Tag Archives: PETA

Vegan Like Me No. 22

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Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world! We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that. If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.

Name:  Bud Burdick

Bud, vegan 6 years

Bud, vegan 6 years

Where do you live?  Brooklyn, NY

How long have you been vegan?  ”Almost 6 years”

What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet?  ”My move toward a plant-based diet began a little over eight years ago.  I was at a hardcore show and the Syracuse Animal Rights Organization was tabling, offering pamphlets and leaflets, and showing videos portraying the plight of animals.  I later watched the film Meet Your Meat by PETA and was convinced that I needed to change.  I immediately stopped consuming most animal products with exception to “cage free”, organic eggs and shrimp.  Two and a half years later, after having eaten shrimp that smelled like bleach at a restaurant and looking more into the “cage free” industry, I decided to become vegan.”

What do you love most about being vegan?  ”I love knowing that I do no harm to others.  I love trying new foods, exploring those I am familiar with, and being part of an awesome community of caring, thoughtful individuals.  I love the fast recovery I experience after exercising, and the fast recovery following my chemotherapy treatments as I am currently battling leukemia.”

What three items do you always have in your pantry?

“1) Peanut Butter – a staple for sandwiches and smoothies.

2) Oatmeal – often used in smoothies as well, or eaten hot or cold with dried fruit

3) Whole Wheat Pita – great with hummus, I buy the varieties with the fewest ingredients.”

What is your favorite vegan comfort food?  “Foodswings” (Vegan restaurant in Brooklyn)

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet?  “It is important to be open to try new things.  Many vegan foods are different from the standard American diet.  Explore the produce aisle, the internet, and local book stores for more options and ideas.  Seek out like-minded people through Meetup.com groups or local vegetarian groups, and be prepared to answer questions.  This means knowing why you are making this decision, and speaking on things that you know to be true.  You will be questioned by friends, family, and many people you meet as to why you made the change.  If you ever end up in a situation in which you feel “outnumbered” and are being lambasted with questions from non-vegans, offer to take down emails and send information at a later time.”

Do you find anything difficult about being vegan?  “I do not.”

Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add?  “I have recently experienced life changing events and have documented much of my journey into veganism and through these times in my blog. I feel I have some good things to say and this is my outlet. Check it out:  budburdick.com “Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it” -Chinese Proverb”

Thank you so much, Bud, for sharing your story.  I highly suggest visiting his website, as I believe he offers a unique outlook as a vegan, and someone who has been dealt some pretty serious challenges… best of all, he does it with a smile.  It can serve as inspiration to anyone – vegan or otherwise – to truly love and experience your life to the fullest.  Thank you for such an inspirational perspective, Bud!  Let’s high-five at the next Vegan Drinks, ok?  

An open letter to Lady Gaga

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Recently, there has been some backlash against Lady Gaga because she wore a fur coat made out of pink rabbit fur.  Well, we don’t know for sure whether it was real or not because she would not disclose it… which really can only lead you to believe one thing, right?  Gagaloo put out a statement, where she says, amongst other things,

“I want you to know that I care deeply about your feelings and views, and I will always support your philosophies about life.  I do not however support violent, abusive, and childish campaigns for ANY CAUSE. Particularly one I respect: Animal Rights.” 

Whoa.  Whoa.  Whoa.  Violent?  Abusive?  Childish?  Ahkay.  Here goes.

Dear Lady Gaga,

I read your statement about “Furgate”.  I thought about it.  I thought about how I would address what you presented if someone was standing right in front of me and said those words.  I tried to imagine how you might say those words.  I tried to think if you have ever looked into the reality of what wearing fur means.  Have you?  You can be honest with me, here.  I don’t think you have, because I honest to goodness do not believe that someone who has done so would say the words that you did.  I’m a little bit confused by all of this because didn’t you previously speak out AGAINST fur?  And then you were photographed wearing fur while holding a dog.

A lot of people “know” the fur industry is brutal.  But I really don’t think that they know know. 

Everyday you ask millions of people a day to be loving and kind to their fellow humans – it’s time to extend that to ALL beings.  All beings have the capacity to feel pain and suffer.  Not just humans.  What gives us the right to bully and electrocute animals via an anal probe, just in order to wear them as “fashion” or as you said, “museum pièce de résistance”? 

It doesn’t take a strict vegan to know that wearing fur is so backwards.  Fashion luminaries such as Stella McCartney and Tim Gunn are both staunchly against fur, amongst many others.  People often say they have a “choice” to wear fur… but what about that poor animal who had no choice to be killed (violently) so you could wear him or her? 

Cruelty towards others needs to include animals and “fashion” or “art” is not an acceptable excuse.  What you’ve worn in the past is in the past… you can make a difference choice going forward.  It’s ok.  I wasn’t always vegan – we all had a starting point.  Why don’t you make today your starting point?  Acknowledge your past, and pledge going forward that you won’t harm beings just to wear them.  Our past should not stop us from moving forward towards a more compassionate future.  Let’s widen the circle of compassion and be the compassionate change we wish to see in the world.  Stand up against cruelty towards ALL beings. 

With love and compassion,

Emily

PS:  There would be more grain to make bread for hungry children if more people went vegan!

 

To learn more:

Cruelty-free designers

PETA

Learn more about dogs/cats in China that are used for fur & animals that are farmed or trapped in the wild for fur.

Vegan Like Me No. 11

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Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world!  We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that.  If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.

Name:  Keith De-Lin

 Where do you live?  Manhattan

How long have you been vegan?  ”Vegetarian for 12 years, vegan for the last 10 months”

Keith (right), vegan 10 months (With his wife, Stacy, who is also vegan!)

What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet?   ”If you’re a guy, vegan and in a relationship, I’m sure you’ve heard the following far too many times: “”Who stopped eating meat first, you or her?”" Essentially what they’re asking is, “”So, when did she tell you to stop eating meat?”" The premise being that eating meat is manly and only women trouble themselves with thoughts of compassion. Real men eat meat, blah, blah, blah.

It wasn’t my vegetarian wife and it wasn’t some awful PETA video. For me it was just the right choice at the right time. Yeah, I’d heard the pleas from her and seen the gruesome videos, but as a stubborn New Englander that grew up in cow country, I was desensitized to those images and could not be convinced they were bad.

Then finally in the winter of 2000, I read an article about a large egg farm abandoning thousands upon thousands of chickens after a roof collapsed because it was cheaper for the company to walk away. This extreme callousness just rubbed me the wrong way and from that minute on I decided I would not support an industry that chose profit over life.

Eleven years later it was the egg industry again. I learned of the fate of male chicks and how the industry inhumanely discards them and decided it was time to complete the journey and go vegan and I couldn’t be happier. “

What do you love most about being vegan?  ”Knowing that my eating habits align with my beliefs, that all life is precious.

What three items do you always have in your pantry?  ”1) Garlic: Being married to an Italian means never running low on garlic. We use it in just about everything and why wouldn’t we? It’s amazing!

2) Field Roast Italian Sausage: Not only is this vegan sausage delicious, it completes my spicy red sauce which is the life-blood of my existence.

3) My Spicy Red Sauce: I know this isn’t really an “”item”", but it’s rare that I don’t have at least one mason jar in the fridge with it. I love pasta and used to spend far too much money buying expensive sauces until one day I decided to make my own and it’s SO DELICIOUS. I cannot live without it. It’s great on pasta, pizza, fried dough, fights crime, fills potholes, makes Popeye strong… wait, I may be wrong about some of those. “

What is your favorite vegan comfort food?  ”Two words. French Fries.”

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet?  ”I heard some advice recently that I loved and recommend. It was, lean into it. It would be great if everyone could go vegan over night, but sometimes it’s not that easy. For those people it’s nice to say that you don’t need to be The Perfect Vegan right away. Do what you’re comfortable with and slowly eliminate meat from your diet. I think you’ll find with all the alternatives out there, that it’s not as hard as people make it sound. In fact, I bet you don’t realize that most of your diet is already vegan.”

Do you find anything difficult about being vegan?  ”I really wish I could give a big hardy no but there is one thing that still gets me from time to time. Pizza. While there are tons of wonderful alternatives what with Daiya and Teese, it’s the pizzerias that throw me off. Living in NYC I used to love being able to step into one no matter what block I was on. It was practically second nature to me to grab a slice whenever the mood struck. Just the smell would lure me in. And that’s the problem, on every corner the temptation is there. DAMN YOU NEW YORK!! Thankfully I’ve found a couple terrific new spots that serve vegan slices so I’m just making a point to get there as often as I can.”

Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add?  “I’d just like to add that the vegan community is so amazing. The sense of community and camaraderie is overwhelming and having a large support system and friends with similar values makes being a vegan one of the best choices I’ve ever made and I encourage all those on the fence to do the same.”

Thank you so much, Keith, for being our first male “Vegan Like Me”!  Keith’s wife, Stacy, was my second “Vegan Like Me” and I’m so thrilled to say that we have all become friends, because of this very blog!  In fact, Keith & Stacy were inspired to create their own vegan blog, Vegan Fatty Boombalatty!  They post a lot of great recipes, reviews and other such vegan goodness.  You can “like” them on Facebook, too.  Keith is totally right, though – the vegan community is an amazingly supportive bunch, and I am so grateful for all of the friends that I have made just through being vegan. 

Vegan Like Me No. 7

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Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world!  We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that.  If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.

Name:  Sabrina E.

Sabrina, vegan for 9 years

Where do you live?  Brooklyn, NY

How long have you been vegan?  9 years

What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet?   When I was 12 or so, I went on a family trip to a bed and breakfast/farm in Amish country. I brought along some books for the car ride, and somehow checked out a book from the library called something like 100 Ways Kids Can Save The Earth, published by PETA. Up until that point, I had never thought about how my everyday actions affect animals. I became vegetarian then, and became vegan several years later.

For me, it’s a sacrifice that’s easy to make. I don’t think all vegan foods taste as delicious as their non-vegan counterparts. Boston cream donuts are delicious, and yes, I miss them. However, I think of veganism as something I consciously do everyday that causes less suffering in the world. It’s not a great sacrifice, and sometimes I hardly think about it. I like that I’m healthy and getting the nutrients I need without contributing to the suffering of animals.

What do you love most about being vegan?  It may seem petty, but I love being able to eat whatever I want and I don’t have to worry about going on a diet. Almost everything I eat is healthy, and being vegan I’m able to eat as much as I want!

I also feel that the world of foods vegans can eat is much smaller than most people’s options, so it encourages us to think creatively. I’m always looking for new ingredients, new textures, and perusing supermarkets far and wide trying to decipher labels. It’s fun to keep looking for new things that you haven’t tried, and I’m not sure if I would be on so much of a scavenger hunt all the time if I wasn’t vegan.

What three items do you always have in your pantry?  Nutritional yeast, dark chocolate, Earth Balance (vegan butter)

What is your favorite vegan comfort food?  Peanut Butter Bomb cake from Vegan Treats.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet?  Have fun with food, get inspired by blogs and cookbooks, try new things, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you accidentally eat something with a wrong ingredient. Stay rooted in the reasons to become vegan, and the temptations will go away. I now think of my veganism as something like a dietary restriction. For example, I can recognize when non-vegan foods look delicious but I’ve trained myself to avoid them as if I were allergic. When it becomes clear which foods you can and can’t eat, it becomes much easier to feel comfortable and get excited about being vegan.

Do you find anything difficult about being vegan?  I’ve had to switch to being vegetarian when living abroad in South Korea and Morocco. If you don’t speak the language and can’t read it, it’s pretty tough to stay vegan. Additionally, going over for dinner at someone’s house (whether in the US or abroad) can be challenging if they’re not used to veganism. I try to bring my own food whenever possible, or sometimes I try to appreciate the host’s graciousness and pick around or give certain foods the benefit of the doubt (ie- this could maybe be made with oil instead of butter?)… Regardless, it can be a challenge when you’re out of your comfort zone and don’t have access to a health food store.

See!  Sabrina knows the delight of Vegan Treats, too!  Thanks so much for playing, Sabrina.

Vegan Like Me No. 4

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Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world!  We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that.  If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.

Name:  Cassandra Meehan

Cassandra, Vegan for 9 years

Where do you live?  Melbourne, Australia

How long have you been vegan?  About 9 years

What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet?  I had been vegetarian since I was 13, granted, my vegetarianism started through peer group pressure (my group of new-found friends were veg), but it slowly grew to be a huge part of my life. I became vegetarian purely for ethical reasons – for the animals.  For about 2 years (18-20), I was on and off fish, like tuna and salmon, feeling pressure to eat fish for my health, from family, friends, and doctors, but it never sat well with me.  I soon gave up fish for good.  When I hit my 20′s I tried on and off to become vegan, but would always fail with things like eggs (huge cravings, that would develop into sickness once I had consumed them), and occasionally cheese.  I was still wearing animal products, such as leather, wool, silk.  Then when I was around 24/25, I’d recently been stuck  behind a truck carrying a lot of calves to God knows where.  There were so many of them crammed into the trailer, they were on top of each other and every time we stopped at traffic lights, blood seeped onto the road – it was such a bright vibrant red, it didn’t look real. The calves were just looking at me through the grates of the trailer. Anyway, I had to pull over after 20 mins and had a bit of a meltdown.  It had a huge impact on me.  Then a couple of weeks later, with academic assessments coming out of my ears, tired and run down I watched a PETA video on the Dairy Industry.  That toppled me over the edge.  I could not stop crying for about 4 hours.  I rang my mother and said I’d wiped my hands clean, of anything to do with the animal/meat/dairy eating industry.  It was like a switched had been flicked.  There was no struggle.  I was vegan.  I no longer buy clothing such as leather, wool etc.. but there are probably a few items still around in my wardrobe.  So, I guess you could say, it was an evolution for me.  I always knew where I wanted to be – ie. vegan, it just took me a little while to get there. Since then, I have been a fully committed ethical vegan for 9 years :)

What do you love most about being vegan?  That I can live a healthy and happy life without consciously contributing to the use, abuse, death of another living being.  Why wouldn’t I?  All lives are precious.

What three items do you always have in your pantry?  Brown rice, chilli and avocado.

What is your favorite vegan comfort food?  Dark chocolate.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet?  Take it slowly. I recommend mostly to vegetarians, because they’re half way there. But no one I know has actually made the transition to vegan. Most of the times it’s, ‘My doctor said I can’t/shouldn’t…’  My sister has done a few 30 day challenges, but has always failed. Haha. Always won over by the cheese and eggs!

But if you allow yourself time.. Surf the web for tips on making the transition. I get a lot of advise and information mostly from the internet and my own research. PETA and their links were a great help. And vegetarian victoria were great too. Cruelty Free website. The Ethical Consumer Guide. Lots of link clicking and internet surfing!

Do you find anything difficult about being vegan?  Other people! ;) Say for instance, if I’m tired or run down, people automatically say, “Oh, it’s because you’re vegan – you’re not getting enough of this, or the right kind of nutrients!”   Nothing to do with the 3 jobs, 2 assignments and life dramas that may be present at the time.

A lot of people a shocked to discover I’m vegan, they’re always “You look so well/healthy for a vegan” Ha! It’s because I love food and I love to eat. You really need to look after your nutrition being vegan; actually everyone needs to look after their nutrition and eat well. A lot of people don’t see that. Those who have known me a long time, love going out and suggested new veg places to eat or cooking vegan meals, or having me cook vegan meals. They really get in on ‘being vegan for the day/night’ – so they’re totally supportive and curious. It’s mostly new people that I meet, sometimes go on the attack AS SOON as they discover I’m vegan. And that’s when the whole “well, what about the vegetables? How do your morals lie with that?” And “You know I’m not going to stop eating meat around you”. And bringing up the environmental impact of soy etc… And the ol’ classic “I’d like to be a vegetarian, but I could never give up steak” But on a whole – people are more intrigued than anything else. “Can you eat this?” “Can you eat that” “What about this?”

Any other comments you or words of wisdom you would like to add?  All lives are precious. Go vegan!

Thanks so much, Cassandra!  I, too, consider myself to be an ethical vegan… the health benefits are such a great bonus.  Much love to my dear friend down under!