That letter inspired dozens of responses -- some mild, many militant. "Please don't fight blame with blame or hatred with hatred," one person wrote. "This isn't about YOU," said another. Several people urged her to clean up her language, now that she's finally taken care of her diet. And still others agreed with her that vegans need to tone down the rhetoric.
Clarksville, for example offered this:
About six years ago, I was walking the Bolder Boulder with my five-year-old nephew. A "Kegs and Eggs" party was going on on the sidelines and one of the participants offered us some bacon. Being a meat lover at the time, we took it.We were immediately set upon by a "militant" vegan who shoved a photo of a butchered pig in my nephew's face. She was shouting, "This is where that bacon comes from!!" I gently pushed her away from my nephew and calmly pointed out the belly of the pig and said, "No, this is where it comes from." And kept walking. I chose not to engage any more with her so as to not traumatize the child with me. I don't think he knew what was happening or even remembers this incident.
I am now, many years later, a vegan. This was a lifestyle choice for health reasons first and foremost, but also with the knowledge that eating plant strong will benefit the world we live in in a myriad of ways.
But if I ever meet that "militant vegan" again I will kick her sorry ass for thinking that she had any right whatsoever to traumatize a child and a member of my family.
