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Originally Posted by AprilHare
What ammunition should I bring to the table to defend myself against the verbal 'veg' barrage?
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There is no excuse for rudeness. I think the "special diet" argument would work, but a direct look and "thank you for your input," delivered in an absolutely even tone, should suffice to remind people that they are being rude.
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Originally Posted by DTM
If I were in China and were offered cat, I would decline to eat it. But I wouldn't lecture those who do about their preference being wrong or mine being morally superior; doing so would be rude and obnoxious.
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Been there, done that. Actually, my situation in China was relatively easy, because I simply told my guides, hosts, etc. that I'm a vegetarian (I know how to say it in Mandarin, several ways), so that left all the unusual (to a Western palate) meats off the menu. People were quite considerate, and I had no criticisms of what anyone else was eating.
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Originally Posted by carld
I can honestly say I've never experienced a vegetarian giving an omnivore grief over eating meat. I have however personally experienced the opposite. Some people get prickly and defensive when they find out there's a vegetarian around. I've had people I barely know come up to me and bother me about not eating meat.
The worst though, and I say this with no malice, are the no-carb Atkins types. The one's I've met have been weirdly confrontational.
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I've gotten that too, from both Atkins types and others. I try not to bring the matter up with people I don't know well now (e.g. co-workers). I think with the Atkins folks it's the "no one preaches like the newly converted" effect.
What really puzzles me is when people ask why I'm a vegetarian, and then get angry about the answers, as though I'm somehow casting judgment on their lifestyle.
Would it be more acceptable if I said "my astrologer told me to" or "I'm allergic to animal protein" or something? Why ask if you don't want to know? It's not like I go around trying to convince everyone else not to eat meat.