The Most Hopeful Word in the English Language

It is so encouraging to see the Vegan Diet going mainstream across North America. In the United States and Canada, people are realizing that veganism is not only a healthier way to live, it's the only way to enjoy a truly humane diet, one in which animals are not exploited, treated harshly and murdered in the making of our food.

Up here in Canada, CBC News featured a fantastic article on its Website about the mainstreaming of veganism the country. From British Columbia to the Maritimes, people are going vegan every day, with new converts all over the place. Asked about vegan diets, Dana McIntyre, president of the Vegans and Vegetarians of Alberta Association, noted, "They're gaining in popularity. It's not a trendy, hippy way of eating anymore." These days, she adds, "you see a range of groups all moving towards a vegan diet."

Just the other night, I ate at a local family restaurant where I've taken my kids for years. They've added several new dishes to their menu that are explicitly advertised as "vegan." Their dessert menu now includes vegan cheesecake and a few other vegan treats. This trend is repeating itself in restaurants across Canada.

The same thing is occurring in the United States. Veganism is here to stay. It's going mainstream. And this is a wonderful thing to see. As Blogger Jamessina Hille wrote on her blog the other day:

Veganism is considered trendy now I suppose, but really, it’s just a choice. It’s a choice that goes beyond food, and finds itself in your decision making about toothpaste and carpeting and even automobiles. I promise it’s a journey that will invite you to ask more questions, demand answers, get carried away in amazing conversations and debates and will most of all, provide you more energy, more vibrance and an ease of conscious. We’ve got a packed agenda ahead of us – one that will be eye-opening and adventure seeking. We will even be taste-testing some amazing vegan cupcakes this summer. Vegan is not a dirty word. In fact, it’s one of the most pure and simple words there is. (Source)

These developments are encouraging. And believe me, we need all the encouragement we can get. Because the alternative way of living - the one we see too often in documentaries, and read about in books - rests on a foundation involving the rampant, horrific and immoral abuse of animals. Vegans are showing that there is a different way of living, a hopeful way, one that does not involve the destruction of life.

Not only is vegan not a dirty word. Vegan is the most hopeful word in the English language.

Oprah and Veganism

I realize I still haven't commented on Oprah Winfrey and her 378 staffers "going vegan" for one week. Earlier this month, after the episode aired (February 1), the blogosphere was aflutter with all kinds of commentary. Like millions of other people across North America, I did see the episode in question, at least most of it. I did like Kathy Freston, the New York Times bestselling author who served as a very eloquent "vegan ambassador" to Oprah's show and was the only person on it who discussed the suffering of animals. Good for Kathy, whose book Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World has undoubtedly won over new converts.

I agree with the moderates who insist that Oprah's vegan message is being beamed to a largely omnivore audience, thus breaking through the formidable anti-vegan wall that surrounds many people who eat meat and other animal products.

It is too bad that Oprah used the word "radical" to describe the vegan diet. It is too bad that one of her guests was Michael Pollan, who frustrates the hell out of me because he recognizes how evil factory farming is, but he insists that "happy meat" is an acceptable alternative. Murder is murder, Michael, and it doesn't matter whether the being whose life is taken lived in a cramped gestation crate or out in a grassy field. Murdering them is still a crime, no matter how you slice it or spin it.

It was a huge missed opportunity that Oprah didn't have Gary Francione on her show. The man would've set everybody straight.

It's difficult to either universally praise or condemn Oprah. Her message is getting out to tens of millions. Lately, veganism has been a part of that message. Too often on her show, the vegan message is wrapped up in losing weight and staying healthy, and not so much in liberating animals from suffering.

But inevitably there are going to be some people who were moved by her message who explore veganism in greater depth. Hopefully, some of these compassionate omnivores will discover Gary Francione's website and the countless others that are dedicated to an unwavering message of compassion toward animals. Hopefully, these newcomers will learn more about what happens to animals and fish who are thrown by the billions into the factory farm meat grinder. And equally importantly, hopefully they'll learn that dairy products also exact a tremendous toll on cows and calves. And maybe, just maybe, they'll discover that the "happy meat" touted by Michael Pollan is a myth.

The message we want them to hear is that all animal suffering is immoral and must end right now. Sadly, on Oprah's vegan episode, that message often got lost.

This much ought to be said about Oprah's vegan program: It is presenting veganism as an option, and it is beaming the message on a level that the rest of us cannot. It is reaching an audience that the rest of us are not. It is winning over people who are beyond the scope of abolitionists to win over. The omnivores aren't listening to us, but they're listening to her.

That doesn't mean her message isn't fraught with problems. It is. What it does mean is that veganism is being nudged into the mainstream. Omnivores are usually won over by accident. They turn on Oprah, watch her show, buy Freston's book and go out and Google "veganism." Googling "veganism" brings up websites, news stories and videos. Maybe the curious soul looking into veganism for the first time will click on one of the videos that PETA posted about animals suffering in the factory farm system. Maybe they'll stumble upon a Gary Francione podcast. Who knows? Maybe they'll find "We're All Animals"! You never know.

Accidents often cause people to put 2 and 2 together. Information is piled upon new information. For the first time ever, a shocked soul watches animals being slaughtered, fish being cut open alive, calves being whisked off for veal. "I didn't know," they might say. "I just didn't know." Sometimes, the scenes are so awful, the sensitive soul will look away. But a light has been turned on. Consciousness has been raised. The long march, as we all know, begins with a single step.

Learning about suffering is a complicated process. Who knows why some people choose to live compassionately while others turn a blind eye to suffering? These questions are all a part of life's great mystery.

But at least Oprah's show - bad as it was in some spots - was a spark. Some viewers are undoubtedly going to investigate veganism more deeply after watching it. Veganism will inevitably lead some to animal rights. At the end of the day, the vegan and animal rights movements may win over a few converts who stumbled our way as a result of seeing Oprah's deeply flawed vegan episode. Our best hope is that curious folks with kind hearts set off down the path, and eventually cross the point of no return.

Ellen DeGeneres on Why She Became a Vegan

Have a look at this interview with Ellen DeGeneres. It's four minutes and twenty-eight seconds long. Her eloquence is inspiring. And it's great to have such a big shot on our side of the battlefield. In this interview with Katie Couric, DeGeneres - oh, what the hell, I'll call her Ellen like everyone else - Ellen discusses her reasons for supporting the well-being of animals and adopting a vegan diet. Like another famous animal lover, Betty White, Ellen is loved by millions. And when she speaks, people listen. This is just the sort of inspiration we need.

Vegan Fast Food Restaurants??? Bring 'em on!!!

Heather Mills (right), the ex-wife of Paul McCartney, started her own vegan restaurant in London called VBites in 2009. Now she's vowing that she's going to start a fast-food vegan chain that is going to be bigger than McDonald's. (Source)

Good for Heather. I've always said that vegan fast-food restaurants are one of the keys to winning over omnivores who'd never otherwise consider eating vegan food. If you deliver great food at an affordable cost, people will come.

Hard to say whether it'll really be bigger than McDonald's. As of 2007, McDonald's boasted 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries serving an estimated 50 million people every day. I'm sure the chain has grown in the last three years. Even in economic hard times - let me re-phrase that: especially in economic hard times - people still flock to McDonald's.

Veganism is a hard sell to omnivores. I know. I was an omnivore most of my life, as recently as last year. If you slap the label of "Vegan" on something, a hell of a lot of omnivores are going to go out of their way to avoid it. There is this notion - a false one, but a very, very widespread one - that vegan food tastes like, well, can I say it? Shit.

That's far from the truth. But it's impossible to deny that a lot of people think that.

So Heather Mills might be a tad ambitious. Plus she isn't helped by the fact that compared to other fast-food joints, the prices at VBites ($11 Caesar salads; $8 soya burgers; $12 mini-pizzas with soya cheese) are a little higher. You pay more for vegan chow at VBites. It would be nice to have a vegan fast-food restaurant with prices as cheap as the omnivore ones.

But Heather's heart is in a wonderful place. And I hope she does get that chain started. Because delicious vegan fast food will find a following, I'm convinced, and - who knows? - it might even draw some people away from Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, etc. etc. What a blessing that would be. And how nice it would be for vegans to have a place where there isn't only one damn token item on the menu (at the more thoughtful places!) for us to order.

Incidentally, Jessica Simpson's fiance', Eric Johnson (ex-San Francisco 49ers tight end) has said he also plans to open a vegan fast-food chain. (Source) We can only hope that both chains spread like gangbusters. Imagine vegans having to choose between two different fast-food places, the way omnivores debate Wendy's versus McDonald's (or McDonald's versus Burger King).

The day that happens, we'll know that veganism - to quote from the old TV show The Jeffersons - will be "a-movin' on up."

Stories of Hope (Dec. 2): A Lovely Video About Hope & Going Vegan at 7-Eleven!!!

OK, OK, I know this story has nothing to do with animals. Well, at least not directly. But it's still good news. At 7-Eleven convenience stores in the New York City area, vegan meals will be available for purchase. I've said lots of times - in this Blog and elsewhere - that one of the keys to successfully spreading veganism is to make decent vegan food readily available to the public. And that means - excuse the pun - beefing up vegan selections at fast-food places and convenience stores.

According to famed New York Blog The Gothamist: "Choices will include Pad Thai noodles, vegetable lo mein, Shanghai dumplings, artichoke spinach noodles and Hunan dumplings." Mmm mmm. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

If the vegan meals are successful, there's a chance they may spread beyond New York City. And having vegan options at places like 7-Eleven, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, etc. etc., will go far toward nudging veganism into the mainstream and making it seem more acceptable to people who'd otherwise not even give it the time of day.

While I'm not wild about these places, there is no denying that a whole hell of a lot of people at at them, and broadening their horizons to include vegan food (I know Burger King has a veggie burger) would go far toward helping people realize that vegan food can come in all shapes and sizes, and can even take the form of fast food.

For those of you who aren't quite as thrilled as I am about the prospect of a vegan 7-Eleven, I'm including a hopeful video (below) about animals who were saved by loving human beings. Have a look. It's very touching.

A few thoughts on Bill Clinton going (mostly) vegan...

The Blogosphere lit up like a pinball machine at news that Bill Clinton went vegan, and I think most of my Facebook vegan friends did a happy dance. It is good news. I salute Clinton for his dietary choices. It's a wise move for so many reasons. Health-wise, Clinton is making the right decision. This is a man, remember, who has a long history of heart problems, including his 2004 quadruple-bypass surgery, not to mention having two coronary stents (tubes that keep arteries open) implanted. Clinton explained his reason for moving toward a vegetable-based diet to CNN's Wolf Blitzer:

Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet--not ingesting any cholesterol from any source--have seen their bodies start to heal themselves--break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. Eighty-two percent of the people who have done this have had that result, so I want to see if I can be one of them. (Source)

Hopefully, veganism will eventually mean more to Clinton than a means of improving his health. Maybe while Clinton is a vegan, he can educate himself about the horrible treatment of animals - whether it's in the factory farm system, the fur racket, the fishing industry, and pretty much every other sector of the economy that makes products out of animals. Bill Clinton's shift to veganism is, without question, a real victory for the vegan community as far as outreach goes. But a vegan diet doesn't necessarily guarantee weight loss. For example, when I switched from being an omnivore to being a vegan, I initially lost about the same amount of weight - 24 pounds - as Clinton, but a big part of that weight loss came from exercise. Over the summer, my exercise routine slackened and, as a result, I put on a big chunk of my old weight, and I've been 100 percent dedicated to a vegan diet.

We need to challenge the myth that veganism automatically results in weight loss. I fear that if people jump on the "Go Vegan, Lose Weight" bandwagon, as soon as they figure out that not all vegans see the pounds and inches drop dramatically, they'll jump back off the wagon again. It's not easy being a vegan and if you're going to become vegan, it is crucial to know precisely why you want to be one. If veganism were solely about weight loss, I would have ditched it months ago. But it's about far more than that. It is an act of solidarity with nonhuman animals. It is a vital way to live compassionately. And we're not talking about the fake "compassion" of the "happy meat" movement. We're talking about the real compassion of acting according to our consciences, as part of a global movement to liberate nonhuman animals.

From the "Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself" Department: Please Read Christina Pirello's Wonderful Column at The Huffington Post

It is crucial for vegans to go mainstream. Time to bust out of our little fringe bunkers. Time to abandon the militant rhetoric and angry self-righteousness. Time to reach out to our omnivore friends and family members with compassion and kindness. Being judgmental? Doesn't work. Adopting abrasive rhetoric? Doesn't work. Getting in people's faces? Doesn't work.

What does work? Reaching out, showing people that living vegan is liberating and enjoyable, and - most importantly (are you ready for this?) - listening. An effective vegan has to be a good listener. Listen to omnivores. Listen to other ideas, especially the ideas that you dislike. Take it all in. Process it. Think it over. Reevaluate your ideas. And guess what will happen? You'll come back even stronger in your commitment.

One of the most eloquent and thoughtful arguments for why we need to go mainstream comes from Christina Pirello, a best-selling, well-known vegan chef based in Philadelphia. Christina wrote an extraordinary column on The Huffington Post. It should be mandatory reading for all vegans. The headline? "Let's Break the Vegan Stigma."

A highlight:

The philosophy of catching more bees with honey (vegan pun intended) would draw people to learn more about these lifestyles. If we are peaceful, attractive, inviting and open to all we meet, do we not stand a much better chance of them hearing what we have to say and thereby affecting greater change? Seriously, who wants to be scolded? And who wants to scold? It's exhausting to be so self-righteous -- for the scolder and those who must endure it.

Amen! This is the best argument for getting rid of the Us-Versus-Them Mentality of Some Elements of the Vegan Movement that I have ever read. I definitely couldn't have said it better myself.

Please read it.