Guest guest Posted March 15, 2003 Report Share Posted March 15, 2003 Greetings Fellow Vegetarians, Vegans, and curious minds... This e-mail is not intended to offend anyway. If you want to respond please do. If you want to debate please do. I was thinking about designing a new Tee-Shirt... After all, the summer is almost here and WE the community of Veg'ees, animal lovers, raw food eaters, life loving people are trying to 'reach' to our fellow beings in the world and ask " What is your Excuse? " The front of the Tee Shirt will have Large Fonts that glow in the dark (any graphic designers out there?) saying very clearly " What is your Excuse? " On the back of the tee-shirt are all the sponsers of this question (Animal Rights groups, Anti War groups, Green Peace, SF Bay Area Vegeterians, etc) And now to the point. I turned Vegan {aspiring to be a Raw Food Vegan} last November. Being a newbie to this incredible and fantastic lifestyle I am the new topic of discussion amongst my friends and the topic around the table if at home or when out to eat in town. Recently, a curious mind asked me " Is it not hard to be Vegan? " The hardest thing about becoming Vegan (and/or Vegeterian for that matter) is the response from the people around me. After being a Non-Veg for so many years the transition is a little hard, but a higher cause leads us to the right ways (at least right in our minds). WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE? For me turning Vegan is for Health Reasons. Not too many question this excuse of mine except perhaps close family and friends that wonder if I am ill. Thank G.. I am not ill, but I have seen lots of illness around me. Next time you pass by the hospital walk into the Cancer treatment center or into the Heart department and you will know. But, what is your excuse? Every person has a story to tell and a reason that drives the strive to live better and longer. I have seen the debates on these mailing lists, people giving reasoning to a teenager on what to answer others that question his Veg life style. Debates if Hitler was a Vegetarian (who in his good mind would even care?), and others. We are good people because we choose to be so. Each and every one of us has a choice. But why do we need excuses? Are Veggies better people? A strong statement from US to the rest of the world will be using a non specific (target all / target no one) question: " What is your Excuse? " The beauty of this statement is in it's general form: If you are A Non Veggie... What is your excuse for eating animals... If you are against war... What is your excuse to goto war... If you are an animal lover... What is your excuse to killing/harming animals If there are people out there that feel like I do and would like to join me in the quest of spreading the " What is your Excuse " tee-shirt... please respond. I price for each tee-shirt is not set yet, but all profits will go to TBD organization. What is you Excuse? Yaron ===== _________ All the best... Yaron Oren-Pines +1 (408) 832 0400 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2003 Report Share Posted March 16, 2003 Yaron, Your T-shirt sounds like a fine idea. You have a very catchy slogan. But I would like to urge you to make one change in your plans. Putting the names of veggie and animal rights groups on the back and " What's Your Excuse " on the front sounds just great. But adding the names of anti-war and environmental groups would not be helpful. Here's why: In order for the veg*n revolution to succeed, we must become a majority. In order to become a majority we need to appeal to mainstream America. That means all Americans regardless of their politics on other matters. Veg*nism should be for everyone, not just folks on the political left. If it is identified with either the left or right many people will reject our cause because the implication is that one must agree with the entire left or right agenda. When I worked as a volunteer for In Defense of Animals ( " IDA " ) I remember taking phone calls from " pro-life " folks on the right who thought that those of us who support animal rights should also support their anti-abortion cause. I now see a major push by some folks on the left to turn our common veg*n cause into something identified with the left in general. In my opinion, both of these paths are strewn with dangers, such as the likelihood of turning off many of the very people we want to influence by combining our common cause with extraneous political matters. That is why national animal rights groups, such as PETA, IDA, and the Fund for Animals, have no political agendas beyond animal rights and veg*nism. The question is not whether the right or left is correct - the question is whether we want our revolution to succeed. If we do then we must not dilute the veggie/animal rights message with other messages. It's a matter of strategy. In my opinion, those who want to attach our common cause to either the political left or right are, no doubt with the best of intentions, doing irreparable harm to our movement and setting us back many years. Animal rights folks and other veggies are not just leftists; neither are they just rightists. Our community includes both ends of the spectrum as well as the vast majority of Americans, like me, who are in the middle. It would be irresponsible to make animals raised for food and sick humans wait any longer than they must for relief. Let's avoid mixing messages and keep our eyes on the prize - a veg*n world free from animal abuse and exploitation, as well as cardiovascular disease and cancer. I hope we will avoid playing into the hands of our opposition, which would like nothing better than to paint us as radical political extremists. We can win this war against disease and cruelty, but only if we use our heads, not just our emotions. - Yaron Oren-Pines SFBAVeg ; SFLivingfoods Saturday, March 15, 2003 3:14 PM [sFBAVeg] What is your Excuse? Greetings Fellow Vegetarians, Vegans, and curious minds... This e-mail is not intended to offend anyway. If you want to respond please do. If you want to debate please do. I was thinking about designing a new Tee-Shirt... After all, the summer is almost here and WE the community of Veg'ees, animal lovers, raw food eaters, life loving people are trying to 'reach' to our fellow beings in the world and ask " What is your Excuse? " The front of the Tee Shirt will have Large Fonts that glow in the dark (any graphic designers out there?) saying very clearly " What is your Excuse? " On the back of the tee-shirt are all the sponsers of this question (Animal Rights groups, Anti War groups, Green Peace, SF Bay Area Vegeterians, etc) And now to the point. I turned Vegan {aspiring to be a Raw Food Vegan} last November. Being a newbie to this incredible and fantastic lifestyle I am the new topic of discussion amongst my friends and the topic around the table if at home or when out to eat in town. Recently, a curious mind asked me " Is it not hard to be Vegan? " The hardest thing about becoming Vegan (and/or Vegeterian for that matter) is the response from the people around me. After being a Non-Veg for so many years the transition is a little hard, but a higher cause leads us to the right ways (at least right in our minds). WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE? For me turning Vegan is for Health Reasons. Not too many question this excuse of mine except perhaps close family and friends that wonder if I am ill. Thank G.. I am not ill, but I have seen lots of illness around me. Next time you pass by the hospital walk into the Cancer treatment center or into the Heart department and you will know. But, what is your excuse? Every person has a story to tell and a reason that drives the strive to live better and longer. I have seen the debates on these mailing lists, people giving reasoning to a teenager on what to answer others that question his Veg life style. Debates if Hitler was a Vegetarian (who in his good mind would even care?), and others. We are good people because we choose to be so. Each and every one of us has a choice. But why do we need excuses? Are Veggies better people? A strong statement from US to the rest of the world will be using a non specific (target all / target no one) question: " What is your Excuse? " The beauty of this statement is in it's general form: If you are A Non Veggie... What is your excuse for eating animals... If you are against war... What is your excuse to goto war... If you are an animal lover... What is your excuse to killing/harming animals If there are people out there that feel like I do and would like to join me in the quest of spreading the " What is your Excuse " tee-shirt... please respond. I price for each tee-shirt is not set yet, but all profits will go to TBD organization. What is you Excuse? Yaron ===== _________ All the best... Yaron Oren-Pines +1 (408) 832 0400 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2003 Report Share Posted March 16, 2003 I have read and re-read your message. Your message has been unclear. Who do you think has excuses, vegans or non-vegans? I am not sure your message on the t-shirt will be clear. In my experience, it has been vegans who have had excuses, but the way you have worded your message, I'm not sure what you are thinking. Marcy - " Yaron Oren-Pines " <yopines <SFBAVeg >; <SFLivingfoods > Saturday, March 15, 2003 3:14 PM [sFBAVeg] What is your Excuse? > Greetings Fellow Vegetarians, Vegans, and curious > minds... > > This e-mail is not intended to offend anyway. If you > want to respond please do. If you want to debate > please do. > > I was thinking about designing a new Tee-Shirt... > After all, the summer is almost here and WE the > community of Veg'ees, animal lovers, raw food eaters, > life loving people are trying to 'reach' to our fellow > beings in the world and ask " What is your Excuse? " > > The front of the Tee Shirt will have Large Fonts that > glow in the dark (any graphic designers out there?) > saying very clearly " What is your Excuse? " > > On the back of the tee-shirt are all the sponsers of > this question (Animal Rights groups, Anti War groups, > Green Peace, SF Bay Area Vegeterians, etc) > > And now to the point. > > I turned Vegan {aspiring to be a Raw Food Vegan} last > November. Being a newbie to this incredible and > fantastic lifestyle I am the new topic of discussion > amongst my friends and the topic around the table if > at home or when out to eat in town. Recently, a > curious mind asked me " Is it not hard to be Vegan? " > > The hardest thing about becoming Vegan (and/or > Vegeterian for that matter) is the response from the > people around me. After being a Non-Veg for so many > years the transition is a little hard, but a higher > cause leads us to the right ways (at least right in > our minds). > > WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE? > > For me turning Vegan is for Health Reasons. Not too > many question this excuse of mine except perhaps close > family and friends that wonder if I am ill. > > Thank G.. I am not ill, but I have seen lots of > illness around me. Next time you pass by the hospital > walk into the Cancer treatment center or into the > Heart department and you will know. > > But, what is your excuse? Every person has a story to > tell and a reason that drives the strive to live > better and longer. I have seen the debates on these > mailing lists, people giving reasoning to a teenager > on what to answer others that question his Veg life > style. Debates if Hitler was a Vegetarian (who in his > good mind would even care?), and others. > > We are good people because we choose to be so. Each > and every one of us has a choice. But why do we need > excuses? Are Veggies better people? > > A strong statement from US to the rest of the world > will be using a non specific (target all / target no > one) question: " What is your Excuse? " > > The beauty of this statement is in it's general form: > If you are A Non Veggie... What is your excuse for > eating animals... > If you are against war... What is your excuse to goto > war... > If you are an animal lover... What is your excuse to > killing/harming animals > > If there are people out there that feel like I do and > would like to join me in the quest of spreading the > " What is your Excuse " tee-shirt... please respond. > > I price for each tee-shirt is not set yet, but all > profits will go to TBD organization. > > What is you Excuse? > > Yaron ===== > > _________ > All the best... > Yaron Oren-Pines > > > +1 (408) 832 0400 (cell) > > > > > *3/22 Bay Area Letter Writing Day! http://www.generationv.org/events.htm#lwp > *More SFBAVeg Events: http://www.generationv.org/events.htm > *Vote for future event locations! SFBAVeg/polls > *Got Questions? We got answers! www.generationv.org/faq.htm > *SFBAVeg Charter: www.generationv.org/charter.htm > *FREE vegan info kit: http://www.veganoutreach.org/starterpack/free-vsp.html > *Online discussion forum with threaded messages > http://www.generationv.org/forum/ > *Be Active for Animals! See http://www.freedom4animals.org/events.html > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2003 Report Share Posted March 17, 2003 Greetings Yaron! First off, congratulations on your diet choice and your persistence with it. I wanted to chime in though about your t-shirt idea. A little background from my experience first... As a relatively new vegan myself (coming up on 8 months now), I've gone through a lot of stages in pride and advocacy. At first, I didn't want to make waves so I handled it quietly on a case by case basis: " sorry, I don't eat dairy " , " sorry, I don't eat meat " , " no cheese please " , etc. After becoming more educated, I especially blame John Robbins for this, I went through what my friends call a " militant vegan " phase spouting off every evil I knew (health, ethical, or otherwise) about the standard american diet while making veganism sound like the only right and holy way. This, as you can well imagine did not go over well. I'm finding, like with all things in life, people respond better when they aren't feeling on the defensive. I also find that most sensible people do not respond very well to zealotry. What has worked rather well for me is explaining to people on a situation by situation basis how veganism affects the food or lifestyle choices I make. Wording is very important. I used to say, " I can't eat that " and now I politely explain why " I won't eat that. " I don't have to go into factory farms, hormones, pesticides, heart disease, cancer, etc. The ones who are receptive to hearing about these things will usually ask me to explain " ethical reasons " or " health reasons " or they'll already have a few questions they've been itching to ask. I'll also do my fair share of myth busting as the protein or calcium questions come up frequently. What I've also found is that few people can make a large change overnight and they're even less likely to change the more radical or difficult the change may appear. My new take on advocacy is supporting whatever small change people are willing to make in their diet and providing them with the most factual answers I can about vegetarian and veganism. They either know or don't care about the emotional answers. Lots of people I've talked to have walked away thinking, " well, it's okay if I may never make it to vegan but maybe I could cut out a meat serving or three a week and replace white grains with whole grains, " and that alone is a positive step in the right direction in my book. Back to the t-shirt idea... From reading your post again, it sounds like you want a thought-provoking shirt. If you want something topical that doesn't offend, how about (and this may already exist so I apologize in advance if that is the case): " Want world peace? Go vegetarian. " Leave off specific organization affliations as every non-veg seems to have a favorite they are not fond of (Greenpeace and Peta come to mind.) Personally, my favorite t-shirt out there, and one of these days I'll buy it, is a simple black tee that says, " Vegan. " That's a conversation-starter/thought-provoker if I ever saw one. Just my overinflated 2 cents... Cheers, Matthew SFBAVeg , Yaron Oren-Pines <yopines@a...> wrote: > Greetings Fellow Vegetarians, Vegans, and curious > minds... > > This e-mail is not intended to offend anyway. If you > want to respond please do. If you want to debate > please do. > > I was thinking about designing a new Tee-Shirt... > After all, the summer is almost here and WE the > community of Veg'ees, animal lovers, raw food eaters, > life loving people are trying to 'reach' to our fellow > beings in the world and ask " What is your Excuse? " > > The front of the Tee Shirt will have Large Fonts that > glow in the dark (any graphic designers out there?) > saying very clearly " What is your Excuse? " > > On the back of the tee-shirt are all the sponsers of > this question (Animal Rights groups, Anti War groups, > Green Peace, SF Bay Area Vegeterians, etc) > > And now to the point. > > I turned Vegan {aspiring to be a Raw Food Vegan} last > November. Being a newbie to this incredible and > fantastic lifestyle I am the new topic of discussion > amongst my friends and the topic around the table if > at home or when out to eat in town. Recently, a > curious mind asked me " Is it not hard to be Vegan? " > > The hardest thing about becoming Vegan (and/or > Vegeterian for that matter) is the response from the > people around me. After being a Non-Veg for so many > years the transition is a little hard, but a higher > cause leads us to the right ways (at least right in > our minds). > > WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE? > > For me turning Vegan is for Health Reasons. Not too > many question this excuse of mine except perhaps close > family and friends that wonder if I am ill. > > Thank G.. I am not ill, but I have seen lots of > illness around me. Next time you pass by the hospital > walk into the Cancer treatment center or into the > Heart department and you will know. > > But, what is your excuse? Every person has a story to > tell and a reason that drives the strive to live > better and longer. I have seen the debates on these > mailing lists, people giving reasoning to a teenager > on what to answer others that question his Veg life > style. Debates if Hitler was a Vegetarian (who in his > good mind would even care?), and others. > > We are good people because we choose to be so. Each > and every one of us has a choice. But why do we need > excuses? Are Veggies better people? > > A strong statement from US to the rest of the world > will be using a non specific (target all / target no > one) question: " What is your Excuse? " > > The beauty of this statement is in it's general form: > If you are A Non Veggie... What is your excuse for > eating animals... > If you are against war... What is your excuse to goto > war... > If you are an animal lover... What is your excuse to > killing/harming animals > > If there are people out there that feel like I do and > would like to join me in the quest of spreading the > " What is your Excuse " tee-shirt... please respond. > > I price for each tee-shirt is not set yet, but all > profits will go to TBD organization. > > What is you Excuse? > > Yaron ===== > > _________ > All the best... > Yaron Oren-Pines > > > +1 (408) 832 0400 (cell) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2003 Report Share Posted March 17, 2003 I was confused by this message too, but on re-reading it I think that Yaron is using the word " excuse " to mean " reason " . jao SFBAVeg , " Marcy Greenhut " <imgreen@j...> wrote: > I have read and re-read your message. Your message has been unclear. Who > do you think has excuses, vegans or non-vegans? I am not sure your message > on the t-shirt will be clear. In my experience, it has been vegans who have > had excuses, but the way you have worded your message, I'm not sure what you > are thinking. > > Marcy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 17, 2003 Report Share Posted March 17, 2003 No, he gave examples near the end of his message which made it clear that he meant 'excuse' as in " rationalization of behavior you know deep down is wrong " . I believe he thought this would make people think about their actions more; I think it would only make people defensive. I admire his goal but think the campaign would be counterproductive. --Bruce > I was confused by this message too, but on re-reading it > I think that Yaron is using the word " excuse " to mean > " reason " . > > jao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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