Lauren’s Tale

I have had a few somewhat ‘interesting’ conversations with some vegans and vegetarians lately and all I can say is that I have walked away sniggering under my breath, oh dear, what an unusual bunch they can be, don’t get me wrong I don’t judge my best friend who only eats fish and sea dwelling creatures because she became unwell as a vegetarian and doesn’t like other types of meat and she doesn’t judge me either and try and put her beliefs onto me which is what I have a problem with, and seriously… It’s ok to not eat any meat, meat products or anything that has animal derivatives if that’s what you strongly belive in that’s ok, I may not agree with you but that’s neither here nor there.  What frustrates me when people contradict themselves, only eating fish and chicken, because it’s cruel to eat any animal flesh what???  Don’t fish and chickens count as animals because last I checked both have a heartbeat and definitely breathe, scientists have recently proven that fish are capable of learning and chickens are as intelligent as dogs, chickens living naturally as they should have a highly complex and rich social structure.

 There are two very clear incidents that stand out and sadly both occurred at a family gathering.  I opened my esky to reaveal some sausages which were incidently from an organic, free-range cow, my aunt (‘veg’) asked and I told her she glared at me and said well there not vegetarian are they… No was my response but that’s ok because I know my cow was treated with respect and lived a life a cow is entitled to.  I left it there.  Sadly within ½ and hour my mum brought out some chicken liver patte and there was my aunt scoffing her face, well aware of what it was hmm…  My other aunt (another ‘veg’) seems to be just as deluded, I was standing in the kitchen putting together potato bake and she askes me with an air of superiority, “I hope you havn’t used any animal fat to oil the dish”, my partners response is Lauren used butter which technically is an animal fat but my aunt thinks this is ok (thankfully) and then goes on to say how she only eats chicken and shellfish, never fish because she thinks it cruel how they die and so is how a cow, sheep or pig dies and how they have terrible treatment.  Poor chicken’s they’re one of the worst treated last I checked and their life is marred by confinement and people under the delusion that they rate somewhere around the intelligence level of a slug.   

 From my observations humans love labels whether it be a Vegan, Vegetarian, Christian, Buddist, even people who have no beliefs have given themselves a name, Athiest.  I’m sick of the supremacy and being judged as a less evolved human because I choose to use and consume animal products, I have come up with my own label, I am an Ethical Omnivore, I care about where ALL my food comes from, I believe that it my responsibility to think about where the food I consume comes from and that it is treated with due respect, be it a potato, a lamb chop, a peach or a cabbage, I eat organic, bio-dynamic and free-range whenever I can.  I believe that being at the top of the food chain as a Homosapien my biological systems have evolved to function best when I consume some animal protein, animal fats, vegetables, fruits and other nutrient dense food.   

 The life of a zebra or other prey animal is not a pleasant one and when a lion or other predatory animal is bearing down apon it fear and pain are a given, but it has lived a life like a zebra should and the lion isn’t condemned and frowned upon because it eats other animals to gain vital nutrients, good luck trying to convice it to be a Vegan/ Vegetarian. 

About the Author...

I’m an Ethical Omnivorous 24 year old chapter leader of the Weston A. Price Foundation who is committed to growing the WAPF movement in the great state that is South Australia. I love all aspects of nourishing the body, mind and soul and enjoy nothing more than talking to people with like ideas but don't shy away from those sometimes inflammatory 'conversations' with people who feel the need to openly argue with my outlook on such topics (what’s with that?).