Originally Posted by
imdead-goaway
Okay, I don't sugar-coat sh**.
If you want tough love, read on. Otherwise, ignore it.
Don't be a f***ing pussy. Seriously.
Being a vegetarian is tough, no matter how much support you have. I had an extremely supportive mother when I went vegetarian at 12, and I still had people shoving meat in my face at school. I mean, literally shoving meat in my face. I could've given up back then. But I didn't. Because I've got integrity. And that's what really matters - integrity.
We all have our moments of doubt, but giving up is for pussies. If you can't handle the responsibility, forget the whole thing, but remember the decision you made.
On a less a**hole-ish note...
And as for "making a difference"... it's not about saving individual animals. It's fantastic if that's a byproduct of what being a veg*n does, but the real reason to cut out meat and animal products is to support a movement. Veg*nism isn't an organization, or a country - it's an idea. Its strength is entirely in the people that follow that idea, and hold it up as a flag. I say it's better to consume more milk and eggs as a vegetarian, than less animal products as an omnivore, because the support you give the industry is only temporary, while the support you give to the cause is lasting.
The animal welfare front has made some great bounds, but the animal rights movement, and the veg*n movement still has social and political steps to take.
It's not about taking on factory farms single-handedly - it's about raising awareness, spreading an idea, and holding up an ideal. Convince people that you are right because you can persevere, because you can show the strength of overcoming hardship, and because you can do it with grace. When people tell me that one person doesn't make a difference, I tell them that I've convinced two people to go vegetarian, and one of those people convinced three others, two of which went vegan. How much further that ripple goes, I don't know, but I do know that if I didn't stand by the decision I made 8 years ago, there would be not one, but six less veg*ns in the world today.
How much of an impact does that make? Probably not much of one. But it does spread the idea, it raises awareness, and it contributes to a future where veg*nism is more widespread.
So, hey - it's your choice.