Since October 1, 2011, I became 100% a dietary vegan. I’ve struggled very hard indeed to ensure everything I consume does not contain animal products (meat, fish, cheese, milk, egg, butter, gelatine etc) in the ingredients and by sticking to wholefoods, this has made my lifestyle choice much easier (although I slipped up the other day eating a pre-prepared batter that may have made milk in it). Truly, this is so important to me….personally
I really don’t like to talk about the political aspects of veganism. Certainly not in a manner anyway that pushes my personal beliefs down anyones throats and attacks others for having different opinions from my own (I am referencing zealotry and extremism an example) so I got quite upset from a comment left by Richard, a member of the Vegan Society, on my blog recently. I wasn’t upset by his strong principles, but upset by his verbal prejudice and venomous rhetoric to another human being especially without taking the time to check his facts.
Most of us on our planet are peaceful individuals, we tolerate each others differences and quietly work busily behind the scenes or in a productive enthusiastic way to make changes to the wrongs we want to see righted.
I’ve forwarded a link to the Vegan Society for comment and also to remind them of my prior request for further information on veganism in the 1940s (The Vegan Society was founded during the wartime 1940s and they produced a newsletter).
Please take a moment to read the comment left on my blog below and add your thoughts (nicely) please..
Thank you so much
C xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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COMMENT LEFT ABOUT THE BELOW RECIPE
REF: Cheese and Potato Dumplings Recipe
A True Vegan
your no vegan i am part of the vegan society and have been for 5 years now i eat no meat at all you make me sick i hope you stop call your self a vegan stick to your pricables ever your a vegan or NOT btw margarine has cow milk in it ^^^^^^^^^^
A Ture Vegen WiLL not eat MEAT CHEESE OR DRINK MILK
edit this on May 14, 2012 at 6:21 am
Carolyn
Dear Richard- I am a dietary vegan and have been so since October 1st, 2011. You are probably reading a recipe that I made prior to becoming a vegan.
While I applaud your principles, it is people like yourself that give veganism and the Vegan Society a bad name by being so hostile to other folk before taking time to find out the full details instead of attacking me or others in such a hateful manner?
You will see that since October 1st I offer alternative products to use such as Earth Balance dairy free margarine, almond milk instead of dairy milk, obviously no meat or fish and if people need a product to use instead of dairy cheese I have recommended Daiya (dairy free)
And during the war people ate far less meat and dairy and although in an ideal world, they wouldn’t eat any at all, eating a 1940s rationing diet is a BIG STEP in the right direction, getting off the junk processed food, eating very small amounts of animal flesh and cheese and moving towards a mostly plant based diet…. anyone making the change to this from mindlessly consuming huge amounts from animal food should be APPLAUDED. It’s a step in the right direction!
I am contacting the Vegan Society again as I still am waiting to hear from them regarding alternatives offered to Vegans during the latter part of the war (as you probably know the founder of the Vegan society formed it during the war and he used to produce a newsletter) and I’ll forward them a link to these comments- hopefully they can offer some input to 1940s veganism.
And BTW everyday I work very hard indeed to be true to veganism.
Kind Regards
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn
I am truly shocked and saddened at the abuse that Richard thought was appropriate to use towards you for the use of a product that MIGHT have contained cow’s milk.
I do not understand how anyone thinks lack of tolerance to their fellow human is going to improve the situation – in many cases this sort of attack puts peoples backs up and makes them more likely to continue on their present path.
I hope you get a reasonable response from the Vegan Society.
Lesley x
He read an old recipe from 2009 when I wasn’t vegan and used cheese and milk… nevertheless there was no need for a hateful outburst
I whole heartedly agree about lack of tolerance
C xxxx
I’ve been vegan for more than 15 years, and for what it’s worth I think you’re doing very well — especially for someone in their 1st year.
I think it’s important to remember that any idiot who pays their membership fees can call themselves a “part of the vegan society” — it’s not like there’s any kind of character assessment involved 🙂
Vegans are just like any other group of humans… some of us are reasonable (and literate), some… not so much. But unfortunately the other thing we have in common with all the other humans is that it’s the 12 year old attention-seeking pillocks who make the most noise and thus attract the most notice.
Hi Amy- most vegans I have met are truly wonderful people. And you are right- it is the minority that give a bad name to the majority and that is why I have had to make a comment on his comment and pass his name to the Vegan Society especially as he is using their name in making his point.
Normally I would let something like this go (am not one to be argumentative) but I do so worry about the tarnishing created by this type of intolerance
C xxxxx
Here is the request sent to the Vegan Society
Dear Vegan Society
I wondered if you would be so kind as to address a comment made by one of your Vegan Society members regarding efforts towards living a dietary vegan lifestyle
(name sent)
The post concerned and reference to his comment is this one http://1940sexperiment.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/a-true-vegan/
Previously I had also made contact and requested more information on vegansim during wartime 1940s (did vegans receive special rations as vegetarians did) as I know the Vegan Society was started during wartime 1940s in the UK and produced regular newsletters. If you have any further information on this I would be truly grateful..
Thank you so much for your time and look forward to your response.
Kindest Regards
Carolyn
Well done Carolyn!
Good for you! Don’t let him get to you…it’s not worth it. My guess is he’s a very angry individual for whatever reason. You’re on an incredible journey that inspires so many all around you. Keep it up!!
Well well well……..what an angry man. He sounds like a man who has been on the Atkins diet and very successfully to…..! peace and love…peace and love….
Some people just look for things to criticize in others. If Richard wants to encourage veganism, perhaps he should start by being more tolerant towards those who are just starting out, and as you suggested, check his facts first. Carry on, friend!
Obviously he didn’t do his homework on you. He would have found that you are an accepting individual, open to new ideas and actions, and aware that not everyone will share the same results from comments but you do accept them. He would have, like everyone else has mentioned, discovered that your road to veganism has been an interesting one (I love reading the posts) and that you have been following a vegan diet since last autumn. Don’t let one uninformed person jolt you!
Those who follow you do so with gusto! I love the 1940s diet blog and have followed it from the VERY beginning. For years I have gleaned so much from it. It is inspirational and encouraging. Thank you for helping me feast on some historical fare while knowing its healthy awareness with less was once the norm. I am also interested in knowing how veganism worked during rationing. How did they maintain vitamins and minerals with less options than we have today? I can’t wait until the vegan webpage responds.
I am so impressed by your knowledgeable and kind reply. My reaction usually makes matters worse as I’m a typical “shoot from the hip” kind of girl. Don’t let these jerks bother you – it’s obvious that he read one posting and made huge (and many) assumptions. You are an inspiration to so many – and I share your love and admiration for the people who had to face so many challenges the war presented. Never complained … just did what had to be done and went on with their lives. You’re a fine blogger and a very good cyber-friend.
Holly
“Good ol Dick” does not seem the type to say I was wrong,I am sorry. We must forgive him. He can’t be eating enough carrots or else his eyesight would be better.
I agree with the others, you are doing a really good thing. I have learned so much and love the experiment. I am 30lbs. down in 6 months because of you.
Thank You.
THANK YOU ALL for your positive responses and support… xxxxxxx
I have had a very nice response from the Vegan Society and I am pasting it below
Dear Carolyn,
This is Amanda Baker at The Vegan Society.
Firstly, I’m sorry that a member of The Vegan Society posted an upsetting comment to your blog.
I am also sorry that you have not had a reply from The Vegan Society offices to your enquiry. I have not been able to find any record of your contact, I’m afraid. We do try to respond within two working days to all emails, for example. So, my apologies.
I can confirm that R******G******* does not speak officially on behalf of The Vegan Society in this instance. The Vegan Society has thousands of members & supporters. As a Charity, only a few dozen people are empowered to speak officially on behalf of The Vegan Society, and then only in specific circumstances.
We are pleased to offer support and information to anyone interested in veganism, or any aspect of plant-based living.
I do not have much information about veganism during the Second World War. The term, ‘vegan’ was only coined in November 1944, so my understanding was that it was not officially recognized by the rationing authorities of the time. It seems likely that vegans would have registered for vegetarian rations – I understand that these included nuts if available, which would partially replace milk and egg products.
If you need more, and more specific information, it may be possible that one of our Trustees can help you.
Please do send me an email to forward to our Trustees if you do have more questions.
May I send you good wishes for your continued journey with your vegan diet?
Many thanks,
Amanda
I stumbled upon this after searching for experiences similar to mine – that my diet (eight months now) is ridiculed by both omnivores and vegans despite my efforts to reduce eating any animal products to almost nil. Almost.
Meh. I’m not going to let it bother me that much… but its sad that I have to fit into everyone’s categories and labels. I eat vegan almost all the time. But, I’m not going to stress a little milk product here or there. I’m not going to sadden my mother for not trying her recipe for a miniscule amount of dairy in it. I tell people that I eat mostly vegan, but that I’m not one for fear that a fervent vegan will launch into a diatribe. And I’m not going to apologize for taking fish oil pills when I was having a really hard time and thinking I could not continue this.
Its crazy. I sort of thought that vegans would say, “Hey, you’ve made great step – keep it up and maybe you can do even better”. But no. That would be using, ahem ‘honey’ to catch more followers.
I don’t know who this Richard is, but I’ve been a vegan for more than twenty years and I’ve never felt the need to write vicious things about anyone’s diet on a blog. All the vegans I know adopt this way of eating for personal reasons and not as a competitive sport. Candidly, I am suspicious of this basically anonymous troll. If he were an actual vegan he’d probably be worried about alienating new and potential vegans by being such a . . . pill.
Okay, I’ve now read “Richard’s” comment again. First of all he’s wrong; there are plenty of milk-free margarines, including Earth Balance which is the one that you use. Second, he spelled vegan wrong. Third, he can’t spell principles. This is either a very naughty kid, an inebriate, or a nutter. And this is why WordPress allows you to delete messages. Trolls are not worth a response, a minute of your time, or an ounce of your energy.
I just discovered your blog this morning. I have been on a vegan/vegetarian journey for nearly a year now. I say that, because while I try to be vegan about 90% of the time, I will occasionally consume dairy, eggs and some fish. I do not do it for political reasons; I do it for health reasons. I have to commend you for your well-thought-out and literate response to someone who spewed such illiterate ignorance in your direction. You don’t just wake up one day and become a vegan after spending years consuming the junk that our modern society calls food. It is a journey, with many temptations along the way. My sister and I have a blog we have titled, “Two Fat Sisters”, where we have been blogging about our own vegan adventures, as we take our own journey to better health. I look forward to reading more of your own adventures. Keep up the good work!
Hang on just a cotton picking moment… you don’t know Tanya Barry do you? For some reason I know I’ve been on your blog before and I’m sure it may have been my work colleague Tanya who mentioned you? Maybe I am confused!! BTW I agree with you… I did it for health reasons but also fuelled by ongoing personal conflict of my actions versus my feelings. Becoming vegan is a very personal thing…
I will check out your blog again tonight! Can’t wait!!
C xxxx
This post is a bit older, but hopefully you see this. I found some issues of the Vegan quarterly newsletter from the 40’s! Hope you enjoy browsing through them as I did. You’ll need to scroll down a bit for the older ones: https://issuu.com/vegan_society/docs.
This issue has some holiday recipes at the back: http://issuu.com/vegan_society/docs/the-vegan-no.-5-november-1945.
Although I am vegan, I’m not affiliated with the group. Just very curious to find out more about the older publications.