Lisa's Vegan Murphy's Law, or: But I ...

In response to Lisa's Vegan Murphy's Law:

But I only eat salad.
There is no protein in my diet.
I am anaemic. So wan.
I cannot lift the spoon to my mouth because I am so weak.
I have wasted muscles.
I only eat organic, biodynamic fruit that has fallen from a tree.
I sneer at Level 5 vegans.
I crave bloody flesh and secretly devour it at any opportunity.
I cannot truly envisage a life without chocolate and cheese.
I am mightily tempted by "but it's a just a little bit of ...".
I cannot cook.
I do not enjoy eating.
I do not understand the Circle of Life (although Simba has promised to explain it to me).
If only I got to raise a lamb as a child and then slaughter it for Sunday dinner I wouldn't be squeamish.
I cannot satisfactorily answer the question "But if we all stopped eating meat then what would happen to all the cows, huh?".
I am swayed by your arguments about our dominance in the food chain.
Because I care about animal rights I automatically do not care about human rights.
I am "just going too far".
I enjoy criticising my hosts and their food.
I love to preach and lecture.
I never encounter obnoxious omnis who bait me and wait for just one response, which qualifies as preaching and lecturing on my behalf.

A response from Kerry Greenwwood.

Sadly, I think this is what I expected in response to my post about Kerry Greenwood's latest book Forbidden Fruit which was an open letter and an invitation to potluck.

I am quite capable of distinguishing author from book; but I don't like confusing inaccuracy.

I didn't take issue with the Christian extremists because it's not my bag. I am taking issue with the inaccurate and unimaginatively stereotypical portrayal of my own community. Also I reckon I could find far more extremists Christians who fit the bill than vegans who eat Brie muffins and tzatziki.

I don't intend to debate, but I will just note that while extremist websites may well tell young girls that eating meat will give women breast cancer, the link between eating red meat and increased risk of bowel cancer is not an extremist viewpoint at all but well accepted by medical professionals. So it's hardly a ridiculous example to use to illustrate the terribleness of extremist vegans; it's mean and rude but really not so far from the truth as to be completely laughable.

I don't really want to stop reading the books because I enjoy them, but its a bit of a trite answer to tell me to look away if I don't like what I see. Seeing as Kerry says she is denouncing things she thinks needs denouncing, I am really just doing the same about things that I don't like too.

So here, in all it's sighing glory, is Kerry's response:


Dear Rachel
(sigh) here we go again. I do not have it in for Vegans or vegetarians. My best friend really is a veggie. I ate one of the best meals of my life in a veggie restaurant in Bristol. I never met a vegetable I didn't like (except okra. One must draw the line somewhere). You are confusing the author's opinions with the book itself.
However, the animal liberation/extreme vegans do have a lunatic fringe - as do the Christians, to the depiction of which I notice you haven't made any objection. The websites of those extreme people do, in fact, tell young girls that if they eat meat they will get breast cancer. No scientific proof, no qualifications. I read them myself, with increasing horror. Just like I read the Chiristian fundamentalist sites, which told me that unless I sent them a lot of money now I would be going to hell.
I dont like fundamentalists of any sort. I denounce them when they need denouncing. And if you do not like my work, you can always stop reading it.
Thank you for your invitation to dinner. Most civil.
cordially

Kerry

Kerry Greenwood's latest book 'Forbidden Fruit' - thoughts and an invitation, or: an open letter

Dear Kerry,

I write as a long time fan of both the Phryne Fisher and Corinna Chapman books. One thing that I have always admired about both series, particularly Earthly Delights, is the sensible and inclusive way that you handle people and groups who are often misunderstood by society - Wiccans, S&M, recovering addicts, goths and the homeless for example.

I was surprised to read the portrayal of vegans and animals rights groups in Forbidden Fruit. While I understand that artistic licence can be invoked for literary means, I found the portrayal of the motivations, philosophies and people confusing and disappointing.

I am vegan and focus very heavily on making sure that my decisions and ethical positions are reasonable, rational and accessible to others. Even the most 'extreme' liberationists I know, of which there are very few compared to the mainstream midground, fall well short of the characters in the book. I am concerned that these characters, untempered by some exposition on what most vegans are really like, perpetuate the myth that we are all foaming-at-the-mouth fanatics about to launch ourselves over the dinner table to wrestle the steak from your fork. We really do cop a lot of criticism from the uninformed and the belligerent, and we work very hard to engage and explain to the interested.

I was surprised that there was no point at which any reasons for veganism were put forward even in explanation, even though these reasons range from animal liberation to welfare to environmentalism to health. There are as many reasons to be vegan as there are vegans, but I didn't read anything that might imply that these reasons might be valid and rational. Vegans do not eat, wear or consume animal products not because we are slightly unhinged and extremists, but because we care deeply about animals, the environment and our health, and because we have thought deeply and carefully about our decision. I would have loved to have seen some acknowledgement of this in the book, even in a small way to counteract the perception that we are all Sarahs and hopeful cannibals, or Janeens who secretly crave and sneak dairy.

And we love food! I am yet to meet a vegan who is not obsessed with food and, particularly, baking. We have regular potlucks and most of us blog about food too. I would love to suggest a few blogs that you might consider reading, if you might be interested in reading a little of what we do (and cook)? I attach a list below, as well as some sites which try to explain why we feel that eggs and dairy are just as objectionable as meat, which seemed to be a sticking point in the book.

I would also like to extend an open, and very warm, invitation to you to attend one of our potlucks. I promise that the food will be delicious, and the company unextreme! We love to share our food and cooking with one another and recent triumphs include tiramisu, sausage rolls, tequila cupcakes, savoury watermelon salad and (my own) peanut butter ice cream. We would love for you to come along; we have a great community and appreciate the opportunity to share it. You would be most welcome at any time.

With thanks for two wonderful series of books, and in hope that you will have a read of our blogs and perhaps admire the baking,

Warm regards,

Rachel

PS: I am writing this as an open letter and publishing it on my blog in the interests of my own transparency. Please feel free to respond publicly too.


Blog roll:
www.misstprincessvegan.blogspot.com (my own blog)
www.bluerthanpink.blogspot.com (Kristy)
www.cupcakekitteh.blogspot.com (Mandee)
www.lisadempster.com.au (Lisa)
www.fairestfeed.blogspot.com (Pip)
www.veganabouttown.blogspot.com (Steph)
www.veganyumyum.com (USA - Lolo)
www.herestheveg.blogspot.com (Cindy and Michael)
www.theppk.com (USA: website of vegan chefs with massive baking component)

Other sites:
www.animalsaustralia.org
www.voiceless.org.au

Not-the-reasons: reader edition

The post below was written on a slightly snarky Monday morning. It occurred to me that I have a treasure trove of putative reasons why people think I am vegan stored in my head, garnered from various omni comments, observable body language, and my super-psychic sneaky ESP abilities. Also, it makes a change to focus on why people think we are vegan, rather than on why they say they aren’t and why we think they should be (good heavens, the number of times I've heard “But I could never give up cheese!” or “But chickens have to lay eggs!” ... although I used to say it myself, usually as I gobbled a cheese platter or a swirled my buttery toast in a soft-boiled. Convenient position to take).

Comments I’ve received about why veganism is undesirable range from the good-natured but ill-informed – what about protein? – to the smart-arse –what about the bugs crushed when crops are harvested? Gotcha! or But it’s so tasty! Here, smell my steak! – to the just plain wrong –it’s impossible to eat in restaurants; you mustn’t like good food; – and to the outright offensive – I couldn’t care less what happens; I like my meat freshly slaughtered; mmm, I wonder how this cow died - I hope it was slow and painful.

It’s been an interesting exercise to recall and collate them, and although the list comes across as smart-arsey, be assured that I have heard each and every one of them in earnest (obviously I have exaggerated a bit to emphasise the ridiculousness of some comments. But they are all real).

What have you heard? What’s got up your nose most? What has opened the door to a genuine conversation? What will make you turn homicidal if you ever hear it again? What have been the positive and negative responses, successes and failures? (I personally list the day that Buzz requested a soy coffee in the morning even though there was dairy in the fridge as a massive, massive triumph).

Not-the-reasons

Not-the-reasons I am vegan:

1. because I am squeamish and lily-livered
2. because I didn’t grow up on a farm; if I had I wouldn’t be afflicted y 1) and would be more realistic about life
3. because I get all warm and fuzzy about cute little animals and ascribe them anthropomorphic qualities when in reality they are non-sentient, soulless automatons
4. because I don’t understand the circle of life
5. because if we didn't breed them to eat them, all the cows would become extinct
6. because cows have to produce milk and otherwise it would get wasted; don't I know it's good for my bones?
7. because I have canine teeth so I should use them
8. because my paleo-ancestors did, and what was good 10,000 years ago is totally what I should be doing now
9. because the Bible gave man dominion over the earth (an incidentally, didn't it give man dominion over woman too? I'd better become very submissive to Buzz immediately)
10. because I am being silly and I’ll get bored of it soon. It's just a phase she's going through
11. because I am a fussy eater
12. (some incomprehensible reason)
13. because I am part of the food chain and I am on top; I have no choice but to exert my dominance
14. because I haven’t eaten meat in so long that I can’t remember how delicious it is, and having a sausage waved under my nose will make me really miss it and salivate a lot
15. because I don’t like eating at all, really
16. because I can’t appreciate good food
17. because I don’t like cooking myself and don’t really know how
18. because they'd eat us if they had the chance ... it's a jungle out there with those ferocious sheep
19. because I am ignoring my cultural imperatives
20. because I want to insult people and be a difficult guest
21. because I am a craaaazy wackjob
22. because there’s a social contract with animals whereby I get to eat and they get to be eaten
23. because what if like there was a nuclear explosion and I had to hunt to survive?
24. because chickens pop out eggs anyway and it doesn’t hurt them; no animals have been harmed in the making of this omelette
25. because I just haven’t realised that it’s ok to eat organic, sustainable meat
26. because I am a raving extremist who wants to firebomb your house every time you have chops for dinner
27. because i love having to defend my eatering choices in public at every possible opportunity
28. because I love being made fun of and deliberately baited and offended, and having to bite my tongue so I don't become 'that vegan'
29. because I fail to recognise that people who grew up on a farm/hunt/fish/just like to eat meat actually know all about animals and meat-eating and the environment and the food chain and are in fact the real conservationists, and have done a lot of research on it, and I should just bow to their superior experience and understanding
30. because I value animal life far, far above human life and you can really only care about one thing at a time
31. because I am against human rights
32. because I am really interested in discussing ridiculous, impossible and irrelevant hypotheticals with you, cos one day you might be stuck on a desert island with only a cow for company and if you can eat her for 'survival' in that ridiculous, impossible and irrelevant hypothetical, that totally ethically justifies the Big Mac you had yesterday and the chicken parma you've just ordered for dinner
33. because I fail to recognise that if you can't eliminate every possibility that you will ever swallow a fly, have an insect hit your windshield, walk on asphalt which covered the homes of little bugs, or step on an ant, then you shouldn't bother trying to stop killing animals at all. Ditto using medicines
34. because I don't realise that wool is natural and therefore the means of its production are irrelevant
35. because I'm not interested in nice clothes or accessories
36. because I don't want to eat any protein and I couldn't possible get any anywhere else
37. because I don't care about my health
38. because I haven't invested time in research and reading my position; this is a completely random and illogical position with no academic support
39. because I am a hippie who doesn't wash
40. because I care about animals, the environment and my health (Oh no wait! That one's true! Golly gosh!)