If I have some gluten now, I get severe stomach pains, and later, joint pain. Having my food contaminated with gluten has serious consequences for me.

If a vegan has a meal with some meat broth in it, nothing happens. They usually don't even know it.

That's the difference between actual food issues, and a conscious choice that, if inadvertently broken, should mean nothing. Since it's a choice to not eat meat, and if someone else accidentally put some meat in their food, it is not a breaking of their vow or anything like that.

Meat is not dangerous to them. It really is not. And I have come to see the vegan posturing as simply that... a way of saying Look at me, I am so much better than you.

Because it is severely deficient, they eat foods that are heavily processed, and their fussing over MEAT touching them is ridiculous.

Thanks, I'm done.

To MOST of them. I do know one of the unfortunates who is allergic to meat. I don't know what I'd do if I were in her shoes - I depend on meat for most of my diet.

How is that even possible? We evolved eating meat, and a large variety of it.

I wonder if she is not allergic to meat, but to, for example, the treated corn that most animals meant for market are fed? Or to the preservatives in some meats? Or to the solutions injected into many "fresh" cuts of meat to plump them and make them juicier?

A tick bite. It isn't common, but it happens. She used to be a meat eater - she didn't give it up willingly. No more than I would.

I just had to google this, because I couldn't believe you could be allergic to meat, when we're basically made of meat. From wikipedia:
I think I got confused because a lot of people use the word "meat" to refer exclusively to "beef." Although I use the specific words also, like poultry/veal/venison/pork/etc, "meat" to me generally means "my food that had a face."

I'd mourn if I was afflicted with this tick bite and allergy, but at least I could still indulge in chicken, turkey, eggs, and seafood.

I'm sorry about that. But my complaint stands: she's not a voluntary vegan.

To me, the only vegetarians are vegans.

What about eggs? Cheese? My answer, what vegetable did they grow on?

I have no problem with vegans, unless they adopt a 'holier than thou' attitude.

If you think it's a healthier diet? I disagree but then we all have a right to eat what we want and what we feel is best for us.

If you don't want to take the life of a furry critter, that's OK with me too. It's your choice.

However, most, if not all domesticated livestock would not have a life if they weren't raised for human consumption. I can't see herds of wild cattle roaming the west. So I feel that by being an omnivore, I am giving a life to a few cows, pigs, and other animals.

There are two ways to look at it.

Many of us have food issues. Some are sensitive or allergic to just about anything, and what you have a sensitivity to it's good to avoid.

Me? I don't eat egg yolks and poultry because of the high arachidonic acid content, it inflames arthritis and bursitis, and I cured my bursitis by avoiding them.

I don't eat GMO products (and that's a lot of work) because I am not convinced they are safe to eat and don't want to be Monsanto's "lab rat".

But I eat beef (preferably 100% grass fed), pork (love bacon), dairy (from non rBGH dairies), and certain types of seafood.

I don't eat sugar and high-glycemic foods, because I don't believe they are good for me.

In other words, I'm a picky eater. But then when I think of vegans, I think they are picky eaters too, so there isn't really much I can say against it except that we all make our choices.

Bob

Vegans, vegetarians, animal rights activists, etc....only want to protect animals with big eyes and wagging tails, they could care less about other animals that they can't relate to. The love dogs, cats, cows, pigs. dolphins, whales, lambs, chickens, etc. but could care less about squids, minnows, ants, flies, or spiders.

They cry mountains of tears about the cows that are slaughtered to bring us our food but could care less about the thousands of bugs killed on the windshield of the produce truck bringing them their lettuce or potatoes. Not to mention the gophers, bugs, insects, and worms killed when the harvesting trucks plow the land that grows their food.

They'll take in stray and injured cats but have no qualms about swatting a mosquito in mid air and killing it. What's the difference you may ask? They'll have no answer, at least not one they can defend. An animal is an animal, right? Or are some more special than others?

Let a cockroach go in a vegan's kitchen and watch him crush it with his boot while he looks down on your for eating a chicken.

Go figure.

I don't get you you can say "they" - when they are individuals. None of the vegetarians or vegans I know are anything like what you are saying.

I will say though, there is no industry in raising mosquitos or cockroaches purely for humans to kill, to eat. I could post some videos that would turn your stomach, how cows and chickens are tortured to keep the industry profitable, but I'd hate to get banned.

I don't know about "they" but we know a couple of vegan Buddhists. Kit was almost in tears when my husband stepped on a carpenter ant.

veganism is a lovely idea, but its not something that we're designed to be, nor is it something that would be good if everyone did it. The whole economy would crumble and we'd find that alot of animals etc would become extinct.

I also wonder where the line should be drawn - insects? amoeba, vegetables, even germs are all living creatures.

However, each to his own. Humans have been given a free will and free choices.

That all said, I have an omnivore friend who is in a bit of dilemma over this issue. He's gay and fell in love with a man who is a vegan. They both love each other, but cant deal with each others lifestyle choices. My omnivore friend has offered not to eat meat in the presence of his vegan lover, but even his clothes, washing powder, aftershave...... are an issue (they need to be registered as vegan apparently). So a potential happy relationship has been spoilt - but if neither can compromise or give in.....

Jo xxx

Vegetarians don't eat cute food (mammals, birds). But they have no problem eating things less cute: fish, eggs, secretions from cute animals (milk).

Food choices can be a real deal killer when it comes to relationships. I LOVE hot spicy food, cilantro, etc. I dated a man that had the palate of a 10-year-old. That SO didn't work out.

How many insects are killed, small burrowing animals, etc, to plow, weed, harvest a field of food for vegans Buddhists? Just because they don't see the death doesn't mean it does exist.

People are so separated from their food they have NO idea how ridiculous their ideals are.

Meat eaters are sometimes just as clueless about where their food comes from. I grew up on a small farm & still raise some of my own meat. And kill it, too. Not my favorite part of being a meat eater, but I think it is necessary to kill one's own food at least once in a while.

Yeah, it isn't any different for meat eaters. I'm a child of farmers, so even if I haven't done it myself, at least I heard about it second-hand.