Have you ever been called an extremist?

[kollision]

Has someone come across someone that said that they were an extremist because they were vegan? I know a lot of this is because we call them murderers (which is what they do, dunno why they will deny it or be offended), and for liberation groups such as ALF. If they do not like the ALF, then they should not like the Army (which is worse because the Army is mainly used for political reasons, and not liberation of people).

[veganmadre]

My mother calls me an extremist - and not because she knows absolutely anything about ALF or other groups simply because...."not eating dairy just is taking things too far..."

 

Not to hijack your thread, but anyone else get reactions like this from their family?

[kollision]

My mother calls me an extremist - and not because she knows absolutely anything about ALF or other groups simply because...."not eating dairy just is taking things too far..."

 

Not to hijack your thread, but anyone else get reactions like this from their family?

 

You aint hijacking my thread, its in the same subject.

 

BTW, how is that extreme at all? Was it more of a joke or was she serious?

 

If anything, I'd say her ideas are extreme because she is basically just sucking a cows nipple (no disrespect to your mom). Also how they have to suffer the rest of their life in cages where they can't move, get no sunlight, and are raped and have their offspring stolen from them to be put into the same situation they are.

[veganmadre]

I"m not joking! She has said those exact words to me!!!

 

I've pretty much learned to ignore their opinion, though it hurt at first. What boggles me, however, is that my mom and sister "cringe" when they see roadkill and get all sad eyes! What the hell?? I mean, jesus! Road kill is horrible. Absolutely - What about the burger you just ate? I know that if they would really think about it, they would easily become vegetarian...but, they repress their thoughts so that they can "fit in to the nice little white girl box tied with an acceptance bow!" gag me

[kollision]

I"m not joking! She has said those exact words to me!!!

 

I've pretty much learned to ignore their opinion, though it hurt at first. What boggles me, however, is that my mom and sister "cringe" when they see roadkill and get all sad eyes! What the hell?? I mean, jesus! Road kill is horrible. Absolutely - What about the burger you just ate? I know that if they would really think about it, they would easily become vegetarian...but, they repress their thoughts so that they can "fit in to the nice little white girl box tied with an acceptance bow!" gag me

 

Nicely said.

 

As for that road kill thing, I think that there is a level of appreciation with mundane people.

 

Seeing it in front of them is different from just knowing about it. If they actually saw the slaughter and the life of the animals in front of them, and they didn't grow up seeing it, then I think that would shock them a lot. Which goes back to the road kill, which is right in front of them and they can see it.

 

Road kill such as squrrels is held into a higher regard than "little ol' cows". This is where the level of appreciation come in. Whats more prevalent in the level of appreciation is the humans self entitled superiority and ruler of this world.

[Richard]

People frequently call me extreme. I tend to think that they do this to feel more seccure about themselves. They see someone behaving in a more considerate way than themselves, and instead of thinking 'Hey I should really be doing that', they instead think 'Well he's extreme, I don't need to do that'.

[veganmadre]

instead of thinking 'Hey I should really be doing that', they instead think 'Well he's extreme, I don't need to do that'.

 

I agree.

[kollision]

People frequently call me extreme. I tend to think that they do this to feel more seccure about themselves. They see someone behaving in a more considerate way than themselves, and instead of thinking 'Hey I should really be doing that', they instead think 'Well he's extreme, I don't need to do that'.

 

Exactly, and they have the nerve to call terrorists extreme.

[lelle]

most people i meet call veganism extreme although they do not even know what veganism is in most cases. "you will get sick" "i would not know what to eat" "what do you eat at all" "you need meat and milk"

 

it really sucks hearing all that stupid stuff over and over again

[Daywalker]

Yes, i've been called extreme. Extreme, radical, fanatic - even asshole (yes, only because i'm vegan, for no other reason, by a stranger).

 

And i agree - i AM radical. Radical means to go to the roots, to be uncompromising, to take the evil BY the roots.

 

Extreme - that depends on where you're standing. Extreme is what is on the opposite side of where you're standing, so i guess compared to average meat-eating persons i am extreme

I like that

[Crash]

My mother calls me an extremist - simply because...."not eating dairy just is taking things too far..."

... anyone else get reactions like this from their family?

God yes ! (Though my family has gotten better.) I believe I am the only existing vegan greek (hopefully I'm wrong).

[kuramus]

My mother calls me an extremist - and not because she knows absolutely anything about ALF or other groups simply because...."not eating dairy just is taking things too far..."

 

Not to hijack your thread, but anyone else get reactions like this from their family?

I don't mean to be a digger, but this is a good topic, glad i found it.

 

Given that I am one of the maximum 10 (guess there might be someone more than just me) vegans in Estonia, I've had more than my fair share of these kind of reactions.

 

When i say I don't eat meat, the first reaction is acting like I was ill with something serious. Questions like "do you have some allergies" and "one needs meat to survive" are not rare. Then it is like "you do eat fish and chicken, right?". When i say no, they ask if there is something wrong with me. So i try to avoid revealing my eating habits, unless necessary.

 

Most people think it is just "a plea for attention", like one of my relatives, who since finding out i was a vegetarian, tries to avoid me. Okay, without eating just meat, i could manage with the posionous comments. But since i decided to go vegan, it is totally out of control. My grandma truly believes that i have anorexia because i wont eat animal products. A very close relative also suggested I should see a psychiatrist. Some people have found it necessary to call me a girl, beacause a "man" eats "meat, preferrably raw and in huge amounts". Sorry I don't classify as a man, and everyone on this site also. :/

Everybody that know about my being vegan think it is not normal.

 

I'm kind of getting sick of justifying myself because i have nothing to justify! It is the meat-eaters that need to justify their murderous behaviour (which can't be justified)!

[Kathryn]

I was talking to another professor once (we had a tentative date set) and he mentioned going out to eat. I said I was a vegan, and he replied that my then department chair had mentioned that I was a "radical" vegan or something to that effect (it was a few years ago). I didn't ask if the "radical" came from the dept chair's description, or from the faculty member, but I have a feeling that whoever used it would use it to describe anyone who was vegan (as if the concept of 'vegan' itself is a radical idea).

 

(We never went on that date, for reasons other than this!)

[Kathryn]

BTW, how is that extreme at all? Was it more of a joke or was she serious?

 

I think quite a few non-vegans feel that way.

No, it doesn't make sense (more 'extreme' is eating a diet that causes you to have to go through bypass surgery, or eating animals' internal organs, but 'they' don't see it that way).

[Kathryn]

They see someone behaving in a more considerate way than themselves, and instead of thinking 'Hey I should really be doing that', they instead think 'Well he's extreme, I don't need to do that'.

 

I also find that some people seem to feel the need to reinforce what they are doing, so they can still see it as 'normal.' We used to have a secretary who always seemed to bring up some meaty, bacony recipe talk at lunchtime (I never imposed my ideas on her, nor do I talk about veganism at lunch--unless I'm with supportive people who bring it up in a non-confrontative way, like a couple of colleagues now do). It's almost like the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' she got from other omni's reinforced both her and their food behaviors, and made mine seem like something abnormal.

[VegaNick]

Since it is natural and the way our bodies are designed to be Vegan, I would say that meat eaters are "survival" extremists. Maybe shitheads ate meat to survive hundreds of years ago, but in this day and time, only an extremist would eat meat or dairy.

[joelbct]

I hate how the government and media try to lump vegans and animal rights activists in with terrorists, what a bunch of propagandist Bull****!!

 

The people who called for an end to slavery were no doubt labeled similar terms at the time.

 

-Joel

[Guest]

The most common instance of me being called an extremist is by "vegetarians" that eat fish...maybe they are just liberal vegans...the same way I'm a left wing republican

[escapee]

One of my uncles claimed passionately that i'm going to destroy my digestive system by being a vegan.

[Kathryn]

One of my uncles claimed passionately that i'm going to destroy my digestive system by being a vegan.

 

 

Yeah, 'cuz, as anyone should know, our digestive systems were not made to digest plants, but to digest processed foods, double bacon cheeseburgers, and artificially flavored and colored beverages.

[loveliberate]

I hate how the government and media try to lump vegans and animal rights activists in with terrorists, what a bunch of propagandist Bull****!!

 

The people who called for an end to slavery were no doubt labeled similar terms at the time.

 

-Joel

 

Agreed. On the other hand, perhaps this blatant government "extremism" will cause more folks to take a critical look at other government definitions and actions, as well as have a more open mind about other groups being targetted by the government.

[loveliberate]

While it's not too bad in the circles we travel in here in Portland, my family has recieved the harshest negative responses to our choice to have vegan children... Some"extremist" comments have included that we are abusing our children and/or permanently damaging them by having a vegan diet through pregnancy, etc. Sadly, I've even seen and heard of some vegans that buy into this crap and start eating animal products during pregnancy and/or feed their kids animal products.

[Guest]

Nobody in my family said anything about my diet until my cousin found out...she's a bone surgeon and finished med school very very young so my family trusted her and bugged me for a bit until the saw how much healthier I was...she's still waiting for me to die from my diet though

[MontanaVegan]

Nobody in my family said anything about my diet until my cousin found out...she's a bone surgeon and finished med school very very young so my family trusted her and bugged me for a bit until the saw how much healthier I was...she's still waiting for me to die from my diet though

The lack of knowledge of our health by our health care providers is scarey.

Most people think that just because they are doctors, they are experts.

The truth is only a small percentage of doctors know more than the average person.

What nutritional classes did your cousin take in school?

I'll bet she believes that milk builds strong bones.

[Guest]

She does think that of milk which is sad since bones are her expertise...she's quite a good surgeon but I haven't talked to her for a while...I think I may wait until I'm a pro cyclist for the next time we meet...hopefully she won't see me after my bones are broken after a wreck I'm not too sure what nutrition classes she's taken but in all reality most nutritionists with PhDs think the same way and they have obviously taken nutrition classes...I think its far more cultural than educational...just like the old idea that any physical stress on a woman's body whatsoever would hurt her ability to have healthy children or children at all...luckily milk/meat is even more unhealthy than it used to be so I'm hoping the consequences of its consumption hurt people even more in the next twenty years...it sounds bad but it will surely help society in future generations