How do I answer this?

kristymay_c · Nov 27, 2006

Hello, I'm new at being a Vegetarian. I've been practicing this way of life now for about 6 months. I decided to become Vegetarian because I am an animal lover. It really hit me when my husband, who is a hunter, killed a deer, and I saw it dead in the back of his truck. Then, we drove to his parent's house, with it still in the back of the truck. His brother and father took the deer into the basement and I heard them ripping it apart and sawing off it's limbs and skinning it. Then, a few days later, the finished product entered my freezer. (ground meat, deer sausage, deer steak). The experience absolutely disgusted me, and bothered me severely. I will never, ever forget it. That experience changed my desire for eating meat completely. I have no desire to eat meat at all anymore. I am very happy being a vegetarian. However, when people ask me "WHY", I just say, "To save the animals." And they look at me like I'm strange or something. Some say, "Even if you don't eat meat, other people do, so you won't be saving the animals. You're just choosing not to eat it. You not eating meat won't stop people from killing them." I don't know what to say! I'd like to come up with a better answer without going into detail. And, I want my answer to include something about saving animals, because that is the main reason why I've adapted this way of eating. Some people just say, "Oh you've become vegetarian because you don't want to get fat." That's not it at all. For me, it's all about the animals. Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them. THANKS!

shaved_women · Nov 27, 2006

Hmm......you can say I do save animals, 100 animals lives are saved a year by going vegetarian. It may be a small number, but think about all the people going vegetarian nowadays and it's making an impact.

jazz121 · Nov 27, 2006

Well you could always say - 
my life, my choice, mind your own business! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/devil.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":devil:"> 
But hey I'm narky so probably something along the lines of you are concerned about animal welfare, the planet and also your health and going veggie addresses all of these concerns. 
I think that we all have to remember that we shouldn't have to justify our dietery choices. Meat eaters don't!

Sevenseas · Nov 27, 2006

Instead of using the word 'save', you can say "I don't want animals to be killed so I can eat meat" or something like that. 
Congrats on starting the veg*n path <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
If you're really serious about wanting to "save the animals", you can read about the killing that goes on as a result of the dairy and egg industries too.

Fyvel · Nov 27, 2006

Not everyone understands our decision. I've found that saying "I love animals too much to eat them" usually helps. Or if that doesn't, ask them if they would eat a cat or a dog, and then explain to them that that is how you feel about meat. (Most) people don't look at a cat or a dog as meat, but as the animal. Of course, this approach only works on reasonable people who are truly curious to your reasons, and not people who are just being jerks about it to make fun of you <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/veganpolice.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":notvegan:">

colorful · Nov 27, 2006

Congrats on becoming vegetarian! I've heard that upwards of half of vegetarians do it primarily for health reasons, and people seem to always assume that is why I'm a vegetarian, too (even though it's not). 
If people ask me why I'm a vegetarian, I usually say "animal welfare" and usually they just say "oh" and stop right there. Then they kind of squirm and change the subject. If people want to push the issue though, you can remind them of the law of supply and demand. The more people go vegetarian, the less demand there is for meat and the less meat will be produced. It's as simple as that. It's like when people boycott anything, each person's contribution is small, but boycotts DO work, and the vegetarian movement is growing! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sunny.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":sunny:">

derwenna · Nov 27, 2006

You could say "I prefer not to eat animals".

jojob1969 · Nov 27, 2006

Explain to them that the law of supply and demand dictates that if more people abstain from meat, then fewer animals will be raised for slaughter.

Michael · Nov 27, 2006

People don't really want to know and if you tell them they'll feel like you're judging them. 
I would just say something like "I decided it's the right thing for me." If they continue to push there's nothing wrong with saying it's a personal decision and you don't really feel like getting into it. 
Just because animals will still be killed doesn't mean you need to contribute to it. That's about the dumbest argument I've ever heard. To me that's like saying women will still be raped or children will still be beaten, you might as well go ahead and do it. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
That was a very moving story and it sounds like you're doing great. Coming from a family of hunters I must say I really admire you're decision and I hope you do well with it. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

Moechalatte · Nov 27, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by kristymay_c <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I am very happy being a vegetarian. However, when people ask me "WHY", I just say, "To save the animals." And they look at me like I'm strange or something. Some say, "Even if you don't eat meat, other people do, so you won't be saving the animals. You're just choosing not to eat it. You not eating meat won't stop people from killing them." I don't know what to say!</div>
</div>
 
I get this question a lot, and I like to keep the answer simple (because I honestly think people don't really care what your reasoning is, they just want to prove you wrong...). 
When someone says something like "But other people eat meat, so you're not saving the animals" I just say that that doesn't matter - I do it for my own conscience (in hopes that others will too, of course, although I leave that out of my answer most of the time because I'm in the deep south and it's a pain..). 
I think you can give people any analogy to make people understand - if they're religious you can say something like "Do you believe it's morally right to kill another man out of spite?" They'll answer no, then you give them the same question they blasted back at you: "But people do kill others out of spite." Their answer: they don't do it because it goes against their morals, not just because they'd like to see a world without men who kill other men out of spite. 
That may not be the best analogy. It's all I can come up with real quick. But I've learned that the best responses are short and simple, and if the person really is interested in your beliefs, analogies are great for helping people understand and try to relate to your beliefs. 
Hope that helped some... 
Congratulations on making the change and good luck! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sunny.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":sunny:">

Ludi · Nov 27, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by shaved_women <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Hmm......you can say I do save animals, 100 animals lives are saved a year by going vegetarian. It may be a small number, but think about all the people going vegetarian nowadays and it's making an impact.</div>
</div>
 
This bugs me because most vegetarians aren't really "saving" any animals, unless they used to get all their meat from hunting. No animals are saved by going veg if you got your meat from the store. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/blank.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":|">

synergy · Nov 27, 2006

I usually say that I went veg for health and environmental reasons, but now it's become a part of my spirituality. 
I have never had anyone respond negatively to that, and it sometimes opens up interesting discussions. 
I do tailor my responses to my audience though. If it's someone I am close to, or some one I know will respect my choices, I will go into more detail than if it's someone I barely know.

lachry · Nov 30, 2006

"Even if you don't eat meat, other people do, so you won't be saving the animals. You're just choosing not to eat it. You not eating meat won't stop people from killing them." 
Obviously that's a terrible argument. Following one's conscience has benefits by itself. It is true that by being vegan I am not going to stop the slaughter of animals but that is no reason to eat meat given that eating meat disgusts me, etc. In other words, that argument assumes the VERY thing it is meant to prove: an interest in eating meat. 
Take the analogy to rape. To say that I, as a male, need not bother refraining from rape becuase other males - sadly - rape women daily would only make sense if I had any desire to rape in the first place (which I don't). 
Your friends argument is one for utter conformity. It's for sitting on one's arse, questioning nothing, following the herd: why bother complaining about war, since you can't stop it? Why bother giving to charity, since the famine goes ahead? Why bother helping your sick gran since she's going to die anyway? etc.

danakscully64 · Nov 30, 2006

You can always respond to that with: 
You wouldn't use that logic with humans, would you? 
Some more I use: 
I feel better not eating meat. Period. 
I can't eat creatures who have souls. 
Eating meat makes me suicidal and closer to the devil (haha) 
God told me to do it 
I can't stomach it (I literally throw it up, my body rejects it) 
I'd rather not have meat rotting in my colon, thank you 
It's my decision, mind your own business.

rabid_child · Nov 30, 2006

I tell people that gnawing on the rotting muscle of dead animals bothers me. 
Or that I can't justify killing animals for me to eat. 
Or simply "ethics"

bekajoi · Dec 1, 2006

It's simple economics: supply = demand. If we don't demand it, demand goes down, therefore supply goes down. 
I answer that I cannot agree with the industry and how they do things, and I'm simply not willing to support something like that, that I cannot agree with. Most people are willing to leave it there. If they want to know more, I am happy to explain further, WHY I cannot agree with what they do, etc. I do so tactfully and only get into details if they ask for them.

GhostUser · Dec 1, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by derwenna <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
You could say "I prefer not to eat animals".</div>
</div>
 
exactly...and congrats about making the change and good luck with everything.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/dancingbanana.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":nana:">

Brandon · Dec 1, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by rabid_child <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Or that I can't justify killing animals for me to eat. </div>
</div>
 This one's the closest one to what I say. My general reply these days is "I don't think that animals need to die or suffer for me to eat food that I don't need anyway" or the like.

GanyGreenBean · Dec 1, 2006

I like to use.. "I just am." When they ask about veganism or vegetarianism and why I am one. 
Also, I know most can't use this.. but I use my heart problem as an answer. When I say "I've got a congenital heart disease and I don't want to die when I'm 35." They usually start asking about the heart problem. That's always interesting.. because people always ask "Are you gonna die?" It's like "Yes, sometime in my life, I will die." 
Anyway. lol. 
Back onto what to say: 
"I just am" 
"I have allergies" 
"It's my decision not to eat animals."

GhostUser · Dec 1, 2006

Why should that poor calf (for example) have to die, when you have lots of vegetables, pastas, fruit, etc. in your house that you can live on and, in fact, is even healthier for you than that poor dead calf anyway? 
No thanks, eat your chicken guts, I'm good... 
Why should he have to die to satisfy your fat mouth? 
I don't eat dead things. 
Do you know how much crap they put in that stuff? It's not even meat anymore. It's just flavouring and stuff to make it taste good. 
Okay, so some of those are very blunt. But true.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

How do I answer this?

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Administrator

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Premium Member

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered

Registered