From: radams@cerritos.edu
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg
Subject: Re: the term "vegetarian"
Date: 26 Aug 92 17:23:22 PST
Organization: Cerritos College, Norwalk CA

In article <1992Aug26.183548.25765@cs.ucla.edu>, 
tiff@kona.cs.ucla.edu (Tiffany Frazier) writes:
> 
> The thing that really bothers me is the idea that the term/class "vegetarian"
> is reserved for those that never, ever eat an animal product.
> Absolutely no offensive intended, but one person even (jokingly?) suggested
> the use of a new term "sushi-vegetarian" and admitted to one "lapse" over the
> course of two years.  
> 
Most vegetarians who go to japanese restaurants don't know that miso soup
and other soups and nabe etc. have bonita skin (part of dashi) and other
fish products because they are often transparent. But I wouldn't go have
my stomach pumped (I'm a 7 year vegetarian not counting consuming miso soup...
:-). 

>   Those that are vegetarians (except we can't be) for health and/or
>   environmental reasons are not likely to be "true" vegetarians (e.g. not
>   likely to _always_ forsake the bad stuff because, for example, it isn't
>   going to kill you or the environment to eat a thanksgiving dinner with
>   your relatives - period).  It kills the turkey, obviously, but...
> 
I'm also a vegetarian for health reasons primarily but my idea of health
includes spiritual health (I practice yoga).

> This is getting rather rambly... but
> Especially in America, vegetarians are a tiny minority - I think patience
> and politeness are the best ways to handle problem situations.   
> 
Yes, I have had little trouble with anyone over my diet over the 7 years of
being a vegetarian because I do not take offense easily even if someone is
telling me that I will endanger my health if I don't eat fish - I just politely
disagree and move on if necessary. I think much of the trouble vegetarians
have with others is caused by their own intolerance or impatience or
frustration that everyone else is not a vegetarian. Our own example speaks
louder than preaching sermons on the evils of meat eating.

> I watched someone next to me yesterday at UCLA's cafeteria ordering an egg
> salad sandwich and really rudely saying "don't set my sandwich down on the
> counter" (deli meat scraps were definitely there), "wipe the knife first
> please", "wipe it with a rag, not a piece of paper", etc.  I can sympathize
> with her plight but why she thinks the person behind the counter has any idea
> what to do and why she has to bark commands out - with an exasperated "I'm
> a vegetarian" - I don't know.  She came across as bitchy, self-righteous,
> part of that radical fringe, etc, etc.  I just winced.
> 
Here is a perfect example of a vegetarian causing problems for herself 
including the probability that she ended up eating the sandwich in a condition
of being upset in which case its better not to eat at all. This reminds me
of all the weeping and gnashing of teeth that is done over the difficulties
of getting vegetarian meals on airlines. I read an interview of an opera
singer who does a lot of traveling who claims to have beaten the problem
of jet lag by not eating anything on airplanes, ie. fasting on airplanes
helped her to avoid the problem of jet lag. This may not be very scientific
but it sure beats all the worry about calling the airlines a hundred times
to reconfirm your vegetarian meal and then be served pork roast. I do this
fasting myself if there is nothing to eat but in my yearly travels on airlines
I have always found plenty of ovo-lacto veg food without making special orders.
I do think I would feel better not eating at all on airlines since they 
really do overfeed you when all your doing is sitting for hours on end and
all you really need is the peanuts or cashews they give you with juice (if
you need food at all). However I like the idea of airlines being educated
about the existence of vegans and other vegetarians because this is progress
towards having more understanding of what vegetarianism is.

> I've really gotten off the track here, but ultimately I really don't
> understand this compulsive? need of vegetarians to establish some kind
> of "pecking-order" amongst their ranks.  It seems counterproductive (If
> we want the world to accept and understand vegetarians and their needs as
> something natural/normal) and makes it _obvious_ that some brands of
> vegetarians are inherently better than others.
> 
> -tiff
Thank you for your refreshing post.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	Roger Adams
	radams@cerritos.edu               To those in whom love dwells,
	Cerritos College                  the whole world is one family.
	11110 Alondra Blvd                             A Hindu Proverb
        Norwalk, California 90650
	USA        		          292 Dwapara :-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------