http://statenews.com Eating based on your ideals isn’t always easy. According to Vegan.org, a vegan is a person who “chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs.” Because of this, vegans have to avoid items vegetarians normally wouldn’t, including many baked goods. en-us Foundry4 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:10:50 -0500 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:41:06 -0500 webmaster@statenews.com http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/9031/view Although this article positively promotes veganism, it does so narrowly. First of all, removing animal products from one’s diet doesn’t necessarily restrict food choices because animal products aren’t even an option anymore. There is no reason to consider them part of the menu, and besides, since animal products are so convenient and prevalent in our grocery stores and restaurants, it’s difficult to expand food choices in realms otherwise unknown. Secondly, it’s insufficient to interview only one vegan and promote his reasons as authority; especially while mentioning SPAR but not interviewing a representative of the student group (while its president is a State News writer). There are many reasons for removing animal products from one’s lifestyle, and it includes environmental, health, and outright equality issues with nonhuman animals. However, discussing this issue with a very random non-vegan goes to show, by his reasons alone, that eating flesh can be inconsiderate and largely unfounded; i.e. what is exactly “humane” about eating flesh? and if he was referring to factory farming, please explain what’s “humane” about killing an innocent being on purely hedonist grounds. I especially enjoyed his condescending egoist quip, “It’s somewhat noble.” And lastly, health should be a concern on everybody’s mind, and while veganism might have a stigma of sacrificing health, it can be and generally is healthier than a meat-based diet that most Americans largely abuse. Calcium is a minimal concern when compared to protein, but those are both easily covered and not misused. If health is really such a concern, then Americans should heavily consider removing meat altogether from their diets in order to develop bones and muscle instead of osteoporosis and fat. It’s really nice and great to promote veganism, but without an adequate understanding of the fundamentals of the belief and lifestyle, then these articles will simply encourage more false impressions. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:41:06 -0500 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/9031/view