Vegetarianism

A writer in the NatPost a few days ago wrote about being vegetarian. I was struck by how much his own experiences as a vegivore tallied with mine.

Here are my own responses to Frequently Asked Questions:

1. No, I do not eat fish or chicken. These are not vegetables.

2. No, I do not crave meat. The sad news is that, once you are off meat for a little while, it smells and tastes like something you might find in an outhouse.

3. Okay, I do miss bacon.

4. Vegetarians eat more than salads. We need protein just like you do. A meat meal with the meat scraped off the plate is not a vegetarian meal.

5. No, I am not bothered by seeing you eat meat. If I were, I could not survive for long in the real world.

6. Do not assume anything about my politics. I do not support PETA and have no problem with you wearing furs. Vegetarianism is a diet, not a political program.

7. No, turning vegetarian did not make me feel any healthier.

8. I am vegetarian for two reasons: first, I object morally to expecting an animal to die for what seem to me fairly trivial reasons. Second, if everyone were vegetarian, theoretically, there would be up to ten times as much food available in the world. It’s more efficient—what I don’t eat feeds nine more people.

9. Please, carnivores, when there is a buffet served and only one dish is vegetarian, let the vegetarians go first. They can eat only that; you can eat anything. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go without lunch…