is there any way we can get rid of the crazy psycho lable that tends to go along with vegetarians and vegans?

Question

i mean, i am vegan but i do not throw paint on people who have fur or leather on, and i really try hard not to shove my views down peoples throats (though its verrrrry difficult not to) and there are plenty of people in this section who sure as hell arent psycho! but there are those few extremist that have branded our label forever. so how can we stop this tag-along lable while still trying to stand up for animals? is there a way?

Answer 1

Hey Bojangles, good to see you again.
:)

Be yourself. Be a good person. That is all any of us can do on the matter because people will believe what they want to. If you try to explain they will find a way to turn it against you if that is what they really want.

There will always be stereotypes about classifications of people because others don't know better.

So many meat-eaters *know tons of vegetarians (even though we are less than 5% of the population)* who are *psycho,* *shoving views down throats,* eating fish* or pale and sickly.*

The truth is, most of these people don't even know any vegetarians. From the way these people talked, you would think everyone but us lived in VeggieVille, a happy land where we take enough vitamins (20-30) to get the strength to stand on our whithered, protein-deficient legs just long enough to tell meat-eaters how evil they are and shove a pig-blood filled celery stalk down their throats.

:) lol

Also, don't become apologetic. If someone throws those stereotypes at you, just say the truth. I say, "That's interesting; I never met any vegetarians like that." or I ask just how many they know... some friend of a friend has a sister who is one.
That is not you.

Don't justify the stereotypes by saying things like "Not all of us are like that." because that implies many of us are like that, and that is just not the case.

Be nice, healthy, informative if people ask and don't take any crap because they saw a vegetarian on TV.

Answer 2

Without wanting to offend anyone here, but I have the feeling that Europeans are more open minded and tolerate than Americans. Nobody here calls anyone "hippie" or "punk" for example, and yes, the number of vegetarians and vegans increases every day. Who cares about labels? I don't and nor should you! And what is wrong with those who stand up and fight for animal rights? This can't be done in silence, and if that throws a negative shadow onto all those who don't want an animal on their plate, isn't it worth the cause?
There are more important and more serious cases of daily harassment, discrimination and hate crimes being committed, that being labeled as " vegan freak" is a minor thing.

Answer 3

Some people become a vegetarian or vegan for different reasons. For some it has to do with animal cruelty and others a lifestyle for better health. I am not the type that would through paint because i am not that king of vegan. I don't think it would be easy to change the psycho labelling until some get the true since of what a vegetarian or vegan is.

Answer 4

I feel exactly the same way I'm vegan and in high school so that only helps me HA HA yes people automatically assume your a crazy political radical who wants to shove your ideas down their throats. Its rather aggrivating to say the least and than people expect you to react when you see them eating meat I wish there was a way to eliminate the retardness of some people.

Answer 5

WE have to stand up for our selves!
Personally, I've been called a "psycho extremist *****" but I promise I'm not
I've found that the only way to rid the label is to be good yourself. Show people you're NOT crazy =]
I've honestly had trouble with this too, and I think it's just a mold we're stuck in. =/

Answer 6

The only thing we can do is explain to folks that those aren't veggies doing that, it's animal rights activists (like PETA) that just happen to be veggie!

In my own little part of America's beef country I took a LOT of flack from folks over PETA's stupid refusal to save cattle that were freezing to death. I got to educate a lot of the people around here about the difference between being veggie and being an animal rightist. It made a BIG difference when they found out that I'm not a fan of PETA or ALF. They honestly thought all veggies were of that ilk! If you're in a religious part of the US it helps to bring up Rev. Wildmon and his protests and ask them how he relates to being a Xtian. Ask them if they'd think all Xtians were perverts based on the immoral actions of some of the televangelists.

It took *years* to get folks to understand what a vegetarian is. The PETA types in less than 30 years have done more to hurt veggies than any other organized group. We've GOT to spread the word that they aren't representing vegetarian philosophy anymore than Log Cabin Republicans represent the views of the Republican party as a whole!

Answer 7

There's really no way that you can make people understand that because you're vegan it doesn't mean you should labeled as crazy psycho. People that actually know you know the truth and don't worry about what other people think, if that's how they want to view you, let them! Have fun with it and play with their minds. They'll never understand unless they allow themselves to.

Answer 8

The throwing of paint and running of the nudes and what nots are just little statements on a BIG SCALE. You gotta do things in todays society to get your views out. And we all have so many to make and choose and create in our heads, on top of the ones our peers and family members teach us that something like vegetarianism and animal rights are a little thing that can get lost. Should we be so forceful? No, we should show how passive we really are, especially since the title of vegetarianism is a passive thing. But standing up in our beliefs just like Pro-Life & Pro-Choice, Smoking & Non Smoking is something that has to be big to get seen. See what I'm saying.

If we aren't bold sometimes, we fall in the cracks.

Answer 9

Try this one my son is a vegan and my crazy inlaws called Social Services on me for starving him! Seven or not he does not want to eat meat in any form! My cousins when we went to visit went out of the way to get him food he needs & wants to eat! I don't eat red meat or pork but he has Aspergers syndrome & sees any living thing as related to him! But my sister is Vegan and I was growing up my hubby is a bad influnence on me! And no I don't think every vegan is crazy! Stop letting people label you! Check out the Post punk kitchen on line or buy the cook book. Yummy meat free stuff that used to be meat dishes!

Answer 10

personally I think part of the problem is that the media only wants to give attention to groups who are nasty...and by not standing up and saying hey this isn't what we are about - we are giving our consent to be respresented this way...
I personally do not like peta and I know many other vegs and veg organizations that do not as well...they are tired of the image peta gives out or more importantly having to spend their time and resources explaining that they are not peta...

another part of the problem is too many groups are afraid to speak out and not appear to have a united front - which we don't so it is a lie....

I don't consider peta an animal rights/veg group anyway...they only care about publicity and celebraties...and most of the celebs they use are not vegetarians...