in this age of intolerance
There has always been intolerance, but I think we're much more tolerant now than we've for a long time and will become more so moving forward as long as we don't allow ourselves to be turned on each other.
I think part of the problem with vegans and vegetarians coming under attack has to do with social media and internet. When you post online you reach a large enough audience to get one or two vegans who might make the emotional attacks. This will naturally get a rise, then the others will come to defend them. Then people form this belief that all vegans just attack. This seems to lead to both sides being continually on the defensive assuming that they are going to be attacked by anyone who is vegan/meateater, when the reality is that most people are quite accepting.
This probably isn't helped by merchandise that advertises the vegan status. Meat eaters don't have t-shirts telling everyone their meat eating status or that they're paleo.
I'm shocked that meat advertising feels it appropriate to make it a joke to in such an aggressive way on the vegan choice. That kind of attitude would actually turn me away from purchasing the product. I guess controversy gets people talking which gives them the attention they're after.
As a meat eater who was a vegetarian for a few years (also quite sick for those few years) it saddens me to see the attacks from both sides. I can't digest a plant only diet well enough to get the nutrition I need to be healthy, but, like you, I'm very aware of the ethics of meat animals. So the silly bacon comments are just exasperating and I hate the attacks on vegans/vegetarians, but it also cuts deep when I see/hear the attacks on meat eaters which can degenerate to the point of saying we should just die. It feels like there is often this conception that every single human is quite capable of living without meat and if we say were aren't, we're lying or just not doing it right. So I am often very wary around vegans because I don't know if I will come under attack. Thankfully, so far everyone I've discussed this with has been perfectly understanding, which just goes to show how easy it is for our misconceptions to drive us.
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Yes, totally agree that it's media/social media that inflames the issue. You're like my husband - he simply CANNOT digest plants as well, and it's not for want of trying - he's so limited in what he can eat, so it's not fair to penalise him or attack him for what is necessary for his survival. Humans have been eating meat a long time. I dont even really think that's the problem, I think it's the WAY we farm meat that's the problem.
Me too, I was quite wary about posting this as I worried I'll lose people here that I quite like, simply because I'm not vego/vegan. You DO feel under attack for eating meat.
And yeah, everyone here is super nice about it and we have intelligent and empathetic conversations, but that's been my lovely experience of STeemit so far. If it was Facebook, I'm sure there would be memes and jokes and cruelty!
Gosh, saying that they should just die makes them total hypocrites, doesn't it? How can you care for one life but not another? If you are asking people for understanding, that's not the way to go about it!
And ugh, yes, those lamb ads generated a lot of controversy - that's their modus operandi. We wait every January to see who they'll offend next. The last one however wasn't bad, they managed to suprise everyone with a message of diversity in Australia. They went a bit far with the burning of the vegan apartment!