Wednesday 1 August 2007

Vegansexuals!

You know that feeling that you've seen everything, and then something comes your way and you get surprised? Sometimes it's a refreshing experience, realizing that there's indeed more out there in the world than you know about. And then, sometimes, it's a disillusioning experience, when you are struck by the thought that there's so much more out there to figure out and you haven't even begun to scratch the surface; hence, so much more to overcome.

And then, the third feeling you may have is utter astonishment and disbelief. This is what I felt when I read a story about vegansexuals.
What are vegansexuals? Ah, they're vegans and vegetarians who decided they won't have sex with meat eaters, because meat eaters (such as yours truly) are a graveyard for animals. And that we are apparently disgusting, because we're made up of dead animals.

Me, joking? No, it's all true. Read it, sir, madam - here.

Well, does it really matter? Not really. I don't look down on vegans and vegetarians. In fact, I have no problem with them - provided they don't look down on me just because I enjoy a juicy, bloody slice of steak or a pulled-pork sandwich from Albertan stock. But when I see a group of people who are promoting the negative (refusal of intimacy with meat-eaters) rather than the positive (desire of intimacy with vegetarians), then I am compelled to pull the other way as if I were in a tug-of-war with this group.

So, of course, I go hunting around, and I come across this - People Eating Tasty Animals, better known as PETA. But wait, that's not what PETA stands for. In fact, PETA is known widely as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, of which Pamela Anderson is one of the most famous members. It's also known as the group that takes a vigilant approach to reminding people of the horrors of eating dead animals, even going so far as to strip naked in public to get people's attention. Cloverdale's Ashley Fruno has made a name for herself doing just that, and even getting evicted from Singapore for "behaving suspiciously" in that dear country.

Anyhow, it appears that the man behind People Eating Tasty Animals laid claim to the www.peta.org URL, which led to a lawsuit by the "real" PETA complaining about cybersquatting. After all the noise and dust died down, People Eating Tasty Animals now has their own website and a couple important notes on their website saying they are not a front for PETA, nor are they a voice for the meat industry, amid other legal statements. Seems that the issue is still ongoing.

A bit more hunting on the Internet unearthed People Who Enjoy Eating Tasty Animals, and guess what hit me? The stark realization that there is a shit-slinging competition here - and the groups that seem to make light of the whole shebang are the meat-eaters, who clearly are doing this to make fun of the vegetarians. So far, I haven't see much about vegetarians making fun of meat-eaters, apart from calling us a "graveyard for animals".

Come on, folks - that won't earn our respect. Imagine raising a child - if you criticize a child every opportunity you get, then that child will grow up to either ignore you, disrespect you, or worse yet, hate you. However, if you try to educate the child, help the child understand your own viewpoint, and above all, respect that child's own feelings, then maybe some progress may be made.

Sometimes I feel like I've seen everything, but then this comes along. If there's a way to make me sit down and write an entire blog about a group of vegans living in New Zealand, then there's a way to make me sit up and take notice of the possibility that yes, I may be contributing to the mass slaughter of furry animals. Think about it that way.

After all, I do enjoy being surprised. But hopefully, next time around, I'll be surprised and feel refreshed, rather than disillusioned or astonished.

I hope.

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