So what's the dumbest question/comment you've gotten as a veg*n?

[Mirabilis]

Other than the ubiquitous, "Do you eat fish?" of course.

I think the one that took the cake for me was, "But if everyone stopped eating animals, we'd be overrun! What would we do with all those cows??" I'd heard about it before, but never actually encountered it. This person was dead serious. I couldn't decide whether to laugh in her face or throw something at her.

[Veggie Girl]

Oh, and i just remembered another conversation we were having... We were once talking about "test-tube" meat; which is actual chicken or beef but it's not from an animal, it's developed in a lab using stem-cells. Therefore, there is no "sentient" being that's being tortured. It's just animal flesh developed in a petri dish.

Anyway, my friend was asking if I would eat meat developed in a lab. And I immediately said "of course not!" And she was just like, why not? And I couldn't really answer her.

There's just something about eating another life that irks me. I can't explain it.

For her, it's all about cruelty. No animal gets hurt in making test-tube meat, so she's cool with it.

But for me, it obviously digs deeper than that... I just don't know what it is.

[pradtf]

people are veg for various reasons the 3 primary ones being health, environment, ethics.

whereas it can be argued that testtube meat, presumably lacking sentience, does not tax one's ethics, you certainly wouldn't find a health vegetarian touching the stuff.

the problem with her cruelty stance is that she is inconsistent. while she can accept testtube meat for its lack of cruelty, she contributes to the cruelty inflicted upon animals by her 'bred for purpose' dogma.

in friendship,
prad

[Aimee Brimmer]

Yeah, I've gotten lots of those responses too. My mom keeps asking my teenage kids if they are vegetarian because they "want" to be or because "Mom" made them...ugh! They try not to laugh when she asks them that. Then she offers us chicken salad...hello?

Or...where do you get your protein? Iron?

I think so many people have the misconception that all we eat is salad...

[Veggie Girl]

you know, that's probably the thing that irks me the most. SO MANY people have asked me if i would raise any future children that I may have as vegetarians.

And I'm like, of course!

And immediately, they ask if it's fair to push my beliefs on my kids.

What? As if someone pushing meat in their kids' mouths aren't putting their beliefs on their kids? And don't get me started on all these parents who take their kids to church, temple, mosque, etc.

[pradtf]

what these people really mean to say is why aren't you pushing my beliefs on your kids (but they don't say it because it doesn't sound too nice :D :D)

in friendship,
prad

[Sea Shepherd Pirate]

I was in a grocery store. There was a taster type thing set up and the woman was cooking turkey something or other. She asked me if I would like a sample and I explained that I did not eat meat. Didn't really feel like going in to the whole vegan explanation at that time. Her come back was, "not even turkey". I am not sure what she thinks turkey is but I assured her that turkey was meat.

[pradtf]

some of these weird people exist who like to create their own terminology at their convenience.
i had one of them trying to sell me steaks, who proudly claimed she was a vegetarian because she only ate chicken and fish.

in friendship,
prad

[Veggie Girl]

Well I think traditionally, in America anyway, the definition was:
meat = flesh from four legged hoofed animals
poultry = flesh from birds
fish = flesh from sea creatures.

So I can understand that when a person says "no meat" or "I don't eat meat" they might exclude poultry and fish or they may think things like non-veg stock. That's just how people were brought up I guess. Also, because it's become fairly mainstream to exclude "meat" (as in the above definition) from a diet for health reasons, I can understand why people ask "even chicken?" as a reaction.

But I think saying you're "vegetarian" should mean "i don't eat any animals" which can be different from "i don't eat 'meat'."

I actually started saying I don't eat "animals" at restaurants to avoid the chicken/fish situation. It works. I get weird offputting looks, but it works. And I figure, yes it sounds tacky. But if you're going to eat the animals, at least own up to it instead of calling it weird euphemisms like pork, ham, beef, mutton, poultry, etc etc.

[pradtf]

traditionally i think you may well be quite correct about the understanding that some people have about meat.
it's always good to enlighten them though.

the application of vegetarian required an overhaul too from it's 1842 origins, which is why donald watson coined vegan.

however, definitions are just excuses sometimes - so i like the way you clarify things at restaurants.

you may find this discussion interesting: link

in friendship,
prad

[John Mayer]

Mirabella said: “I think the one that took the cake for me was, "But if everyone stopped eating animals, we'd be overrun! What would we do with all those cows?“

A few years ago Marilyn vos Savant, the self-styled smartest person in the world, in her column in Parade made a similar comment: that if we stopped eating animals those who raise them, unable to sell them, would have to kill them anyhow or let them starve. I glad I don’t share her level of intelligence. As though we’d all stop eating meat at once (if only).

There is a similar, more legitimate argument though, sometimes called the Logic of the Larder, which postulates that by eating animals we allow those animals a chance to live. Yes, their lives are short, but if we did breed meat animals they’d never know life at all. This one requires a more thoughtful response. I have my own responses, but I’ve not really studied the traditional arguments on both sides. You can look it up on the internet if interested.

[pradtf]

hmmm ... seems marilyn has gotten herself trapped in her own logic :D
i'd like to hear your response on the second item.

in friendship,
prad

[John Mayer]

The dumbest one I’ve encountered, at least the first that occurs to me, was from a woman I worked with when I made some comment or other about the benefits of vegetarianism. “Well, YOU’re a vegetarian, and YOU’re the one who lost an eye.” Allow me to emphasize I lost my eye through contact sports, not through a nutritional deficiency. This was really too stupid to deserve a response, but I responded anyhow: “I never claimed vegetarianism made you bullet-proof.”