Do some of you vegans/vegetarians really hear how you talk about us?

I personally feel that lifestyle choice, be it diet, religion, music identification, or whatever, should be a personal choice.

Unfortunately, many people seem to think that their choices should be the choices of all (shades of dictatorship, according to me).

Do we want people to tell us what religion to have? I don't think so.

Do we want people to tell us what gender to prefer, or what position to use? I hope not.

Do we like people blasting music we don't like at us? I doubt it.

So, why should any of us criticise what anyone else wants to eat?

If vegetarians, vegans, or raw vegans choose to eat the way they eat, it should be their right, and people who do not adhere to those kinds of diets should leave them alone.

At the same time, new converts to vegetarianism, veganism, or raw veganism should make every effort to avoid missionizing (as should people who have been sucked into MLM schemes)

Unfortunately, we are dealing with humans. Humans tend to like to feel superiority, and many get the idea that showing others the superior thing they have found makes them superior.

We are all blessed with our ability to make choices. We can find polite ways to fend off missionary approaches. "Thank you, but I'm not interested" is a bit blunt. "That's interesting, but let's talk about something else" is another option, still blunt. You can also listen to the missionary and then say "thank you" and go on about your business.

Many vegetarians/vegans/raw vegans get tired of meat eaters telling them that they are missing this or that. Some meat-eaters are mean to vegetarians, vegans, and/or raw vegans.

Speaking out against meat-eaters can be a defense mechanism.

Regardless, we should all strive to avoid missionizing other people who are not interested in our passion.

I'm a vegetarian. You want to make certain animals such as cows, chickens, & pigs become endangered, possibly extinct? Just have everyone become a vegetarian/vegan. The chickens & cows MAY survive (if everyone was vegetarian, not vegan), but there would be no purpose for the pigs. Almost everywhere every single cattle & chicken has been domesticated for the sole purpose of providing us nourishment. When was the last time you saw a wild cow or chicken? Look at what happened to the horse when the automobile became the mainstream form of transportation. Look what happened to the draft horse!

It just happens we have a vast majority of people who happen to stress their opinions to others, and sometimes without even realizing it's irritating the other person.

Think about it this way... if you were in a world where something was natural to everyone else, but you and very few other people, you'd most likely feel and act strongly against it. And it's hard, and it's sad for us that think this way, because it's incredibly unlikely that things will ever change. People are going to carry on hurting animals and torturing children, and with all the laws and all the police, there isn't anything we can do. I personally feel stressed every now and then when I think about it because I know an animal I feel softly about is in pain and is scared and it hurts me. So maybe every now and then, when someone cracks a vegan joke, I'll get pissy with them and it gives us all a bad image. My bad. :( But I believe in being as kind as possible to all animals... and that includes humans, doesn't it?

I'll admit there are some very passionate vegetarians/vegans spreading their message around the world and over the net.

It's really just a matter of preference, consciousness and a lack of will to be ignorant to the merciless disgusting demand for meat from animals who are slaughtered and exploited daily for the masses consumption.

If someone came up to me and said they were proud to be a meat eater of course I'd feel obliged to express how ignorant I thought they were. We're just trying to inform other people, we don't want to make them feel degraded but enlightened rather or conscious to what it is they are actually consuming. A majority of meat eaters really don't give their meals any second thought, there was lately an expose on the cruel treatment of Sow Pigs here in NZ and the nation was outraged by one mere example. If people are conscious to injustice they feel as if they must act out upon it. Ignorance is not blissfulness.

I'm with the others here... I'm perfectly polite and respectful towards non-veggies who are polite and respectful towards me. I haven't heard anyone use the phrase "seen the light" on here, and the vast majority of vegetarians that I know don't consider others as lesser human beings because they eat meat.

Furthermore, you are incorrect to assume that vegetarianism is simply a dietary choice. For many vegetarians, it is a religious or ethical decision. Going low-fat or limiting your calories is a dietary/health choice. Not eating meat, for many people, is about ethics.

Also, there's no call for being hostile by referring to an entire population as "you people".

Many people are genuinely baffled, though, as to why some people think eating meat is acceptable. Look at other practices that are debated... some people think it is essential to circumcise (both males and females) and others honestly can't understand how they don't see cutting off part of an infant's genitals as wrong. The same goes for capital punishment, slavery, abortion, contraception, and a whole list of other issues. When you have very definite ideas about things, especially if you feel that life and well-being are at stake, it's difficult to understand how anyone could see it any other way.

I tend to be like that because people are like that to me.

People are always questioning what i believe, though ive never heard anyone say anything intellegent therefor i have never questioned my own beliefs.

I know i attack people sometimes because it just frustrates me so much that people dont even try to see my side when i make an effort to see theirs and quite often agree with them.

F.e. I am completly for the natural order. people are omnivores, but we eat far more meat then we should and the way we treat animals is NOT natural.

I understand your side and to you, eating meat might not seem that bad, but to me it does seem like murder because ive been raised to see every living creature as equal, so killing a cow, to me seems like killing a human being.

Another reason i can be hostile to people is becaue im so tired of their stupid excuses to eat meat.

"You need meat to grow and be healthy"

Ive been vegetarian all my life, im 14 years old and very tall for my age and very thin (not unnaturally thin)

"If people didnt eat animals they wold take over"

People breed those animals to eat so if we didnt eat them, we wouldnt need a reason to bree them so they wouldnt exist in the first place.

"Why did god give us these animals if we're not suposed to eat them"

God did not give us thse animals, as i said, people bred them for us to eat, they are a man made creation.

I dont mean to attack you with my beliefs or anything, im just trying to explain them to you in a way that you can understand.

Not eating meat is a good choice in more ways than one, its better for your health, the planet, the people and the animals, but if you dont want to do it than its up to you.

To me, vegetarianism is like a religion because its a big part of what i believe.

I hope i didnt offend you, i tend to get unreasonable about these things. I just want you to understand why it is so important to us and why it can be a touchy subject.

just like ther are preachy vegetarians, there are preachy omnivores. and there seems to be a wat gonig on them between them a lot like a war between atheist and christians.

~RayLeen <3

Well, Rohak, a good piece of advice is to realize that you can't control what other people say. If you don't like it, then just move on. It's not just veg-heads, man. There are people with all kinds of beliefs that say all kinds of things (my personal favorite are the people who talk about things they have no experience or education in, but still try to give me advice on how to deal with it). Gotta let that slide, man. If you get worked up over the trivial crap, then heaven help you.

I'm vegetarian. I'm Pro-animal rights..

I believe that animals should be able to have a good life.

However If you choose to eat meat, then that's fine by me.

To be honest, you can't change anyone, so i wouldn't bother.

And for meat eaters trying to get vegetarians to eat meat, it won't work..

So they shouldn't bother either.

There are some vegetarians so passionate to get everyone to be vegetarian, however they must have very high expectations.

im only mean to the meat eater that eat meat in my face and try to make me stop being a vegatarian. it is my choice, and im not forcing anyone. i have even lost a friend because i was a vegetarian. people freak out and scream at me "you ate meat!" when i didnt. that is why im mean to some meat eaters.

I have always pride myself on NOT being the pushy veg*n. I have many meat eating friends and that's fine with me.

The trouble is, if omnivores insist on hanging around the veg*n section don;t we have to assume that they are here to either troll us OR learn from us??

Its it the first then they don;t deserve our respect, if its the latter then we are here to educate.

People in all walks of life are hostile not just veg*ns.

try not to let it ruine your day ;)