i'm worried about my family.
i'm the only vegan and the only one who even seems to eat healthy, but my family doesn't at all.
over thanksgiving break, i think they've gained maybe 5-10 pounds in a week. :o
my mom and grandmother are already overweight. they've had leftovers every night and they saved room for pumpkin pie and ice cream.
my dad is getting really chubby, because he does not do karate as much.
yesterday, he eat 2 fish sandwhiches from mickey D's and then ate deviled eggs dipped in mayo. it was repulsive.
my brother is the perfect weight. he runs a lot, but still does not eat healthy.
i'm worried about them maybe getting heart disease or something.
even if it is the holidays.. they still eat horribly all the time. the list goes on... belive me.
i want to talk to them about it without hurting their feelings or offending them.
i don't want them to go vegan, i just wish they would cut back on so much butter and fat and sugar and all that yuckyness.
i know this will get a lot of negative feedback, but i'm going to express it anyway... sometimes when i read the comments on this subject, and others, i feel like i am on a born again missonary thread. i have seen the same tactics used and by people as "all mighty". lets face it, you all choose your lifestyle, which it seems on this board is the "best" lifestyle and others choose theirs. we all have places in our lifestyle that could use some or a lot of change. i know that my change isn't going to come from someone preaching to me about it. it comes from seeing humble people and being like, hmm, i wonder what they are doing that is making them more at peace with the world. ya know?
i know this will get a lot of negative feedback, but i'm going to express it anyway... sometimes when i read the comments on this subject, and others, i feel like i am on a born again missonary thread.
If so, all the better for us. Look at the success they've had in America lately!
Anyway, you yourself are still strategizing about the best way to convert people -- you just think a different approach works better. I'm not criticizing, because I think "vegangelism" is very worthwhile. People's choices ought to be respected, when it's a choice they have a right to make. But I don't respect someone's choice to beat their kids -- I think they ought to be stopped, forcibly if necessary. Similarly, I don't respect someone's choice to eat meat, because they have no right to do so. As the saying goes, your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose. Animals deserve respect too, and we cannot respect people's right to imprison, torture, rape and kill animals without completely failing in our duty to respect those animals.
All that being said, if sweetness and meekly nibbling vegan goodies in the corner until some omnivore notices and has a personal revelation is the most effective strategy to convert people, then fine, let's do that. It's not clear to me that it is the best strategy (it's not how I came to veganism, at any rate), but if it turns out to be, then I'm all for it. But I don't think we should lose sight of the fact that it's okay -- it's good -- it's our duty as members of our communities to try to stop our society's commission of these atrocities -- rather than shrug and say that, oh well, if our society wants to commit atrocities then it's not our place to stop them.
i know this will get a lot of negative feedback, but i'm going to express it anyway... sometimes when i read the comments on this subject, and others, i feel like i am on a born again missonary thread. i have seen the same tactics used and by people as "all mighty". lets face it, you all choose your lifestyle, which it seems on this board is the "best" lifestyle and others choose theirs. we all have places in our lifestyle that could use some or a lot of change. i know that my change isn't going to come from someone preaching to me about it. it comes from seeing humble people and being like, hmm, i wonder what they are doing that is making them more at peace with the world. ya know?
I hear you. I think a lot of this IS tact. Just because people shouldn't be hurt when we say things doesn't mean they won't be. How many threads on vegweb are about misguided but well-meaning family members trying to push us to eat meat or dairy because they think it's healthier for us? Obviously, we disagree, but that doesn't change the fact that they love us and mean well. It still pisses us off, offends us, and makes us stick to our guns all the more.
Let's avoid doing the same thing to them.
my approach if i decide to give them the china study would be to say something like: if you really want to understand this part of me and why i'm doing this instead of just rolling your eyes and poking fun because it's different than what you do then this book would help you to do that. also adding that it would really mean alot to me for them to understand my reasonings and intentions.
i know this will get a lot of negative feedback, but i'm going to express it anyway... sometimes when i read the comments on this subject, and others, i feel like i am on a born again missonary thread.
If so, all the better for us. Look at the success they've had in America lately!
Anyway, you yourself are still strategizing about the best way to convert people -- you just think a different approach works better. I'm not criticizing, because I think "vegangelism" is very worthwhile. People's choices ought to be respected, when it's a choice they have a right to make. But I don't respect someone's choice to beat their kids -- I think they ought to be stopped, forcibly if necessary. Similarly, I don't respect someone's choice to eat meat, because they have no right to do so. As the saying goes, your right to swing your fist ends at the tip of my nose. Animals deserve respect too, and we cannot respect people's right to imprison, torture, rape and kill animals without completely failing in our duty to respect those animals.
All that being said, if sweetness and meekly nibbling vegan goodies in the corner until some omnivore notices and has a personal revelation is the most effective strategy to convert people, then fine, let's do that. It's not clear to me that it is the best strategy (it's not how I came to veganism, at any rate), but if it turns out to be, then I'm all for it. But I don't think we should lose sight of the fact that it's okay -- it's good -- it's our duty as members of our communities to try to stop our society's commission of these atrocities -- rather than shrug and say that, oh well, if our society wants to commit atrocities then it's not our place to stop them.
Excellently and beautifully put.
i know this will get a lot of negative feedback, but i'm going to express it anyway... sometimes when i read the comments on this subject, and others, i feel like i am on a born again missonary thread. i have seen the same tactics used and by people as "all mighty". lets face it, you all choose your lifestyle, which it seems on this board is the "best" lifestyle and others choose theirs. we all have places in our lifestyle that could use some or a lot of change. i know that my change isn't going to come from someone preaching to me about it. it comes from seeing humble people and being like, hmm, i wonder what they are doing that is making them more at peace with the world. ya know?
No negative feedback here but we are human. We want our family healthy & happy & with us for as long as possible. I am sure that others push us to eat a S.A.D. because they feel veg*nism is unhealthy just like we push for the opposite.
i know this will get a lot of negative feedback, but i'm going to express it anyway... sometimes when i read the comments on this subject, and others, i feel like i am on a born again missonary thread. i have seen the same tactics used and by people as "all mighty". lets face it, you all choose your lifestyle, which it seems on this board is the "best" lifestyle and others choose theirs. we all have places in our lifestyle that could use some or a lot of change. i know that my change isn't going to come from someone preaching to me about it. it comes from seeing humble people and being like, hmm, i wonder what they are doing that is making them more at peace with the world. ya know?
No negative feedback here but we are human. We want our family healthy & happy & with us for as long as possible. I am sure that others push us to eat a S.A.D. because they feel veg*nism is unhealthy just like we push for the opposite.
i agree, I would just strive to keep my family healthy, whether it means that they eat meat or not. as long as I know that they will be around in the future. I guess if they are against being healthy, then you wont be able to do much. But I cant imagine older folks not caring about their health. I think going to the doctor or nutritionist would be a good idea. Its neutral and you dont have to tell them what to do, the expert will and that expert will be able to adapt suggestions to yours and their diet.
i know this will get a lot of negative feedback, but i'm going to express it anyway... sometimes when i read the comments on this subject, and others, i feel like i am on a born again missonary thread. i have seen the same tactics used and by people as "all mighty". lets face it, you all choose your lifestyle, which it seems on this board is the "best" lifestyle and others choose theirs. we all have places in our lifestyle that could use some or a lot of change. i know that my change isn't going to come from someone preaching to me about it. it comes from seeing humble people and being like, hmm, i wonder what they are doing that is making them more at peace with the world. ya know?
No negative feedback here but we are human. We want our family healthy & happy & with us for as long as possible. I am sure that others push us to eat a S.A.D. because they feel veg*nism is unhealthy just like we push for the opposite.
i agree, I would just strive to keep my family healthy, whether it means that they eat meat or not. as long as I know that they will be around in the future. I guess if they are against being healthy, then you wont be able to do much. But I cant imagine older folks not caring about their health. I think going to the doctor or nutritionist would be a good idea. Its neutral and you dont have to tell them what to do, the expert will and that expert will be able to adapt suggestions to yours and their diet.
Hmmm, I think older folks would care for their health more if only they knew how - if they had the right information - but nobody teaches/preaches the right information - doctors, food companies, many books, TV, etc. In the case of doctors, they're not really trying to cure people; they're trying to sell more drugs, keep clients/patients and stay in business. Food companies are trying to sell their products whether it's good for people or not, and whether it is or not, they try to convince that it is. ::) (Yup, I've just been reading The China Study, but it's not so much of a shock, izzit?...) Knowing that my Nana could perhaps, even at her age, cure her diabetes if she knew the right foods to eat... yet doesn't, 'cause she doesn't know it's possible, and it would be too upsetting to change... saddens me. :-\
Well said, Cephi!
We all start from zero. We don't get to choose our lifestyle on the day we are born, we have to learn, adapt and evolve. And because we aren't born with knowledge, many of the decisions we make that become our lifestyle are made with complete ignorance of the consequences. If it weren't for other people spreading their knowledge and helping us make more informed decisions, we would have to learn everything the hard way or never learn at all.
Yes, we do have to let people make their own decisions, but if we have knowledge that can help people make better decisions, we are helping them by sharing our knowledge. You might even say we have a social responsiblity to share our knowledge that an unhealthy diet is harmful to health, the environment, not to mention the lives of the animals we eat...
I'm glad someone put a book in my hands that explained to me the harmful effects of some foods and the healthy effects of others. I'm glad someone published a website that explained to me the practices of the meat industry and how choosing to consume meat impacts the environment. I don't feel like they twisted my arm and forced me to become vegan against my will, but rather I'm grateful I've been presented with this knowledge so I can now make better choices in forming my lifestyle. And unlike a religious convert, I don't believe things just because I'm told they are true; I put ideas to my own tests, keep the parts I agree with and filter out what I don't. That's how I choose my own lifestyle, and that's all I would expect of anyone.
Well said, Cephi!
We all start from zero. We don't get to choose our lifestyle on the day we are born, we have to learn, adapt and evolve. And because we aren't born with knowledge, many of the decisions we make that become our lifestyle are made with complete ignorance of the consequences. If it weren't for other people spreading their knowledge and helping us make more informed decisions, we would have to learn everything the hard way or never learn at all.
Well said, Cephi and boomerang! While I have been a vegetarian for practically my entire life, I was so ignorant of the atrocities associated meat, dairy, and eggs. I never would have gone vegan if it weren't for a casual conversation with a vegan friend in which he simply ran through a list of reasons why he was vegan. This prompted me to do some research on my own, and now I think vegan is the only way to be! I think so much of people's stubbornness to reject the S.A.D. is ignorance--ignorance of the cruelties of these industries and the havoc these foods wreak on our bodies. And ignorance of the incredible number of alternatives to foods they consider staple foods! My friends are astonished at how well I eat. Many of them didn't think a vegan diet could be tasty, varied, cheap, or easy to maintain.
Sometimes, merely showing conviction in adhering to a vegan diet makes others think, "Wow, there must be something to this, she's obviously put a lot of thought into this decision." Then who knows, maybe they'll at least google the word "vegan." I think it's so important to constantly be putting information out there. There are so many misconceptions about veganism.
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