The Problem With Going in Public

Last week I attended the post-Symposium dinner. When I first became a vegan, eating in public places like restaurants or hosted dinners could be a pain because of the lack of options for people like me. Now, nearly five years later, things are vastly improved. Often when I will go to dinner with my family, they will comment (always seeming surprised, of course) that my food looks far better than theirs does. Going to this dinner was like going back in time to the dark ages. Usually I can expect to scavenge out a decent dinner at a buffet between some kind of fruit salad and garnish tray. Alas, my old friends were nowhere to be found. I ended up having a pickle, two green olives, and a stale piece of toast for dinner. Who should show up as I am leaving the buffet line but Rachael, asking "Hey, are you some kind of vegetarian?" Yes, yes I am.

What's Up in Whatcom County?

Something strange is going on in Whatcom County. A man has been convicted of running a bestiality farm, where people can come and have sex with horses and large breed dogs. A man actually died on his farm after having sex with a horse. Well, duh! Horses are huge animals with heavy hoofs and strong legs. One kick in the head and you're gone for good. What better way to tick a horse off and induce it to kick you?

For the full story see http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011623988_animalabuse17m.html

I also recently read and article about an animal rights lawyer in Sweden. The article was about how he sued a fisherman for cruelty to an animal when he took ten whole minutes to fight a fish into his boat. I think that this is a start in the right direction for animal rights, but our society is not ready for this level of legal action. Animals can't speak for themselves, which is why these two examples of animal cruelty are so wrong. An animal can't say no to a human's sexual advances. A fish can't scream while it is slowly dieing. Unfortunately, the law and our culture have not quite caught up to what some individuals are advocating. I try to lead by my own quiet example. Big televised legal battle seem unlikely to sway many people to our cause. But, double chocolate mint cupcakes? Now they have a chance.

The Big Question

I guess the big question about veganism is always "why?" This is a tricky question. Why does anybody follow one moral path or another? I do have solid reasons, but mostly I believe what I believe just because I do.

There is the fact that a vegan diet has a less negative impact on the environment than a traditional diet. Vegetables also take less resources and space to grow than food animals.

There are also studies that show that eating a vegetarian or vegan diet is healthier. From the American Heart Association website:
"Most vegetarian diets are low in or devoid of animal products. They’re also usually lower than nonvegetarian diets in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which causes heart attack), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer."
Or as a random Vegan on YouTube put it "If you eat meat, you have dead animals rotting in your colon, and there's nothing sexy about that."

For more delightful answers to your questions, see "Steven the Vegan"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMpHF2a-IJY