Why do so many people criticise vegans?

[trunch]

I'm a meat eater!

However, I don't understand why people criticise vegans so much.

They aren't hurting me and are trying to save animals and the environment.

What's wrong with that?

Surely people should be more critical of me because animals are killed for me to eat?

Are you unaware that Los Angeles and California are separate things?

Considering the amount of time I spend there that would be unlikely, @00psInamechangedagain, but you're right that I mentioned California rather than just LA ... and LA comes in at 472 square miles, so again your claim was so far from the truth as to be risible

And yes of course I agree the fires are horribly serious, @roota; I have friends directly affected so am hardly not going to agree
I just don't happen to believe that hyperbole illustrates anything except the paucity of the arguments of those using it

I think people would stop breeding them and they'd die out. Is that a problem?

I don't particularly dislike vegans. Some are obviously tiresome going on and on about it. But I understand their reasoning and in many ways admire their passion and commitment.

However I do know a few people who like to announce they are vegan, only to not be when they feel like it. I went to stay with a friend and assumed I'd have a vegan weekend myself. She on the other hand had been dying to use me as an excuse not to be and had bought in loads of cheese! Another friend announced to me in the morning she was vegan only to be loading her (what would have been vegan) chilli with cheese and sour cream that same evening!

Yes, I’m always
perplexed when people ask this question as the answer is so obvious. I can only assume it’s the usual cut and paste of a soundbite.

Very much this. ^

So to answer your hypothetical question about everyone suddenly deciding not to eat meat, I'll say this from a hypothetical point of view that we all turned vegan - we would all collectively look after the cattle and the rest of the animals until they died of old age.

From a realistic point of view, people will begin to reduce their meat consumption going forward, whether that is to do with ethical, environmental, health or financial reasons. This means that breeding of farm animals will begin to reduce naturally.

We also don't need to live in a world without pigs, cows, goats, sheep and chickens. We don't eat cats and dogs, but you still see them about.

I'm vegan. I used to be an avid omni with all the usual arguments of 'it's stupid to be vegan, it's natural to eat meat like other animals do, etc'.

People always say vegans are annoying, when I actually find it the reverse. On social media, every advert of a vegan product is full of 'not this rubbish' in the comment section. If I've refused snacks out and said 'no thanks, I'm vegan' politely, I often get asked why. I usually just state 'for ethical reasons' then get bombarded with why they are against being vegan and how they hope I won't 'force my opinions down their throat'. Please, I literally don't care, just let me enjoy my rabbit food in peace 😭

I personally think people get offended because deep down they know vegans have a point. I'm not against the consumption of animals as such if it were an even playing field (as it is in the wild with animals), but I am against mass farming and over breeding. I would not advocate for a meat free world (particularly in poor cultures which rely more on meat), as I don't think it's viable. I just wish it was less cruel. I don't think anyone can reasonably argue it's humane to do things like breed cows with udders large enough to cause health issues, take away their babies very young, forcibly impregnate them, etc. People trying to pretend animal farming is ethical are being ridiculous. Whereas if people can own up to the fact farming is cruel and continue to eat animal products anyway, I'm fine with it. You've made an informed choice, which you're entitled to do.

Nothing stopping people if they want to do that. I've done my bit by not going anywhere on a plane for the best part of 30 years, and recycling as if my life depended on it. Which it probably does, truth be told. Well, for my descendants anyway.

I got interested in ecology and the environment as a teenager in the 1970's.

Yes agree vegans get priority over other special diets. Can see it must be frustrating for you

Vegans have been listened to because they have campaigned and been noisy. People with other dietary needs, need to do the same for themselves as nothing will change. Businesses will just cater for where the money is, people need to be as noisy as vegans have if they want something. I’m not saying it’s right, but it’s just how it is.

These are two issues that you can't conflate. You can eat meat, and have dairy and eggs if you are GF. This has fuck all to do with veganism and more to do with the places you choose to eat. I'm not surprised you are pissed off if you are given the vegan option if you are GF, although every product I buy is vegan, and certainly not GF.

And people who want everyone to make everything about their way of eating.

I don't eat carbs. So I have to grab my own stuff and lug it around, pick around food, eat weirdly and apologise. Vegans who do this, great! Vegans who bang on about how easy it is to cook vegan and how everyone should just do that so everyone can eat? Urg.

I am a little unreasonable having done this nice, cooked a vegan feast, and the twat I did it all for had a town with his girlfriend and stormed out before the food. We could have had steak. Fucker.

Avocados have a relatively low carbon footprint

that guy sounds like an idiot but are you really going to judge all vegans on this dickhead?

the more posts I read it seems everyone is prepared to judge all vegans on the basis of the behaviour of one or two idiots who behaved like twats rather than consider they might be stereotyping.

Incidentally if I judged all meat eaters on the basis of the behaviour of a few idiots who wound me up about "bacon sandwiches" and "unhealthy vegan rabbit food" I would have about three (vegan) friends,

I don't think letting loads of species die out is a good thing!

@roota

I literally wrote Vegans who do this, great!

Which is clearly not judging all vegans the same.

Depends, is it better to live in slavery and be killed at a fraction of your normal lifespan...or, never be born?

Besides, cows and sheep will never 'die out' completely. There are wild cows and sheep in the world and goats, chicken, pigs. Some are kept as pets. And some countries may never be able to go vegan.

I honestly don't think all the newly freed farm animals will have loving homes linked up.

From the Gov website -

Livestock

• The total number of cattle and calves in England decreased by 2.0% to 5.0 million in June 2024. The breeding herd saw a decrease of 2.2% and now stands at 1.7 million. The dairy herd is broadly stable at 1.0 million.
• In 2024, the total number of pigs in England increased by 1.3% to 3.7 million animals. Breeding pig numbers fell by 1.0% to 326 thousand animals, while fattening pigs rose by 1.5%.
• The total number of sheep and lambs decreased by 4.3%, to 13.8 million in 2024. The female breeding flock fell by 5.6% to 6.6 million and lambs decreased by 3.5% to 6.9 million.
• The total number of poultry decreased by 1.5% to 129 million in 2024. Broiler numbers decreased by 3.5% to 88 million whilst the breeding and laying flock remained stable at 32 million. Turkey numbers rose by over a quarter to 3.1 million

Millions of cows, millions of pigs, millions of sheep. You can't keep them in your back garden like you can chickens (and even that is dodgy right now due to bird flu).
I have seen farmyard rescue places, and they have a couple of pigs... not hundreds.

Of course it’s a fact it’s cruel. By its very nature it is - it is murder of another living being. Do you think dogs are nasty if they kill a cat? I’d imagine so. Have you ever been to an abattoir and heard the pigs squeal? It’s horrible. It’s not about making others feel guilty, but it is factual to say it’s cruel to kill other animals.

Where do you draw the line out of interest of what animal it wouldn’t be cruel to use for food?

ETA: plenty of people have said it makes them feel guilty on the thread. I think it’s normal to feel defensive around vegans, but it’s not their fault 🤷‍♀️

I don’t hate vegans, each to their own. I dislike someone’s ideology being pressed onto my choices, that no matter my reasoning is not accepted.

We tend to eat meat dishes, but with one/two days being meat free each week.

That makes us happy, because that’s what we enjoy to eat.

It's the lying that irritates me. When someone waxes lyrical about how this amazing tofu-based cheese substitute is just soooo delicious and your tastebuds will love you forever. So the first time, you believe them and try it and it is utterly rank and foul and could only be enjoyed by someone who has killed their tastebuds and forgotten what good food tastes like. Then after that one has a lot less patience with their evangelism.

But generally all evangelists are culturally viewed with deep suspicion no matter what beliefs they are trying to persuade us to adopt. The vegan faith is no less a source of suspicion and distrust than and other preacher of a One True Path.

Haha to be fair I’ve been vegan 8 years and now those things do actually taste nice because im use to it. But I do always tell people they probs won’t like what I have 🤣

Vegans doing it for moral reasons I can accept as long as they don't act all superior! The ones on here saying that vegans are disliked because they show meat eaters up and make them feel guilty are exactly the sort I don't like. No you don't- I eat meat because it's natural and healthy to do so and I choose high welfare products and enjoy them.

The worst are the vegetarians that talk about how they love animals too much to eat them but then live on eggs and cheese as if that's fine!

I agree. I have nothing against vegans at all, I definitely support their choice and think it's great for the animals and the planet. Although I am not veggie or vegan, I naturally gravitate towards veggie food when I am eating out and I really don't like the fact that cheese/cream etc is vegan now.