Noteworthy Saturday

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...

Copyright 2012 all rights reserved

In my collection of many books, I have kept a copy called Being Vegan by Dr. Joanne Stepaniak. This book is interesting because it deals with questions that many people who are vegan or are becoming vegan might have. The question could be: Should you throw out or give away any leather items that you own? What do vegans believe?

I wanted to touch on a specific topic such as should vegans purchase food that looks like it's animal-based counterpart? Joanne says that she does not purchase these items because it basically glorifies the original. My wording not hers. At first, I disagreed. I purchase Tofurky sausages every so often and buy vegan cheese and I don't feel that I support the continuation of eating animal-based products. I considered that it would be better to let our flesh eating friends know that there are compassionate substitutes.

Then, I was on Facebook reading something or another and I discovered this product by The Regal Vegan -http://www.theregalvegan.com/site/-listed as Foi Gras (a vegan walnut and lentil pate). My first reaction was gross. Why would I want to buy a product that contains the name of an animal-based product that is made through cruelty. Why not let that product be banned. Hmm... Oh, wait another dilemma... I eat Tofurky, how is that different? Or is it? This has really challenged me. On one side, I think we should let people know that there are cruelty free substitutes that are just as tasty. Then the other side says, why promote products in a new form and list them as not cruel? Isn't that validating the original product in some way?

There are a lot of implications with this line of thinking. The same could be say of faux leather etc. I still don't know quite how I feel about all of this. I still don't like the idea of vegan fois gras. I'm a work in progress on this topic. I would love to know how you feel about vegan, look-a-like food.

Peace, Vegan Girl