The little dude (I think he’s going to be called Tonka) is doing great. He’s nursing better and better, and all his “functions” seem to be normal. This morning, he needed help to find the balance to even stand, and could hold himself up for about 30 seconds. This evening, he is pushing himself up to standing, and can hold it for about a minute! Amazing progress.

1. It’s been my personal experience for the past almost 5 years that eating a healthy vegan diet is very easy to do. My husband has had the same experience. We’re healthy, active, and thriving. My family has had the same experience. I have many vegan friends who also live this reality. I know numerous vegans who have been vegan for decades. All these people are evidence to me that the vegan diet works.

2. The explanations that I’ve heard from various “ex-vegans” are pretty flaky in most cases. These people often seem to self-diagnose their problems and blame the lack of animal products for their issues, instead of seeking skilled help.

3. I’m aware of 2 very specific examples (I read a blog post and I heard another vegan’s story on a podcast) of very committed vegans who’ve had legitimate health problems. They needed skilled help after being unsuccessful trying to figure out their problems alone. Even these committed vegans started to doubt their ability to continue being vegan, but yet they persisted in finding an acceptable answer to their problems. In both cases, they were able to find a solution to their issues within the vegan construct. They were deeply committed to veganism.

4. I don’t trust many “ex-vegans” because lots of them are all about bashing veganism once they return to meat eating. I’ve heard from plenty of these ex-”vegans” on paleo oriented podcasts, blogs and forums. Many of them also seem to get all “rah-rah-rah, yum-yum-yum” about eating animals after they were supposedly so concerned about animals before that. It doesn’t add up.

5. Regarding Alex J., the issue for her was not whether she “can” or “cannot” be vegan. She herself speaks only of her desire to give into her cravings. Cravings do not indicate the need to eat animal products. She did not seek any skilled help. She was clearly not committed.

For these reasons, I can only believe with my rational mind that everyone CAN be vegan, WHO IS COMMITTED TO BEING VEGAN.
I can’t just “let it be” when billions upon billions of animals are unnecessarily killed.

From my post: “You can’t quit veganism. You either get it or you don’t. Anyone who “used to be vegan” but isn’t vegan now, was never really vegan to begin with.”

Here’s another one on the same topic: http://veganrabbit.com/2012/01/23/vegans-never-say-die/

“Ex-vegans” are a bit of a pet-peeve of mine.

I’ve gotten a lot of flack for saying that (someone even wrote a response to my post trying to make the argument that one could start and stop being vegan at will) and it’s nice to see someone else who gets it.

Have you read Vegan Feminist Agitator’s post in response to Alex’s post? It really makes the logical flaws and ego-centrism even more transparent: http://veganfeministagitator.blogspot.com/2013/03/im-not-not-murdering-anymore.html

I went home and told my mother, who didn’t initially believe that my decision would last long. From that day forward, I didn’t eat red meat more than once or twice a year until the end of high school. I didn’t offend my family. I actually, didn’t even ask them challenging questions about their own choices. I simply asked that I have vegetarian options during family meals that were meat-based. My family supported me and continues to do so. My younger sister is also a vegetarian, which I assume is in part to the example I set for her. My brother, mother, and father have never been vegetarian and I have never gone out of my way to make them feel uncomfortable about it.

Truly, the consequences of teaching children about the vegan lifestyle are positive ones…

You begin your argument by being concerned for the few children who may be horrified to learn where their food comes from, but it quickly devolves into your true concern- having your own lifestyle put into question and feeling judged because of it. Which is the true heart of the resistance to educate our children about the values of a vegan lifestyle.

You emphasize the “gray area.” What, exactly, do you perceive the “gray area” to be? Children often do see things in black in white, because that is what they are taught. Sharing is “good,” hitting is “bad,” the characters in the violent children’s stories no one seems to be concerned about are “good” or “evil.” And you know that when children read this book, they will perceive eating animals as “bad” and being vegan as “good.” Clearly, you think this idea is misguided. It is a fact- we have evolved to a point where we can lead healthy lives without exploiting animals or consuming them. We do not need to eat animals. So, why is eating animals “good?” Because it is so engrained in our society? Because it tastes good? Because learning to live an alternative lifestyle to the one presented to you as a child is challenging and overwhelming? Is that the gray area? For those who have taken a critical look at animal agriculture and accepted that there is no moral way to be complicit in it’s continuance, we also see it as black and white. The gray area is your resistance to the truth, and your resistance to change.

Vegan is Love. That is true. Changing your diet and lifestyle to save the lives of other creatures you feel compassion for is an act of love. To imply that you, as a non-vegan, have “hatred in your life” is also true. Perhaps you are unaware of the full extent of the violence inherent in animal agriculture. You are not a “hateful” person, but the system you support is hateful and merciless. I believe many people do not know the violence they support. I do not see them as “hateful.” However, when the truth reveals itself- you have a clear choice. You can choose to remain ignorant to the suffering of billions of animals, or you can choose a more compassionate lifestyle that is better for animals, for you, for the environment, and for the world. What is that quote we love to teach children? “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Exactly.

Now here’s where your commentary gets really interesting:

“So if a child picks up this book, reads it, and comes from a non-vegan home… he or she may have serious questions, fears, and confusion about his or her own family.”

Yes! You can probably take out the “may have” part. They will most certainly have questions for their parents about why they choose to eat meat, dairy, and eggs, if it means subjecting animals to a violent life, and gruesome end.

This is my favorite part:

“I’m sorry, but I do not think kids should be subjected to that.”

The children aren’t really being “subjected” to anything uncomfortable or unsettling. Children love learning and asking questions. Your true concern seems to be for the non-vegan family members that now have to try and justify their eating habits to a child who has been taught all their short lives to treat animals with gentle caring and respect. I’d venture to say the rest of their books and their Disney DVD collection also have taught them that animals are much like them- with individual personalities and feelings. Which is true of animals. And now you are stuck trying to explain the “gray area,” and why eating animals is actually fine because you have always eaten animals, and bacon just tastes so, so good.

“There’s nothing wrong with teaching kids about ‘things like that,’ as long as it’s done correctly.”

Things like that? I’m just wondering what the other “things” are. Lifestyles alternative to the mainstream, that you seem to imply are inferior to your way of life? Hmm…

How does one teach children about veganism “correctly?” Without judging the lifestyles of others? That’s really funny to me, because I can’t think of a dietary lifestyle that receives more judgement than veganism. Let me ask you- if this book was never published, would you have gone out of your way to teach your children about being vegan and “things like that” without being judgmental of the lifestyle? How, exactly, does one teach children the basic foundation of being vegan- choosing to live without exploiting animals because we love animals and we care about them- and also explain “but lots of other people choose to eat animals, even though it isn’t necessary, and it hurts and kills the animals, but that’s okay…” Try explaining that to a child. Gray area, right? Perhaps you are afraid that those children might make the independent choice to commit to being vegan- and how that will affect you?

I thank you for your commentary, Sarah. I have a lot to think about today, and look forward to answering some of the questions I’ve presented to you. They are not rhetorical, by the way. Feel free to add further incite. I hope you have a lot of thinking to do today as well…

All my best to you, Sarah, with compassion and love-

Maddie

mom