2008 Woodie Awards
To meat or not to meat
By: Carrie Parker
Issue date: 4/11/07 Section: Opinion
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Staff Writer
I love meat. If you've got a grease-smothered hamburger on your lunch tray, hand it over. I know fatty foods are bad for me, but I simply can't help wanting more.
However, if you are unlike me and enjoy a healthier diet, you are probably more inclined to choose veganism.
According to Vegansociety.com, veganism originated in the UK in 1944, when a small group of people decided that dairy products should be omitted from their diet, separating themselves from vegetarianism.
The word "vegan" came into play when they combined the first three letters and the last two letters of the word "vegetarian," thus symbolizing the beginning and end of vegetarianism.
Being vegan consists of omitting meat, dairy, animal by products, processed foods, preservatives and other chemicals such as pesticides and dyes. Solely organic foods make up the vegan diet.
However, this is not as bad as it may seem. Although it is difficult to maintain a vegan diet when in college, stores such as Bloom, Whole Foods and Earthfare cater to the needs of vegans by providing a wide range of organic foods and cooking materials. An extensive variety of cookbooks are available at bookstores that contain an endless amount of easy, delicious recipes to suit a vegan diet. Instead of dairy, soy is used to substitute for milk, butter, cheese and some meats. Tofu can be marinated and grilled just like chicken or pork, or made into pasta form. Since meat is excluded from a vegan diet, beans and vitamins ensure enough daily protein and iron.
Many people chose a vegan lifestyle for health reasons. Some simply prefer not to eat animal products, while others benefit more from this diet because of food allergies or digestive issues. However, some people chose veganism for all the wrong reasons.
One of the main reasons for veganism's newly found popularity is a direct result of Web sites such as Peta2.com. Peta2 has made a name for themselves by fueling protests, misrepresenting the truth and working with people's guilt to manipulate them to turn towards veganism. They show videos of animals being tortured and insist that this animal mistreatment is an every-day practice in the food industry.
However, what they fail to mention is that the videos they show are of criminals breaking the law, and who have faced severe legal action.
Peta2 also emphasizes that animals have spirits and feelings just like humans, using extreme, illogical personification to fuel the fire.
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