Last March, I made the decision to become vegetarian. It was not because of the animals or the excessive use of water used in creating packaged meat, but because I wanted to prove to myself I could control my diet. We have all hear of the freshmen fifteen, and while I wish I was not as concerned with my body image as much, I was terrified of gaining that much weight. Two of my closest friends from last year were vegetarian and always seemed to eat healthy, so I sat down and made the decision for myself. But why I came became vegetarian is something I find myself repeating all too frequently.
Almost every time I tell someone of my life style choice, they roll their eyes or ask why on earth I would do that and sometimes I believe that they are judging me for being an animal rights activist. I know I try as much as possible to separate myself from that group, but that does not make sense. Why is there this disgusting stigmatism around vegetarianism and veganism? Yes, they advocate for animals in unconventional ways, but that does not mean they are bad people, or we should shame them for their choice.
The lack of acceptance circling vegetarianism and veganism in some parts of the country is startling and frankly quite odd. It is everyone’s choice and should not reflect why others should care unless their own personal freedom is limited.
It also is shocking to see how this is prevalent in numerous issues in our political atmosphere currently. We judge others for their decisions and yet they have no effect on us. We have become so politically charged that someone’s own diet choices are everyone’s business. It is a tragic truth that hopefully will change in the upcoming midterm elections and remind society there are many more pressing issues that dictating people’s personal choices.