Letters to the Editor
DurianJoe
Published Letters: 1494 Editor's Choice: 69
-
Response to "A Reader"
[Read the article: Bite me!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I wasn't planning on entering yet another letters war over veganism, but I would like to respond to A Reader who wrote, below: "Vegans, look in the mirror. Not only are you not heathier than we carnivores, you look like you're two bean sprouts short of a pulse."
A Reader, I'll try to remember that the next time I engage in my full contact Krav Maga sparring. I'll advise the other vegans in my class that since we're so weak and sprouty, the next time we get kicked in the ribs or take a hook to the face, instead of continuing the match like we've been trained to do, we should just give up and get a cheeseburger.
-
In defense of veganism
[Read the article: Bite me!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Much has been written here about "rude" and "sanctimonius" vegans. It makes me, a vegan, wonder why there is so much animosity toward us. Bourdain and some others here complain about rude vegans, but as the messages on this board show, there is no shortage of rude meat-eaters. Are there strident vegans? Of course. All social movements (and veganism is part of the animal rights movement) have their share of strident and obnoxious members, especially when the movement is young. It is also no surprise that college students and other young vegans can be especially strident. Does anyone else here remember when they were in their late teens or early twenties? Remember when you became socially aware about some cause or another? It is almost a given that young people will be emphatic to a fault about their causes, but while this may turn off people, we should also remember that young people, with their zeal and energy, are often in the forefront of social change.
Bourdain also makes an argument that veganism is a dietary choice predicated on abundance. There may be some truth to this, but I find it ironic that I often turn to the cuisine of less wealthy, "third world" nations when I dine out or cook; it is the cuisines of the wealthier nations, with their heavy emphasis on meat and dairy, which are least vegan-friendly. Conversely, Asian and African and Latin American cuisines offer an abundance of vegan and vegetarian dishes. Meat and dairy are often a luxury of the rich. Moreover, why shouldn't people take advantage of progress to benefit themselves and others? People in poorer nations, for example, have large families because they either need them or lack access to birth control. People in wealthier nations who recognize that the planet cannot support an ever-expanding human population limit the size of their families. By Bourdain's logic, these people are misguided. I disagree with such logic.
Some people here claim veganism is unhealthy. That too is unfounded. It is a fact that vegetarians suffer less from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases than non-vegetarians. Vegans who make sure to get sufficient vitamin B-12 are as healthy as vegetarians. To those who argue that it is somehow unnatural to obtain B-12 from vitamins or fortified food, I respond: just what is "natural" nowadays anyway? Air conditioning? Vaccines? Food wrapped in plastic at the corner store? Why should vegans be condemned for making use of the same technological advances that everyone else enjoys in one way or another?
Another criticism made by Bourdain and some others here is that it is somehow rude for vegans to decline meat and dairy when offered. Would they say the same thing about people who keep kosher or halal who decline pork or lobster? Vegans base their diet on an ethical belief system too. Furthermore, it is condescending in the extreme to suggest that people in other lands are less inclined to be respectful of their guests' beliefs than people in the United States.
Vegetarianism dates back thousands of years. Veganism, in its modern form, is a response to the horrors of modern factory farming -- another aspect of life in "lands of abundance." I stopped eating eggs and dairy when I learned about the terrible suffering of chickens and dairy cows and veal calves (male dairy calves). Most people are opposed to cruelty to animals. Vegans (and vegetarians) extend that ethos to "farm" animals. As for eggs and dairy produced, allegedly, under human conditions, I can honestly say that after 15 years of being vegan, I really have no desire for them and in fact find them distasteful.
An earlier writer compared Bourdain to Ann Coulter. I think that is spot-on. This "bad boy" uses outrage to market himself, and he does not just disagree with people, he treats them with a level of contempt and nastiness which borders on the irrational. It is possible to disagree with veganism and animal rights without sinking to the level of a 5th grade bully. Lastly, Bourdain apparently eats any animal product, regardless of the cruelty inflicted upon the animal which supplied it. His indifference to animal suffering is despicable.