You have no need to apologize for your zeal. There is a broad spectrum of vegetarian attitudes, levels of commitment and philosophy. We didn't all arrive by the same route. Some were fortunate enough to be born into vegetarian or vegan families, others figured things out all on their own, with very little support from anyone else, as it sounds like you might have done. We're not all going to agree on every particular. I, for example, am frustrated to some degree by Vegan Outreach. That group has been astonishingly effective at spreading the word and it is widely admired among vegans, but, to my view, they surrender ground needlessly by saying, basically, that there are no health benefits to veganism and that we simply need to turn to veganism out of basic goodness. That may work for some, but most who try vegetarianism, according to studies, first consider it for health reasons. Health benefits from a vegan diet are well established, regardless of Matt Ball's views, and I fear harmful misimpressions are being spread far and wide along with their calls for embracing the better angels of our nature. But I still must give them credit for their hard work.

There are far too few of us - so far - for us to be tearing at one another, though there is a constant tendency for those who have seen the light to repudiate those who are less pure. I think we should embrace even those who have only begun to consider cutting back on meat, whatever is motivating them to do so. Some of us may not all agree with you on every point - my experience tells me that is almost guaranteed - but I, for one, admire your enthusiasm.

Yours truly,

John Mayer

PS  Unfortunately, I was not able to view your attachment. I'd never heard of an Adobe Proof Settings File before, and I thought I was prepared to open any image format. It wasn't a regular Photoshop file, it wasn't Acrobat, nor Illustrator nor InDesign. Even DeBabelizer couldn't crack it. Looks like it's some sort of color proofing file for Photoshop, but CS3 and CS4 said it wasn't compatible.

Might I suggest some more universal format such as Adobe Acrobat .pdf? Also, on a broader, not really related topic, all should bear in mind that not everyone uses the same OS and, also, many have not shelled out hundreds of dollars for Microsoft Office.


At 6:57 PM -0800 1/10/09, Guy Wilson wrote:

Don't worry.  Your heart is in the right place and that's wort everything.  I apologize for my stupid rant.

--- On Sat, 1/10/09, Bruce Costain <jainway@...> wrote:

From: Bruce Costain <jainway@...>
Subject: Re: [Vegetarian Society of East TN] Re: VSET Social on Wed. Jan 14th
To: Vegetarian_Society_of_East_TN@yahoogroups.com
Cc: "Laura Broderick" <laurabroderick@...>, vivecapark@...
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 6:32 PM
Dear Inspiring Colleagues,

Let me apologize to Viveca for the harsh tone of my email.  I reacted to quickly.  Although there are vegetarians here in Nashville I know of none.  I guess I rely, at this point, on the Vegetarian Society of East Tennessee to be my refuge, via your website and regular email notices.  Appreciation to Guy for outlining the complexity of the world in which we function while trying to avoid harming other creatures.  It is not possible to do.  That would be another reason why I receive comfort and inspiration from your vegetarian society and its activities.  
As an indication of how the Vegetarian Society of East Tennessee is an inspiration for me, please check out the attachment.  They will start to be put up this week.

Best wishes for 2009.  My membership renewal is in the mail.

Bruce




On 1/10/09 3:26 PM, "Guy Wilson" <tnvegan@yahoo. com> wrote:

 

Though Bruce has a point, I think you guys need to lighten up a little, especially on your vegetarian apologetics response.  Who cares, and why are they spending energy on that?  Twenty years ago vacations to Indonesia were popular from Europe and the US that included interviews with living admitted well-documented cannibals, who described the sweet taste of roasted, deep fried, or boiled human flesh that they had enjoyed routinely, all prior to the Indonesian government's purportedly effective suppression of cannibalism beyond the western mountains in the two decades preceding that. Especially popular was discussion through an interpreter with those old folks who had been fond of specialty foods like "pot-boiled thigh of missionary."  Lets assume based on the Indonesian government's spun propaganda that Chrysler SUVs are NOT really made by cannibals today, because today Indonesian autoworkers "eat monkeys, not missionaries."  Let's assume that's really true.  Everyone still agrees that those same cannibals and their offspring are driving rare species of monkeys to extinction by eating them for their food as they busily make most of the products sold in Wal Mart and Target and elsewhere in the US that you consume greedily as you are busy flaring up about the vegetarian / nonvegetarian content of Knox restaurant menus.  We are a non-manufacturing information- based economy embracing globalization that is maximizing permissible discharges while minimizing labor via postmodern pseudoslavery of children in developing nations. In parts of Asia in 2009, if you can catch an eight-year old monkey-eating child in a net, you can put her to work in a slave factory making products for US consumption. This is progress.  Cannibalism is no longer embraced on paper by any government actively participating in globalization through the World Bank, but beyond that, the rules of consumption are still quite limited, and WE are responsible for our own consumption and the practices of supported cultures, but we are too focused on micro-issues like menus to see the global trends-- now THAT's funny!    Don't take this observation too seriously; It is merely intended to point to unfortunate reality that is under your nose.  Anyway, am I to assume people in Nashville drive all the way to Knoxiousville just to eat, or is it just to experience our "upwind valley effect" exhaust-fume and TVA-discharge induced high that we get from our extremely poor quality breathing air that is so advertised by EPA?  As EPA says on their website, quality of air is quality of life!  

--- On Thu, 1/8/09, Viveca Park <vivecapark@gmail. com> wrote:

From: Viveca Park <vivecapark@gmail. com>
Subject: Re: [Vegetarian Society of East TN] Re: VSET Social on Wed. Jan 14th
To: Vegetarian_Society_ of_East_TN@ yahoogroups. com, "Laura Broderick" <laurabroderick@ mindspring. com>
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:54 PM

Sorry about that.  I have to take the blame for posting the menu to the website.  It was sent to me with information to post on the website for the dinner social.  I wasn't thinking and posted the entire menu.

I have since modified it and (hopefully) removed all traces of meat products.

Viveca
webmaster

 

----- Original Message -----
From: Bruce Costain <mailto:jainway@ comcast.net> <mailto:jainway@...>   
To: Laura Broderick <mailto:laurabroderi ck@mindspring. com> <mailto:laurabroderick@...>   ; Vegetarian_Society_ of_East_TN@ yahoogroups. com <mailto:Vegetarian_ Society_of_ East_TN@yahoogro ups.com> <mailto:Vegetarian_Society_of_East_TN@yahoogroups.com>  
Sent: Thursday, January 08, 2009 9:55 PM
Subject: [Vegetarian Society of East TN] Re: VSET Social on Wed. Jan 14th

Dear Colleagues in Non-harming and Health,

Please explain why a vegetarian society would list menu items that involve animal flesh?   I can be flexible and understand folks having a social in a place that has both veg and non veg dishes but can't  understand the advertisement of things that are counter to what a vegetarian society represents.

Am I missing something here?

Bruce Costain
Nashville, TN


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