Compassionate Veganism

Most people have the wrong impression of what is truly means to be a Vegan. Most of the views on Veganism out there are completely false and brought on by the Media's portrayal of a few randomly BAD examples of Vegans; PETA, Lacey from "Rock of Love", etc..
I have long felt that Compassion was at the heart of what it means to be a Vegan. PETA and other groups have always taken the stand that ALL animals have the same rights as humans and have fought to protect those rights. Whereas I do agree with the bottom line that animals should be respected, I diverge from the thought that "By Any Means Necessary" this should be accomplished. Mostly these groups have created a world where everyone thinks Vegans are militant and people-haters; therefore, causing more people to DENY the tenants of Veganism and never even think twice. I also believe that Humans and Animals are NOT the same. All life is sacred, but to equate a chicken with a human is ludicrous to me. That does not diminish the chicken's value on this Earth. They are to be treated with respect and freed from suffering as well.
I want to let people know that being Vegan is not just about vehemently opposing ALL forms of animal abuse (everyone MUST oppose all forms of abuse). It is not about killing people's livlihoods to alleviate a small amount of animal suffering. It is not about badgering people into believing what you believe.

It is about having Compassion for ALL; including Humanity. Once you accept that the world is bigger than you and each of us has a choice, then you need to do all you can to show people the Compassionate way of choosing your food. Veganism should be rooted in reducing harm across the board.

Part of this Compassion is admitting that everyone has a choice. It is this choice we should concentrate on changing, but not with harsh words and rhetoric. We should show people how their lives and the lives of the animals, not to mention, the World, would be better off eating low on the food chain.

Also, my stance is that each person is different and certain people can or cannot digest certain proteins, vitamins, etc.. Some people cannot digest Animal Protein well (most, in fact); some cannot digest Vegetable Protein well; some cannot properly digest certain foods and must get their nourishment from different sources. I believe that MOST people in this world can safely eat a Vegan diet (if done properly), but there are some that physically cannot (few, but they are out there). Compassion means getting your nourishment (however that may be) and do as little harm as possible. If you need to have Animal Protein, then get locally raised, organic meats. The death and suffering caused by today's Factory Farms is outrageous and even meat-eaters should be disgusted by the manner this Country gets most of its food.

Purpose

The purpose of this Blog is for me to illustrate my vision of Compassionate Eating.
I have long cooked my own food and have become an Amateur Vegetarian Chef. I also travel a lot and have, for years, visited every Vegetarian Restaurant whereever I go. I want to let people know how easy it is to be healthy (but not OVERLY healthy) and have great tasting vegan food at the same time. I also want to be a vehicle for helping those vegans and vegetarians who travel find good food anywhere in the World.

Compassionate Eating means understanding your impact on the planet through the food you eat. It means that we should cause as little harm as possible, recognizing that harm is inherent to being Human, and try to minimize the pain and suffering caused by our gluttonous appetite for food; buying local as much as possible to minimize environmental concerns over transportation; gaining strength from the knowledge that nothing that once felt pain died for your Dinner.

Introduction

My name is Micah and I currently live in Boulder, Colorado. Well, actually Lafayette, but hey, who's counting, right? I have been a vegetarian since 1994 and mostly vegan since 1997. I live with my wife Kelly (also a vegetarian) and two dogs, Brahmin and Bodhi. Kelly and I have been together since February of 1997. We married in Boulder in July of 2003. We love to ski; in fact, if we could ski everyday, we would. In the summer we hike in the mountains virtually every weekend with our dogs. We love to go above treeline and hike where no one goes. The dogs love to swim in the high alpine lakes. I work for Productive Computer Solutions as a Communications Specialist; mainly dealing with VOIP and Hybrid Telephony solutions. Kelly is a 5th Grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary in Boulder.