Sunday, 12 June 2011
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Taking Unwarranted Credit For Being A Vegetarian!
Most vegetarians feel very strongly about their lifestyle choice. There are so many documentaries, films, and articles written on the subject. Poor, defenseless animals being slaughtered for our own gluttony. Meat going bad for lack of sale, while other countries have people starving. Animals being cloned for mass-production, producing frightening specimens that are simply unnatural. For decades, advocates of vegetarianism have fought to spread the word of their healthy, kill-free lifestyle. I commend these people.
On the other hand, I hate people who claim to be vegetarians because they are against the killing of animals when, in reality, they just don’t like meat. I don’t like the taste lamb, but you don’t hear me saying it’s because of Mary’s little friend.
I used to be friends with a girl, Hollie, who was grossed out by meat. Yes, grossed out. That just made me grossed out by her. Whereas I begin salivating at the very thought of a juicy, flavorful, medium-rare steak, a big, thick cheeseburger, or a scrumptious roast beef or pot-roast, this girl was nauseated by it all. It didn’t help matters much that she went away to college. College cafeterias are usually known for their mystery meats.
One day, Hollie decided that she was going to give up meat altogether. She would become a vegetarian. I was appalled, but who am I to judge?
When we went out to eat, my other friends and I would order our assortment of meat dishes, and she would order a salad.
Everything was fine until people started complimenting her.
“Ugh, I just think it is so great that there are people like you in this world.” “I hate the fact that innocent animals are killed, but I could never give up meat. Thank God for people like you.” Blah…blah…blah.
And the worst part? She accepted their praise, like it was deserved! She smiled and nodded. I even heard her say, “You’re welcome” to one particularly thankful person.
This drove me crazy. I knew for a fact that she couldn’t care less about defenseless animals being slaughtered.
One day, while sitting in a restaurant, her brother couldn’t take it anymore.
“She’s not a vegetarian because she’s trying to save the animals! She doesn’t even like most animals! She did it because she hates meat!" he burst out.
The thanker was shocked, Hollie was appalled, I was elated. Finally, someone had the guts to say something!
At some point in her quest for a meatless life, Hollie decided that she could stomach chicken. She began eating several different chicken dishes, but still claimed she was a vegetarian!
Whenever she falsely told people that she was a vegetarian, my whole face would turn red with fury. The second meat enters your mouth, you no longer have the right to call yourself a vegetarian. That's like sleeping with someone and calling yourself a virgin. It's not half a lie; it's a lie.
Non-vegetarians need to stop taking unwarranted credit!
Do you know a vegetarian who has chosen that lifestyle because they hate meat, not because they are against the killing of animals? Do they also take unwarranted credit for their non-selfless decision?
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About the Author
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- From: Jennifer
- Name: Jennifer
- About Me: I have had a love affair with food for as long as I can remember. Some people like to drink, some people like to party -- but nothing makes me happier than sitting down to an awesome dinner in a hip (or traditional) restaurant with my family and friends. And the more you get to know me, the more you'll realize that I would give you the shirt off my back, but never -- ever -- try and steal food from my plate! I can do mean things with a fork!
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Comments (81)
finally, someone who feels the same way.
I used to be a vegetarian (for health reasons I'm no longer vegetarian) and it would irk me so much when flexi-tarians claimed to be vegetarian b/c they love animals and whatever else spills from their mouths. When really, they were flexi b/c they wanted to lose weight, it's cool &etc.
This reminds me of a line I once heard/read: "I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals -- I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants."
"One day, Hollie decided
that she was going to give up meat altogether. She would become a
vegetarian. I was appalled, but who am I to judge? "
And yet this blog is nothing but judgmental....as usual. I'll ask the same question I asked on your previous blog. Do you ever read what you write before posting? You always manage to come off as a complete and utter bitch.
Stop wasting your time judging people and work on your shitty attitude!
I'm an almost-vegetarian for medical reasons, and I hate it.
I don't really care about other people's diets, especially not enough to praise them for it. One person not eating meat doesn't stop any animals from being killed. Just leaves more steak for me to salivate over while not being able to eat it, until eventually it just goes bad and then the animal died for nothing instead of providing nourishment.
What a strange thing to take credit about.
i'm one of those people who just doesn't like meat. my mom tells me these horror stories about how we would fight every dinner when i was a child because i wouldn't eat my meat, but i eventually won the battle for good. anytime anyone commends me for being vegetarian, i explain that i just don't like eating meat, and if even after that they APOLOGIZE for eating a burger in front of me, i hate hate hate it.
every now and then my dad mentions how he wishes he had my willpower to not eat meat, and it kinda gets on my nerves.
also a pet peeve when people suggest i eat veggie burgers/hot dogs instead. if i don't like real meat, why would i want something that mimicks it?
I'm a vegeterian : ) but yeah mostly because i'm getting sick of meat :P
I think you can be a vegetarian for many reasons other then to save the animals. But yes I do get a bit irked when people claim they're doing it for a commendable reason when they really don't give a shit about that cause. I had a few friends that just couldn't eat meat because their digestive system couldn't take it or the smell/taste made them sick. Perfectly logical reason to become vegetarian. Just don't claim to be something you're not and take credit for it.
actually, if you're a vegetarian, you ARE doing good for the animals whether you like animals or not, so any vegetarian can take claim for not killing animals.
i don't eat meat because i hate animals, but my actions do result in the slaughter of animals. maybe we should be the ones to start taking responsibility...
I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't care for the taste of most meat and I never have. I don't really fit into any of the fancy eater labels like vegetarian, pescetarian, etc. I'm an omnivore with a very specific list of likes and dislikes. I'm fairly adventurous when it comes to food, but I dislike a lot of what's put on my plate especially when it comes to meat and poultry. It would take forever to explain what meat I like and what meat I dislike (for instance, I don't like chicken, but I do like breaded and fried chicken from specific places and I like chicken noodle soup, but I don't like the chicken chunks that come with it. I don't like plain ground beef, but I like tacos and chili. I'm not crazy about burgers, but I do like McDonald's burgers. I generally don't like any meat that comes from pigs, but I do eat bacon from time to time. And the list goes on...). Sometimes I think it would be so much easier to go vegetarian, but this entry is one of the reasons I don't want to completely give up my meat eating ways. I don't want people to judge me for my reasons for being vegetarian. It's not that I don't care about animals (I'm a veterinary nurse, my whole career is devoted to helping animals), but I don't think eating animals is wrong either.
I've found that people are more receptive to the idea of someone being a vegetarian than simply disliking meat. Even you admitted to being "grossed out" by Hollie because she didn't like meat, but you also mentioned admiring vegetarians for their contributions to their cause. So I can see why someone who doesn't like meat would claim to be a vegetarian so that people don't question their eating style and think they're weird or annoyingly picky.
I don't claim to be a vegetarian and no one has ever approached me to compliment me about the fact that I mainly eat vegetarian meals, but I can understand why Hollie and others might go with it rather than correct them.
Speaking as someone who has been a vegetarian since they were three: for every single person that decides to randomly compliment your willpower and dedication, there are at least two or three who judge you, tease you, or try to peer pressure you into straying away from your choice simply because it goes against the grain or because they cannot imagine THEIR lives that way.
Food for thought: today, a guy asked me if I was comfortable eating bread because of the yeast it contained, since apparently some people consider yeast to be living. Dealing with mocking questions such as this is a much more common occurrence than you apparently realize. Not that it ruins my day, but especially for new vegetarians, it can be discouraging.
There are many super-legitimate reasons to be a vegetarian; even if you have only one primary motivation, there are still auxiliary causes you may support or stand behind through your lifestyle, and there's no reason why vegetarians should be maligned for accepting praise that does come their way. I promise you they also probably take a lot of bullshit for it.
Bottom line: You should probably find a cause you're passionate about and work towards it. Then you can spend more time receiving praise for the positive work you're doing and hopefully care less about begrudging the praise that others get. But, you know, that's only my opinion.
Just because someone doesn't eat meat because they hate the taste doesn't mean they can't take credit for helping a cause.
Lying about not eating meat is silly, though.
It annoys me when people who don't eat most meats except fish (pescatarians) say that they're vegetarians. Fish is meat too! X(
this blog made me laugh.
i'm also absolutely thrilled that you said "couldn't care less" instead of "could care less." i ALWAYS correct people about this and so many people use this phrase wrong! THANK YOU. hahait isn't impossible for someone to be a vegetarian for multiple reasons! i am honestly disgusted by the idea of eating flesh, from a once living creature. this goes along with my belief in the cruelness of animal slaughter; raising them for 2 years with an overwhelming amount of hormones being surged into their systems only for the human "benefit" of salvaging their body! when in fact, cows could be living 20 years! The actuality of it—disregarding the idea that everyone has been brainwashing into thinking, that eating meat is humane—is the human race is blindly destroying everything that that made humanity itself possible. it is disgusting, disturbing, the mutations that we find acceptable!
@cody_ashby the correct term actually is " i couldn't care less" if you "could care less" then there would be no point in express your carelessness!
Whatever her reasons for being vegetarian were, she still wasn't eating meat, right? Therefore, animals weren't dying for her to eat, right?
It honestly just seems like you're jealous of her somehow. I mean, I don't understand how you could just be this mad at her for something so innocent. Right?
My mom is a vegetarian because she doesn't like meat, but I've never heard anyone say anything to her about it at all. I never even knew people did these kinds of things. "Thanks for not eating the animals! Now I'm gonna just dig into mine over here, because I feel better about eating it now that I know you won't..." That's just ridiculous.
Oh, and some vegetarians actually do eat chicken. It's poultry, not meat, to some people. There are many different types of vegetarians, and you should look it up. You can still be a vegetarian if you eat chicken. Some vegetarians don't eat eggs because they believe it could have been a baby animal, some vegetarians don't eat any dairy products, etc., etc.
I'm also not fond of meat, but I will eat certain things if I feel like it. I don't go calling myself a vegetarian because I don't care for the title. I just prefer not to eat beef and pork. I do eat chicken though. But the majority of what I eat is fruit and veggies, and some dairy.
But taking praise for something you didn't intend to do is not a commendable act, and if it bothers you that much, then either don't go out to eat with her or call her out on it when she does it. But sitting there and thinking, "What a jerk." isn't going to help you.
xX Ame ~*~ Hana Xx
@SexyGamerGirl@xanga - This.
"Whereas I begin salivating at the very thought of a juicy, flavorful, medium-rare steak, a big, thick cheeseburger, or a scrumptious roast beef or pot-roast..."
Just one more reason you're a cool girl, right? Stop using your blogs to try and talk yourself up, lol. They'd actually be enjoyable.
I'm technically a flexitarian, because vegetarian elitists throw a fit when the only meat I eat is half a steak every 6 months and say I'm "almost vegetarian."
But I have absolutely no problem with the slaughter and consumption of animals - I just don't like the taste of most meat and chose to rarely eat it because eating more fruits and vegetables is healthier and usually cheaper.
I didn't really get what there was to be angry about until I got towards the end. I admit that people who eat meat while claiming to be vegetarian irritate me, especially because they could simply explain their dietary choices instead of misrepresenting vegetarians.
Also, I've noticed you have a lot of haters. I just thought I'd say that I think it's somewhat unwarranted.
@BucketFullOfShyte@xanga - "the correct term actually is "
i couldn't care less" if you "could care less" then there would be no
point in express your carelessness!" - I think that was her point :) She's glad that the author said "couldn't" instead of "could."
I've never met a vegetarian with that kind of conceited attitude about
their eating habits, but if I did I'd probably be annoyed. Being a vegetarian does in
some way contribute to...something I guess (less people eating meat but
is meat production going down? I don't know). Sure, they can take credit
for whatever they're contributing to, but it would be a lie to take
credit for "lovingly rescuing those cute animals" when in reality that
person doesn't give a S*** about said animals. So I got your point; I think a lot of other people missed it.
On the contrary, aren't you being a little closed-minded when you say you're "grossed out" by someone who doesn't like the taste of meat? There's
nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, and there's nothing wrong with not liking meat.
i became vegetarian after listening to one of my high school teachers talk about why she was vegetarian. eventually i made my own opinions about why not to eat meat (my hate for the meat industry), but i didn't really LOVE meat in the first place. does this make me a "fake" vegetarian? i think not. there are times when i crave meat, but i can't eat it in good conscience. all i can think of are the horrible conditions these animals are in, the shit that they're fed, how horribly they're treated, and how they're then slaughtered. it's pretty obscene.
i never get compliments on being vegetarian. when i first became vegetarian people would say, "i wish i had that willpower!" but i would just tell them it's not very hard. the most comments i get on being vegetarian are, "more meat for me" and "oh, that sucks." haha.
Although I understand where you are coming from on this, I was hoping you wouldn't be judgmental in this piece. You failed on that aspect. Why does it bother you so much that she got praise? Most of the time she probably got mocked. Maybe if you found something to be passionate about, a cause worth fighting for, then maybe you could spend less time tearing others down in your writing. Food for thought.
"I used to be friends with a girl, Hollie, who was grossed out by meat. Yes, grossed out. That just made me grossed out byher. WhereasIbegin salivating at the very thought of a juicy, flavorful, medium-rare steak, a big, thick cheeseburger, or a scrumptious roast beef or pot-roast, this girl wasnauseated by it all." -- Did you ever stop to think that perhaps you gross out other people with your preferences? It's pretty sad that you'd be grossed out by her because she hates the taste and look of meat. It's pounded, once-living flesh - that stuff looks disgusting and I'm not a vegetarian.
I have a problem with how high and mighty other people get regarding someone else's diet choice. Who the fuck cares why she doesn't eat meat? Vegetarianism is defined as "a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc." It is not "a person who does not eat meat, etc. because they are against the cruelty of animals". There is no "because" in defining what a vegetarian is. A vegetarian simply does not eat meat products. She is a true vegetarian by the definition of the word, so get the hell over it.