[Seachants]

I've been vegan for about three months now. I was vegetarian for three years before that. I had never thought to research dairy - what could be wrong with taking milk from a magical milk-producing cow?. I really had this notion that mother cows just produce milk all the time, and I didn't know that they were artificially inseminated (technical terms can function as euphemisms, as in this case, because I realized that it's really rape or at least comes close to it) and how their babies were stolen from them, often without ever getting to drink what they were born to drink.

I became vegan for compassion reasons, then learned about the health reasons, and then finally learned the environmental reasons.

I only have one vegan friend so far. He had stayed quiet about his veganism for the several years in which were were acquaintances and only revealed that he was when I told him I became one. I wish more vegans wouldn't feel like they have to stay silent about it, or else open-minded and compassionate people like me could have become vegan earlier than we did.

Looking forward to discussions here.

 

[odizzido]

I am one of those silent vegans heh. The majority of people simply don't care, though sometimes I slip stuff in. I stopped my mom from buying bacon by sharing the info that firefighters often don't eat pig meat because it smells the same as burned human flesh a couple days ago.

Unless someone specifically asks or it directly affects the situation though I just don't tell people. People I talk to regularly will find out eventually and I like them to make up their mind about me before they start judging me.

 

[Kirchoff888]

Welcome Seachants. I'm a vegan in California too--Los Angeles.

 

[Go Vegan]

Welcome

I agree that vegans shouldn't stay silent and should actively encourage others

 

[leedsveg]

Hi Seachants and welcome to VeggieBoards. :up:

I look forward to having discussions with you.


Leedsveg

 

[Capstan]

Welcome Seachants. :hi: Happy you joined!

 

[@rno]

Welcome

 

[Naturebound]

Welcome Seachants! Despite being a quiet natured relatively shy person in real life, I have never been totally silent about being vegan. Not that I preach it to everyone I come across, but I do wear vegan t shirts (especially to the fitness center he he he), have leafleted and tabled schools, brought vegan goodies to gatherings, and have spoken about it on places like Facebook here and there (though in a positive light, not the shock value style). I too wish others had not been so silent about it. I actually came across information about veganism from reading an anti vegan book called "The Omnivore's Dilemma" at a time when I was exploring the issue of world hunger. Go figure!

Hope to see you around the boards! BTW love your username!

 

[Seachants]

oddizido - do you find that the majority of people simply don't care that you're vegan and about veganism in general, or do they just have no reason to comment on it to you, which gives the impression that they don't care? What I mean is that if they assume that everyone around them, you included, eats meat, then they have no reason to bring up the topic of not eating it. What I've found is that if I just mention that I'm vegan, people immediately show interest by asking me many questions (sometimes as veiled criticism) and start trying to justify eating meat, even if I didn't try to debate them. So, it seems to me that most people I've met do care, at least momentarily when they first learn that I'm vegan.

Like you, I also don't tell people unless it directly affects the situation. I wouldn't mention it out of the blue to start a debate.

I can understand why some vegans prefer to stay silent about it, if they don't want to be put through interrogations and debates when the situation isn't even about that. For example, I mentioned that I'm vegan when an old friend and a new friend and I ate at an art gallery, and again when coworkers and I got lunch, and other places where my purpose for being there has nothing to do with veganism, yet it was relevant to questions about what to eat. The way that the new friend and relatively new coworkers responded led me to feel like I have to always be prepared to defend or support veganism, in case the topic comes up. I've learned that being in a minority often means that you have to have well-thought-out reasons to explain it, because it's like you're in an underdog position, whereas the majority of people usually perceive themselves as not needing any well-thought-out reasons, because they're in the majority.

I had no idea that many people would react negatively toward it when I simply mentioned, "I'm vegan." I didn't try to get into debates; I just mentioned it when food was offered to me. I felt that a general statement would help other people know what to offer and what not to offer me, instead of me just saying "no" to so many particular items without explanation. When I said that once at work, a new coworker immediately replied, "Do you want to know how you know when someone is vegan?" I asked how, and she said, "They tell you. They always tell you." She then proceeded to tell me about her sister who's one of those "crazy vegans" involved in PETA. I said that I wasn't involved in activism (and wasn't at the time), hoping that she would get that I wasn't going to try to convert her. I said that I'm vegan for individualistic reasons and that I don't think everyone should be one. I later questioned that...I do think the world would be a better place if every human were vegan or at least mostly vegan. But my purpose was to set her mind at ease, in case she was worried that I would personally try to convert her. I was really taken aback by the response and felt like it would be little different if I were some other minority and she responded, "Do you want to know how you know when someone is gay/feminist/atheist? They tell you. They always tell you."

I feel like by not staying silent (even if it's just briefly stating that we're vegan, when it's relevant to a meal), as long as we're peaceful even when people are saying unfair criticisms, we give people a counterexample to preconceived notions they had about us.

 

[Seachants]

Hi Naturebound - I am also relatively quiet in person. I have considered getting a vegan t-shirt. What do yours say, and what images do they have? There's one I like called "Earthlings," probably inspired by the documentary, which shows all these close-ups of eyes from different animals, including humans. I feel like that is general enough to get people thinking about celebrating the similarities between all life forms and how we share our planet together, without being so specific about vegan issues that it would put speciesists on the defensive.

Just like how I've heard about "positive atheism," I think there can be a "positive veganism," both where people focus on the benefits in their position more than focusing on the detriments in the opposing positions. I do enjoy many images that cleverly criticize speciesism and carnism, and I've started collecting them on Pinterest. In person, though, I think I would prefer the more positive ones, because I wouldn't want to feel like a walking target for debates all the time. I prefer relating more than debating, most of the time. I feel like when people begin conversing based on common principles they do share, they are more likely to be open to the differences.

Oh, wow, you have leafleted and tabled schools. Do you also work at a school? I work at a public school, and everyone I've seen there eats meat and dairy. I guess I would leaflet and table at a school in which I don't work though. How did you get to do that?

It was hard for me sometimes to enter the cafeteria and see to "Got Milk" ads plastered on the cafeteria wall. They were taken down this year, but probably not based on any newfound vegan principles. I saw a proposed amendment online for separation of corporation and state, and I would vote for that. I don't think public schools should be funded by agribusinesses that harm children's health more than help it.

I haven't read The Omnivore's Dilemma, but i know from the Oprah show about meatless Mondays that Michael Pollen sees nothing wrong with eating animals. He said, "There's nothing wrong with eating meat." He gave no justification of that, though. The issue of world hunger is definitely related to veganism. I've been learning about how people in third world countries would have more to eat if so many grains weren't fed to farm animals.

Thanks, I like your username, too. I also love the outdoors and being out in "nature." I only use quotes because it has so many meanings.

Thanks to everyone else, too, for the greetings.