Spazzing out about Yoghurt & My eating sushi story

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone!

 

I've been catching up on all the e-mails and I started thinking about this whole

Jane Godall - yoghurt ad thing. Don't mind my train of thoughts, they wander all

over the place, but I will try to stay on track.

 

So, regarding her decision to advertise for a yoghurt company, it sure is

disappointing, eh? It is a shame that she feels the need to do the ad thing and

endorse a non vegan product, but really, does that mean we need to dis her and

dismiss what she does contribute?

 

She has done more for animals than alot of us have ever done, and maybe she

needs to be informed. To say that " Any person who endorses " dairy " is not to be

trusted in the vegan community " is a pretty harsh.

To me it seems really hard lined and dogmatic.

 

Honestly, I think that we all need to unite on the issues and inform the

uninformed. I think if she knew (what goes into the production), she may very

well feel differently about it...

 

If people have an honest desire to help prevent the cruelty to animals and live

a peaceful lifestyle, veganism will ring true to them once they are informed of

the situations (such as with the dairy industry).

 

I do have vegetarian friends who still eat dairy, and I dont get it. I also know

a woman who has a vegan diet but isnt a vegan because she eats yoghurt. I don't

get that either, but really, its not my life, its not for me to judge, but

perhaps I can mention a few things here and there, without judgement, if they

want to know.

 

They do alot environmentally, and contribute in alot of other ways. Some of my

meat eating friends are even more active doing 'green work " than my vegan

friends.

 

I have one friend who fights hunting laws, want to stop slaughterhouse abuses

and wants more regulations regarding meat productions...and he eats meat. He is

against fur, pro-organic, pro-cycling (anti pollution) and I found out he

campaigns for Greenpeace too!

 

He jokes that he might go vegetarian but is not ready (yet). I assumed he was a

vegetarian because of his actions and was surprised when he wasn't. He admited

that he was being lazy and he seemed to be a little ashamed. What he needs is

time, not me shutting him out of my " community " .

 

Should I dismiss his contributions and knowledge because of his cowardly dietary

habits and ignorance? I dont think so. I think that after a few conversations

and giving him some slack and inviting him into my " vegan community " he and my

vegetarian friends may understand. Eventually.

 

I think that we vegans can alienanate others and if we go too far with the

preaching and judging.

 

I feel strongly about saying something about this only because I learned my own

lesson, when a vegetarian friend really got upset with me and finally told me

that all my preaching and " information " was really just annoying and alienating

people. She confronted me and eplained that I was making people very

uncomfortable (good! I thought!) but also closing their minds to what veganism

is.

 

My judgmental attitude turned people off of even finding out about the reasons

behind my diet, and unfortunately those people are not about to ask me now.

 

She gave me specific examples of things that I had said (well meaning things at

the time) to people that came across as rude, judgemental and dogmatic.

 

Finally I saw what she meant...

 

Its like that annoying smoker that quits smoking and then drives all his / her

friends crazy by setting out to make everyone quit like by going on and on about

the tobacco industry, their health, etc.

 

As for people who contribute to saving animals but may just be vegetarian or eat

honey or may not throw their leather away, (or eat yoghurt) give me a break!

 

What are we the vegan police?

 

To calm myself from spazzing out on the idiocy of others, I try to think about

when I first eliminated meat, and then dairy and fianlly all animal products

from my diet ( & life)...

 

It was a shock at how they are everywhere and how it’s almost impossible to keep

up PERFECTION.

 

This is a good thing to remember when others are less than perfect. Think of how

often we ate things that we knew hurt someone. (Think of the last time you ate

an animal product) It takes a while to break the denial.

 

I find that we need to all stick together, and inform each other gently of the

issues without anger or impatience or intolerance and remember that we are all

on the same side of the fence!

 

Thanks to my friends I don't eat sushi anymore. I was calling myself a vegan and

still eating sashimi for a while!!!!

 

Thats so ridiculous, but I didnt think it counted and veganism was new to me. It

was not until my friends gave me some info about the fishing industry that a

light went on...It took me a few more sushi lunches before I finally realised

they were right.

 

Its not like Jane has taken up hunting with Ted Nugent! Let's keep it in

perspective and try to not overeact.

 

Anyhew, theres my own vegan policing and my 2 cents.

 

Peace,

Bliss.

 

...It aint easy being green...

--

 

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