Vegans: What is so terrible about you being referred to as vegetarians?!
Vegans: What is so terrible about you being referred to as vegetarians?
Most of you are aware of my posts lately. It's clear that "vegans" here are arguing that they are "vegan" while not living up to vegan standards.
You would be doing the same things you do and your beliefs would be unchanged and unchallenged as well. The only difference is you would be known as a vegetarian and not a vegan. Why is that so awful? Additional Details
2 days ago
yowhatsup---there are no true vegans here in V & V. They are vegetarians that want to be called vegans.
2 days ago
traut---by trollish you must mean you disagree with my message and your assumption about my motivation is incorrect as well.
I understand your point about the vegan designation as far as diet alone goes. But the designation is not necessary here in V & V.
2 days ago
bel---so the only reason a person that's not a vegan, calls themselves a vegan, is for marketing clarity?
2 days ago
yowhatsup---"I think it comes down to, who likes a liar?"
Indeed.
1 day ago
tart---"to validate its habits"--I'm unsure of what you're getting at. Are you under the impression I feel guilty about being a meat eater? You couldn't be further from the truth. I'm quite secure.
1 day ago
sammy---I don't know. It's obvious that if products are going to be marketed as "vegan" so that people can tell the vegetarian products from the stricter vegetarian products, the word "vegan" actually has a practical application even if it is used erroneously. Not that I personally will refer to anybody here as a vegan but unfortunately it's a well established misconception in the world that can't be corrected now.
1 day ago
tart---Shouldn't you be following the definition of the person who invented veganism not some knockoff vegan-lite definition?
You know they changed the definition so it would be easier to get more members don't you? It's like lowering the school standards so the dumb kids can pass.
1 day ago
michael h---for not being an answer it's one of your better ones.
13 hours ago
sammy--I'm not picking on anybody. Geez some of you people are soft. I've just been pointing out that the vegans here aren't vegans. If it's just a word why is everybody getting upset when I say it? Because it's more than a word, it's a status symbol.
Keep up the good vege work Sammy!
13 hours ago
krister---the vegans should all move together and share their vegan resources. Less excuses, more veganism.
Answers: 2 days ago
yowhatsup---there are no true vegans here in V & V. They are vegetarians that want to be called vegans.2 days ago
traut---by trollish you must mean you disagree with my message and your assumption about my motivation is incorrect as well.
I understand your point about the vegan designation as far as diet alone goes. But the designation is not necessary here in V & V.2 days ago
bel---so the only reason a person that's not a vegan, calls themselves a vegan, is for marketing clarity?2 days ago
yowhatsup---"I think it comes down to, who likes a liar?"
Indeed.1 day ago
tart---"to validate its habits"--I'm unsure of what you're getting at. Are you under the impression I feel guilty about being a meat eater? You couldn't be further from the truth. I'm quite secure.1 day ago
sammy---I don't know. It's obvious that if products are going to be marketed as "vegan" so that people can tell the vegetarian products from the stricter vegetarian products, the word "vegan" actually has a practical application even if it is used erroneously. Not that I personally will refer to anybody here as a vegan but unfortunately it's a well established misconception in the world that can't be corrected now.1 day ago
tart---Shouldn't you be following the definition of the person who invented veganism not some knockoff vegan-lite definition?
You know they changed the definition so it would be easier to get more members don't you? It's like lowering the school standards so the dumb kids can pass.1 day ago
michael h---for not being an answer it's one of your better ones.13 hours ago
sammy--I'm not picking on anybody. Geez some of you people are soft. I've just been pointing out that the vegans here aren't vegans. If it's just a word why is everybody getting upset when I say it? Because it's more than a word, it's a status symbol.
Keep up the good vege work Sammy!13 hours ago
krister---the vegans should all move together and share their vegan resources. Less excuses, more veganism. as a vegetarian wishing I could be totally vegan and working on it...I would guess that the true vegans, work very hard at maintaining their lifestyle choice.
No animal products in anything you eat, wear, use etc. Is a very time consuming way to live. Lots of research, specialty shops etc. At least until they have a thorough knowledge and base of supplies, wear to shop etc.
It bugs me when people say they are vegetarian and eat fish/seafood. Or that they are vegan and use animal products. I think it comes down to, who likes a liar? Don't you know? "Vegans" are superior to any other life form. They will save the world. How dare they be confused with mere mortal "vegetarians". They are the gods that rule all veggie heads.
Shame on you for suggesting such a thing! First of all, anyone who has seen your recent posts knows that they are all typical trollish barbs designed to get a rise out of people. That being said, if we didn't use the word vegan, it wouldn't be "awful" simply because we want to have that title, it really does make a difference. If I'm going to a restaurant or a friend's house to eat or shopping for shoes, it's a lot faster to say, "I'm vegan" than to say "I'm a vegetarian who also does not eat eggs, dairy, gelatin, confectioner's glaze, honey, and who doesn't wear fur, leather, wool, suede...." etc. It just doesn't make sense. Sometimes, it does help to categorize people, it's not always just to have some sort of a label. It's not awful, I don't do it for the label. I wouldn't care if they changed the word for someone who lives my kind of lifestyle. But, I need a way of describing what I do to others when it comes to eating out, shopping, coming over for dinner, christmas/birthday presents, pretty much most things, really. If I said 'I'm a vegetarian' people would presume I eat eggs/milk/honey (possibly even fish or chicken!) they might buy me bubble bath I can't use for christmas or a box of chocolates, they might take me shopping for a 'girls day out' to places selling leather/cashmere/silk or cosmetics stores selling non-vegan stuff - without realising I'm totally left out and can't even consider buying any of it. I could say 'I'm a vegetarian who doesn't blah, blah, blah,blah, blah, blah, etc, etc, etc...' and basically become a long-winded bore. But it's far easier to say 'I'm vegan.' That's it. 2 words and most people know I don't eat, wear or generally use anything that is connected to exploiting animals (yeah, yeah - as far as practically possible rather than totally.) I wouldn't care if it was a different word to 'vegan', but 'vegetarian' means an entirely different thing than what I am to most people.
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I wasn't being disrespectful to vegetarians - if I say I'm vegetarian when eating with a non- veggie I'm nearly always asked if fish or chicken is ok. I have heard of a lot of 'vegetarians' who eat fish and chicken, although I wouldn't think that was the right term for that diet.
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I agree with Krister. I couldn't remeber the word for it but have been reminded now - Jainism. That is what you are trying to say is veganism and its not. Jainists try to avoid breathing in microbes! Veganism is not Jainism. I'm a "vegan" and not a "vegetarian" because I simply refuse to eat the silverfish en cro?te! OK! I am not sure why there has to be so many different labels. However, I do think that there may be this persona that if I identify myself as a vean then I appear to be more superior then vegetarians, meat eaters, ect. I think that if a person can sacrifice everything they do in order to make the world a better place then my hat is off to them, but if they aer not doing everything they can do and preach about how wrong the rest of us are then they are hypocrits. We had a girl yesterday who said she was a vegan but wore leather shoes and belts. Doesn't make any sense. I entirely beleive that is a person who is "vegan" because her friends are and it is seen as being a trendy thing and she will grow out of it in a few years.
I think the ones who puzzle me the most are the vegans who still work in the animal industry. I realize that we have to have jobs, but if you are totally writing of everything else in the name to save animals how are you able to still work in the industries? Just curious. I don't know why vegans in the answers above say that if they called themselves vegetarians they might be confused for people who eat Gelatine, fish and chicken.
Thats just disrespectful to vegetarians, it really does come across as "we're the TRUE ethical people and YOU vegetarians still eat meat". Not nice really and not doing the reputation any favours.
Why would they assume people think vegetarians eat meat or slaughter by-products ?
Not really an answer, i know. It wouldn't be awful.
But...
why would I call myself a vegetarian if I am a vegan?
:) People that move out to the middle of nowhere in isolation just so that they can live a "pure vegan" lifestyle are not vegan.
They are selfish sociopaths or poser-Jains at best.
They had the opportunity to live a life as cruelty free as they could among people that didn't understand why they did it and they threw away the possibility of making new friends that may have taken a serious look at the way that they choose to live.
People need to see that a vegan diet can be perfectly healthy.
Those that abandon their communities for personal purity are hypocrites and have deserted their obligations to show those around them what is possible and likely when one does their best to live as cruelty free as is possible in the current state of civilization.
You may want to get in contact with The Vegan Society, the creators of the word "vegan", and let them know that they have been spreading the wrong definition since 1944. It is not about being "100% pure" it is about living as an advocate for those with no voice. If you isolate yourself from society, you have castrated your own influence over those that you live and work with
http://www.vegansociety.com/phpws/index....
You seem to have veganism confused with Jainism, one of the world's oldest religions and arguably the most extreme. The only way to escape the cycle of karma and reincarnation is to lay idle and starve to death. Helping or harming anything or anyone creates karma. Karma weighs down the soul whether it is good or bad, so helping people prevents your soul from achieving it's highest level.
Jainism is about "purity" and veganism isn't. Veganism is about outreach, which is the opposite of what you repeatedly say that it is.
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You refuse to accept the definition of veganism and I have accepted that. I do not post answers for you but for the other users that read your nonsense. what do you hope to achieve here?
why are you picking on us, man (bird)? i think krister said it all Because a vegetarian eats eggs, dairy, honey, and does not necessarily refrain from wearing leather or wool. I avoid all those things.
Vegetarianism is a diet while veganism is a lifestyle. I am not going to change my languge to please a meat-eating troll who wants to invalidate our choices to validate its habits. I will follow the definitions of the Vegan Society and those who formed it.
Thank you and good night.