Why People Hate Vegans

      224 Comments on Why People Hate Vegans

I’ll start by commenting on the title of this post:  I don’t hate vegans.  The title comes from a headline over a letter posted on another web site.  We’ll come back to that.

I don’t even dislike most vegans.  I suspect most of them are nice people who choose that lifestyle for whatever reason and don’t concern themselves with what other people decide to eat.  Some years ago, Chareva and I went out for breakfast and ran into an actress I knew and her live-in boyfriend.  We decided to get a table for four.   I knew from previous conversations that the actress was a vegan … so imagine my surprise when her boyfriend ordered bacon and eggs.

“Uh … you eat meat?” I asked.

“Yeah, I eat meat.  Why?”

“Oh, I see what you’re asking,” the actress chimed in.  “I’m a vegan.  He’s not.”

Since these two had lived together for a long time and owned a house together, I’m pretty sure she didn’t follow him around accusing him of being a murderer or predicting his demise from all kinds of meat-induced health disasters.  She was a vegan, but clearly not a zealot.  It’s the zealots I can’t stand.

Vegan zealots are the dietary equivalent of religious zealots who show up at your door uninvited and try to convert you, warning you of hell to come if you don’t listen.  They can’t just happily keep to themselves, because they’re convinced the heathens must be saved.  I posted the follow-up section of Fat Head on YouTube last week, and sure enough (as I would have predicted), we’ve now got what the Older Brother refers to as a vegetrollian showing up to preach.

I believe low-carb and/or paleo diets can help people overcome all kinds of health problems.  That’s why I produced Fat Head. That’s why I write blog posts.  I’m happy to provide as much information as I can for anyone who comes here looking for answers – and lots of people have found answers here, judging by the comments and emails I receive.

But in spite of their successes (not to mention mine), I don’t believe everyone has to go on a low-carb diet, I don’t deny that people can become lean and healthy on other kinds of diets, and I sure as heck don’t go trolling vegetarian blogs and web sites trying to convert them and predicting their physical demise if they don’t listen to me.  I’m an advocate, not a zealot.

After some vegan zealots physically attacked Lierre Keith a few years ago, I wrote an essay on my other blog (which I’ve been ignoring lately) comparing them to what philosopher and author Eric Hoffer labeled The True Believer in his book by the same name.  Here’s part of what I wrote:

Hoffer labeled these people the True Believers.  The need to believe in something — completely, and without question — defines their lives, because fanaticism makes them feel special and important.

Not surprisingly, then, the biggest threat to their identities is doubt.  All contrary evidence must be stifled or rationalized out of existence.  All logical inconsistencies in their beliefs must be ignored.  Anyone who doesn’t share their beliefs is an enemy, and anyone who raises questions about their beliefs must be silenced. (But enough about Al Gore.)

Now, doesn’t that description sound just a wee bit like a militant vegan?  Ego boost?  Heck yes … I’m now a morally superior human being because I don’t eat animal products.  Sense of identity?  Gee, do you think?

I once asked a waitress in a restaurant if the pork chops were any good.  Turning up her nose just a bit, she replied, “I wouldn’t know.  I’m a vegan.”  I’m mildly hard of hearing, so at first I thought she said, “I wouldn’t know.  I’m a virgin.”  After some momentary confusion, mentally rifling through my old catechism lessons looking for a prohibition against virgins eating pork, I figured it out.  Either way, it was more than I cared to know about her.  “I’ve never tried them” would’ve sufficed.

And here are some quotes from Hoffer’s book:

A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people’s business.

In order to be effective a doctrine must not be understood, but has to be believed in. We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand.

The uncompromising attitude is more indicative of an inner uncertainty than a deep conviction.  The implacable stand is directed more against the doubt within than the assailant without.

In short, True Believers like to stick their noses in other people’s business and never let little annoyances like logic or observable facts shake their beliefs.  As Hoffer wrote, True Believers are impervious to facts.

The True Believer currently trolling the comments section on the video desperately needs to believe that eating animal protein makes people fat and sick.  He also desperately needs to believe that nobody ever got fat or sick on a vegetarian diet.  So he (could be a she, but I’m going with he) simply ignores the actual video, which clearly shows how much leaner I am now than I was in my 30s – when I was a vegetarian.  He also ignores the before-and-after pictures I put in the video.

One of those before-and-after shots is of a reader and occasional commenter named Rae.  Here’s part of what Rae wrote when she sent me those pictures.

I wanted you to know now I’ve lost nearly 80 lbs since Fat Head made me re-think everything I had ever learned about food and nutrition. I wish it had been around 10 years ago so I wouldn’t have wasted my 20s being an obese depressed vegetarian.

An obese vegetarian?  Eighty pounds lighter now after going low-carb?  No, no, no, that doesn’t happen.  Just ask the True Believer.

Other people have left comments like these on the video:

Fat Head the documentary and Gary Taubes changed my life. I went onto a ketogenic diet (Very strict in Carbohydrates, sub 20g a day) and lost over 40 pounds (210 to 170) in three months. The contradictory part is, I did the entire thing from June to September meaning I was not in school, had no work, and literally sat on my ass playing video games 12-13 hours a day.

I’ve lost 80 pounds after watching Fat Head (still trying to lose another 50) and I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. I can’t thank you enough Tom for making Fat Head.

Watched Fat Head on November 12th. Went low carb November 13th. Thank you — 60lbs lost / 70 to go.

Naturally, the vegan True Believer can see these testimonials right there in front of his face and still insist that low-carb diets make people fat and sick.  Tell a vegan True Believer that I was a fat vegetarian and have personally known vegans who had major health problems, and he’ll simply deny that I was ever really a vegetarian.  Same goes for anyone else who claimed to health problems on a vegan or vegetarian diet.  They weren’t really vegetarians or vegans, you see, because if they were, they’d be lean and healthy.  (I guess that explains why Linda McCartney and Davey Jones both lived to a ripe old age.)

I compare vegan zealots to religious zealots because I’m convinced the thought process is basically the same:  Everyone who eats a high-meat diet is committing a sin and must suffer – and all vegans must be lean and healthy as a reward for their virtuousness.  No one gets healthy on a meat-based diet, and no one gets fat or sick from a meat-free diet.  We know this because our vegan bible tells us so.  Scientific evidence to the contrary must be ignored.

Now, back to where I got the title for this post.  When I was logging articles and studies into my new database over the holidays, I came across a post titled See, this is why people hate vegans on a site called PassiveAgressiveNotes.com.  This particular note was written by a recently-converted vegan and left on her roommate’s beside table.  It’s a bit difficult to read on the site, so I’ve reproduced it below with my comments interspersed.

I have to say, I thought you were a lot smarter and considerate than you have proven yourself to be.  You are very well aware that I’ve been getting more and more serious about my veganism, and over the past few weeks I’ve insinuated several times that I feel uncomfortable having animal products in our house.

You became a vegan, so now your roommate has to stop bringing meat into the house?  Couldn’t you have just become an orthodox Jew and demanded she stop buying bacon?

The reason I’ve settled with merely implying these feelings is to avoid an argument, awkward conversation, or irritated note such as this one.

Notes don’t get irritated, tofu-brain.  People do … like when they receive preachy notes from their roommates.

But after seeing your latest haul from the supermarket, I have to be blunt with you.

Oh boy, here comes the sermon …

Yes, I know that we live in a world where we’re all supposed to be “tolerant.”  However, I believe we have to stick up for our beliefs and draw the line somewhere.

Is this where you announce that you’re moving out to stand up for your beliefs?

If you knew that a neighbor of yours was abusing their child, would you turn a blind eye and be “tolerant” of it?  Would you say that your neighbor simply has a different world view than your own?  I doubt it.  Same with me.

Please, feel free to call 911 and report the slaughter of pigs and cows at the nearest slaughterhouse.

I can no longer tolerate seeing meat, eggs, dairy, honey, or any other products from animals in our kitchen or anywhere else in our apartment. Do you understand?

When you try to impose your beliefs on your roommate, you come across like a member of some vegan Hezbollah, even if you underline your sentences to emphasize how important they are. Do you understand?

I’m truly disappointed by your lack of respect for my feelings and morals.  You could at the very least eat these things away from me, like when you’re out of the house.  You could have done it in your room.  That second suggestion isn’t an option anymore, though, since I told you I will not allow these foods anywhere in the house.

Way to demonstrate respect for your roommate’s feelings, tofu-brain.  Sure, I’ll allow you to eat meat – as long as you don’t do it in the house.

Why do you buy so much meat?

Uh … because it’s awesome?

You buy chicken, steaks, ground beef, and tasty “snacks” like Slim Jims, beef jerky, spam, and sardine cans.

Say, is your roommate single by any chance?  Oh, wait … I’m already married.

This is a waste.  I can guarantee that you will not eat even half of these things.

That’s because you won’t let her eat them in the house.

Please think about changing your diet.  I realize that you will probably continue being a meat eater outside of our apartment, but let that small grain of doubt lead you to a better path.  You can still have great-tasting food as a vegan.  You’ll probably want to start slow as a vegetarian and take it from there.

Nice of you to ease her into it gently when you’re demanding she switch to your belief system.

It was a long, passionate letter, but I think the appropriate reply would only require two words.  You can probably guess what they are.

And that’s why people hate vegans.


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224 thoughts on “Why People Hate Vegans

  1. Lizzie

    I was just googling to try to figure out why I end up seeing comments about vegans that are only negative and…quite rude sometimes. Having read this, though, I can see where people are coming from. I’m not one of the preachy people, but I have to say that I’d rather not be immediately classified as a crazy, preachy, hateful person if my diet somehow comes up in a conversation. Gotta say, I end up feeling attacked more than anything else. It must, however, be admitted that there are many preachy vegans out there.

    I had a couple of vegan friends in L.A. who weren’t preachy at all.

  2. Lizzie

    I was just googling to try to figure out why I end up seeing comments about vegans that are only negative and…quite rude sometimes. Having read this, though, I can see where people are coming from. I’m not one of the preachy people, but I have to say that I’d rather not be immediately classified as a crazy, preachy, hateful person if my diet somehow comes up in a conversation. Gotta say, I end up feeling attacked more than anything else. It must, however, be admitted that there are many preachy vegans out there.

    I had a couple of vegan friends in L.A. who weren’t preachy at all.

  3. stephen

    Vegans are better and deserve superior honor on so many levels. They are protecting the environment, animals and contributing to a better food supply for everyone else.

    Sure 100 years or so ago it was necessary to eat meat for optimal health but this is no longer necessary since we have developed a massive plant food supply readily available to most people. These contain every vitamin, mineral and nutrient at a much lower food production burden to the planet.

    1 acre of land can produce A LOT more plant feed from plant agriculture than if that 1 acre was used for livestock instead. Hence the planet can sustain a much greater number of vegans than meat eaters.

    There are SO MANY reasons why vegans are better than meat eaters if I could just give you three minutes of my time I could blow you away. Regardless of if they have an inflated ego as that is another issue. Becoming a vegan is probably one of the best things you could do for everyone else.

    Vegans deserve respect so bow down fellow meat eater and show it as they have made the ultimate sacrifice for you!

    You could take three minutes, three hours or three days, and you still wouldn’t blow me away. You wouldn’t make a single argument I haven’t heard a hundred times. You all have gotten repetitive and boring beyond belief by this point.

    1. Dr. Avery

      Are you familiar with Poe’s Law?

      To paraphrase, it states that it is impossible to discern satire from sincere extremism.

      Let us examine your first paragraph: “Vegans are better and deserve superior honor on so many levels. They are protecting the environment, animals and contributing to a better food supply for everyone else.”

      A wildly over the top, unsourced and self-aggrandizing claim.

      If I wanted to build a straw man with which to discredit dietary vegetable fetishism, this would be precisely the sort of claim I would lead with. Your position, the placement of your message, and every one of your assertions are patently indefensible. On the other hand, there are enough malnourished and addlebrained Vege-fascists who really believe this way that your post bears an equal likelihood of sincerity.

      Take this argument into account: “Vegans deserve respect so bow down fellow meat eater and show it as they have made the ultimate sacrifice for you!”

      No matter how sincere your feelings are on this matter, you couldn’t possibly believe that anyone is ever going to prostrate themselves to you simply because you eat different things. That is a statement motivated by pure confrontationalist aggression. One of those lower emotions that vegetarians are supposed to have transcended.

      You claim that becoming a vegan is one of the greatest things that a person can do for their fellow human-kind. You’ve really placed yourself on that cross, and now you want someone to recognize your sacrifice.

      The reality is, you have done nothing for anyone except yourself and your sadly inflated ego. You have exempted yourself from taking real action to help humanity, having taken up the ultimate form of slacktivism.

      Bravo.

      Years ago, my comedy partner and I discovered the political version of Poe’s Law: just when you think you’ve sufficiently exaggerated the antics of politicians for comic effect, the politicians catch up to the exaggeration.

      1. let me torture

        Rofl you even quoted him saying “fellow meat eaters” and referring to vegans as “they” but remain oblivious to the fact that he was satirizing. You brilliant corpse munchers

  4. stephen

    Vegans are better and deserve superior honor on so many levels. They are protecting the environment, animals and contributing to a better food supply for everyone else.

    Sure 100 years or so ago it was necessary to eat meat for optimal health but this is no longer necessary since we have developed a massive plant food supply readily available to most people. These contain every vitamin, mineral and nutrient at a much lower food production burden to the planet.

    1 acre of land can produce A LOT more plant feed from plant agriculture than if that 1 acre was used for livestock instead. Hence the planet can sustain a much greater number of vegans than meat eaters.

    There are SO MANY reasons why vegans are better than meat eaters if I could just give you three minutes of my time I could blow you away. Regardless of if they have an inflated ego as that is another issue. Becoming a vegan is probably one of the best things you could do for everyone else.

    Vegans deserve respect so bow down fellow meat eater and show it as they have made the ultimate sacrifice for you!

    You could take three minutes, three hours or three days, and you still wouldn’t blow me away. You wouldn’t make a single argument I haven’t heard a hundred times. You all have gotten repetitive and boring beyond belief by this point.

    1. Dr. Avery

      Are you familiar with Poe’s Law?

      To paraphrase, it states that it is impossible to discern satire from sincere extremism.

      Let us examine your first paragraph: “Vegans are better and deserve superior honor on so many levels. They are protecting the environment, animals and contributing to a better food supply for everyone else.”

      A wildly over the top, unsourced and self-aggrandizing claim.

      If I wanted to build a straw man with which to discredit dietary vegetable fetishism, this would be precisely the sort of claim I would lead with. Your position, the placement of your message, and every one of your assertions are patently indefensible. On the other hand, there are enough malnourished and addlebrained Vege-fascists who really believe this way that your post bears an equal likelihood of sincerity.

      Take this argument into account: “Vegans deserve respect so bow down fellow meat eater and show it as they have made the ultimate sacrifice for you!”

      No matter how sincere your feelings are on this matter, you couldn’t possibly believe that anyone is ever going to prostrate themselves to you simply because you eat different things. That is a statement motivated by pure confrontationalist aggression. One of those lower emotions that vegetarians are supposed to have transcended.

      You claim that becoming a vegan is one of the greatest things that a person can do for their fellow human-kind. You’ve really placed yourself on that cross, and now you want someone to recognize your sacrifice.

      The reality is, you have done nothing for anyone except yourself and your sadly inflated ego. You have exempted yourself from taking real action to help humanity, having taken up the ultimate form of slacktivism.

      Bravo.

      Years ago, my comedy partner and I discovered the political version of Poe’s Law: just when you think you’ve sufficiently exaggerated the antics of politicians for comic effect, the politicians catch up to the exaggeration.

      1. let me torture

        Rofl you even quoted him saying “fellow meat eaters” and referring to vegans as “they” but remain oblivious to the fact that he was satirizing. You brilliant corpse munchers

  5. ashol

    if being a vegan is so good for you than why do most vegans look like they are sickly.

  6. chelsea

    Of course people don’t like vegans. Telling people that they are immoral in some way and being critical is going to annoy people. But someone being annoying does not necessarily mean they are wrong. Eating meat is not something that happens inside your mouth and nowhere else. There are thousands of animals at the other end of what is regarded as a personal choice to eat meat, and that is the animals you are eating. Animals are conscious. They have emotions. This is what is suggested by science. An enjoyment of meat is not an entitlement to take another’s life in cases where it is not necessity. There are indeed asshole vegans who are rude, ignorant, and use their views to feel intellectually and morally superior to others. Yet make the distinction: vegans are not the same thing as the existence of animal suffering that comes out of meat production. Every vegan in the world could be an asshole, and it doesn’t mean that the cause they attach themselves to would not genuinely reduce the experience of pain and anguish that animals are experiencing.

  7. chelsea

    Of course people don’t like vegans. Telling people that they are immoral in some way and being critical is going to annoy people. But someone being annoying does not necessarily mean they are wrong. Eating meat is not something that happens inside your mouth and nowhere else. There are thousands of animals at the other end of what is regarded as a personal choice to eat meat, and that is the animals you are eating. Animals are conscious. They have emotions. This is what is suggested by science. An enjoyment of meat is not an entitlement to take another’s life in cases where it is not necessity. There are indeed asshole vegans who are rude, ignorant, and use their views to feel intellectually and morally superior to others. Yet make the distinction: vegans are not the same thing as the existence of animal suffering that comes out of meat production. Every vegan in the world could be an asshole, and it doesn’t mean that the cause they attach themselves to would not genuinely reduce the experience of pain and anguish that animals are experiencing.

  8. Nathan

    This post really strikes a chord with me. Due to some life circumstances I found myself living in a vegetarian household even though I’m not (I’d go out for burgers every now and then).

    After 7 months, I was diagnosed with severe Anemia, and if it gets much worse I could need a transfusion. My doctor told me I now had to eat meat, fish, eggs and fowl every day, effective immediately. It was clear I had to move out but in the meantime, I needed a change at home. My room mate turned me down flat, saying I violated the rules and even though my life was at stake he wouldn’t bend, forcing me to eat out and incur more expenses, which really angered me.

    He then came after me for another month’s rent, claiming improper notice and breaking “the rules.” I was furious. We’ve had two major fights since then. I’ve had to go to the police for emergency counselling and I still cannot eat what I want. He relented on me having cold cuts and boiled eggs but I cannot cook anything. While I’m mad, I’m not going to antagonize him by cooking burgers. Suffice to say I no longer feel safe here and pray that some funding will come through soon so I can get out of here.

    You definitely need a new roommate. He’s a self-centered ass.

  9. Nathan

    This post really strikes a chord with me. Due to some life circumstances I found myself living in a vegetarian household even though I’m not (I’d go out for burgers every now and then).

    After 7 months, I was diagnosed with severe Anemia, and if it gets much worse I could need a transfusion. My doctor told me I now had to eat meat, fish, eggs and fowl every day, effective immediately. It was clear I had to move out but in the meantime, I needed a change at home. My room mate turned me down flat, saying I violated the rules and even though my life was at stake he wouldn’t bend, forcing me to eat out and incur more expenses, which really angered me.

    He then came after me for another month’s rent, claiming improper notice and breaking “the rules.” I was furious. We’ve had two major fights since then. I’ve had to go to the police for emergency counselling and I still cannot eat what I want. He relented on me having cold cuts and boiled eggs but I cannot cook anything. While I’m mad, I’m not going to antagonize him by cooking burgers. Suffice to say I no longer feel safe here and pray that some funding will come through soon so I can get out of here.

    You definitely need a new roommate. He’s a self-centered ass.

  10. PJ

    @Nathan: eat the roommate and both problems are solved.

    Except the one with the police of course.

    (I am kidding. Of course.)

  11. PJ

    @Nathan: eat the roommate and both problems are solved.

    Except the one with the police of course.

    (I am kidding. Of course.)

  12. SD

    The only reason why some vegans are preachy is because you are harming the Earth and other organisms who can’t voice their pain to end it. It isn’t like a religion, because religion is very subjective. The torture caused by the dairy, meat, egg, and honey industries is concrete, objective, and palpable.

    They’re just trying to end the torture. They care a lot and people feel like whatever they do needs to be justified regardless of the implications or consequences.

    People will try to make the zealots feel shitty even though the omnivores are doing the shittiest thing there.

    1. Tom Naughton

      If you think farming your soybeans and grains doesn’t harm the earth and kill organisms who can’t voice their pain, well, be happy in your ignorance. But it is ignorance.

  13. SD

    The only reason why some vegans are preachy is because you are harming the Earth and other organisms who can’t voice their pain to end it. It isn’t like a religion, because religion is very subjective. The torture caused by the dairy, meat, egg, and honey industries is concrete, objective, and palpable.

    They’re just trying to end the torture. They care a lot and people feel like whatever they do needs to be justified regardless of the implications or consequences.

    People will try to make the zealots feel shitty even though the omnivores are doing the shittiest thing there.

    1. Tom Naughton Post author

      If you think farming your soybeans and grains doesn’t harm the earth and kill organisms who can’t voice their pain, well, be happy in your ignorance. But it is ignorance.

  14. Churchilla

    Hello All! – I’ve come across this website because I’ve been searching for people of like mind. I’m taking a Nutrition Course at a community college and the teacher is a militant vegetarian. If she finds out that you want to eat potato chips and are fine with eating meat (and don’t want to make any dietary changes) – she’ll take points off your grade!!!! I’ve never been discriminated against for being an omnivore before. These Vegetarians are not only self-righteous, but I’ve found out that some of them have actually killed people, for the sake of their cause. It’s a scary world out there now. It turns out that Bloomberg, who tried to outlaw the 17 oz. sodas, was a vegetarian. So my advice to everyone, is be on the lookout for the NEW HATE Movement.

    1. The Older Brother

      Welcome — I’d say you’ve come to the right spot. [This is (Tom’s) The Older Brother, sitting in for awhile while Tom wraps up part of a book project.]

      I’d try reporting the teacher to the administration, if you can document it and have anyone else in the class who would back you up. That may or may not work — this idiot may have been hired because they LIKE militant vegetarianism. If you haven’t read it, You may also pick up Lierre Keith’s book, “The Vegetarian Myth.” Outstanding refutation of vegetarianism generally and veganism in particular by someone who spent years as an ultra true believer. It would have a number of terrific points you could torment your perfesser with.

      If you don’t get immediate, emphatic results, go to whatever local newspaper you have with what you’ve documented. Embarrassment is usually a pretty good lever if you’re trying to get bureaucrats to do something.

      Don’t recall many murders for the cause. There was a Vegan couple whose baby died of malnutrition. And of course, the Veggies get to count Hitler among their distinguished alumni, but I don’t think he was doing it for the broccoli.

      Cheers

    2. Bear Dogg

      Oh, and if you dare retort the claims of militant vegans, they accuse YOU of promoting hate speech. I’ve actually seen militant vegans call for their detractors to be arrested for hate crimes.

      1. Tom Naughton

        Some people think any time you disagree with them, it’s hate speech. Then they retreat to a safe space.

  15. Churchilla

    Hello All! – I’ve come across this website because I’ve been searching for people of like mind. I’m taking a Nutrition Course at a community college and the teacher is a militant vegetarian. If she finds out that you want to eat potato chips and are fine with eating meat (and don’t want to make any dietary changes) – she’ll take points off your grade!!!! I’ve never been discriminated against for being an omnivore before. These Vegetarians are not only self-righteous, but I’ve found out that some of them have actually killed people, for the sake of their cause. It’s a scary world out there now. It turns out that Bloomberg, who tried to outlaw the 17 oz. sodas, was a vegetarian. So my advice to everyone, is be on the lookout for the NEW HATE Movement.

    1. The Older Brother

      Welcome — I’d say you’ve come to the right spot. [This is (Tom’s) The Older Brother, sitting in for awhile while Tom wraps up part of a book project.]

      I’d try reporting the teacher to the administration, if you can document it and have anyone else in the class who would back you up. That may or may not work — this idiot may have been hired because they LIKE militant vegetarianism. If you haven’t read it, You may also pick up Lierre Keith’s book, “The Vegetarian Myth.” Outstanding refutation of vegetarianism generally and veganism in particular by someone who spent years as an ultra true believer. It would have a number of terrific points you could torment your perfesser with.

      If you don’t get immediate, emphatic results, go to whatever local newspaper you have with what you’ve documented. Embarrassment is usually a pretty good lever if you’re trying to get bureaucrats to do something.

      Don’t recall many murders for the cause. There was a Vegan couple whose baby died of malnutrition. And of course, the Veggies get to count Hitler among their distinguished alumni, but I don’t think he was doing it for the broccoli.

      Cheers

    2. Bear Dogg

      Oh, and if you dare retort the claims of militant vegans, they accuse YOU of promoting hate speech. I’ve actually seen militant vegans call for their detractors to be arrested for hate crimes.

      1. Tom Naughton Post author

        Some people think any time you disagree with them, it’s hate speech. Then they retreat to a safe space.

  16. Alex

    Vegans are strawmen. I would describe the hatred as having a political nature but I am well aware that there are despised by those on both sides of the political aisle. They are seen as the spitting image of elitism. Part of this is just a leftover from hatred of vegetarians, vegans go well beyond what ordinary people consider reasonable when they eschew literally anything that comes from any animal even a live one. There are the quintessential Animal Rights Activists which to quote Urban Dictionary are: “Bored suburban white kid with waaay too much time on his/her hands. Found in decadent wealthy societies where most people have more food than they need and anthropomorphize their overfed pets. Irrelevant in developing nations or to people who have real life problems to worry about.” If that weren’t enough they frequently proselytize and yammer on about the environmental benefits of ending animal husbandry as if pasture land was suitable to grow crops to begin with and fertilizer magically appeared out of thin air. Basically they are seen as self-righteous pretentious twits.

  17. Alex

    Vegans are strawmen. I would describe the hatred as having a political nature but I am well aware that there are despised by those on both sides of the political aisle. They are seen as the spitting image of elitism. Part of this is just a leftover from hatred of vegetarians, vegans go well beyond what ordinary people consider reasonable when they eschew literally anything that comes from any animal even a live one. There are the quintessential Animal Rights Activists which to quote Urban Dictionary are: “Bored suburban white kid with waaay too much time on his/her hands. Found in decadent wealthy societies where most people have more food than they need and anthropomorphize their overfed pets. Irrelevant in developing nations or to people who have real life problems to worry about.” If that weren’t enough they frequently proselytize and yammer on about the environmental benefits of ending animal husbandry as if pasture land was suitable to grow crops to begin with and fertilizer magically appeared out of thin air. Basically they are seen as self-righteous pretentious twits.

  18. Bear Dogg

    There’s a conspiracy blog which claims that “militant veganism” is some kind of false-flag operation run by “Big Meat” in order to discredit all vegans and vegetarians. But then again, the same blog also thinks Obama staged the Sandy Hook shootings, Bush staged 9/11, and that Trump is going to stage a terrorist attack to become a dictator.

    The blog also makes ridiculous claims that PETA is secretly funded by Big Meat and engages in their crazy publicity stunts in order to make vegetarians and vegans look like insane lunatics.

    And the blog also makes ridiculous claims that YouTube vegans such as The Unethical Vegam and Freelee the Banana Girl are secretly paid by Monsanto to “act like retards” and push “pro-GMO propaganda” in order to dscredit vegans as “pro-GMO hypocrites”.

  19. Bear Dogg

    Damn. That blog even made anti-semitic remarks about your wife, Tom. I think I’m gonna throw up.

  20. Bear Dogg

    There’s a conspiracy blog which claims that “militant veganism” is some kind of false-flag operation run by “Big Meat” in order to discredit all vegans and vegetarians. But then again, the same blog also thinks Obama staged the Sandy Hook shootings, Bush staged 9/11, and that Trump is going to stage a terrorist attack to become a dictator.

    The blog also makes ridiculous claims that PETA is secretly funded by Big Meat and engages in their crazy publicity stunts in order to make vegetarians and vegans look like insane lunatics.

    And the blog also makes ridiculous claims that YouTube vegans such as The Unethical Vegam and Freelee the Banana Girl are secretly paid by Monsanto to “act like retards” and push “pro-GMO propaganda” in order to dscredit vegans as “pro-GMO hypocrites”.

  21. Bear Dogg

    Damn. That blog even made anti-semitic remarks about your wife, Tom. I think I’m gonna throw up.

  22. Michael Cohen

    I am writing these few words as a former vegan. After a long life I have come to see that many of our religious, political, social, economic theories and belief systems become in practice, the exact opposite of their theoretical constructs. This is true of veganism. One may become a vegan because of “The sanctity of all life” of “A concern for all living things” “Avoiding cruelty to animals” or because “It is the most natural and healthful way to live”. I see that veganism is ultimately a denial of life. It is a denial of our bodily life force and needs, and it is a denial of the realities of nature. . If one simply observes the flux of the natural world we see that all life forms are busily devouring other life forms to maintain their own existence. Veganism is a form of life negating Puritanism. This underlying negativity in its constant expression is perhaps one of the reasons that many vegans are so annoying to others. They revel in the things they “can’t” eat or do, and revel in telling others the same. Veganism must start with animal abuse. It is the abuse of the animal most intimate to us, our body. One has to constantly override or ignore the “911” calls that our bodies send us when we deny it the nutrients that it has evolved to need. We became human by eating the flesh of other animals. No Anthropologist will dispute this.

    I view vegans (many of them, anyway) as people who claim to love nature but understand almost nothing about it.

  23. 30 muffins a day

    Don’t forget there are low-carb zealots also that likes to preach and thinks that low-carb is the only way to lose weight and get healthy and carbs are almost like poison. To believe that carbs are evil is as bad as to believe meat is evil.

    I don’t know of any low-carbers who troll vegetarian blogs and preach to the readers. They may exist, but I don’t know of any.

  24. Scott

    I would love to have known how she handled the letter from her roomate. I like how she tells her there will be no meat allowed in their apartment um is she the landlord, I would be like I pay half the rent with you i’ll bring whatever the “bleep” I want to eat into this house and if you would like to throw it away as a protest, I will throw all your veggies away in protest to all the innocent little critters killed while harvesting them.

    I would have given a two-word reply. If that didn’t work, I’d tell the roommate that if she can’t stand to look at meat, eggs, diary and honey (seriously?), she’s free to buy her own fridge and leave the house when I’m cooking and eating.

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