Sticking Up For Myself

In Facebook. The home of passive aggressiveness and I had to choose to stick up for myself there. What was I thinking?

I belong to a Facebook animal rescue group which has done some pretty decent saving of animals in NYS. A member of the group posted the vegan anthem that if you eat meat don't call yourself an animal lover.. A good dose of shaming for dessert. I was reading the comments fully preparing to stay out of it. Then the poster brought in PETA. My hands were not duct taped together so, I commented about the mission statement of PETA which is attempting to promote veganism world wide along with other rather hidden agendas. When the woman I was talking to refused to accept my point I quit commenting and moved on.

This morning I find this in my email inbox. Not from the person with whom I was speaking.

10:57pm Apr 27 Sharon Wells, one question please, you responded back above to Lynn, " ... it appears you don't respect my choice to eat meat that I buy direct from local grass fed farms here in Oneida County. There are methods to avoid the inhumanity of factory farming and sill choose to eat meat and animal products like milk and eggs." ... I noticed you used the word "choice" and "choose" ... and I know I just posted earlier to this page No Judging and No Guiltily ... but I seriously, when you say YOUR choice, let me ask you this ... what about the choice about the farm animals? Do they have a choice? Of course not, but if they did, I'm very sure they would choose to live their life out to old age and die of natural causes over being a meal on someone plate. There are most people here that don't care and are going to continue eating meat regardless. Continue to eat meat then if you want. It's everyone's "choice", it's just a shame that animals, yes even the farm animals don't have one. Yes they are all animals. Dogs, cats, etc. But most of us here hate when those people we are so against say "it's just a dog". What makes a farm animal so different. Is it not a LIFE? Again.... my point here in addressing this, when someone here is going to say "don't take away my choice to eat meat" ... when even more so YOU are responsible for taking away THEIR choice to live". I don't care in what manner, good or bad, bottom line is they are killed for your meal. Yes, it's an oxymoron. Support one or two but not all. Makes no sense to me. Go tell a trophy hunter that they are wrong because it's wrong when it's self gratification for them ... but eat meat because it's self gratification for you but that's okay.

This was to a response to a comment I made that I had no problem with vegans. I could respect their choices as long as they respect mine. I was speaking to Lynn as she says. Not to the person who sent me this.

This was my response to her.

Sharon Wells 10:01am Apr 28 You directed a comment to me that I wouldn't have addressed but decided to since it did include an attempt at guilt tripping me. I will only say this to you. My husband has Crohn's Disease. He has had 1 surgery to clear scar tissue that caused an intestinal blockage and any other surgeries he may have to have in the future will include the possibility of a lifetime with an ostomy bag attached to collect the wastes from his body. We eat meat so he can stay alive without risking more surgery or anemia since he needs an iron source that is easily absorbed. I am grateful to the animals that give their lives so that my husband can continue to live. Do not ever again attempt to guilt trip me into defending my choices.

She called that a threat and claimed she wasn't trying to shame me in her comment. Since it was addressed to me, who was she trying to shame?

She also said I was making her mad that I was continuing to take it personally and I should leave her alone. I have done so and will continue to do so no matter what.

What struck me about her comment to me beside the shaming attempt is that there are people for whom animal rights have become more important that the sustenance of humans. My husband's inability to consume vegetables and fruits in any great amount because of his Crohn's is no excuse in the minds of some people for the slaughter of animals for food. 

Due to the fact that I do buy from grass fed farms I can't always buy a lot of it so I tend to see to it that he gets the meat and I eat more veggies like beans that can supply my need for protein. I do eat meat on occasion, but not every day. It would not bother me at all to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle since that does include foods like eggs and dairy products. I don't believe I'd be 100% happy about it since I prefer my pizza with pepperoni and sausage along with the veggies. 

The other thing I see in her post is that while I am expected to treat vegans with respect, I'm not to request that they treat me with the same since I am doing something they don't approve of. Having said that, I believe I'll go fire up the grill and cook the burgers I made from the cow that Pete slaughtered so that he could sell it for food. That's how he makes his living. He raises Angus cattle for the purpose of selling the meat. This is how he supports his family. Which to me is far more important than whether or not his cows live to old age. 

People make their living with these animals. They have that right and if we take that away from them, the taxpayers will have to support them through welfare benefits. People can't have it both ways.

And since yesterday was day 3 of my challenge, maybe I'm getting aggressive due to lack of sugar in my diet? There is always that I suppose. Maybe I need a Snickers Bar? Nah, I'll just cross her off of the list of people I have any respect for and since I do respect myself, I don't need to speak to her ever again. She can go her way in peace.