cool, knowing that Dicks is not a vegan's mecca and that I should mind my own business.

Yet it did enrage me. Vegetarians and vegans face false banter like this all the time, and for what reason? Veggies make researched, ethical and compassionate decisions to refrain from eating meat, and these decisions are tough. We know what we are getting ourselves into and are, to a degree, educated about our food choices. I cannot speak for all vegetarians and vegans, but I can assume that something came up in their lives, be it an animal, shocking article about factory farms, or whatever, that forced them to think critically about what they eat. I cannot say the same for meat eaters since this diet's normalcy does not advocate as much ethical thinking in the way that vegetarian and vegan diets do.

But back to the point. My hunch about why people are defensive about eating meat is that they are intimated by vegetarians and vegans. Veggies have gone through the process, again, of critically thinking about their food and have altered their lifestyle for, what i believe, the greater good. Others must then be defensive because arguments for eating meat, in my opinion, are quite trivial in most experiences. It is a nuisance that veggies must live with, yet it can open a door for thoughtful conversation, or intense debates.