HHhhhhmmmmm, there might be something in that...... I turned veggie when I was 14. I realised at that age what I was eating (dead animals) and thought that humans were above killing animals for food etc etc.... I was only 14 and had lots of morals. So, after a couple of years of telling people that I didn't like the concept of killing animals when there was so much yummy food around that didn't involve killing animals, I just got on with being veggie and actually stopped thinking about it altogether. Even when people would ask me, I would not be able to come up with a good reason for my vegetarianism. I just removed meat from my edible foods list. I didn't even consider eating it (I wish I could do the same with chocolate!!!!)., It was as if meat was as edible as rocks. That included all (dead) animal products so I was very particular about animal fats, veggie cheese (no rennet) and even gelatine capsules. I was a true veggie. This went on for about 15 years. I started to think about WHY I was veggie about 5 years ago and it took me a couple of years of mulling it over, thinking about it until I finally ate some meat. My first meat in 15 years was chicken liver pate and it was heavenly!!! I realised what all the fuss was about, meat actually tastes rather nice! The interesting thing is that when I started to think about WHY I was veggie, remember that this is after 15 years of NOT thinking about it...... I realised that part of it was what I didn't think that I deserved to eat meat. An animal's life was worth more than my hunger or my desire for a good taste. It was a strange feeling, not quite as extreme as thinking that an animal's life is worth more than mine but heading it that direction. So, Stacie, you might have a point. Certainly in my case, I had some underlying psychological issues that I didn't even realise until years later. I'd be interested in other people's experiences. I think we have a few ex (reformed) veggies on the list. Al ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stacie Tolen" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000 5:16 AM Subject: [P-F] Veggie Victims? > I am looking for opinions here. (Facts welcome too of course) > > I have noticed that virtually every vegetarian I know, whose personal past I > know a bit about, each of them has been somehow victimized. One woman was > beaten by her husband for a number of years before she left him, another was > extremely bullied by a sibling for his entire childhood, another was > molested by her father, another was raped as a teenager, and I too could be > put into this category of vegetarians (I was a vegetarian for 6 years, until > recently.) > > I am wondering, if you could take a poll among vegetarians would you find > that a great many have been victimized, and if you wanted to get all > Freudian about it, would you find that this has anything to do with their > decision to be vegetarian? > > I mentioned this idea to afforementioned vegetarian number one, and she > insisted that I was full of crap, then elaborated that her decision to be > vegetarian was based on the cost of meat. Now I know this person, she thinks > she doesn't *deserve* expensive things. It's complicated. (I also think that > gluten and casein are making her a little schizo, and yes I really mean > that.) > > Anybody think this is possible, or better yet, know of any official studies > on this matter? > Stacie