vegetarian/vegan stigma

Well, it's not really a stigma, but when I first started my vegetarian journey, people thought it was really noble to be lacto-ovo. Then, veganism was the only way if you really cared about animals. I'm an on-off vegan, but a strict no-meat girl. Isn't that better in terms of cruelty to animals than eating actual meat? Or is it all philosophical?

For meat eaters, there's only 1 category (broken up into different "diets", but if you eat meat, that's pretty much all she wrote.) People who don't eat meat seem to have endless labels pinned to their heads.

Any thoughts...?

The labels only have as much weight as you give them.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as each of us are doing something to make the Earth a healthier and less cruel place to live we are all doing important work, regardless of what we call ourselves. 

We all know that there are dozens of ways to try to heal the animals & the Earth.  For me, it's a vegan diet, eating & living as organic/green as possible,  recycling everything I can and doing my best to be compassionate. I'm sure other ways relevant to my life will surface in time...

What gets me is that people get so caught up in labels that they forget the reasons they were created in the first place. It's not about what you call yourself, it's about what you do.

... of course there are the militants that will argue the "all or nothing" point of view, but in my little world if all of us do something that fits into our lives (rather than taking on an overwhelming lifestyle change that may very well be abandoned) that can very well translate into a huge step toward a happier, healthier life for many.

*stepping down from the soapbox now...* 

:o)

ps- yes, your not eating meat is a big step toward lessening the cruelty factory farm animals suffer, however, the dairy and egg farming techniques are just as hideous and just as poisonous for your body. The best thing to do is pick the battle you can win right now and adjust it later... consuming milk & eggs from local farms you know for a fact don't mistreat their animals is the very best way to guarantee the integrity of your decision to eat dairy.

I don't care too much about labels. Whether someone joins in cutting back on their meat consumption, eliminates red meat, doesn't eat meat, or is a full vegan, it's beneficial.

Some people make not eating meat a competition or a standard. Why does it matter if someone is a pescatarian or a vegan? Our goals are the same, to better the environment (unless you do it strictly for dietary reasons :P), so why not join hands and sing kumbaya around a fire cooking tofu dogs? :D

Well, sometimes after I've been vegan for a few months I'll fall off the wagon when I'm under pressure, and then for a few days I'l eat dairy and eggs and just feel horrible about it. Then, I'll do the "last meal" thing, and be vegan for another long stretch of time. This has only happened once, and i hope it won't happen again.

I think it's entirely up to you, "how far" you want to go with veganism or vegetarianism.  I mean, there is even animal cruelty if you consider pesticides from argobusiness farms flowing into nearby creeks and killing fish and wildlife, or even the pesticides killing bugs themselves!  It's really difficult to eliminate your impact on other creatures. 

Something to consider, though, is that you can still be against the factory meat/egg/dairy production and eat these products at the same time.  I don't know where you live and if these items would be available to you, but an option would be to obtain locally produced eggs and dairy.  I guess I'm a little spoiled because I live in the middle of California, but if there are any nearby free-range dairy or egg farms, you could consider getting your eggs and dairy there.  Then, you could probably go to the farm and even check out the conditions under which the animals live, and then you could be assured first-hand that you're not contributing to the issues you're concerned about. 

And though I doubt you would do this since you seem like a pretty devout no-meat vegetarian, you could even get meat that has been sustainably raised and conscientiously slaughtered (meaning, suffering during slaughter has been minimized, though you might consider slaughter in itself to be cruel).

I would think that in the same way that you don't give every homeless person you see your spare change, don't donate to every charity you support, and don't drive a solar energy car in place of a regular gasoline-powered one, you can be against animal cruelty without being vegan.
I myself am vegetarian, but I eat dairy becuase, quite frankly, I love it. Unless you become completely self-sufficient, it's pretty hard to make sure you are not supporting factory farming in some other way.
Bottom Line: Do what you feel is right.

its all relative. i get crap all the time from my friends and family about being a vegetarian, but i dont let it bother me because i know that i am doing what i feel is right which is a huge motto of mine. i do not consider myself a vegan, but if the option is there i will take it ei soy milk.

even when my boyfriend subsitutes fantastic taco meat for real meat once a week i am so proud of him because i know he is trying and its for me. (its also wicked delicious!!!)

basically....tell everyone else to go screw :)

I totally agree with the "labels" part. There are Pescetarians, Vegans, Lacto-vegetarians, but one type of Onmivore?! What about Abrocco-Omnivore (an omni who doesn't eat broccoli) or Alacto-Omni (no eggs- I know alot of ppl like this).

Veganism is awesome, I've been at it for 2 weeks. Such a short time! Don't worry, it'll multiply quickly.

I want to say that all these other responces are great!

Not trying to stir up anything but I keep reading that if you eat meat you can't be against animal cruelty, why?

I eat meat and I will go tooth and nail against anyone mistreating an animal, I am putting my best effort in getting petitions signed to keep micheal vick from playing in the NFL again, so how can you judge and say that because I eat meat I am not against animal cruelty?

99.9% of families that raise their own cattle, chickens, hogs, etc.. are not in anyway cruel to the animals they raise.

When I was a kid my grandparents had a farm when it was time for slaughter it was a fast and painless process.

They had clean barns and coops to live in, good food, plenty of water and were NOT mistreated in anyway

 

it definitely is a hard topic in many ways 

 missree -- i agree that you can be an animal supporter and also eat meat--goes back to the 'any way you try to help is beneficial thing' that someone else was saying (can't get to that page now so i dont know the name). i think though that the problem does not lie within families that are raising animals on a farm and eat them but at big factories that have been documented for mistreating animals. so, some people choose to not contribute to those actions by not eating meat, although some people choose to not contribute by eating only meat that comes from small farms etc.

seems like so many people have different reasons for being one way or anotehr insofar as animal product consumption and there are many ways to reach a goal, whether its low cholesterol or supporting help for animals

i definitely think we're all doin our own thing adn have our own reasons for doing it that way...and we're trying to do whats right for us which obviously might be different from someone else.

ive run into vegetarians that are absolutely VEHEMENT that meat-free is the only way you can be a humane person and they said things like "are you enjoying your dead meat sandwich?" --they clearly don't have the skills to carry their passion, and i think PETA puts out a bad vibe most of the time. the best way to get ppl to change is to let them do it on their own time and in their own way. we can only be responsible for our own choices.

i only really label how i eat for communication, i dont make it my religion. its helpful when friend's pick out restaurants, they know i wont want to go to some steak house. altho i've had to do that once for a birthday. i certainly like when i hear that people are trying to make the best ethical choice with their food (or anything) available. but i could care less what's on their plate unless it looks yummy and i want some. 

I should start with a disclaimer - I do eat some animal protein for health reasons, doctor's orders.  I was ovo lacto for years then vegan for several years, until my health failed - nothing to do with diet, it's a congenital problem.

What I did was hardly ever mentioned the word vegetarian.  I just didn't want the fuss.  I found that I managed to find things to eat even in social situations.  Sometimes I would explain, ahead of time, in private, to the host or hostess, that I didn't eat meat.  I never had anyone give me a hard time and most of the time they went to some trouble for me. 

In restaurants, I learned how to order.  I admit there were meals when I ate bread and salad only, but I'd make an excuse that I had a tummy problem.  Then I'd eat when I got home.  The most difficult situation was bar food - everybody eating wings and pizza and burgers, but even there I got what I wanted - a plain bun filled with lettuce and tomato, and no meat.  I got funny looks, but they gave me what I asked for.  If I was able, I'd choose the restaurant.

What I'm saying is, I didn't make a big deal out of it, and neither did anybody else.  If asked about it, I just said I like to eat that way, and changed the subject.  I didn't get into the ethical end of it at all. 

I've encountered this problem a lot; I'm pescetarian right now (I eat dairy, eggs, and kosher seafood, but no poultry, red meat, or pork) and I'm constantly berated by my "more veggie" friends/acquaintances for contributing to so many problems in the fishing industry, the dairy industry, etc... I was lacto-ovo-veggie (no fish) for seven years before I had some really bad problems with protein deficiency (can't eat peanuts, and I apparently don't digest soy properly, so I only processed about 1/2 the protein I thought I was ingesting!) and my doctor told me to pick up some meat. I picked fish because it's kosher-parve (i.e. religiously not considered meat; ideologically, obviously, it is, but now I can eat at my more-religious friends' houses without being a big pain in the butt if they want to cook salmon).

My philosophy has always been that something is better than nothing. I've advocated to my carnivore friends who eat meat with every meal that they should try having one meat-free meal a week--it adds up over time to a lot less money from them poured into the meat industry. (1 meal a week, 52 weeks a year, say an average of $4 per meal's meat: that's over $200 that the meat industry didn't take in from that person in a year!)

When I go to restaurants and gatherings, I'll tell the servers and hosts that I'm vegetarian since it's easier for people to understand than the word "pescetarisn." Then some people get really pissed when I call myself vegetarian since I do eat fish... that bothers me. I only have fish once, maybe twice, a week; my other 19-20 meals in that week are genuinely vegetarian. Labels are annoying. Don't let people bother you about them. You have your reasons for being vegetarian; they have theirs. Have a friendly debate on the benefits to the environment, the welfare of animals, the economy of the meat industry, etc., of the various forms of vegetarianism, and listen to each others' arguments, but trying to force someone to do something they don't believe in and/or can't do is counterproductive--and *that* is what produces the stigma around vegetarians in the rest of the world, that we're militant hippies who would harm people just to save animals... I describe myself as a hippie, but I would never become militant about it. :) Listen to your own reasoning, not to anyone else's.