From: ldh@svl.cdc.com (Lawrence D. Hare)
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg
Subject: Re: Vegetarians or not vegetarians?
Date: 17 Dec 92 18:02:10 GMT
Organization: Control Data Systems
X-UserAgent: Nuntius v1.1.1d9
X-XXMessage-ID: <A7560035BF010456@ethelred.svl.cdc.com>
X-XXDate: Thu, 17 Dec 92 10:00:21 GMT


 
In article <1992Dec16.195033.5723@i88.isc.com> Claudia Kale,
claudiak@i88.isc.com writes:
>(I confess I'm not entirely sure whether I'm addressing Lawrence or
>Donata here - one name appears on the account, another at the end of
>the article)

For someone who argues that it is not important to know who posts in this
newsgroup, you seem to be quite suspicious about my identity, so perhaps
you would like to re-read my first paragraph:

>Hello, I am using Lawrence's Internet address as I do not have one. I 
>am a vegan vegetarian interested in exchanging and learning ideas from
>other vegetarians. 

I asked Lawrence if I could print my message and he graciously agreed. 
He is not responsible for my opinions. About myself I have no secrets. I
am a female, I was born in Milan, Italy, 43 years ago and I am a teacher.
What else would you like to know?

>Donata/Lawrence, I find it puzzling that you think that one's dietary
>habits lend legitimacy to one's contributions to this forum. Does
>being a vegetarian automatically enhance the logic or veracity of
>one's posting? Does being an omnivore automatically bestow a hidden
>agenda upon one's posting? One of the things I like about net news
>is that I don't know the age/educational background/ethnic affiliation/
>religion/favorite color/sex (in some cases)/hatsize/whatever about
>posters: all "arguments" and opinions must stand or fall on their
>own logical merits and/or documentation.

I have never said that I would automatically agree or disagree with
anything a vegetarian would say based on the fact that she is a
vegetarian the way you imply. I believe in the courage of one's own
convictions when expressing criticism, however, and I respect that
courage regardless of my own ideologies.

>I don't see that any of us has been discourteous to you by not telling
>you everything about our dietary habits. When you discuss political
>issues or current events with others do you wish to know their
>political party and ethnic information before you assess the validity
>of their contributions to the discussion? Probably not.

You bet I want to know. When I am discussing politics with someone I want
to know their political views and they are proud to tell me. And as so
many people are disseminating misinformation about ethnic groups for
their own selfish reasons, depending on what they say,  I may wish to
know their ethnic information as well.

>I am a human being interested in learning, period. After all, it never
>hurts to know everything *:o)

Is this rec.food.veg? When I am interested in carpentry I shall look for
the appropriate newsgroup and I will carefully read both what the
carpenters and the non-carpenters have to say.

Donata
-----------------------------------
Donata M. Valli c/o ldh@svl.cdc.com
"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way
of a whole human being."
    Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg