[Zanni]

For the same reason people hate mimes. Which is to say, no one hates thoughtful vegans, or anyone with any dietary restriction; they hate people who are smug and difficult. (Just as no one hates brilliant physical actors on stage; they hate obnoxious, in-your-face street performers).

I have friends who are vegan, and we can comfortably go out to eat together because we all order what we prefer and there's no judgement on either side. I can't imagine doing that with someone who actively disrespected my choices or voiced the opinion that meat is murder.

[emptysongglass]

I used to hold the same opinion as you but I realized it was out of a strong desire to be an affable peacemaker for something that is essentially concentration camps for animals. I have resisted any attempt to be vegan for years and years despite mounting evidence of the mind-boggling level of cruelty that goes on at factory farms. I just don't think we can afford to blissfully ignore it at this point. If a meat-eater can sit through the film Dominion and not change their mind... Man, I just don't know what to say. I feel like I can only afford to be affable to those meat-eaters truly ignorant at this point.

[LeoNatan25]

Do you also avoid any product manufactured in China, which runs child sweatshops and concentration camps for people? Or did you type the above message on a Mac?

[emptysongglass]

This is a false equivalence. Buying factory-farmed meat directly supports its producers. The manufacturer of my laptop does not run the concentration camp for Uighers.

[LeoNatan25]

You really don't know how Chinese business operate, do you? The government owns stakes in virtually all business. Buying anything built in China directly supports the government.

[emptysongglass]

I'm sorry, it's really not the same thing. At all.

[nabla9]

I don't agree. The hate happens without provocation. Especially with older generations and with people who are not from the most urban cities.

They find out that you are the vegetarian in a group of people who are not used to seeing many vegetarians the whole discussion turns into vegetarianism with unpleasant skeptical tone. They spend whole time eating talking about my eating habits. Closer they are to you in informal settings more irritating they are.

As others have said in this thread, they seem to feel that I'm accusing them for something just because I'm vegetarian and they are in defensive.