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