Meat Eating Is Old Fashioned - Today's Vegan Stories
>> Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Years ago, when I came out as a vegan I had a conversation with a (then) good friend... After I cried tears of regret and guilt on the "not knowing" this usually gentle and supportive friend told me flat out: The world will never go vegetarian (read:vegan)!
Of course in time, I've come to learn that really what she was saying was that she wouldn't ever. And that's her choice, and fine too... But here's what I've also come to figure out about her narrow views on what will or won't, could or can't, change in the world.
Many times we look back to historical examples of how change comes to be... Like with slavery or the women's suffragette movement. Instead, if my friend and I were still speaking today... Here's what I'd like to let her know about how the world does, can and will change in a relatively short period of time:
50 years ago:
Inter-racial marriage was almost unheard of.
In fact, people wanted to segregate toilets, even in their own homes:
50 years ago:
Doctors endorsed cigarettes.
Being divorced was kept secret.
Single parenting was a rare exception.
Only twin beds were acceptable on screen.
Corporal punishment was standard child rearing.
And it was also not unusual to "knock the wife around" on occasion.
40 years ago:
A woman's character might be determined by how straight the seams in her stockings were.
Most "decent" women didn't wear pants and always wore a bra.
No self-respecting woman would go without a "girdle" no matter how slim she was.
Shoes matched hats, matched purses, matched gloves, matched the ensemble.
Men wore "fedoras". Tipped them for the ladies. And always stood when a women entered the room.
30 years ago there was no such thing as "gay pride".
20 years ago there was no such thing as transgender or transsexuals.
My list could go on and on - But I think I've made my point that social norms constantly change and adapt accordingly. How technology and information has reshaped us is proof enough to say that an ill-conceived, cruel and primitive habit such as flesh eating won't last much longer. Only fossilized minds that are stuck in the primordial goo of antiquated habits hold on to such denial! I know the reason these self deceptions work for them...
They are who Tom Regan describes as the muddlers. The one's who shift along and resist enlightenment every step of the way... But move they will. There's no stopping change, especially for the better. ;)
And so now, I'd like to take this opportunity to add the following to my list of vegan stories that are noted on my sidebar:
Tracing My Own Personal Food Route By Robert Grillo
How I became a Vegetarian Via Earthlings By Jaclyn Glenn
A video for all of you wondering why Vegan!
Reason 1 for being Vegan by artificial 1982
Vegan benefits for guys by shelbybond
Why i became a vegan by johnnyb34434
Why I'm Vegetarian by TisxDebbehxYo
Living the Vegan Life at Vegan Bits
Why I became a vegan by ValeDocet
Bill Clinton on a (mostly) Vegan Diet
Why Am I Vegetarian? by markmywords09
How I Became a Vegan Dietitian by GINNY MESSINA
How i became a Vegan by tongolelelela
John Salley on Animals as Food
Yes, I'm A Vegetarian by ninacromeyer
Linda Blair "Going Vegan"
Why I am a vegetarian by Sunny5MA
My Journey to Ethical Veganism by Victoria Moran
I went VEGAN and I"M STILL ALIVE by Ryans182
Dennis Kucinich-Vegan
Why I'm Vegetarian by keithzworld
THE EARLY DAYS OF MY VEGAN JOURNEY by grassrootsvegan
Cove Reber on being a vegetarian
Why I am Vegan by Bobby Lovelace
Why I'm a Vegetarian by LicoriceStraps
Animal Liberation Victoria - Interview with Philip Wollen
Eat a Meal - Save an Animal by barbnoon1
Why We're Vegan and Vegetarian by MiaKaitlyn
Vegan Triathlete Rich Roll by PETA
Bodhipaksa: Why I'm a vegetarian
Norm Phelps - The Day That Changed Everything
Voices of Veganism
Living My Truth-How and Why I Became Vegan by Ammendoz81
Eric - Why I'm a vegetarian
Making the Connection - Why Vegan ? by VeganTruth
Karunasara: Why I'm a vegetarian
I am vegetarian Apn9a
My Path To Vegan Eating
14 Stories at the Vegan DocumentaryWhy I am a vegetarian by ferechi
Why am I Vegan? by porolita22
Activists Profiles from Vegan Outreach
Yes, I'm a Vegetarian by zombiescribbles
Ann McGee Cooper - Vegan Story
Gwen's Vigil Bearing Witness
Russell Simmons Talks About Why He is Vegan
This is why I am VEGAN... meatSux79
Why I am a vegan by runscape8
My Vegan Awakening by Beverly
Stop killing animals... By JENNIFER GNANA
Why I'm a Vegetarian VegHeadVic
Why I'm a Vegan by VegBeauty
The People Project
I'm A Vegetarian Now by mbaya
Vegan - Why I went vegan by marcluc1988
Why I'm a vegetarian by alspresso
Why I Choose to be a Vegan
Today, for every story and video above, there are countless others unmentioned... These are a collection of famous and simple people... Old and young... Americans... Europeans... Canadians... Australians, etc. Most of these stories represent personal change within the last 10 or so years. Some because of health reasons, a few for the environment and many because of animal rights issues.
And here is a collection of stories by strong men who had the courage to take a stand on their ethical values:
Point is: Anyone (friend or not) who says that the world will NEVER go "veg" aren't savvy enough with the issues, or progressive change, to know the many compelling reasons that will indeed exclude flesh-eating... someday.
Survey: 21% of U.S. college students limit meat consumption
So while most of us say now, that our grandparents and we once ate animals... Doesn't mean tomorrow's kids will - Or that they'd be proud of that heritage either.
Friend... A word to the wise: The only thing that is certain is change.
Vegan Mainstream
6 comments :
You continue to amaze with the graphics, text, and videos you find to illustrate your always-fascinating points, Bea.
You're like a teacher who, instead of writing with chalk on a blackboard, posts hyperlinks that take your "pupils" straight to your research. We get a crash course in each subject you study in depth on our behalf.
Today's lesson is particularly instructive, showing as it does that long arc of history that MLK Jr. said "bends toward justice."
By taking in everything you've shared in this blog, I feel I have a wider perspective on the animal movement and a hopeful view of its potentially rapid gains, as it
follows in the footsteps of the other social justice causes you enumerate.
The Vegans in Vegas clip is intructive; through it I met some more "real" guys.
And now, thanks to your movie trailer, I now know what a friend meant when she said earlier this week that she'd seen a very good movie called "The Help."
Maybe if I read one per day, I'll get through the "why I went vegan" accounts. They'll be my daily reading treat.
THANK YOU!!!
Well that's great CQ that my informal documentations bring hope... That was part of my intent in addressing the many nay-sayers I've met- AKA "fossilized non-thinkers". ;)
I never intended for anyone to click every single link... Maybe a random few - to prove the point. And in just the little time that's past since this was written there's dozens more stories I've saved for a future post... I think in time - Trying to cite all the people who are being awakened and motivated to change will be like trying to count the sand on the beach or the stars in the sky!
I am glad so many are riding the kite-tails of compassion and hope! And to you who is always a joyful fellow traveler - THANK YOU!!! as well! ;)
What a great resource Bea! Thank you.
What a hopeful post! Thanks for that. I'll have to bookmark and read some of the stories. Wouldn't it be cool though if there was a separate site devoted to "why I went vegan" tales just to demonstrate how many of us there are? :)
Hi VE - Glad these links might be useful... I think in another life I might be a frustrated researcher. I joke sometimes that I have a copy of the internet on my hard-drive... LOL!
Your visit as always, is highly valued... Thx! ;)
Hey HGV! Nice to have something up-beat around here for a change isn't it? ;)
Gosh, a whole site with every vegan story? Immense undertaking... I'm grateful though to some sites that include a modest collection of tales - Add them together and yes... There are a lot of "us's"! And hopefully many, many more to come!
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