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Vegetarianism: One Woman's Point of View

© Tara Gillet-Liloia

This week we are going to talk with a member of the vegetarian community. Melissa H. from Caldwell, New Jersey volunteered to speak with me about her life as a vegetarian. Melissa is a successful independent web site designer for local businesses. She has been married for almost five years and she has a three-year-old daughter. As a working mother, Melissa understands the intricacies of balancing career and family while trying to maintain a less-than-mainstream lifestyle. Here is what Melissa had to say:

When did you become a vegetarian?

I started to learn about vegetarianism while in college. There was a group of people that I became friendly with who were proponents of this lifestyle. Some were vegan and some were vegetarian, so I had the opportunity to learn a lot about the different aspects of vegetarianism.

I also asked a lot of questions about the reasons behind their decisions. It was interesting how varied their reasons were. One man was a vegetarian simply because his girlfriend was. Another person did not eat animal products because of a religious belief. And yes, there were even a few carnivores in the group! We were all very respectful of each other's decisions.

Why did you become a vegetarian?

My vegetarianism is related to animal rights issues. I don't necessarily feel that killing an animal for food is wrong, but I don't like the way it's being done these days. We slaughter more than we need and let it rot. The animals are mistreated and chemically enhanced. We have removed ourselves from the process of hunting and killing our own food, so no one gives it a second thought. Eat that burger, but don't think of the crying cow that was trapped in a stall for months in a stinking farm factory.

If you need to kill and eat an animal to survive, so be it. This is my belief and I don't try to convert anyone to my thinking, just as I don't appreciate anyone trying to convert me. You wouldn't believe how aggressive some strangers can be when they're trying to convince you that meat is great! I'm sure it's great for them, but not for me!

Are you an average vegetarian?

I don't know about average, but I am a normal person just like the rest of your readers. I don't think there is one typical vegetarian lifestyle that you can hold up as being an example for everyone. There are varying degrees of vegetarian living and vastly different reasons for choosing to live this way.

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