No Such Thing as a Vegan

Night_Sprite

I just saw this chart on Gizmodo.  It's pretty amazing. http://gizmodo.com/5672560/there-is-no-escape-from-cows

SarahPLiz

I didn't know they used cow bone for sugar. That's interesting. I prefer pure cane sugar, though. 

At least we don't let any of it got to waste, right? 

JenGin74

There's cow fat in explosives! Sweeet.

neelynicole

Wow. I never knew how many things were made from cow parts.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Yup. Also, some beer and wine (like Guiness) isn't vegan, because they use isinglass to clarify it, which is basically fish bladder. OMGWTF. (But these are things most vegans know - especially the crazy ones who won't leave their houses or buy food from non-vegan producers.)

Sane vegans (the few there are, and even then I'm not 100% sure) concede that your life can't be 100% animal free, you just do the best you can. You can't own a computer or a bike that wasn't made with some kind of animal part, or resulted in the killing of animals (like during the rubber-making process). Hell, even petroleum is made from dead dinosaurs and crap.

KaylaSue19

We have a farm at our zoo that is sponsored by Hormel. That weirds me out.

There are also fake cows, pigs etc that have clear plastic where their stomaches are and it shows all the products that come from that animals parts. I avoid looking at all costs.

I like to remain as ignorant as possible even though I know so many things come from animals.

Edit- I am in no way shape or form a vegetarian though. I enjoy meat way too much.

Lenore2010

My H persists in calling himself "vegan' even though he eats eggs and uses some small amount of cream in his coffee-I think this is funny and correct him on it. He also wears leather, etc. Not to mention he eats stuff like cake made with milk. He follows his diet for health, not moral reasons.

A lot of older vegetarians use the term "vegan" to mean they do not eat meat or MOST/any dairy. Younger vegans use the term in it's most purist and correct sense that they do not eat or use meat or animal products - at least knowingly or voluntarily.

While I think some of the goals of vegans are noble ones, i think even from a health point of view it is questionable. Even "vegans" like my H eat handfuls of supplements each day because they have no other source of B vitamins, calcium is hard to come by, and a whole list of other things these diets are lacking in unusually.

i was a vegi (not vegan) for three years and quit when I got anemic and iron tabs were killing my stomach.  Added a little meat to the diet-no more anemia. A vegan friend got severely B12 deficient, to the point of needing hospitalization and shots for months-but she is still vegan just with supplements. I am sure all of this could have been avoided with the right supplements and diet to begin with, but wow it sure is easier to eat some meat and diary. No insult to the vegi/vegans on the boards, just my thoughts.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Lenore, I've found the opposite. In that older people use the word "vegetarian" to mean strict vegetarian, i.e. vegan. (Well, there's a difference between strick vegetarian - not eating eggs or dairy - and the vegan lifestyle, which also doesn't use animal products, like wool, leather, silk, etc.) In fact, I think the word vegan came around in the 1940s when people started using vegetarian to mean non meat-eating.

Steph0871

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_such-thing-vegan?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:5840ebae-967c-4961-8f91-79afda46f2d5Post:2f761d6f-9095-4caf-925f-3d960983e12e">Re: No Such Thing as a Vegan</a>:
[QUOTE]We have a farm at our zoo that is sponsored by Hormel. That weirds me out. There are also fake cows, pigs etc that have clear plastic where their stomaches are and it shows all the products that come from that animals parts. I avoid looking at all costs. I like to remain as ignorant as possible even though I know so many things come from animals. Edit- I am in no way shape or form a vegetarian though. I enjoy meat way too much.
Posted by KaylaSue19[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>My dad manages a meat processing plant, that works with Hormel.  Nothing surprises me anymore.  But ditto whoever above said it's good we're at least not wasting parts.  At my dad's work, even the ears and stuff are saved and made into dog treats.

</div>

jemmini6

I'll just throw it out there that I don't understand vegans and even vegetarians to an extent.  Mostly the ones who think it's "wrong" and "cruel" to kill animials for food.  It's all in our biology people...if we weren't meant to eat meat, we wouldn't have the teeth we do, or need the vitamins and minerals it plentifully provides.  Even wearing leather...if we didn't need to rely on animals for clothing, God would have given us fur like every other animal (this is of course referring to early humans, etc who wouldn't have had clothes otherwise) I still respect peoples choices, but I don't necessarily understand some of the arguements behind it.  This just goes to show, we rely on animals for a lot more than just food too.

KaylaSue19

My 7th grade teacher was obsessed with Spam. He brought a bunch in the last day of school along with a griddle and was cooking it all day. I tried it, reluctantly, it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be.

We like Como too. We started getting MN Zoo's membership when DS was born. We go almost once a week so it was worth it. Otherwise, I agree, that place is so expensive.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_such-thing-vegan?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:5840ebae-967c-4961-8f91-79afda46f2d5Post:bc06520d-b6ab-43bf-8e3d-5437670ec239">Re: No Such Thing as a Vegan</a>:
[QUOTE]I'll just throw it out there that I don't understand vegans and even vegetarians to an extent.  Mostly the ones who think it's "wrong" and "cruel" to kill animials for food.  It's all in our biology people...if we weren't meant to eat meat, we wouldn't have the teeth we do, or need the vitamins and minerals it plentifully provides.  Even wearing leather...if we didn't need to rely on animals for clothing, God would have given us fur like every other animal (this is of course referring to early humans, etc who wouldn't have had clothes otherwise) I still respect peoples choices, but I don't necessarily understand some of the arguements behind it.  This just goes to show, we rely on animals for a lot more than just food too.
Posted by jemmini6[/QUOTE]

It's more than an evolutionary argument. It's the fact that we, as humans, are the only animals who have free choice.

Now, if we weren't able to survive without meat, that would be a different story.

reddy123

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_such-thing-vegan?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:5840ebae-967c-4961-8f91-79afda46f2d5Post:bc06520d-b6ab-43bf-8e3d-5437670ec239">Re: No Such Thing as a Vegan</a>:
[QUOTE]I'll just throw it out there that I don't understand vegans and even vegetarians to an extent.  Mostly the ones who think it's "wrong" and "cruel" to kill animials for food.  It's all in our biology people...if we weren't meant to eat meat, we wouldn't have the teeth we do, or need the vitamins and minerals it plentifully provides.  Even wearing leather...if we didn't need to rely on animals for clothing, God would have given us fur like every other animal (this is of course referring to early humans, etc who wouldn't have had clothes otherwise) I still respect peoples choices, but I don't necessarily understand some of the arguements behind it.  This just goes to show, we rely on animals for a lot more than just food too.
Posted by jemmini6[/QUOTE]

<div>I don't deny that we are biologically meant to eat meat or that my ancestors wouldn't have survived without it, but that doesn't stop me from having the free will to not eat it. Also, some environmentalists would argue we have evolved to the point of having to cut back on meat (over population + meat farming waste).</div><div>
</div><div>I am someone who chooses to cut back on meat for religious purposes (Buddhist). Also, Fast Food Nation helped speed that train along. I still eat it once in a while and have looked into extensively how to purchase clothing that doesn't harm animals (nearly impossible, might have to start weaving it Ghandi style, lol). I am hardly perfect, but it's like OWN said, I do my best and feel good about it.</div>

jemmini6

msmerymac & reddy:  I meant that I don't understand that particular arguement against eating meat.  I've heard a few people say that it's wrong and "against God's will" (one in particular in which that was her exact arguement) which clearly it isn't for biological reasons.  However, I understand many of the other reasons behind it and the fact that it may be just pure choice with no need for a reason.

I agree with the Fast Food Nation thing too, I still like eating my fair share of meat, but definitely not from fast food places.

kpwedkk

Looking @ the article, there's still a way to run away from the cow products - there are companies who's products are rather expensive, but don't utilize those products edible or wearable - from the cow.

I agree though, how do your run away from a computer, because that was made from cows too...

SineadHickey

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_such-thing-vegan?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:17Discussion:5840ebae-967c-4961-8f91-79afda46f2d5Post:ecead754-8973-4cc6-a1c9-8cbe59000b0d">Re: No Such Thing as a Vegan</a>:
[QUOTE]msmerymac & reddy:  I meant that I don't understand that particular arguement against eating meat.  I've heard a few people say that it's wrong and "against God's will" (one in particular in which that was her exact arguement) which clearly it isn't for biological reasons.  However, I understand many of the other reasons behind it and the fact that it may be just pure choice with no need for a reason. I agree with the Fast Food Nation thing too, I still like eating my fair share of meat, but definitely not from fast food places.
Posted by jemmini6[/QUOTE]

I get that you don't agree with the argument, but how do you not understand it? I think it's wrong to kill animals. That's pretty plain and simple. I value their life and I feel I have no right to take it considering I can perfectly sustain myself food and clothing wise without animal products.

klynette84

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_such-thing-vegan?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:5840ebae-967c-4961-8f91-79afda46f2d5Post:bc06520d-b6ab-43bf-8e3d-5437670ec239">Re: No Such Thing as a Vegan</a>:
[QUOTE]I'll just throw it out there that I don't understand vegans and even vegetarians to an extent.  Mostly the ones who think it's "wrong" and "cruel" to kill animials for food.  It's all in our biology people...if we weren't meant to eat meat, we wouldn't have the teeth we do, or need the vitamins and minerals it plentifully provides.  Even wearing leather...if we didn't need to rely on animals for clothing, God would have given us fur like every other animal (this is of course referring to early humans, etc who wouldn't have had clothes otherwise) I still respect peoples choices, but I don't necessarily understand some of the arguements behind it.  This just goes to show, we rely on animals for a lot more than just food too.
Posted by jemmini6[/QUOTE]

I believe it's wrong and cruel to kill animals for food, especially how the animals are killed. Most people believe it to be an easy, painless thing, but if you've ever seen Earthlings or read Eating Animals, you'd know that it's not.

As for the tooth argument, you're actually wrong. Plant matter is hard to digest, which is why our mouths consist of so many premolars and molars. We only have 4 teeth for ripping/tearing meat.