By Amy Longard and Jeanne Holden and Ken Morin, Ottawa Citizen Letters to the Editor, May 23, 2019
Why not ask a vegan?
Re: Cross: Vegans, please leave your meat obsession at the door, May 20
Rather than mock our meats, the writer surely could’ve asked one of the nearly 10 per cent of Canadians who consider themselves either vegetarian or vegan about their “obsession.”
(...)We’re guided by our values
Interesting as it may be to ask a vegan about why some foods are “disguised,” to paraphrase the writer’s statements, as meat products, it is simply to make the product more palatable for supermarkets and restaurants, and the choice easier to enjoy. As a vegan, I would ask the question: Why don’t meat eaters shape their burger like a cow, or present their veal in the embodiment of the baby animal, or buy their eggs in nests? Perhaps if your chicken nuggets came with a feather from the chicken you were eating, it would be a reminder of how “pure” your consumption is with regards to menu choice.
(...)Bring on the meat alternatives
Thank you for the timely article on meat and vegans by the “unrepentant omnivore.” I know some vegans are repulsed by the taste of animal flesh, but I personally love a good steak or some barbecued chicken. I am aware, however, of the negative impact of animal products on my health, the horrible animal cruelty involved and the huge environmental cost of animal agriculture. Therefore, I welcome the realistic plant-based substitutes that are becoming available. The author asks, “Why not eat the real thing?” and I just gave three good reasons. My concern for my own health and my sense of ethics greatly restricts my animal meat intake. You could call me a repentant flexitarian.