The Grass-seed Radical: Thirteen Years of Vegetarianism

[dawn_felagund]

Thirteen years ago today my cousin Trish had her high-school graduation party. How do I remember this? Because thirteen years ago today, I also became a vegetarian.

I was twelve years old at the time, and for a twelve-year-old, those sorts of family parties are always boring affairs. So I brought a book--okay, a stack of books--with me for company

Comments

[frenchpony]

I firmly believe that PETA sets the cause of animal rights back further every year. Their stunts are so clownish, so over-the-top, that they lead to people not taking the ideas of any animal-rights group seriously.

There's much to be said for defining your lifestyle and then sticking to it, quietly, not making a big fuss out of it. For one thing, it shows the world that you're serious, and not just making your choices to attract attention. And it makes people take you more seriously, too. Back at Ye Olde Real Job, one of my friends was a good radical vegan, which everyone knew. She was political, but not obnoxiously so, and so everyone got along. But it was the "not obnoxiously so" part that really appealed to me about her, and made me want to engage her in debate about the state of the world*.

There's a fantastic episode of Dykes To Watch Out For from way back in 1989, when you were just a little shaver, in which a bit character named Milkweed, a refugee from a radical lesbian farm, comes to visit. She's invited to sit in on

[dawn_felagund]

I'm glad that I realized fairly young that PETA was pretty moronic. Or maybe it was because I was young that I did. I couldn't immerse myself in that community, where such tactics would have been applauded. Instead, I saw the reactions of the average shmoes in my life; saw the way that PETA activists were mocked for what they did. Certainly, no one ever was made curious about animal rights/welfare issues because of PETA.

(That, and when I was only eight years old, we took a class trip to D.C. and there was a PETA anti-vivisection protest that involved a large cartoon bunny being shot up with green goo by a mad scientist. That scared the bejeebus out of me, so I was sensitive afterwards of the first impression that a movement can make.)

[dawn_felagund]

You're welcome! I wondered how other veggies would like and relate to it. It's always fun to share experiences about these things. :)

I didn't know about the Body Shop (though I don't shop there anymore anyway, as there's none convenient to me). Do they test ingredients on animals? I've noticed that a lot of "cruelty free" products are now very specific: Finished products are not tested on animals. Which says to me: Ingredients are.

I agree about the activism. These days, I live my lifestyle quietly. If people ask, we talk about it. But I don't preach; I just give my reasons for my personal choices. I don't pretend that my lifestyle would work for most Americans. And on making dishes for friends ... absolutely! It was kind of funny because right after we moved, Bobby and I hosted a big Super Bowl party, and Bobby made his chili recipe with fake ground beef "crumbles." Only he didn't tell anyone it wasn't made with meat ... and we laughed as people who would have turned their noses up at "fake ground beef" went back for seconds and

[sinneahtes]

It's much like with religion--hard to see how people are going to be tempted to change if you keep calling them dirty sinners and acting holier-than-thou. ;) What I can say is that, at least for someone who's been wanting on and off to be vegetarian since age 10, you do a lot more to tempt me than anyone who gets in peoples' faces about suffering animals--I don't think everyone in society would be sworn off eating meat just because they know how an animal has suffered (unless they see it for themselves), but there are definitely at least a few people out there who would like to be vegetarian but just don't know much about the food choices and don't have the initiative to go looking for them without a conversation starter like, "This is vegetarian, but tastes just like real chicken!"

[sirielle]

Try recipes here:
http://community.livejournal.com/vegancooking/
http://community.livejournal.com/veganfoodpics/
http://community.livejournal.com/vegetariancooks/
more groups in their profiles (and mine).

I keep it on my flist in hope it will make me go to kitchen and make something. I end up thinking that it should be possible to take out of screen some wonderful dishes posted on photos ;)

[sinneahtes]

Thanks! I always get tired of looking at restaurant menus' "vegetarian" choices and seeing them full of plants I can't stand (onions, peppers, pickles, radishes, etc... eeew), assuming the choices actually are vegetarian and don't have broth poured over them or something. I probably will end up being a vegetarian when I do my own grocery shopping, if only because I'm so opposed to whaling and sick of people defending it by, "What's the difference between eating one animal and another!" (I could explain the differences between eating a whale and a cow, but still.)

[sirielle]

There is a difference, of course, but in the end meat is meat. We can focus on eating or not intelligent species or perishing species, which I think would both describe whales.

Not always vegetarian food in restaurants is really is vegetarian here. I always ask what fat has been used and read the contains carefully - have seen vegetarian pizza with chicken and vegetarian dishes with animal fat or vegetables pre-boiled in broth O_o You probably know pierogi - one of Polish life savers when vegetarian dishes are not available, they tend to be decorated with scratchings which makes them uneatable for me,one more thing to make sure before I make order.

When I cook for myself - yes, it happens sometimes - I just get vegetables I have in reach and stew them, never remeber to follow any recipes.

[atanwende]

I personally find it funny how some non-vegetarians have no idea where there meat comes from. Having grown up in the country, having relatives with a big-ass farm I have no illusions about what I'm actually eating and thus find it a bit silly how a lot of (non-veggie) people don't eat meat with bones, red meat, don't like cutting meat etc. I mean, let's face it, we talk about dead animals, there's no denying it.

That said, I like eating meat, but I'm not actually eating much of it. If I buy meat I tend to so in places where they sell stuff from organic farms. Same goes for eggs and milk, even though this is usually twice as expensive.

(And yes, I'm back. Wheehee! :))

[dawn_felagund]

You're back! {{{{{you!}}}}} How did everything go? Have you posted to LJ yet? I've been on self-imposed LJ exile, so I haven't read my flist in two months, but I'll be sure to check in on yours. :^D

I'm very happy to see you back. You've been missed! (And I'll be posting a new Caranthir story soon too. ;)

*ahem* Okay, now back to my attempt to post something serious to LJ. Rural life is a distant truth for many Americans. A lot of it, I think, has to do with the fact that most American meat is factory farmed, so even the idea of raising chickens, a hog, and a steer and slaughtering them when the need arises isn't common anymore. When my mother was growing up, this was done on our family's farm. I grew up in a rural community, and I've never seen an animal slaughtered because it's all part of the "factory" system now, done behind closed doors, out of sight, and out of mind.

I'm not sure how that compares with Germany. In talking to juno_magic once about meat, it seems that much more comes from family farms than here in the U.S. Also, I know

[atanwende]

You're back! {{{{{you!}}}}} How did everything go? Have you posted to LJ yet?

Yes, I am. Everything went very, very nice, and yes, I have! But don't feel obliged to hurry over to my LJ now... I've been neglecting my f-list so much that I can't really expect anyone to really pay attention to theirs... ;)

I'm very happy to see you back. You've been missed! (And I'll be posting a new Caranthir story soon too. ;)

Thanks a lot. I've missed you, too! (And I already read the story on the SWG archive, and it's so... awwww! Yes, words still fail me when I really like something... I'm far more eloquent when it comes to critique...

I'm not sure how that compares with Germany.

I think that first, while I would not say that factory farming doesn't exist, it's rather easy here to avoid it, and second, it has become a real trend (and a good one too!) to actually know where your food comes from. That I eat meat does not really mean that I haven't got a bad conscience from time to time, especially now that the meadows are fulls of calves and

[greenknight33]

Congrats on the Vegiversary (I guess that's how you spell it)! I can personally attest to your dedication, and I think it's quite awesome that you have stuck with this for that long. I think you have the right attitude though, preaching always turns people off towards a cause (why do you think the religious whackos piss me off so much), and you certainly aren't preachy.

I agree with everyone's negative feelings towards PETA as well, talk about an interest group that in my opinion degrades an issue by the use of silly tactics. I mean, there are better ways to support a movement other than chaining oneself to a laboratory door in the nude, or dressing up like a chicken. In my opinion, that makes people think of you as a whack job, and not a serious person with a serious issue. I also have problems with PETA's negative stance towards aquariums/zoos, because how else do you think people will care about there world unless they see with their own eyes what they are destroying?

Anyway, congrats, you know I think you are awesome :)

[dawn_felagund]

Awwww, sweetie ... *loves you* :)

We've discussed this one thousand times before. But for the benefit of the flist, who aren't so lucky to live with us ;) , you know that I totally agree. I've always believed that awareness and education are more valuable than the melodramatic tactics PETA uses. They draw attention to the issue, yes, but what kind of attention? What does a person witnessing one of their demonstrations come away with? An understanding of this issue or fear/hatred/scorn for those who are protesting it?

And awareness, too, I think requires a person to want to hear it before it does any good. Studying psychology has taught me how easy it is for the human mind to believe what it wants, against all logic and sense. Some people simply aren't ready to face certain facts or consider certain ideas, and I fear that forcing them too soon can do more harm than good.